C2 LED light conversion
#1
Melting Slicks
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C2 LED light conversion
Well, I've finished converting my 63 to all LED exterior lighting. I love the result, the headlights are the "pony" lights discussed in an earlier thread. They are a vast improvement over both standard and halogen. The pic below shows the T3 lights in the blue car, compared to the LEDs in the silver car.
The next pics show the comparison to a normal bulb in appearance, the bright sockets have normal bulbs, the dims are LED
I've also installed LEDs in taillights and parking lights. The new LEDs are very much brighter. Note that installing both front and rear required a new flasher.
These changes make the car much more visible to other drivers when stopping and turning. The changes are very simple and I'd recommend them to everyone...
The next pics show the comparison to a normal bulb in appearance, the bright sockets have normal bulbs, the dims are LED
I've also installed LEDs in taillights and parking lights. The new LEDs are very much brighter. Note that installing both front and rear required a new flasher.
These changes make the car much more visible to other drivers when stopping and turning. The changes are very simple and I'd recommend them to everyone...
Last edited by Vettrocious; 01-04-2018 at 09:03 PM.
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fjd (02-08-2024)
#4
Melting Slicks
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Last edited by Vettrocious; 01-05-2018 at 07:08 AM.
#5
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St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Steve
#6
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Yeah, no sense changing headlights you don't use...
Here s one of the Pony lights...
Mike
Here s one of the Pony lights...
Mike
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serreyn (11-08-2021)
#7
Melting Slicks
Yes, the cjpony LEd lights are bright. And with the newly designed ribbon heat sink you don't have to modify the cup to install them. The lens could disperse the light side to side more, maybe in their next generation.
#8
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With the Harley lights I really had to chop up the headlight cooling fins, as well as the cup and the bracket. A much easier install with the CJpony lights. They also look more like they belong in a C2. The Harley lights were a bit better at the side-to-side dispersion, but not enough to compensate for all the fit work I had to do and the appearance.
#9
Race Director
I have a convertible so no dome light, but I’ve converted the footwell lights and the 3rd courtesy light under the deck lid along with all 4 taillights, backup lights, and front parking lights. All very easy and worthwhile conversions. Probably won’t do the headlights since I never drive at night.
Steve
Steve
#10
Melting Slicks
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I'd forgotten about that deck lid light, probably because it's so dim it's not really noticeable. I think a LED would help that situation, anybody know what bulb to get?
Just checked: The one in my silver car is burnt out anyway
Just checked: The one in my silver car is burnt out anyway
#11
Team Owner
I have installed LED bulbs in every light inside and outside of my '66 convertible except the headlights. I had to replace both flashers with electronic ones too. I used green LED's in the instrument cluster to mimic the original green cluster lights. Thanks for the info, I have been waiting on doing the headlights until the options got better. The T3's are just a vague notion of headlights.
#12
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C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Well, I've finished converting my 63 to all LED exterior lighting. I love the result, the headlights are the "pony" lights discussed in an earlier thread. They are a vast improvement over both standard and halogen. The pic below shows the T3 lights in the blue car, compared to the LEDs in the silver car.
The next pics show the comparison to a normal bulb in appearance, the bright sockets have normal bulbs, the dims are LED
I've also installed LEDs in taillights and parking lights. The new LEDs are very much brighter. Note that installing both front and rear required a new flasher.
These changes make the car much more visible to other drivers when stopping and turning. The changes are very simple and I'd recommend them to everyone...
The next pics show the comparison to a normal bulb in appearance, the bright sockets have normal bulbs, the dims are LED
I've also installed LEDs in taillights and parking lights. The new LEDs are very much brighter. Note that installing both front and rear required a new flasher.
These changes make the car much more visible to other drivers when stopping and turning. The changes are very simple and I'd recommend them to everyone...
#13
Melting Slicks
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Search "cjpony parts". I think they are for a 69 Mustang. I'll find the box and/or receipt and give you more details. I think the pic on the cjpony site looks bit different that the actual parts, (the heat sink is now a braided ribbon).
The box label says: "MP-5-XP-LED"
I hope that helps
Mike
The box label says: "MP-5-XP-LED"
I hope that helps
Mike
Last edited by Vettrocious; 01-07-2018 at 05:38 PM.
#14
Le Mans Master
Jack
Last edited by Jackfit; 01-07-2018 at 05:29 PM.
#15
Melting Slicks
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LED's are usually pretty cool to the touch. That'll solve the heat issues, but you still won't have shield...
#16
Safety Car
Well, I've finished converting my 63 to all LED exterior lighting. I love the result, the headlights are the "pony" lights discussed in an earlier thread. They are a vast improvement over both standard and halogen. The pic below shows the T3 lights in the blue car, compared to the LEDs in the silver car.
<snip>
<snip>
Updating the lighting on classics is a good idea. Even modern sealed beam units with halogen bulbs in them greatly outperform old lighting. There are also some "universal fit" lights, either USDOT spec or ECE (European) spec which fit where sealed beam units were fitted by the factor. Either choice, with appropriate halogen bulbs (if the optics are designed for halogen bulbs) will perform very well.
There are some (US) DOT compliant LED units (full replacements for the sealed beams, not LED retrofits in halogen optics). Most of those are pretty crude and marginally safe, but much better than what you have in your picture. There are a few that aren't horrible, though.
#17
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Well, in that case, C6_Racer_X, I guess I'd recommend you not use them on your personal car...
#18
Safety Car
I started that policy after riding the passenger seat of a car into a fallen tree. The car involved had retrofit LED "headlight bulbs" which threw a pattern very similar to your pictures The driver didn't see the fallen tree until it was too late. The problem with those lights is that they throw a lot of very bright light on the road close to the car. Your pupils constrict from the bright light close in, and the result is that it ruins your distance vision. People also tend to overdrive their low beams and not use high beams at higher speeds (when there's nobody in front). Both of those were factors in the accident I rode into in the passenger seat.
BTW, it's also against forum policy to recommend/encourage illegal activity. Driving on public roads with lights like those is definitely illegal.
I haven't looked for replacements for the smaller (135mm) round 4 light systems recently. I would recommend anyone looking for the best lighting possible for those setups to contact Daniel Stern and follow his advice.
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#19
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I don't use them on my personal car. I also don't ride in any vehicle equipped with lights like that.
I started that policy after riding the passenger seat of a car into a fallen tree. The car involved had retrofit LED "headlight bulbs" which threw a pattern very similar to your pictures The driver didn't see the fallen tree until it was too late. The problem with those lights is that they throw a lot of very bright light on the road close to the car. Your pupils constrict from the bright light close in, and the result is that it ruins your distance vision. People also tend to overdrive their low beams and not use high beams at higher speeds (when there's nobody in front). Both of those were factors in the accident I rode into in the passenger seat.
BTW, it's also against forum policy to recommend/encourage illegal activity. Driving on public roads with lights like those is definitely illegal.
I haven't looked for replacements for the smaller (135mm) round 4 light systems recently. I would recommend anyone looking for the best lighting possible for those setups to contact Daniel Stern and follow his advice.
I started that policy after riding the passenger seat of a car into a fallen tree. The car involved had retrofit LED "headlight bulbs" which threw a pattern very similar to your pictures The driver didn't see the fallen tree until it was too late. The problem with those lights is that they throw a lot of very bright light on the road close to the car. Your pupils constrict from the bright light close in, and the result is that it ruins your distance vision. People also tend to overdrive their low beams and not use high beams at higher speeds (when there's nobody in front). Both of those were factors in the accident I rode into in the passenger seat.
BTW, it's also against forum policy to recommend/encourage illegal activity. Driving on public roads with lights like those is definitely illegal.
I haven't looked for replacements for the smaller (135mm) round 4 light systems recently. I would recommend anyone looking for the best lighting possible for those setups to contact Daniel Stern and follow his advice.
"These changes make the car much more visible to other drivers when stopping and turning. The changes are very simple and I'd recommend them to everyone...". I stand by that statement.
In any case, if I wanted to run illegal headlights, it would be between me and the proper authorities, it is none of your business. Feel free to report me, good luck. You're just looking for an argument, why don't go back to whatever forum you previously had been flaming... I'm done talking to you, for good.
Last edited by Vettrocious; 01-07-2018 at 10:29 PM.
#20
Le Mans Master
I think a little calm would help
Thanks for the post on use of Pony lights....
The fact that they maybe or are illegal is a fact that all should know...I drive quite a bit at night and was thinking about them...however...I know how I dislike glaring headlights...and at our age..it is magnified...
So lets get less personal and more informative....
I do have both rear and front LED s in my parking and tail lights...
Jack
The fact that they maybe or are illegal is a fact that all should know...I drive quite a bit at night and was thinking about them...however...I know how I dislike glaring headlights...and at our age..it is magnified...
So lets get less personal and more informative....
I do have both rear and front LED s in my parking and tail lights...
Jack