Tail Lights

[gilby959798]

Has anyone ever used the ol put the tail lights in the oven at about 200* for 30 mins to heat the glue up and separate them? I am going to work on a custom set of LED tails and I want to see how they look viewing through the lens. I know exactly how I am going to lay them out but I am not sure how many I am going to use... I am going to try and use 25 LED on the inside panel and 30 on the middle and outside panel... any thoughts?

 

[SnkBit]

Ive never tried it with tail lights, just headlights. But i assume it would work just the same. It should come apart, just remember, the plastic gets brittle after its been heated up, so use caution when prying them apart.

I think the LED tails might look pretty good. Im not a fan of just throwing LED bulbs in there, they just dont look right to me. But if the LEDs are placed properly throughout the lense like it would be done at the factory, it could be sweet. Are you going to build your own circuits, or retrofit an existing one from a donor? Keep me posted on your progress, im interested....

 

[gilby959798]

That's exactly why I started this project. I want an updated look in the rear but no aftermarket light or LED bulb meets my fancy. I am going to build my own circuit, figured I should use that schooling for something (BSEE). They will be 5 LEDs in series in as many parallel branches as needed without using too many. I am going to hook it up to a variable power supply to see where I want it for the tails and then put a regulator on them at that voltage. I will modify a bulb for the socket connection because I want plug and play when I am done. I am also going to look for something to defuse the LED so they arent so BAM, lol I will use red LEDs and white LEDs because when I am at it I am going to do the reverse lights too. If this works well, I will go onto the 3rd brake light as well. I am not using my original Tail lights because I am kind of anal when it comes to my cars. I even plan to take advantage of the space beside the reverse light in the outer 2 panels of the light. I have the bezels off and will probably try to throw them in the oven tomorrow when my fiance isnt home to complain that I am using her over for a car part I will let you know if this works. I am going to do 1 tail light at a time and hope that it works out well. I will try to take some pics along the way for you too.

Thanks.

 

[SnkBit]

Awesome! Sounds like you have it figured out for the most part :beer:

 

[SVTContique]

Use Red LED's the white ones will show through and look pink.

Sometimes the sealant used on rear tail lights is like a permanent bond shit, id try it on a junker tail light before i did it on my own.

To reseal it use 3m Buytl Rubber from napa auto parts, its the best stuff to use.

 

[gilby959798]

For the most part yes. just need to get some LEDs and hook them up...

 

[gilby959798]

Use Red LED's the white ones will show through and look pink.

Sometimes the sealant used on rear tail lights is like a permanent bond shit, id try it on a junker tail light before i did it on my own.

To reseal it use 3m Buytl Rubber from napa auto parts, its the best stuff to use.

Red LEDs were already in the works, already got the spare set of tails too :banana:

thanks for what to use to reseal it.

 

[F8L BYT]

I have been debating on doing this for a while now but havent had time. I was going to put a led in each little honeycomb spot in the tail light. I think it would look killer

 

[gilby959798]

I dont have the honeycomb tails but I agree that would look cool. I am going with a simple patteren. The hardest to get how I want will be the outside panel because I would like to maintain the curvature of the tail light in both how it wraps around the car and how the tail light comes to a point...

 

[RIO RED SNAKE]

make more than one set so you can sell$$ lol..may be interested down the road

 

[gilby959798]

make more than one set so you can sell$$ lol..may be interested down the road

I'm not going to lie but these are not going to be the easiest to make. The LED bulbs alone that I want to use are about $1 a piece. For the Bulbs alone thats $190, not including the cost of the tail lights or the time that it would take me to solder them all together. I highly doubt people would want to pay upwards of 350-400 bucks for a set of tail lights. Now if i had some cheap labor to make them for me it might be a different story.... I will gladly give my design/pics to anyone willing to try it though...

 

[gilby959798]

well the oven trick didnt work... Right tail light broken... damn but now I can see if I can cut it open somehow and still make it work...

 

[19mustang95]

Why not just cut the back of the tailight open, then just reseal it. Kinda like how all the people are doing HID Retrofits into headlights.

 

[gilby959798]

thats what I am going to do... I am going to cut them open now... well tomorrow or something. I need to get a dremel first... I will probably pick one up at harbor freight tomorrow and cut them open...