1snake

I just installed the dash on my 65. New harness, bulbs, switch etc. OMG, the dash lights are very dim. I don't remember them being that dim in any other C-2 I've owned BUT my eyes were a lot younger then. I did a search and some were happy replacing the 1816 bulbs with 1817's. The trouble is, those have been discontinued, even through Atlanta Bulb Co. that was the only place left that had them.
Has anyone come up with an alternative bulb # or other solution?

Jim

65GGvert

I can't help with the replacements, but I can verify that the originals are very dim. It has to be pretty dark to even take advantage of having them on.

Tom Austin

I have my dash out to fix the speedo . . . when I put it back together, I'm putting these in:

http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/eca...ge=description

. . . direct replacement, one-third brighter!

Tom

Scott Marzahl

Those are rated at .46 amps vs .33 for the 1816s, are you going to have to up the fuse a couple amps?

Chuck Gongloff

Have you checked your ground connections?

Also, have you checked the rheostat within the headlight switch?

The dash lights in my 63 are bright.....................

Something isn't right.

Chuck

DansYellow66

Funny - I don't remember dash lights being that dim back then either, but both my Corvette and my 67 GTX have restored instrument panels with new bulbs and I can barely read the gages in both of them. Beats me what has changed. I guess my eyes and memory.

1snake

The bulbs are the same brightness whether they are installed in the dash or out of the car hooked directly to a battery. That eliminates a ground and rheostat issue. Since many have posted the same problem, and we're all getting older, maybe it's just my eyes or I'm used to my C-1 which has very bright dash lights.

Jim

Bluestripe67

I repainted the green interior of my cluster with a brighter green, and installed the 1817 bulbs. No problem seeing things at night.

DansYellow66, I sent you an e-mail a while back about your GTX. Did you ever get it? Dennis

DansYellow66

Dennis - no, I don't see it. My email is - dclem427@att.net - if all else fails.

Dan

StingU2

Jim

That's the problem, I know my dash lights look very dim, but to everone else they look bright. So, it must be my eyes, and getting older. It surely can't be my outlook on life...

Bruce

1snake

Thanks for confirming my suspicions Bruce. The picture of you in your avatar provides a clue to your problem. Are you wearing those sunglasses at night?
Seriously though, I decided not to worry about it. The dash is all back together and body off resto. will be finished in a week or so. Gotta find another project soon or I'll go crazy-er.

Jim

StingU2

Jim

I just call that being normal...

Bruce

Godholio

For what it's worth, mine are dim as hell and I'm a bit younger than the average in here.

A brighter bulb would be nice, but on 40+ year old wiring I'm not putting a higher draw bulb in there (and there's NO WAY IN HELL I'm bumping up fuses to do so).

Pilot Dan

Jim, is the battery you are using to test fully charged?? Maybe it's just me, but the bulbs (all new) in my 64 dash seem a tad brighter with the engine running but either way plenty bright to look at. I would also agree with you that the C-1 dash appears bighter than the C-2 (maybe due to the different bulbs). Pilot Dan

toddalin

Mine are dim too, even with the headlight relay conversion.

In fact they are so dim that when I threw the belt the other night, I couldn't see the temp gauge well enough to realize it pegged. Though it was probably a bit dimmer without the belt.

Thank whomever for iron heads and synthetic oil.

1snake

The battery is not only fully charged, I hooked up a charger while checking things out so the actual voltage was about 14 volts. I haven't tried it with the engine running but I don't think it will make a noticeable difference. Oh well. I'll just live with it. I doubt I'll be doing much night driving anyway.

Jim

Avispa

Yes. #1416. They're big, but they will fit in the openings for the cluster illumination bulbs. Available at a couple of places including www.bulbster.com.

You will have to put a 10 amp fuse in, but the wiring will hold up just fine.

Dejavet

I agree that the dash lights are too dim and I want a much brighter bulb. I have heard that there is an LED bulb that is 3 times brighter and will fit this socket. I have been researching this, but have not found such a bulb yet. I was at the SEMA show and saw such bulbs in car dashes on display. They were very bright and came in multiple colors. Unfortunately, they did not have a Corvette dash on display. Keep in mind that an LED bulb would draw less power, so no need to change any fuses. Does anyone know of such a bulb?

Dejavet

cmb645

I had the same problem and elected to install the BA9 type bulbs from ebay. They work great and the dash is much brighter.
charles, 66 vette

65 vette dude

Super Brights has the LED bulbs to replace the 1816. http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/ba9s-ba7s/ Charlie are you going to the car show at the Weston Town Center Saturday? I will have "Old Yeller" there around 11am. Stop by and say hello, if you go......Gary