ATrain1

Does anyone make a set of LED taillights for a 1978-1979 Cutlass? I have looked online and have not been able to locate a set. Thanks

ah64pilot

You can buy LED 1157 bulbs from O'Reilly, Advance Auto, or Autozone...they have red and yellow, but around me they don't stock white. They make bulbs to go all the way around the car, side marker, brake, and fog lights...

If you put LED bulbs in you will need to get a no-load flasher as well. They have load equalizer's but they require you to splice into the wire going to each light. The better alternative is to use the no-load flasher that plugs in place of the stock flasher. You can get them at Jeg's at a reasonable price.

I hope this answers your question.

ATrain1

I will go this way if I have to. What I was looking for is whole LED after market taillight. My brother just put a set in his 1978 T/A and they are sweet, They blink like the old Shelby mustang did. I guess what I want is a taillight that has the LED strips all of the way down.

copper128

You could convert them yourself with something from here:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...%2Fpcblamp.htm

Cutlass 77

I was looking for the same thing for 77 cutty supreme. Maaaan if you find a place let me know.

joe_padavano

HAHAHAHAHA...

Nobody makes repro parts for the 73-77 or 78-80 cars, and you guys are looking for custom LED taillights?

HAHAHAHAHAHA

ah64pilot

This is uncharacteristically rude for you Joe...

It's almost something I would say...but I never figured you would lol!

joe_padavano

I wasn't intending to be rude, but sometimes we need a reality check. Face it, the cost to tool up for a model-specific part like this is not small. The fact that one cannot buy reproductions of common parts for these cars tells you that industry doesn't think the market is there. A niche part like LED taillights is an even tougher sell. This is Econ 101 folks. Sorry about that.

FYI, some of the 1157 LED replacements are great. Get the ones with a stack that has LEDs on the sides as well as on the face. The inexpensive ones with LEDs on the face only are not very bright because the light is focused away from the reflectors. The ones with side mounted LEDs correct this problem. I have the latter in my 62 and they are quite bright.

TripDeuces

If you're industrious you can buy led circuit boards from this company: http://www.cool-leds.com/index.html
I called them up and got a print out of the dimensions of the different sized boards they had available. You'd have to do some homework to get the correct ones for your ride.
Here's some pics:

Aceshigh

Do not buy any LED vertical stacked bulbs that go into a 1157 socket. They will suck.
This is exactly what you need to do.....the complete LED board needs to face the lens for optimum brightness.
however shop around before buying them from SuperBriteLED"s because they have gouging prices.

Simply get an LED board off Ebay with SMD LED's that fits your tail lights, and solder
the ends into a 1157 bulb housing......that's all you're really paying for. It's possible
some have resistors inline, but doubtful with that many.

Aceshigh

I completely disagree with this, and I've done custom LED on everything from my motorcycles to both of my classics and DD's.

These are absolutely NOT as bright as flat SMD LED boards that face the entire lens.
99.9% of aftermarket LED tail lights are made with SMD LED boards.
There are some who don't splurge for the higher $$$ stuff and go with the cheaper 1157 stack bulbs like these.

Aceshigh

Here's a G-body Cutlass where someone made custom LED tail lights.
As you can see, they didn't just use a socket 1157 bulb because it limits the visual LED brightness

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/dOrqRTYzqAI&hl=en&fs=1

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/mXzzwqvVHpo&hl=en&fs=1

Check these modular 1157 socket to SMD LED Boards out.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-24-SMD-U...9a6ee6&vxp=mtr