Has anyone done this LED tail light mod

[Avanti82]

Has anyone done this conversion on an Avanti II

Steve

http://www.avantiparts.biz/servlet/t...l-Light/Detail

[Gunslinger]

I've done it. I think it's better than the stock, though whether it's cost-effective is open to debate. You have better lighting, uses less voltage and far less heat than standard bulbs. Against that, you can paint the interior of your tail light housings white and use halogen bulbs...less expensive, but more heat which can have long term effects on the lenses. Your choice...your money.

I also added a mechanical brake light switch to activate them...far more reliable than the pressure switch which doesn't seem to last long.




Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.

[Avanti82]

Were they pretty easy to install? I think I am going to order them.
Thanks for your response,

Steve

[Retired]

Advice I received from the owner of a company that manufactures original and after market lighting for vehicles is: Unless the lens is engineered to correspond with the light emitted by the LED blubs, the full illumination of the LED is lost.

I cemented three small mirrors, purchased in a Arts & Crafts store, in each tail light plus painted the housing with hi gloss white enamel. A fellow Avanti owner followed me, one afternoon,from the Cedar Rapids Fair Grounds to the hotel just to ask what I had done to my tail lights to make them so bright.

Richard

[N8N]

I'm assuming that these are the ones that Bob Ziff displays at York, Reedsville, etc. If so IMHO they're worth it; even if the lenses aren't optimized for LEDs they are still way brighter than stock taillights with 1034 bulbs which are, frankly, not that good.

I would try verifying all the connections (including grounds!) and putting some silicone grease in the sockets and connections, then painting the reflectors with gloss white paint; if you are not then happy with the light output, give the LEDs some serious consideration.

You will probably need to use a special flasher otherwise your turn signals may operate oddly.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[Avanti82]

Here is what they look like using the existing lenses. As I understand it they are designed to work normally with your turn signal.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1675/gcs0001.jpg

Steve

[T-CAB]

Can these lights be used on a 1964-6 Sedan?

T-cab

[/IMG]

[T-CAB]

Can these lights be used on a 1964-6 Sedan?

T-cab

[/IMG]

[Avanti82]

quote:Originally posted by T-CAB

Can these lights be used on a 1964-6 Sedan?

T-cab

Here is their web site and they do have kits for older cars also.

http://www.lambertenterprises.com/

Steve

[Gunslinger]

They were pretty simple to install. It takes a die grinder to cut a slot in your housing, but that's invisible with the lens installed. Overall, they're a worthwhile addition though they are pricey. I rationalize the expense as if their better visibility to other drivers saves me being rear ended, they paid for themselves.

No problem with the flasher...they worked fine with the stock unit, but I eventually added an extra loud flasher since the stock on was too quiet to hear, and I usually drive with the windows down...along with my diminished hearing from years of attending loud rock concerts and gunfire from being an instructor.




Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.

[curt]

I purchased LED bulbs in Auto Zone, replaced the stock bulb with an LED bulb. Works fine, blinkers, tail, and stop lights. The LED bulbs at Auto Zone are red when activated. I don't think there is a white LED bulb.

[Chucks Stude]

White LED's tend to be "blue white", if you are thinking about using them in backup lights, or white turn signals or interior lights, use "warm white". The color is better. I am thinking about how to put some of these behind the gauges on a hawk. Might make them brighter. Will probably use strip leds, in warm white. Have found them online, no one seems to have them in the stores.

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by T-CAB

Can these lights be used on a 1964-6 Sedan?

They probably could be used, but it would be a whole lot easier to just use the LED replacements for your regular bulbs. George Rohrbach, http://www.highspeedmotors.com/, sells LED bulbs now including 12-volt. He had a display at Reedsville last month with bulbs that would blind you if you looked at them directly. His newest bulbs have white side pointing LEDs in addition to the red rear pointing LEDs. You may find the bulbs cheaper, but George is a heck of a nice guy and you get your money's worth in advice.



Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[N8N]

quote:Originally posted by 53k

quote:Originally posted by T-CAB

Can these lights be used on a 1964-6 Sedan?

They probably could be used, but it would be a whole lot easier to just use the LED replacements for your regular bulbs. George Rohrbach, http://www.highspeedmotors.com/, sells LED bulbs now including 12-volt. He had a display at Reedsville last month with bulbs that would blind you if you looked at them directly. His newest bulbs have white side pointing LEDs in addition to the red rear pointing LEDs. You may find the bulbs cheaper, but George is a heck of a nice guy and you get your money's worth in advice.

Really? I'll have to drop George a line. This year was the first year that I haven't gone to Reedsville in I don't know how long (just too busy at work) and of course it sounds like someone has introduced a product that I may be interested in. I have yet to see a LED "bulb" that is worth a crap, but based on the 6V ones that George has been selling, his may be worth a try. I do remember discussing this with him after the International at Lancaster (in between drinks and people coming up to him and calling him "Mr. 398" <G&gt and he agreed with me that there was a lot of crap on the market but seemed to think that producing a *good* product was not impossible, just that a lot of buyers wouldn't care about the difference and he was unsure whether or not there was a market for a quality product. I guess he must have been convinced that there was a market, so now I need to step up and put my money where my mouth was I definitely have an interest in this as I am not happy with the brightness of my '55 taillights with regular 1034 bulbs. I also wouldn't mind trying LED lighting in my Porsche 944, which would be impossible to retrofit with anything but a "bulb replacement" type of thing as the lens and reflector are a unitized assembly.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[Georger]

I have hesitated to post to this message as it could be construed to be shameless self promotion.
My new run (which is brighter than in the past even on the 6 volt (brighter little leds, and 19 pointing back instead of 18)- 33 little leds. I only did in red/with white on the sides. So there is a 12 volt negative ground version! I do not have a white or amber version of the 12 volt. Red shines through the red lens much better than white. Actually the 12 volt is selling pretty well, I think because of the same design as my 6 volt. There is also a similar bulb someone else has copied on the net, but I ordered one and they are about 1/3 the brightness. Cheaper, but you get what you pay for. I hope no one confuses them with mine.
To learn all about LEDS visit my webpage:
http://www.highspeedmotors.com/Webled.html
Now about Avanti in particular. The housing does not really allow the leds to illuminate the lens as well as I would like. I think the '63 only have one bulb, and the later ones have two. The earlier ones can be converted to two bulbs easy, but for regular or halogen bulbs, vent holes must be drilled, as there is too much heat, and the lens will melt. This conversion was written up years ago in the Avanti magazine. The housing is such that the front bulb sits too far into the housing to be really effective. On the rear bulb however, my LED can be used and makes the tail light brighter then the regular bulbs on brake mode! I have done this on my own Avanti. There is not a good way to put a parabolic reflector in the housing, which would help. Bob Ziff circuit boards are very effective.
I like the idea about using small mirrors inside.
If anyone would like more information on my bulbs, just email me. georger@highspeedmotors.com
Of course if you buy them and are not happy for any reason, I will be glad to do a refund.

George Rohrbach