Custom LED LT1 tail lights

[ls1dave]

Ok so since Im not very happy with whats available on the market as far as LED tail lights go, i decided to do something custom.

This thread will show my buildup of the tail lights. Im not very far along at all, so please be patient with me.

I started with standard LT1 tail lights, used off ebay.

I gutted the backs, leaving the mounts so that they will screw on exactly like the factory ones...
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2032.jpg

Then i started making the panels for the LEDs. I used 1/8" plexiglas so that i could cut, drill and bend it to conform to the shapes that i would need.

So far all i have done is one reverse light, but here it is:
here it is only 1/2 wired up:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2059.jpg

and all wired:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2066.jpghttp://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2062.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2065.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2071.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2072.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2075.jpg

[SnyperBob]

I don't think they're bright enough :)

[SnyperBob]

If the cops get behind you, you can strobe those and escape!

[phantomzer0]

Looks good so far! I can't wait to see the finished product.

[ls1dave]

haha yea, i guess they are bright enough...theyll be visible from space, just like the light on the luxor.

thanks. yea i cant wait to see the final product as well. itll take some effort since im in the middle of a bunch of projects, but ill get there.

[ls1dave]

ok well work is slow today, so heres more progress...im kinda mad, when drilling holes i lost the end, under the reverse light. i might make another piece to glue on there so that i have all the lights i need and itll be easier to seal up.

oh, so first you can see the cut, bent and drilled plexi for the second side. its unpainted (still clear) and obviously has no LEDs in it.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2076.jpg

Now heres the inside part. Im doing one side at a time, so the other side will happen once this is done.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2085.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2087.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2088.jpg

[Brian2006]

Good progress! I personally would have used perfboard so you don't have to drill holes, but the plexiglass can be formed. I'm also gonna say your brake lights will most likely not be bright enough :( (experience). I used 10mm 80,000mcd LEDs and once the light refracted off the lens, it was dimmed. It appears you are using 5mm LEDs which most likely are in the 20,000mcd range. In order for this to work, the light has to refract off the housing reflector.

However, that was from my experience. Good luck on everything and I hope you like the outcome! LEDs are a fun technology!

[Brian2006]

I'm also gonna suggest picking up a can of liquid electrical tape from walmart and coat the backing of all your connections to liquid seal everything.

[bricez28]

...what. im a retard, so can u make me a pair of these?

[ls1dave]

brian: I didnt use perf board because i wanted to space the LEDs in a non-standard pattern.

Also, im either going to make covers for the electronics parts or spray them with my rubber coating paint. thats what i painted the back of the plexi with.

brice: im not making another set of these...but ill be glad to talk you through it. ;)

[Brian2006]

brian: I didnt use perf board because i wanted to space the LEDs in a non-standard pattern.

Also, im either going to make covers for the electronics parts or spray them with my rubber coating paint. thats what i painted the back of the plexi with.


You still could have spaced them the same way with perfboard and maybe even more straight???

I'd still look into the liquid electrical tape in a can. It's meant for this kind of stuff:

http://ledvault.armorysound.com/images/sealed.jpg

[SoulReaver]

You still could have spaced them the same way with perfboard and maybe even more straight???

I'd still look into the liquid electrical tape in a can. It's meant for this kind of stuff:

http://ledvault.armorysound.com/images/sealed.jpg

Damn, so that's what liquid sealed means. Liquid electrical tape, that's bad ass.

[ls1dave]

You still could have spaced them the same way with perfboard and maybe even more straight???

I'd still look into the liquid electrical tape in a can. It's meant for this kind of stuff:

http://ledvault.armorysound.com/images/sealed.jpg
you think that would be different than my spray on rubber coating?

[Brian2006]

you think that would be different than my spray on rubber coating?

I'm not sure. I have no experience with that on electronics. I've used this stuff on dozen of items and it lasts for years and stays sticky. You can get it in a can with a little brush or in a spray can. I use the spray can and spray 3 or 4 coats. If you need to do some work later down the road, you can just peel it off like electrical tape and re-coat.

[phantomzer0]

brian: I didnt use perf board because i wanted to space the LEDs in a non-standard pattern.

Also, im either going to make covers for the electronics parts or spray them with my rubber coating paint. thats what i painted the back of the plexi with.

brice: im not making another set of these...but ill be glad to talk you through it. ;)
Aww you so nice! :jest:

[ls1dave]

haha i know im nice. ROFL


Here is the tail lamp/brake lamp:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2093.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2094.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2096.jpg

Now heres the turn signal, the pic doesnt show it well, but it goes around the loop, kinda making an arrow type shape:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2101.jpg

and both together:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2103.jpg

[phantomzer0]

Now for the real test - daytime lighting!

I'm getting anxious already!

[Toronto_LT1]

that looks nice. make sure to video the finished product.

[ls1dave]

Im getting excited too. the first one is finished up, with the exception of a few finel tweeks.

hm, video would be cool. Ill have to do that.

oh yea, i still need to get that liquid electrical tape and give it a try. im not gonna trust my spray on rubber coating.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2108.jpg

[HoLLo]

Figured I'd share this from FTV6 in case you never saw it, this was done last August by TheGr6Schlotzky on FTV6.

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/3499/img0003qo0.jpg
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/2181/img0015dl1.jpg
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/1763/img0098ub8.jpg
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8480/img0139es2.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1306/img0019re9.jpg
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4017/img0024sq1.jpg
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5999/p8180161kb6.jpg
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3121/p8180164uy8.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p276/thegr8schlotzky/?action=view&current=MOV00005.flv

[ls1dave]

wow that looks pretty good. what was done for the reverse lights? i like the idea of having more LEDs, but im happy with how mine look too.

if you look, the two sides dont match. on the drivers side theres a row of LEDs that are out. im going through painstaking measures to make sure both sides match.

[ls1dave]

all lights off
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/2.jpg

reverse:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/1.jpg

tail/brake:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/4.jpg

turn:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/3.jpg

[SoulReaver]

Nice! :)

[ls1dave]

thanks.

i had two issues, eliminated one. the first issue was that the turn signals didnt work right. This is strange because they worked properly yesterday when i tested these with test leads, but not thats it all plugged in the signal stayed on constant. I solved this by swapping in an electronic flasher rather than the thermal relay that comes stock.

the other problem is that my running lights arent working. when i have is a resistor in line to drop the voltage going to the LEDs. it worked yesterday as well when i was using test leads, but wont work now with a soldered in wire harness. I used test leads to bypass the resistor and it worked, but is the same brightness as the brake light. The resistor is getting hot, and i know its not blown as i tested its resistance and its correct.

i am using a 25 watt resistor, and i think its 39 ohms. i experimented with different resistors and this one gave me the right brightness...yesterday. so i dont think i need a lower value resistor, not sure what the deal is. im not worried about it now as i still need to finish the other side.

[Brian2006]

You may also want to add a couple diodes in there.

The diodes will make it possible to light up just the two bars for the parking lights. One diode to keep the power from going to the brake light circuit when only the parking lights are on, and another diode that bypasses the resistor to make the two bars as bright as the rest of the tail light when the brakes or blinkers are activated.

[BluBeaSSt]

VERY NICE....I'm not one to mod lights and all,but if someone made a set of LS1 Tails I'd buy them

[ls1dave]

You may also want to add a couple diodes in there.

The diodes will make it possible to light up just the two bars for the parking lights. One diode to keep the power from going to the brake light circuit when only the parking lights are on, and another diode that bypasses the resistor to make the two bars as bright as the rest of the tail light when the brakes or blinkers are activated.

actually you are right. I ended up using zener diodes to prevent the voltage from jumping back through the brake light wire. all problems solved.

i will get a video when i get a chance.

also, i got bored and decided to use up my last LEDs by doing a 3rd brake light. Its actually more like how i wanna do my tail lights, so ill be making new tail lights when i get around to it.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2135.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2136.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg291/ls1dave/2001%20Granatelli%20Camaro/parts/DSCN2137.jpg

Ill have pics tomorrow (well later today i guess) once i get my other tail light in.

[Brian2006]

Sounds to me like you need to come work for LED Vault :) (serious)

[ls1dave]

In texas? ill do it remotely if youre serious. ;)


ok heres a video of my tails at work. nordy racer did this, i didnt realize he just taped one side.

http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e265/nordyracer87/?action=view&current=stuff027.flv

thats not my car running, it was his boat. he just got back from a boat ride and he was washing out the motor.

[Brian2006]

Video definitely shows the uniformity a lot better, but damn that looks dim! You think other drivers could see it during the day in direct sunlight? I'd hate for someone to get hurt over this.

Maybe it's just the video

[Fixxer99TA]

Looks nice, cant wait to see em' completely finished.

Might do something similar for the Hawks lights, will have to see how this turns out though.

[ls1dave]

Looks nice, cant wait to see em' completely finished.

Might do something similar for the Hawks lights, will have to see how this turns out though.
they are completely finished actually. what didnt look done?


brian, the camera shows a glare, but they are actually pretty blinding. i need to get a better video, one of the entire back end of the car. i wasnt controlling the camera so i ended up with what was recorded.

[stitchmonkey]

Saw them at Cruisin for a cure, AWESOME JOB!:metal:

[ls1dave]

thanks man. :D

im happy with them.

[LT1RUNNER]

You need to market and make them for us!! You'll be rich!!!! When can I place my order?? Or at least get us the schematic and we can do our own.

[Fixxer99TA]

they are completely finished actually. what didnt look done?


brian, the camera shows a glare, but they are actually pretty blinding. i need to get a better video, one of the entire back end of the car. i wasnt controlling the camera so i ended up with what was recorded.

Must have missed it, it happens :D

They look great though man, making them look clean is the extra little bit that makes them nice.