Does an Aftermarket company make Brighter lights for my brakes/turn signals? Maybe LED replacements? The older cars lights seem to be dimmer and every time I go out it seems like at least one person almost slams me. I have a 1976 Cutlass.
Thanks
Tom

 

What is the bulb # of the originals?? There are quite a few LED type bulbs available these days. I have 1157's in my trailer tail lights and they make a lot of difference.

 

If your pods are like most they're probably pretty dirty inside after 30+ years. It means some disassembly, but take the pods out of the car, take them apart, clean the pod and inside of the lens, then get some reflective aluminum paint and spray the pod area to get the reflectivity back up.

Those lights passed DOT brightness standards when they were designed and made, so there's no reason they shouldn't now with the OE type 1157 lamp. You can try a 2057, they're a little brighter. My 74 lights up like Las Vegas with 1157's in place.

A lot of your problem is azzholes not paying attention to what they're doing while driving and being unaware that there ARE cars without 3rd brakelights. You might want to make sure the brake/turn side of the lamps is functioning both with and without running lights on.

 

I found a set of 50 watt 1157 halogen bulbs at a flea market in Ottawa, but I haven't seen any since...they are bright but what I don't like is the fact that they are too hot...we haven't melted the lenses yet but it is cold up here!!! there are also LED bulbs available, just look around...

 

I have seen LED replacement units for almost every older style bulb made. There are often add inserts in the Hot Rod, Street Rodder, etc......

 

Do try that first. Clean the pods, bulbs, and lenses and repaint with whatever color they used.
Stock bulbs were the 1157s. Do NOT get the "long life" versions, as many of them are dimmer than the regular versions (higher rated voltage = longer life = dimmer).

If you run LEDs, there are many styles available. I prefer ones that project light all around like a stock bulb would. The lens would light up red all over. Having just a circle of bright dots shining through the big lens looks too cheap and cheesy.

Idiots running almost running into you with correct brightness lights is due more to stupidity behind the wheel than anything, phone fiddling the most likely cause.
Lately I have found people to ride my 72's butt for a while, as they are probably scoping out the car. They usually back off after a few minutes. Unsafe nonetheless.

 

Good info on this post. I will have to rebuild my tail light assemblies. That would be a good weekend project... if I could eever find the time.

 

Remember to source gaskets if needed. Sometimes the old ones are too decrepid to reuse.

 

Rob, do you know of a good place to find these body gaskets? I looked at Fusicks but wasn't able to find them. I guess I could always cut my own from sheets of gasket material...

 

I remember getting mine from OPG LONG ago. I did not need them then but got em anyway cause I know I would need them eventually. I got all of the light gaskets as they were cheap back then. Of course these were for the Cutlass which are widely available. For the big cars, I am not sure what is available.
You could use gasket material if needed, if you know what material to use first.

 

The body gaskets on my 1971 98 are a compressed fiber board. Sort of like the gasket material used in between the intake manifold and the thermostate housing. I figure any material will work fine as long as it isn't too thick. I will have to see if OPG carries anything for the B/C bodies.

 

Do your lights have shouldered screws? If so, any easily compressible material would have to me quite a bit thicker. I found out with my 72's parking lights. The original gaskets were a wax & plastic thing, the new were foam of the same thickness. I had to buy new stainless screws with no shoulder to make them go in enough to compress the foam seals.
(they almost seemed like parts place parts...)

 

I have found a cure for tailgaters ...

It's called W.O.T. ...

 

I ordered a bunch of wedge style LEDs to replace all the white(yellow) incandescent dash bulbs in my friend's 66 polara. They worked really good for dash blinkers and indicator lights with faded lenses, all the blinkers are really green now and the warning lights are really red.

I'm not sure how well their larger assemblies perform, but they have them for exterior tail lights and blinkers too.

Here's the link: http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

 

wot hmmm WATCH OUT TURD lol

 

If your car is fast enough to outrun the light emitting from your tail lights, then you don't need tail lights !!!

 

Just rocketing along ...

 

First, you should check to see if your car came with reflectors built into the
tail light housings, and if they are missing.

My 1970 442 has a dual lens like this, and I have one missing.
The one that's missing is not as brightly lit as the others.
OldsLensmissing2.jpg

As stated already..... Super Brite LED's has a site banner at the top of
this thread if you refresh a few times , you'll see it.