Cascade Crew

Al Hasse · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: LED Spoiler Brake Light

I ordered a 1 meter flexible LED strip from Super Bright LEDs and received it today. I got right to work to see how it would fit in the junk brake light housing I have (lens separated from reflector). As it turns out, it fit much better than I thought it would and actually fit 3 rows of LEDs into the lens.

Here is where the piece I bought is, I got # WFLS-x60-BK Flexible Light Strip - Black Circuit from here

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Flight_bars-flexible.html

After cutting it into 3 1-foot strips and soldering them together so I could use them, it looked like this...

A test fit into the lens

Temporarily taped in and hooked to a 9V battery, they should look good behind a tinted lens Cool

I might just use this lens, intentions are to fill with clear epoxy and set the strips in and cover the solder joints & wires. The epoxy should also offer some rigidity

blue89 · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 3:37 pm Post subject:

Looks good. Much cheaper than those bulbs! Will it screw in good without the lens back?

Al Hasse · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject:

It should. When I cut the reflector housing away, I left the mounting tabs as much intact as I could. I might have to use a thin washer on each end, but should mount OK otherwise. I used clear silicone instead of epoxy to "glue" the strips in place and weatherproof everything, the next day or two should tell how everything works.

90droptoproc · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:44 pm Post subject:

looks great, I may have to find some uses for those strips

91RSVert · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:43 pm Post subject:

looks good. I'm wondering if you could cut an alumn strip to put them on and screw behind the lense?

Al Hasse · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:02 pm Post subject:

That's a thought, I suppose it could be done that way. It was easier for me to do this and seal them up at the same time Cool

chevymad · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject:

That looks great Al! Cool

iansane · Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 10:58 pm Post subject:

That's awesome! Want to do another one for me? Very Happy

My 'vert uses that same lamp.

90droptoproc · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:22 am Post subject:

different lense though

91RSVert · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:27 am Post subject:

I guess my camaro is different then the bird then? I bought a regular camaro lense for mine and it fits.

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:13 am Post subject:

This came up at the Bothell gathering. I seem to remember Ian's car having an identical lens to the 87-90 spoiler-mounted Camaro light.

Al Hasse · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:30 am Post subject:

90droptoproc · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 11:46 am Post subject:

weird, mine is actually a ford part number when you look it up, figured it was normal, but I only have a third break light on one of my verts so I had nothing to check it against

Al Hasse · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:42 pm Post subject:

It's on and works pretty good. I tinted a little darker than I intended, but I used the Rust-Oleum lens tint instead of VHT Nite-Shade. It had a different nozzle than VHT and sprayed a little heavier.

Here's a look with the sun in front of the car, if you were behind me, the sun would be in your eyes Cool

iansane · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:37 pm Post subject:

That looks pretty cool Al. I wonder if there is any way to diffuse the light a bit so dampen the lite-brite look.

90droptoproc · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:12 pm Post subject:

not sure right now, I will try to remember to look when I see the TA next (stored in another city) and my iroc has an aftermarket copy from australia with no provision for a light

Al Hasse · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:44 pm Post subject:

iansane · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:29 pm Post subject:

And I think that's better than the 2 dots I've got going on. Laughing

But I found that that actual correct bulbs (vs the LEDs in my light now) are ultra cheap now (comparatively).

Al Hasse · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject:

I never really had a problem with the bulbs going out, but they kept losing contact with the cheap socket assembly. Even with the LED replacements I had, one or two would go out due to the poor contact.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject:

Matches the grid tail light dispersement better than the 5 stupid dots too.