LED Tail Lights?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nevada
LED Tail Lights?
So I have a 1973 Corvette Stingray & i'm going to put in LED tail lights since my original ones are pretty dim. Will it be better to buy LED bulbs & put them in the existing lights or buy an LED tail light set?
Last edited by AskingHollywood; Jan 30, 2015 at 09:50 PM. Reason: Better Wording
Pro
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 708
Likes: 21
From: Montrose CA
Caution though... when you switch to LED bulb you have to change your stock flasher to a digital flasher. The turn signal flasher is behind the passenger side dashpanel in the cabin.
You will also have to change the front turn signal and front and rear side marker lights. On the C3 Corvette the front side markers flash out of cycle with the front lights... something about the whole signal system drawing the same current - others can explain better than I.
You will end up buylng several varieties of bulbs as they come in red, amber, and clear for the various locations and different intensities.
Perhaps you would need to change the Hazzard flasher to a digital also. The hazzard flasher is up on the fuse panel.
In the bottom picture the reverse lamp that is clear has the LED bulb installed while the passenger side still has the incadescent bulb installed.
LED bulbs look great.
Carl
Last edited by Carl in LA; Jan 30, 2015 at 11:48 PM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas Nevada
I did both... my old tail lights were worn looking and I replaced them... and when I replaced the tail lights I switched to LED bulbs.
Caution though... when you switch to LED bulb you have to change your stock flasher to a digital flasher. The turn signal flasher is behind the passenger side dashpanel in the cabin.
You will also have to change the front turn signal and front and rear side marker lights. On the C3 Corvette the front side markers flash out of cycle with the front lights... something about the whole signal system drawing the same current - others can explain better than I.
You will end up buylng several varieties of bulbs as they come in red, amber, and clear for the various locations and different intensities.
Perhaps you would need to change the Hazzard flasher to a digital also. The hazzard flasher is up on the fuse panel.
In the bottom picture the reverse lamp that is clear has the LED bulb installed while the passenger side still has the incadescent bulb installed.
LED bulbs look great.
Carl
Caution though... when you switch to LED bulb you have to change your stock flasher to a digital flasher. The turn signal flasher is behind the passenger side dashpanel in the cabin.
You will also have to change the front turn signal and front and rear side marker lights. On the C3 Corvette the front side markers flash out of cycle with the front lights... something about the whole signal system drawing the same current - others can explain better than I.
You will end up buylng several varieties of bulbs as they come in red, amber, and clear for the various locations and different intensities.
Perhaps you would need to change the Hazzard flasher to a digital also. The hazzard flasher is up on the fuse panel.
In the bottom picture the reverse lamp that is clear has the LED bulb installed while the passenger side still has the incadescent bulb installed.
LED bulbs look great.
Carl
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,349
Likes: 1,578
From: los altos hills california
I did the LED bulbs on my 69 and they're nice and bright. However a problem surfaced in that the original wiring brake and turn signals supplied different filaments on the RHS than the LHS. While it didn't seem to matter for the incandescents, there was a noticeable difference in intensity with the LED's. Fixed the problem with a simple trick so that the brake lights would be the brightest on both sides. I do not know if this wiring quirk is pervasive across many years.
Adding to what Carl-in-LA said, there are two kinds on digital flashers that appear identical but are not. Memory fails as to which is which, just be aware of one more thing to go wrong.
Adding to what Carl-in-LA said, there are two kinds on digital flashers that appear identical but are not. Memory fails as to which is which, just be aware of one more thing to go wrong.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
Tail lights
I did both... my old tail lights were worn looking and I replaced them... and when I replaced the tail lights I switched to LED bulbs.
Caution though... when you switch to LED bulb you have to change your stock flasher to a digital flasher. The turn signal flasher is behind the passenger side dashpanel in the cabin.
You will also have to change the front turn signal and front and rear side marker lights. On the C3 Corvette the front side markers flash out of cycle with the front lights... something about the whole signal system drawing the same current - others can explain better than I.
You will end up buylng several varieties of bulbs as they come in red, amber, and clear for the various locations and different intensities.
Perhaps you would need to change the Hazzard flasher to a digital also. The hazzard flasher is up on the fuse panel.
In the bottom picture the reverse lamp that is clear has the LED bulb installed while the passenger side still has the incadescent bulb installed.
LED bulbs look great.
Carl
Caution though... when you switch to LED bulb you have to change your stock flasher to a digital flasher. The turn signal flasher is behind the passenger side dashpanel in the cabin.
You will also have to change the front turn signal and front and rear side marker lights. On the C3 Corvette the front side markers flash out of cycle with the front lights... something about the whole signal system drawing the same current - others can explain better than I.
You will end up buylng several varieties of bulbs as they come in red, amber, and clear for the various locations and different intensities.
Perhaps you would need to change the Hazzard flasher to a digital also. The hazzard flasher is up on the fuse panel.
In the bottom picture the reverse lamp that is clear has the LED bulb installed while the passenger side still has the incadescent bulb installed.
LED bulbs look great.
Carl
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