dash bulb sockets
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
dash bulb sockets
I do not like the bright indicator lights on the console. Nor do I particularly care for the (to me) squirrley bulb sockets they reside in.
I'm not a purist like some of you. I'm looking for sockets that can be used to replace those 1 wire spring loaded bulb sockets in the dash. Anyone know what might be made to fit?
I'm also changing the color of the bulbs. Red for the parking brake, blue for the high beams behind nice diffusive lenses. Yeah, I know, get the replacement sockets and then see if they come in different colors.
Then it occured to me. My old mercury monterey got a broken brake lens back in oh..... 1976. I got a little vial of bulb tint at a parts store and tinted the white brake bulb red. Somehow that little vial has stayed with me thru multiple moves, marriages, divorces, kids, you name it, for 30 years now. Dug it up and painted the parking brake dash bulb. It's a bit more amber now than red. 30 years will do that to you..... fade you a bit.
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I'm not a purist like some of you. I'm looking for sockets that can be used to replace those 1 wire spring loaded bulb sockets in the dash. Anyone know what might be made to fit?
I'm also changing the color of the bulbs. Red for the parking brake, blue for the high beams behind nice diffusive lenses. Yeah, I know, get the replacement sockets and then see if they come in different colors.
Then it occured to me. My old mercury monterey got a broken brake lens back in oh..... 1976. I got a little vial of bulb tint at a parts store and tinted the white brake bulb red. Somehow that little vial has stayed with me thru multiple moves, marriages, divorces, kids, you name it, for 30 years now. Dug it up and painted the parking brake dash bulb. It's a bit more amber now than red. 30 years will do that to you..... fade you a bit.
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 457
Likes: 2
From: Tucson Arizona
I found the same size socket at a parts store in the "help" section. They are hard black plastic, and the metal strap goes below the bulbs so it is a little better engineered. I replaced all the sockets in my '71 when I had the dash out. I will get you the number, and a pic when I get home tonight. I believe you can also buy them on line. Maybe try Lectric Limited.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
I appreciate that. The help section, how apropos. I have to run up to the parts store in a minute and get some more wiring. Since I'm pulling it all out and going at it pretty much from scratch, I'd prefer not to have every color of the rainbow in there. I'll have a look around. It would be nice to put in some 2 wire sockets and not have to wonder about the grounding going thru this, into that, screwed over there, attached to this....
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Parking brake, high beam, turn signals, etc. are only tell-tales in the speedo and tach. Remove the little plastic lenses in front of the lamps and put in whatever color you want. Bulb itself would still be white light.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
Not sure what you mean by console lights. Should be a bulb on the lighter, one under the vent control, and one on the automatic shift indicator (depending on the year). None of these are very bright.
Parking brake, high beam, turn signals, etc. are only tell-tales in the speedo and tach. Remove the little plastic lenses in front of the lamps and put in whatever color you want. Bulb itself would still be white light.
Parking brake, high beam, turn signals, etc. are only tell-tales in the speedo and tach. Remove the little plastic lenses in front of the lamps and put in whatever color you want. Bulb itself would still be white light.
I just replaced all my dash bulbs last weekend, they're all clear.Then lens itself gives it color.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Hey, it's MY wheel. I invented it...... again. 
Haven't looked at the threads on it yet. I'll see how similar they did theirs.
Heh, ya'll know the indicator lights (highbeams, brake, and whassit, the other one)don't normally dim with the headlight switch. I didn't like the brightness, color, 1 wire construction, or the way the plug was designed.
I was looking for bushings but instead found 5/8" OD plastic snap bushings. They fit perfectly the 1/2" OD aftermarket colored LEDs. Thus, not too bright for night driving, colors I wanted, draws less current on my already stressed wiring, they have their own ground instead of the shaky console ground, and it's entirely possible that they'll outlast me.
I've replaced the clear plastic (bubba/kludge) lenses over the indicator lights with opaque plastic.
I suppose I could have wired the original bulbs into the dimmer circuit but I didn't want to do that.
I'm off tonight and I'm going to invent something I call a helicopter. I'd post a pic of the design but I'm not allowed to attach pics
Haven't looked at the threads on it yet. I'll see how similar they did theirs.
Heh, ya'll know the indicator lights (highbeams, brake, and whassit, the other one)don't normally dim with the headlight switch. I didn't like the brightness, color, 1 wire construction, or the way the plug was designed.
I was looking for bushings but instead found 5/8" OD plastic snap bushings. They fit perfectly the 1/2" OD aftermarket colored LEDs. Thus, not too bright for night driving, colors I wanted, draws less current on my already stressed wiring, they have their own ground instead of the shaky console ground, and it's entirely possible that they'll outlast me.
I've replaced the clear plastic (bubba/kludge) lenses over the indicator lights with opaque plastic.
I suppose I could have wired the original bulbs into the dimmer circuit but I didn't want to do that.
I'm off tonight and I'm going to invent something I call a helicopter. I'd post a pic of the design but I'm not allowed to attach pics
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Almost done with it but had a question.
On the right side of the console, the parking brake indicator is on the top or the bottom of the 2 stacked lights?
On the right side of the console, the parking brake indicator is on the top or the bottom of the 2 stacked lights?
