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Topic: Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc? (Read 2143 times) previous topic - next topic

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

If so, how'd it look, got any pics?

Been thinking about doing this, since I found out how cheap LED lights can be had on ebay...and most of the bulbs in my car have been in there since I bought it (almost 4 years ago), so I am considering upgrading to full LED's (tails, high mount stop lamp, and marker lights).

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #1 –
Are you talking about just installing the LED bulbs, or actually modifying the housings?

I've been working on it... for about 5 years...

Although my project is coming along very, very slowly it will look awesome when finished - the lights will sequence, of course, but I've also extensively modified the tail light housings. There will be 330 red LED's (55 in each of three round sections, on each side), and 200 white LED's for backup lights.

A preview:
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #2 –
Heh, I'm just talking about LED bulbs...doing what you're doing is above and beyond what I'm talking about.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #3 –
No fear, it's above and beyond what I'm talking about, too, hence the "stalled" status of this project :p

Most aftermarket LED bulbs do not throw a lot of light, and the light most of them do throw goes straight out. If you can, get the ones that have "rear firing" as well as front firing LED's (or 360-degree light output), so they light up the whole inside of the housing instead of just a little dot
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #4 –
I bought some of the LED plug-in bulbe before, looked like  so I retuyrned it and just got red coloured bulbs instead, like thunder chicken said the beam of light is too concentrated.

I did put led's into a dummy light on my sprint, it was just a clear lense over a silver bucket, no lights or anything so I put 5 10cm orange leds into it and wired them to the side marker lights, want really that hard to do.

Scott

1980 birds X 3, 1982 bird, 1984 XR7, 1988 TC

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #5 –
this is what i got

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #6 –
Dude that is really awesome, I like it a lot!

Also if you put LED's in your turn signals they might blink faster than normal. There is an adapter out there, just can't remember the site right now.


Edit>> Found the website! http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm
1987 Cougar XR7 5.0 SOLD
1992 Ranger 4.0
2018 Hyundai Elantra
2019 Ram Rebel

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #7 –
Ah, maybe I'll just stick with regular light bulbs for now. I took my taillights apart last night so I can clean up the inside of them and seal em back up (they both got water into them every time I washed the car or it rained). It'd cost me $50 or so to get all LED's and since I don't really know how good they'd look, guess I'll pass for now...

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #8 –
If you want I can get pictures of those particular LED's in a vehicle, it is not a cat (Honda Civic). But they look pretty good!
1987 Cougar XR7 5.0 SOLD
1992 Ranger 4.0
2018 Hyundai Elantra
2019 Ram Rebel

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: xr7cat;120755
Dude that is really awesome, I like it a lot!

Also if you put LED's in your turn signals they might blink faster than normal. There is an adapter out there, just can't remember the site right now.


Edit>> Found the website! http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm


they are already sequential thanks to carmen!!:birdsmily:

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #10 –
no no a faster blink rate due to the LED's producing a lower load than the original flash is looking for.

unless his sequencers already take that into account or you have more line load?
1987 Cougar XR7 5.0 SOLD
1992 Ranger 4.0
2018 Hyundai Elantra
2019 Ram Rebel

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #11 –
I had put LED bulb's in the rear of my Bird that I got from a truck stop. They were bright enough, but like everyone has said, they looked like dots (2") from a short distance. I'm going to do something different when I put the Bird back together. I might graft 87' - 88' T/C lights into it and make them sequential.


86' T/C 4.6L DOHC
16' Chebby Cruze 1.4L Turbo
17’ Peterbilt 389 600hp 1850ftlb Trq 18spd

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

“Heavy Metal Mistress”
[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #12 –
Quote from: xr7cat;120905
no no a faster blink rate due to the LED's producing a lower load than the original flash is looking for.

unless his sequencers already take that into account or you have more line load?

The flashers included with my sequencers only require one "real" bulb per side, so as long as the front bulbs are stock you're good to go.

FWIW, if you install LED's with the stock thermal flasher the car came with it won't flash at all
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣
 

Anyone here put LED's in their tails/marker lights/etc?

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;120935FWIW
, if you install LED's with the stock thermal flasher the car came with it won't flash at all

Okay, I was basing my info off a of Honda... haven't tried anything on my older vehicles. :dunce:

Thanks for the info though!
1987 Cougar XR7 5.0 SOLD
1992 Ranger 4.0
2018 Hyundai Elantra
2019 Ram Rebel