Clear or Red tail lights

[on4now4]

i got bored today so i decided to clean the rust out of my tail lights but after i took them apart i thought it may look good if i left the red lenses out so they were clear. obviously i will have to get red bulbs if i do this but what do you think

 

you can see i still need to clean most of the rust out.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1181.jpg

 

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1186.jpg

[BrazilBoy]

Red....the altezza look died, I think most are happier for it

[Technology]

Yeah, red is good. Maybe you could go with different lenses inside the clear one. Like from a different car.

[BrazilBoy]

Yeah, red is good. Maybe you could go with different lenses inside the clear one. Like from a different car.

maybe round style like the old rx7's inside

[strang3majik]

maybe round style like the old rx7's inside

 

that is a good idea

[BrazilBoy]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-...A1%7C240%3A1318

Give you a better look

OR

maybe keep the clear and add these instead of the regular bulbs?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Red-Round-6...A1%7C240%3A1318

Edited December 29, 2008 by BRAZILBOY

[on4now4]

maybe keep the clear and add these instead of the regular bulbs?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Red-Round-6...A1%7C240%3A1318

 

i was planing to eventually make them led when i get enough free time and money.

 

as for the rx7 lights i may do that later but for now i don't think i want to spend the money.

[Dave-O]

I bet you could pull off something similar to older Thunderbirds.

 

http://www.foxthundercats.com/electronixx/tbirdphoto.gif

 

I thought about it for the Starion, but I'm going to try a different LED approach.

[on4now4]

yeah i was going to try for the old Thunderbird sequential turn signals but with leds when i get around to it

[Dave-O]

yeah i was going to try for the old Thunderbird sequential turn signals but with leds when i get around to it

 

Now you're thinking like me. I can see it very easily with Conquest tails, though I'm going to tackle the project using Starion tails - I just like the fewer lines in them.

[gwadd85]

Now you're thinking like me. I can see it very easily with Conquest tails, though I'm going to tackle the project using Starion tails - I just like the fewer lines in them.

 

does anyone have a side-by-side comparison of conquest tails and starion tails?? i never really know what the rea difference is. i thought starion tails had more lines like a checkerboard mold on them

[Dave-O]

Bad shot, but here's my Starion tails:

 

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/13/l_8f1ceb7d288b41d39ea8eee12b3ca8a7.jpg

 

Compared to above, they've got approximately 1/3 the horizontal lines. I've also noticed that the Aus/European and Japanese tails have vertical lines, and the horizontal lines aren't painted in but are still there.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Dave-O

[Dave-O]

I had to.

 

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7750/seqtailsra4.gif

 

I'd love to have that on the Starion.

[on4now4]

Now you're thinking like me. I can see it very easily with Conquest tails, though I'm going to tackle the project using Starion tails - I just like the fewer lines in them.

yep i was defiantly planing to use starion lights when i did the project

[on4now4]

I'm going to tackle the project using Starion tails

if u plan to do it anytime soon i would recommend you get the leds from this place

http://www.abctronics.com/abcTronicsWeb_Ho...es/page0001.htm

100 for $4 1000 for $30 your not going to beet those prices

also i have already bought from them, i know it looks sketchy but they are good

[Dave-O]

if u plan to do it anytime soon i would recommend you get the leds from this place

http://www.abctronics.com/abcTronicsWeb_Ho...es/page0001.htm

100 for $4 1000 for $30 your not going to beet those prices

also i have already bought from them, i know it looks sketchy but they are good

 

You use ABC Tronics as well eh? An electro-whiz buddy of mine almost exclusively uses them. He replaced every light in his IS300 with an LED. He assembles digital gauges and instruments in his spare time when he's not building Megasquirt systems.

 

I'm actually going to try something a bit more "pre-fab" that can be easily recreated, I've had good luck with V-LEDs from eBay [ http://stores.ebay.com/V-LEDS ]. Their prices are reasonable, and they've shipped quite fast to me before. What's even nicer is, the two bulb setups below also come in a dual-intensity setup, so they're a soft glow with running lights on, and light to full intensity when the brake / signal is applied.

 

36-LED red square, 1.5"x1.5"

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/8/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/4481169/img8/img.jpg

 

36-LED amber square, 1.5"x1.5"

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/8/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/4481160/img8/img.jpg

 

I've got a couple of ideas, if it works in reality like I'm viewing it in my head, it'll be awesome.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Dave-O

[on4now4]

You use ABC Tronics as well eh? An electro-whiz buddy of mine almost exclusively uses them. He replaced every light in his IS300 with an LED. He assembles digital gauges and instruments in his spare time when he's not building Megasquirt systems.

 

I'm actually going to try something a bit more "pre-fab" that can be easily recreated, I've had good luck with V-LEDs from eBay [ http://stores.ebay.com/V-LEDS ]. Their prices are reasonable, and they've shipped quite fast to me before. What's even nicer is, the two bulb setups below also come in a dual-intensity setup, so they're a soft glow with running lights on, and light to full intensity when the brake / signal is applied.

 

36-LED red square, 1.5"x1.5"

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/8/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/4481169/img8/img.jpg

 

36-LED amber square, 1.5"x1.5"

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/8/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/4481160/img8/img.jpg

 

I've got a couple of ideas, if it works in reality like I'm viewing it in my head, it'll be awesome.

 

Those should be cool but i just want something completely custom as you said if it turns out how i picture it in my head it will be awesome

 

Here are two other ideas i had for until i do the led ones

 

If i tinted the clear part black and left the red lenses behind that so it still lit up red that may look cool and may look really bad what do you think

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1189.jpg

 

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1193.jpg

[Dave-O]

I'd try a third option, and smoke the red, while leaving the clear lens, well, clear.

[on4now4]

I'd try a third option, and smoke the red, while leaving the clear lens, well, clear.

can anyone photoshop that i was thinking the 3rd but smoke the clear and leave the red, red. but that may work to

[Dave-O]

can anyone photoshop that i was thinking the 3rd but smoke the clear and leave the red, red. but that may work to

 

Not sure how it'd look photoshopped. It would essentially be a black lens behind a clear lens, until it was illuminated. Basically the same effect as tinting the clear piece, you'd be unable to see the red in either case until it was lit.

[on4now4]

Not sure how it'd look photoshopped. It would essentially be a black lens behind a clear lens, until it was illuminated. Basically the same effect as tinting the clear piece, you'd be unable to see the red in either case until it was lit.

im not sure i am understanding what you are saying

 

i was saying i would smoke this part

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1189-3.jpg

 

are you saying i should smoke this part

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1189-2.jpg

[Josh '88]

If you decide to go with cleared taillights, get some Starion ones. They look much better than the cleared Conquest ones:

 

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10048/clear%20starion%20lights%20-%20pearlquest.jpg

 

Also, starquestPilot used to sell sequential turn signal kits a few years ago.

[Dave-O]

im not sure i am understanding what you are saying

 

i was saying i would smoke this part

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1189-3.jpg

 

are you saying i should smoke this part

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p209/on4now4/CIMG1189-2.jpg

 

I was saying you should smoke both.

 

If you decide to go with cleared taillights, get some Starion ones. They look much better than the cleared Conquest ones:

 

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10048/clear%20starion%20lights%20-%20pearlquest.jpg

 

Also, starquestPilot used to sell sequential turn signal kits a few years ago.

 

Looks great!

Edited December 30, 2008 by Dave-O

[on4now4]

If you decide to go with cleared taillights, get some Starion ones. They look much better than the cleared Conquest ones:

 

http://www.26liter.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10048/clear%20starion%20lights%20-%20pearlquest.jpg

 

Also, starquestPilot used to sell sequential turn signal kits a few years ago.

that looks great i will defiantly have to get some starion lights

[Dave-O]

Okay, so here's a very rough idea of these LED tails I'm thinking of.

 

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/520/ledarrangementpu8.jpg

 

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/65/ontailgc4.jpg

 

The amber LEDs are going to be at a 45* angle inside the lens, which is why they look smooshed in the images above.

 

The first pic is as close to scale as I can get with the rulers in Photoshop.

 

36 LEDs per board, 30 boards per taillight = 1080 LEDs per taillight. That's not factoring in the reverse light, which would consist of two 36-LED boards.

 

They should look a lot nicer behind a smoked clear cover. Also, I'd be using dual-intensity boards - with running lights activated, they would glow softly [including the amber sides]. As the signal is activated, a sequence would occur, flashing all 3 red panels and the amber panel. Braking would not illuminate the amber panel, it would simply glow as a running light.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Dave-O