Rectangular Tail Lights

[Bill D]

Do they have 2 bulbs or 1?

[Combat72]

All the ones I have seen have 1 bulb.

Frank

[Combat72]

This is interesting:
http://www.kitcarmag.com/techarticle...ras/index.html

Frank

[JeepSnake]

Mike Delasco (username: Mike Del) put together a nice LED conversion for the rectangular taillights; I have a set of the adapters in my car, and I can tell you they are GREAT! Here is the thread:

http://www.uniquecobra.com/forums/sh...&highlight=LED

Some tidbits about the original lights and the conversion:

- In original configuration, the rectangular lamps have one bulb turned 90 deg from what we'd consider "normal." In other words, the bulb is held up behind the lens sort of like a candle, vertically. There is NO reflector, so light escapes into the trunk, and (if you keep the inner quarters open to the trunk for more storage space) items in the trunk can possibly get against the hot light bulb.

- Mike's conversion turns the bulb to a normal horizontal orientation, pointing more bulb toward the lens. It also is made of aluminum, reflecting some more light back into the lens. It also closes the bulb in so that it is protected from items in the trunk.

- Adding the LED to the conversion pieces REALLY brightens things up. They put out much more light, and all of that light is directed straight into the taillamp lens where it needs to be. The part number Mike uses is a straight replacement for our beloved 1157 incandescents. Using this with the original lenses looks much better than the results achieved in the Kit Car article.

Possibly the greatest benefit of the LED bulbs is actually response time. They begin emitting light immediately when the current comes on, without having the time lag while waiting on the filament to heat up. When I changed my taillights out, I installed one LED and left one incandescent installed just to see if I could tell a difference in timing. Boy could I! The lag on the incandescent was very noticeable. The LED's give the driver behind you just a bit more reaction time that could keep you from getting rearended in an emergency stop situation.

Hope this helps!

[Bill D]

Thanks Zach!!

[spd4me]

I got the LED Mike Delasco makes, opened up the hole in the fibergalss body and cut some of the metal on the plastic rectangle lens to expose as much of the round LED as possible and it makes a big diffference. I posted pictures some time ago.
bob

[rldunn7]

I for one am a great advocate of the LED lamps for the rear lights...Was being creative and put HIGH Intensity bulbs to overcome the lack of light from the rear lights....well we were at Homecoming in 2008 and smelled smoke on the way back to the motel....yep you got it, a rag had been pushed into contact with the bulb and we had a fire starting in the trunk...couple that with the wax, oil and other rags and had we not stopped at the motel and checked ...she would have burned to the ground....threw burning material out in the parking lot and was very lucky....If you dont want the LEDs PLEASE put a cover over the bulb....