When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I recently changed my headlights for LED headlights. I had original T-3, went to Halogen bulbs, then put the relay deal on, but nothing gave decent light. I suppose the real problem is my age, 69, and I just don't see like I did in the 60s and 70s. Anyway I changed to LED headlights, they are way brighter and I do see better but still not as good as my late model car and truck. OK, I give up on that end.
But now I want to convert the rest of my bulbs to LED and would like to know how many of the LED bulbs to buy. The outside are easy to figure, I can do that, and I can do most of the rest inside like courtesy lights, glove box. BUT it would be great to know how many bulbs I need for the dash lights, I have no idea how many 194 bulbs I would need. If anyone knows the number and would care to share I would appreciate it.
I replaced all of my interior bulbs a few years ago with LEDs and the difference is amazing. I can't remember the exact number, but I think that it was 4 lights per gauge in the dash.
I picked mine up on Amazon. They were very inexpensive (I think I paid $6.50 for 10 bulbs). Here is the link. Hope it helps.
I replaced all of my interior bulbs a few years ago with LEDs and the difference is amazing. I can't remember the exact number, but I think that it was 4 lights per gauge in the dash.
I picked mine up on Amazon. They were very inexpensive (I think I paid $6.50 for 10 bulbs). Here is the link. Hope it helps.
That sure did help. I just went to Amazon and ordered some LEDs, maybe enough to do all the rest of the bulbs, and very reasonable.
BIG THANKS!!
Just remember that the 194 LED bulbs are positive-negative. In other words,if the bulb doesn't work,turn it around because they have a positive side and a negative side. Also,if you use them in the turn signals,you will need to use an electronic flasher. The oem flasher works off current draw and the LED bulbs do not have enough draw to work. You can buy the electronic flasher on eBay. They even make a solid state flasher that doesn't make the sound oem flashers do.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Originally Posted by 66luvr
That sure did help. I just went to Amazon and ordered some LEDs, maybe enough to do all the rest of the bulbs, and very reasonable.
BIG THANKS!!
Just remember that when you install the LED bulbs the rheostat on the light switch will not work with them. I think the more practical solution here is only drive in the daylight
Just remember that when you install the LED bulbs the rheostat on the light switch will not work with them. I think the more practical solution here is only drive in the daylight
Thanks Allan. It has been so long since I used the rheostat I had forgotten it. As I get older I need all the light I can get just to see. But I checked the order for the 194 led bulbs and they are dimmable and will work with the rheostat.
Originally Posted by 66-3X2 442
Just remember that the 194 LED bulbs are positive-negative. In other words,if the bulb doesn't work,turn it around because they have a positive side and a negative side. Also,if you use them in the turn signals,you will need to use an electronic flasher. The oem flasher works off current draw and the LED bulbs do not have enough draw to work. You can buy the electronic flasher on eBay. They even make a solid state flasher that doesn't make the sound oem flashers do.
Thanks Mike. The company on Amazon I got the 194 LEDs from had a warning in their ad about this. I thought "Well I'll need a second person to tell me if the light comes on when installed as I will be stuck up under the dash." I also knew about the flasher, seen it brought up on some forums. I figured from the beginning I could get an electronic flasher as I have had to do on some tow vehicles in the past. Now all the trailers have LEDs so no problem with that. I'll look on ebay to see what's there.
Last edited by 66luvr; August 12th, 2018 at 08:00 AM.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
I just looked more closely at the front of your car picture. Know what caught my eye?? It was the 'Cruiser' Script you set onto the rad support? Oldsmobile - Cruiser. Waaay cool. Only thing is it needs to be adjusted for level. Nice touch Mike!
I just looked more closely at the front of your car picture. Know what caught my eye?? It was the 'Cruiser' Script you set onto the rad support? Oldsmobile - Cruiser. Waaay cool. Only thing is it needs to be adjusted for level. Nice touch Mike!
Good eye Allan. That is a 442 grille and that is where the 442 emblem should be, but I never tell anyone it is a 442 I tell them it is a Cutlass. I tried to level the emblem but couldn't without altering the grille. Now it is behind the bumper so it will remain crooked, too much trouble to take that loose. There is not even one emblem on the outside of the car, my choice. The hood and trunk trim have OLDSMOBILE on them, and all the trim is present on the inside, but I had all the outside emblems removed, I like the clean look.
It also has 442 tail lights as they are available new, and I like them better as they look cleaner than the Cutlass with the horizontal bars.
Of all the people who have looked at that car in the last 22 years since it was painted only a couple have remarked about the Cruiser script. Even then they don't get it, it is just a Cruiser, not a race car, not a show car, just a nice cruiser with a few upgrades. 1970 455 30 over, small cam, 400 turbo with switch/pitch and a reworked converter from a 2 speed Jetaway. A 12 bolt 355 posi rear, all new. New UMI rear control arms with urethane bushings and roto joint on top and the frame stiffeners. All urethane bushings up front, lowered all around, 1.25" sway bar in front and 1" in rear, fast ratio steering box from Power Steering Services when Chip owned it and rebuilt pump. It is a great road car, rides and drives very well. Getting ready for new seat covers this winter, I did them in cloth with original pattern way back but the pleats on the front seat have died/disappeared (Too much Cruising), so getting Legendary covers and having them installed local.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
I'm glad to hear you're keeping the car the way you want it. I love the colors and wheels just from an appearance viewpoint. Nice drivetrain you have in there too. I also elected not to pierce my car for emblems, but the deck lid is the original so it sports the Cutlass script. My car is a 72 Cutlass S, but i'm putting in 442 grills that will have the 442 numerals replaced with the Oldsmobile script. My rear seat doesn't get used so it's in pristine shape, although a little on the hard side. The front ones are starting to show wear but I want to make sure the replacement covers have the deep pleats that came with the car originally. Probably Legendary will be my choice also.
I'm glad to hear you're keeping the car the way you want it. I love the colors and wheels just from an appearance viewpoint. Nice drivetrain you have in there too. I also elected not to pierce my car for emblems, but the deck lid is the original so it sports the Cutlass script. My car is a 72 Cutlass S, but i'm putting in 442 grills that will have the 442 numerals replaced with the Oldsmobile script. My rear seat doesn't get used so it's in pristine shape, although a little on the hard side. The front ones are starting to show wear but I want to make sure the replacement covers have the deep pleats that came with the car originally. Probably Legendary will be my choice also.
This car is my son's car.
I have owned a few hundred cars, they came and went steadily. I always had something different. I never had a lot of collector type cars at once but always had one or two. But I moved them in and out pretty quick Some years I sold 20 some years 10 but always some. So we got this 66 in 1993 or 1994 and was working on it to be ready when he got his license in March 1997. I always told him he could paint it any color/way he liked. So in the summer of 1996 the car was in the body shop and we needed a color. I had a 66 Corvette roadster and we went to the Bloomington Gold Corvette show in IL that summer. Chevy had come out with a 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Commemorative edition. He said "This is what I want on the Olds" So this is the color and scheme from that car. https://www.google.com/search?q=1996+corvette+grand+sport&tbm=isch&tbo=u& source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjesavh6ODcAhVo9IMKHaRg CyoQsAR6BAgBEAE&biw=1129&bih=536&dpr=1.7
I had to call GM to get the paint codes. So we had it ready for his 16th birthday, we being he and me, Mom flew the coop. I left the 330 and Jetaway and a 293 rear and detuned it as much as possible for him to drive. He drove it to school and all around but realized people would damage it if you park it and walk away, like restaurants and movies. So he decided to drive one of whatever I had sitting around and take better care of the 66. Turns out he just isn't a car guy, he likes it and drives it some, but mostly it is me who drives it to shows and cruise ins. And over the 22 years since it became a driver I have continued to improve it, and he isn't too much of a hot rodder, so it has survived and gotten better with age. And will continue along that path. I've tried to get him to sell it and use the money but he says no, it will never be sold. And I slowed my flipping to nothing because all the jobs disappeared from this town and buy here pay here car lots get a lot of the buyers I had.
Interesting back story. The 66 was sold new here in this town, Key's Motors was the Oldsmobile dealer in 1966. I have a copy of the original title, copy of the window sticker, all the glove box books with the protecto plate. The woman who bought it new kept it until 1996. It lived 4 blocks from where I now live, I moved here in 1985. But I didn't know the car. It was garage kept and I never saw it, it was white with black vinyl top. She sold it to some man and he put the 442 grille, removed the vinyl top, and died, his wife sold it to a friend of mine who never titled it and sold it to me, That guy owns a body shop and he did the body and paint in the winter of 1996. It is holding up pretty good, I won a Best Of Show and a $75 cash award at one show this year that had 110 cars.
Last edited by 66luvr; August 9th, 2018 at 01:57 PM.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Great story. Sad to say my son is not a car guy either. But that's a whole long other story. Needless to say I look after the mtce side of his ride and apparently the washing too.
This car is my son's car.
Turns out he just isn't a car guy, he likes it and drives it some, but mostly it is me who drives it to shows and cruise ins. And over the 22 years since it became a driver I have continued to improve it, and he isn't too much of a hot rodder, so it has survived and gotten better with age. And will continue along that path. I've tried to get him to sell it and use the money but he says no, it will never be sold. .
You say he isn't a car guy, but he won't sell it. That, to me, says that he IS a car guy, just maybe not in the traditional sense. This car that the two of you did holds a special place for him, and while he might not have the time to drive it as much as he'd like right now, maybe he's looking forward to the day when he can and will.
Our kids hold a special place inside for something that their parents did that was somewhat special. Hell, I took a $5 garage sale bicycle, sanded it down, and repainted it for my youngest son. It was just a 16" bike, something that he would grow out of quickly, but he LOVED that bike because I asked him what colors he'd like to have. He had 2 other bikes to choose from that were nicer bikes, but that was the one he remembers.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
I'm not sure that sentimentality makes someone a car guy. I still have my Dad's 72 Cutlass. Part of the long term ownership is sentimentality - I'll give you that. But I'd say close to 85% of it is I love the car, its looks, performance and head turning/thumbs up from other drivers. That car has also taught me a lot of mechanical and electrical skills as I've worked on restoring it over the years.
Hey gents! I’m about to undertake the LED swap as well. Some of the 194 LED’s on the market claim to be dimmable. I wonder if they would work with the rheostat. Anyone on here tried them?
Also to the OP, what brand or style to did you use for your headlights?
Oops...never mind on the dimmable question. Just saw that answer in a prior thread. Dimmable one’s do indeed work as advertised. Still like to know your headlight brand though. Those babies look tight!
Oops...never mind on the dimmable question. Just saw that answer in a prior thread. Dimmable one’s do indeed work as advertised. Still like to know your headlight brand though. Those babies look tight!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-3-4-RF-RG...del%3AChevelle
Don't let the "Chevelle" thing throw you a curve. If you go to Auto Zone to get a regular headlight bulb they will sell you a bulb that fits any car with 4x4.75" bulb system. The link is to the one I used.
Good luck,
August 8th, 2018, 04:58 PM
