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Getting ready to put my dash back together. I was thinking about upgrading the lights to leds. What color is everyone using. I’m worried the white will be too bright. I was thinking of going red or amber. Has any one done this and do you have pictures ??
Warm white LEDs (3000K), or it will look like trash.
Try to find dimmable LEDs if you can (superbrightleds.com has more choices now than when I did this 6 years ago). The ones I have installed have a good range, but wider ranges are available.
Originally Posted by Bikespace
I replaced all of the interior illumination lights in both cars with "warm" (3000K) LED bulbs from superbrightleds.com. If you only change one bulb in your car, make sure it is the overhead light in the T-top bar. This photo doesn't really capture it, but there is a LOT more light than stock, but it keeps the warm tone of the original incandescent bulb, while using a lot less current.
In the dash itself, I replaced all of the indicator bulbs with LEDs, also from superbrightleds.com. In the later cars with the flexible circuit boards (77 perhaps in the center dash, and 78 for all locations), it is very easy to install a bulb backwards and have it not work. Fortunately, once you've done one or ten, you can feel around in back and pop bulbs in and out without replacing the dash. It is also possible to trace out the circuit board, and align the LED's cathode with the common ground. Use a 9V battery and some test leads to confirm. I think the gauges look great with warm LEDs backlighting, which keeps some of the green tone from the paint on the inside of the instrument housings. There may be better options now, when I bought the bulbs they were very limited in how much they would dim. Full bright is still pretty soft, nowhere near what a modern dash looks like, and you still can't tell the lights are on until it is dark outside.
I second the vote for going with Superbright LEDs. Make sure you purchase the LEDs that are NOT Polarity Sensitive. Also use corresponding colored LEDs, green for turn signal indicators, red for warning indicators, blue for high beams …etc.
I second the vote for going with Superbright LEDs. Make sure you purchase the LEDs that are NOT Polarity Sensitive. Also use corresponding colored LEDs, green for turn signal indicators, red for warning indicators, blue for high beams …etc.
yea the ones I ordered had instructions on the package that if they didn't work to remove them and switch them around as they are polarity sensitive. fortunately with the whole dash removed I was able to test everything before trying to put it all back together. what a PIA to do otherwise.
It's an aviation thing...RED bulbs...the gauges are easy to read...not distracting for those of us who can't handle bright light. Buy the RED GLASS bulbs/Not the red-painted glass bulbs if you go that route.
My Grand Prix gauges look awesome in red (and with a green HUD). Not sure how well it would work with a C3 gauge cluster, but I'd love to see it.
Originally Posted by doorgunner
It's an aviation thing...RED bulbs...the gauges are easy to read...not distracting for those of us who can't handle bright light. Buy the RED GLASS bulbs/Not the red-painted glass bulbs if you go that route.
It was a nautical thing before that. Part of Grok's reply below. With multi-color LEDs, you could change between warm white and red with a flip of a switch, or pick any color you want. You wouldn't be able to use the stock wiring, though.
Originally Posted by Grok
Practical Notes
Dim is key: Even red light, if too bright, can still reduce rhodopsin somewhat (real lights aren't perfectly monochromatic) and cause other effects like glare or pupil changes. Use the dimmest red light possible. nps.gov
Astronomers, pilots, sailors, and military personnel favor deep red for this reason when they need to maintain dark adaptation while still seeing instruments or maps.
Green light is sometimes debated (it can appear brighter to the eye overall due to photopic sensitivity), but for pure preservation of scotopic vision, deep red outperforms cooler colors.
In short, it's about selective stimulation: red engages cones for visibility while mostly sparing the rod-rhodopsin system that powers true night vision. Cooler colors hit the rods harder because of the spectral sensitivity curve of human vision.
Last edited by Bikespace; Apr 22, 2026 at 11:06 PM.
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Gauge light bulb color
