Classic Mustangs List Archive

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Mail From: ffacker (Fred Facker)

It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
often?

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Mail From: walt.boeninger (Walt Boeninger)

Never heard of that..... are these 1157s?


Fred Facker wrote:

> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
> my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
> since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
> tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
> often?
> _____________________

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Mail From: mustangmail ((email redacted))

My 66 did the same thing until I replaced the lens gaskets to keep things dry.


>
> From: Fred Facker <(email redacted)>
> Date: 2004/10/14 Thu PM 06:17:43 GMT
> To: Mustang List-serv <(email redacted)>
> Subject: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights
>
> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
> my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
> since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
> tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
> often?
> _______________________________________________
> Classic-mustangs mailing list
> (email redacted)
> lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs
>

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Mail From: chrisstephens (Chris Stephens)


> Fred Facker wrote:
>
>> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
>> my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
>> since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
>> tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
>> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
>> often?



Thats a new one for me to. Maybe you should look into the LED replacements.
Chris

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Mail From: KalliPa1 ((email redacted))


In a message dated 10/14/04 7:22:59 PM, (email redacted) writes:


>
> > Fred Facker wrote:
> >
> >> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
> >> my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
> >> since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
> >> tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
> >> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
> >> often?
>
>
>
> Thats a new one for me to. Maybe you should look into the LED replacements.
> Chris
>

I would check out the vlotage to the two lights. Might be you have a
short along that line back there someplace too.
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Mail From: Keven (Keven Coates)

I once put 6V lights (forget what number) in there by mistake, and they
were really bright, but didn't last long either. Mine only lasted a few
days though, I doubt they would last 6 months if you did that.

I drive my Mustang 50 miles/day and mine used to last 3-4 years easy.
1157 bulbs are nearly indestructible if the voltage is normal (below
15V), they don't get wet, and they don't get a lot of vibration (they
should be mounted solidly as a floppy tail light could actually increase
vibration).

I completed my home made LED conversion now, so I'll never have to
replace them again, and they're much brighter (by design, not because
they're LED).

Keven


-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Chris Stephens
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 7:22 PM
To: A list for owners of Classic Mustangs
Subject: Re: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights


> Fred Facker wrote:
>
>> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on
>> my 66 coupe. I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last
>> since I've owned the car is about 2 months. Both sides
>> tend to burn out equally, but never at the same time.
>> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this
>> often?



Thats a new one for me to. Maybe you should look into the LED
replacements.
Chris

_______________________________________________
Classic-mustangs mailing list
(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

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Mail From: petet (Peter Thompson)

Tell us more about the LED conversion please.
Thanx, Peter
69 Mustang
64 Falcon


-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Keven Coates
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 2:33 PM
To: 'A list for owners of Classic Mustangs'
Subject: RE: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights

I once put 6V lights (forget what number) in there by mistake, and they
were really bright, but didn't last long either. Mine only lasted a few
days though, I doubt they would last 6 months if you did that.

I drive my Mustang 50 miles/day and mine used to last 3-4 years easy.
1157 bulbs are nearly indestructible if the voltage is normal (below
15V), they don't get wet, and they don't get a lot of vibration (they
should be mounted solidly as a floppy tail light could actually increase
vibration).

I completed my home made LED conversion now, so I'll never have to
replace them again, and they're much brighter (by design, not because
they're LED).

Keven


-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Chris Stephens
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 7:22 PM
To: A list for owners of Classic Mustangs
Subject: Re: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights


> Fred Facker wrote:
>
>> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on my 66 coupe.
>> I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last since I've owned the car is
>> about 2 months. Both sides tend to burn out equally, but never at the

>> same time.
>> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this often?



Thats a new one for me to. Maybe you should look into the LED
replacements.
Chris

_______________________________________________
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(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

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This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: ffacker (Fred Facker)

I checked my voltage and that came out fine, so I
checked my seals with a water hose, and sure enough,
they're leaking pretty bad. I think that must be my
problem. I'm going to pick up new seals this
afternoon, but did anyone else see the new Painless
LED tail lights in this month's issue of Restomod
Daze? It's a 9 LED light that plugs right into the
stock 1157 socket like a light bulb, and if I remember
correctly they were only like $11.95 a piece.

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Mail From: rpprince (Paul & Christina Prince)

I would put the most LED's you can in. 9 is not very many. I bought some
last year off eBay that contain 29 LED's. They do a good job.

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)]On Behalf Of Fred
Facker
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 10:58 AM
To: Mustang List-serv
Subject: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights


I checked my voltage and that came out fine, so I
checked my seals with a water hose, and sure enough,
they're leaking pretty bad. I think that must be my
problem. I'm going to pick up new seals this
afternoon, but did anyone else see the new Painless
LED tail lights in this month's issue of Restomod
Daze? It's a 9 LED light that plugs right into the
stock 1157 socket like a light bulb, and if I remember
correctly they were only like $11.95 a piece.
_______________________________________________
Classic-mustangs mailing list
(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: rpprince (Paul & Christina Prince)

I would put the most LED's you can in. 9 is not very many. I bought some
last year off eBay that contain 29 LED's. They do a good job.

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)]On Behalf Of Fred
Facker
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 10:58 AM
To: Mustang List-serv
Subject: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights


I checked my voltage and that came out fine, so I
checked my seals with a water hose, and sure enough,
they're leaking pretty bad. I think that must be my
problem. I'm going to pick up new seals this
afternoon, but did anyone else see the new Painless
LED tail lights in this month's issue of Restomod
Daze? It's a 9 LED light that plugs right into the
stock 1157 socket like a light bulb, and if I remember
correctly they were only like $11.95 a piece.
_______________________________________________
Classic-mustangs mailing list
(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: SSEXSMITH (Sexsmith, Scott)

Fred,

I've seen the same 1157 base with LEDs at Kmart for around $6 or $7 bucks.
I haven't bought them but I'd be interested if anyone has tried them.

Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Facker [mailtoemail redacted)]
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 7:58 AM
To: Mustang List-serv
Subject: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights

I checked my voltage and that came out fine, so I checked my seals with a
water hose, and sure enough, they're leaking pretty bad. I think that must
be my problem. I'm going to pick up new seals this afternoon, but did
anyone else see the new Painless LED tail lights in this month's issue of
Restomod Daze? It's a 9 LED light that plugs right into the stock 1157
socket like a light bulb, and if I remember correctly they were only like
$11.95 a piece.
_______________________________________________
Classic-mustangs mailing list
(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: chrisstephens (Chris Stephens)

Sexsmith, Scott wrote:
> Fred,
>
> I've seen the same 1157 base with LEDs at Kmart for around $6 or $7
> bucks. I haven't bought them but I'd be interested if anyone has
> tried them.
>
> Scott


I haven't tried them as tail lights but I did replace my dash lights with
them. I found replacements with a small resister in the socket that just
plugs in at AutoZone. Although they didn't make my cluster brighter it is a
whiter light and looks better, easier to see, etc. I also did the white face
overlay thing on stock instruments. I think it looks much better than stock.
It simply reverses the colors, instead of black with white lettering its
white with black letters.
Anyway, I'd give them a try myself if I hadn't done the sequential tail
light thing. The gizmo that makes them work can't use led bulbs.

Chris

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Mail From: Keven (Keven Coates)

The LED conversion took much longer than I thought, but I did everything
myself. There are many way to do this, but realize that LEDs are harder
to work with than regular lights.

The "easy" way is to buy a kit, but most of the kits I've seen either
use a LED cluster as an 1157 "replacement" or cheap out on the number of
LEDs they use.

The 1157 clusters are a poor substitute for an 1157 bulb. They don't
work well in most situations since the LED bulbs are directional, so
unless they have a full 360 degree cluster (none do that I've seen) they
don't bounce off the reflector, and if they don't bounce off the
reflector, you've got just a point source that looks like a bulb behind
the turn signal lenses.

The LED replacements I see in the catalog specifically for Mustangs use
few LEDs. These may be O.K. but I'd make sure you can return them if
you don't like the effect. IMHO, LED lights should be even and not
obvious. The only clue anyone has that I've got LED tail lights is that
they turn on and off instantly and the lighting is much brighter and
more even than the old bulbs. You can't see any LEDs distinctly.

The aftermarket replacements sometimes space out the LEDs too far, so
they're obviously LEDs through the lens. Some like this, some don't.

The way I did mine was a pain, but I'll never have to do it again, and I
love the results. In retrospect, it would have been a lot easier and
cheaper to follow my original plan and retrofit a 3057 bulb and socket
to the old Mustang housing. That would be bright and cheap.

I'll have a website up at some point to show what I did, but it'll be a
week or two probably. I used 45 LEDs/side to make nice even lighting,
and a made my own box to fit in place of the reflector.

Aftermarket LED kits may work, but be sure you can take them back if you
don't like them.

Keven
-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Peter Thompson
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 9:14 AM
To: A list for owners of Classic Mustangs
Subject: RE: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights

Tell us more about the LED conversion please.
Thanx, Peter
69 Mustang
64 Falcon


-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Keven Coates
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 2:33 PM
To: 'A list for owners of Classic Mustangs'
Subject: RE: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights

I once put 6V lights (forget what number) in there by mistake, and they
were really bright, but didn't last long either. Mine only lasted a few
days though, I doubt they would last 6 months if you did that.

I drive my Mustang 50 miles/day and mine used to last 3-4 years easy.
1157 bulbs are nearly indestructible if the voltage is normal (below
15V), they don't get wet, and they don't get a lot of vibration (they
should be mounted solidly as a floppy tail light could actually increase
vibration).

I completed my home made LED conversion now, so I'll never have to
replace them again, and they're much brighter (by design, not because
they're LED).

Keven


-----Original Message-----
From: (email redacted)
[mailtoemail redacted)] On Behalf Of
Chris Stephens
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 7:22 PM
To: A list for owners of Classic Mustangs
Subject: Re: [CM] Short lifespan on taillights


> Fred Facker wrote:
>
>> It seems like I'm always replacing the tail lights on my 66 coupe.
>> I'd say the longest I've had a bulb last since I've owned the car is
>> about 2 months. Both sides tend to burn out equally, but never at the

>> same time.
>> Does anyone else have to change their bulbs this often?



Thats a new one for me to. Maybe you should look into the LED
replacements.
Chris

_______________________________________________
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(email redacted)
lists.twistedpair.ca/mailman/listinfo.cgi/classic-mustangs

_______________________________________________
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