leds

[240zstroked]

Does anyone know who is selling led taillights?

 

attachment=16619:26352670071_medium.jpg]

[leftover z]

I've been searching for LED's also, and can't find schitt. I'm guessing they got some for another rig, and modified them to fit under the Z lens. Would be cool to have those LED's for the turn signal/parking lights too. They suck less juice, so would probably benefit the old wiring in Z's.

[Dtsnlvrs]

Try Ledtronics or Super Bright Leds

[logan1]

Does anyone know who is selling led taillights?

 

attachment=16619:26352670071_medium.jpg]

 

Ckeck out the link below:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20862

 

Zs-ondabrain (Dave) make the LED tail lights and a whole bunch of other electrical upgrades for the Z cars.

[240zstroked]

Ckeck out the link below:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20862

 

Zs-ondabrain (Dave) make the LED tail lights and a whole bunch of other electrical upgrades for the Z cars.

[240zstroked]

Thanks im sending out my lights this week.

[getoffmyinternet]

I'm working on making marketable custom tail light lenses and sequential LED brake lights to go with them. Not sure which type of LEDs to go with them yet though. I'm not satisfied with most of the other mods out there mainly because the fact that the high intensity goes hand in hand with low viewing angle, which disrupts the uniform look like they're sparkly christmas lights or something. The search for high intensity high viewing angle LEDs continues.

[junglist]

Thanks im sending out my lights this week.

 

Please post pics when you get them back and when you get them on the car!

[leftover z]

I'm working on making marketable custom tail light lenses and sequential LED brake lights to go with them. Not sure which type of LEDs to go with them yet though. I'm not satisfied with most of the other mods out there mainly because the fact that the high intensity goes hand in hand with low viewing angle, which disrupts the uniform look like they're sparkly christmas lights or something. The search for high intensity high viewing angle LEDs continues.

 

 

I hope you get this going soon. I'd be very interested.

[getoffmyinternet]

Sweet! I'm probably going to do some mock ups to see what designs you guys like. I have the models for the lenses. I've been waiting for the opportunity to use the thermoformer at school but I'm about to just build my own because I'm getting too anxious.

 

P.S. I just got all the components in the mail except for one IC from ebay which should make 5 sets to start. I'll just need to figure out the led situation so I can buy some in bulk. I just have some little guys right now to test the circuit out. I guess I should just buy one of every kind from radio shack to get an idea what works best, or even go to a pimp my ride shop and ask them what they use for that kind of thing.

Edited March 19, 2010 by getoffmyinternet

[leftover z]

Sweet! I'm probably going to do some mock ups to see what designs you guys like. I have the models for the lenses. I've been waiting for the opportunity to use the thermoformer at school but I'm about to just build my own because I'm getting too anxious.

 

P.S. I just got all the components in the mail except for one IC from ebay which should make 5 sets to start. I'll just need to figure out the led situation so I can buy some in bulk. I just have some little guys right now to test the circuit out. I guess I should just buy one of every kind from radio shack to get an idea what works best, or even go to a pimp my ride shop and ask them what they use for that kind of thing.

 

 

Excellent. I just got me an extra set of tailights to use for the LED conversion. Keep me posted

[drifterZ_74]

count me in for a set for my 260z

[Nelsonian]

This has my attention and interest as well. Ultimately, I would love to see something along the level of say the 370z led quality. Looking forward to see what you come up with...

[getoffmyinternet]

I think the 370z leds are the T1 3/4 style but I can't figure out the rating. I don't know if the round 5mm leds look any different, but again I think they need to be high viewing angle to look right. Also I was planning on using a greater number of leds so they probably don't have to be as bright individually. I like a more solid look as opposed to some people that only use like 10 to fill the lens. It looks kinda funny when they're spaced that far apart imo.

 

In fact if the whole cluster could be a solid panel light I think that would be pretty cool because then the light is perfectly even. But so far I'm thinking I will try out a closely spaced ring of leds around the edge of the lens for running lights and two bars of sequentials for the brake/signals that have the same feel of the stock split lights, and maybe a strip of smds in the middle for reverse. The circuit I have will do up to 16 channels which I think will look cleaner in sequence than most that have only 3 or 4. I think I can do 8 channels and use the same circuit for both tails to save parts. Like I said if anyone has an idea or drawing on what they like for the led pattern I'd be interested in seeing it.

[getoffmyinternet]

There are two ways to go on the brake lights if I do a separate set of leds for running and signal. Either pressing the brake will sequence the signal and hold, or make the running lights brighter like many cars. The stock lights are a mix - the top left run/sig gets brighter on brake whereas the top right only does run and bottom left only does sig/brake, which is somewhat strange because on brake the top right is dimmer than the other two and on sig only the lefts blink. Here is the second of the two options.

 

led mockup

[Hugh]

Interesting idea there... but I don't care for the halo or angel eyes styling of the regular running taillights. What is your plan for the lense?

 

 

I made a single LED taillight back in 2004/05 and posted about it here. Everyone responded like crazy asking me to make them some... far too much work for me, no thanks. I was too lazy to perfect the circuit and then too lazy to even build the second one. I think I was in between jobs when I did the first one. Free time = productivity on my hobbies. Now I have none.

 

I am still planning to pull this project back out and continue on it. I want to completely re-do the first one now, though.

 

I used ultra bright white LED's - 5mm round. I used very many of them, and made them fit the stock housing. I forget the count now... I'll go look it up.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Hugh

[Hugh]

Here's the pics of mine from December 2004. The pics are terrible because so was my camera. In some shots, they appear pinkish. I assure you, they show red in person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't have the proper tools for the job back then. Now I do. I really should do this again and do it right this time. It needs a baffle between the main lights and the reverse lights to keep them from lighting up all the time. I also need to draw up my pattern in illustrator and use a drill press... rather than freehand measuring and hand drilling.

 

Oh, and that's 56 LED's just for the main light. I planned to use the lower one for braking and turning, but just recently thought about putting a chaser in there. I found one that would fit the space and is pre-made for a pretty decent price. Then I would just integrate it into my circuits.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Hugh

[getoffmyinternet]

That looks pretty good. I was thinking I could easily make some like that for people who didn't want the custom lenses. Do you know what mcd rating you used? In the future don't use white leds though, they will only be a third as bright!

 

I'm still debating the rings. It sounded better in my head, perhaps it's only meant for audis. And if I have it all ready to go, making custom patterns for people would just be a mater of sending me a sketch.

 

What do you think of a really large arrow?

 

 

My link

Edited March 21, 2010 by getoffmyinternet

[Hugh]

Yeah, somebody else mentioned the physics of passing a white LED through a red lense.

 

I can tell you this: If these lights were 3 times brighter, it would burn a hole into the back of your head. It's bright as it is. I think the fact that I used 56 LED's that don't light up as bright as red would makes for less of a christmas tree lighting look. The brighter each individual shows up on a spot, the worse the dispersion will look. Maybe I should have used red ones for the turn signal/brake lamp portion.

 

I wish they could perfect the technology to make them spread out more. I think I might like to retry this with the flat square PCB type LED's and fill the entire housing with them.

 

I'm not trying to reinvent the lights, just modernize them and do something a little unique. Your method is a complete change. We're just approaching it differently.

 

As for your lense, is it just a flat piece of smoked plastic or something you're planning on? It doesn't look like anything without the lights lit up... which makes it boring in the day time. There is also that pesky law about having a section of red reflector on the back of your car. (and the police here love to nail you for it)

 

I like the large arrow. Come up with something that looks good during normal use, though, too. You spend more time with your lights off, typically... and then when they're on, the chase sequence is cool - but its gotta look good when its not chasing. The single strip of the upper arrow might look good. (and somewhat like my design)

Edited March 21, 2010 by Hugh

[getoffmyinternet]

Yeah that's why I thought perhaps a running light ring would make it look interesting during the day. It's hard to envision what the smoked lens with leds inside will look like with them off. I know I've seen something like that before and it looked pretty cool. I might do the led upgrade on the stock ones I have first to see what it looks like. I'm also considering custom lenses that retain the chrome strip, but then I pretty much have to make the chrome strip because no one whose buying custom lenses is going to have them already. Not sure what to do with the reflector though.

 

If the white leds you have are bright enough it just means that you could have got red ones 1/3 the mcd and theoretically they would be the same only less power dissipation, which makes each component cost less as well. I'm pretty sure the christmas tree effect comes from them being narrow angle. Most people go for high power and disregard angle, but even round leds can be somewhat wide angle, they just turn people off because they don't look as bright. Flat tops or straw hats are generally better though. They won't be as bright straight on because the light is dispersed more evenly, but they should blend together better. On the other side of the coin, you get really bright narrow angled leds, stand 15 degrees to the side and suddenly they aren't so bright, and some are twice as bright as others. Either way I want to see what it looks like with a defusing inner lens like a camera flasher. Probably won't look as good during the day though if you can only see the lens.