What Tail lights Would Work on a 240Z ?

[Tim240z]

I always really liked the old firebird tail light treatment, and that is what I am modelling my Z's rear end treatment on. Not even close to finished, and will eventually (!) fabricate LED lights instead of the stock ones.

 

OK freeservers now really sucks and won't support image links. Check out the bodywork page on my site if you want to see.

Tim

[pparaska]

Tim, that's the best looking tail light treatment I've ever seen on a Z - and it's not even finished yet!

[BLKMGK]

Lemme' know if you guys are serious about measuring the Supra lights. Many older 93-96 Supra owners upgrade to th elater style 97-98 lites so the older ones can be found for sale somewhat often. Same with the headlights - THAT would be a cool swap too! IMO the Supra lites are way nice but they're showing up on all sorts of whacky things like mini-trucks!

 

Hrm! -> http://www.supraforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58325

[jhaag]

Some of the tail lights on late model cars look very bright. Someone told me the lenses were 'diamond cut' but I don't know if that is accurate. I like the style of the stock Z or ZX lenses well enough but they often look dull and old ( I'm talking about lenses, not my own appearance ) Does anyone know if there is a way to polish old lenses effectively? What is the correct term for the new look? Thanks.

John

[Dan Juday]

Here is one. Angle is wrong and the bone head painted them white.

 

 

Here is one of a taillight by it self.

 

 

The light is about 18" x 6".

 

Sorry, best I could do it this point.

[Guest Anonymous]

As far as the stock ones and them being brighter, I wonder if the ones I've seen on alot of sport bikes (that I want to put on my harley as well) would work. They're LED type and are somewhat animated. They glow red with this circular pattern when you hit the brakes. They're bright and they draw attention which is a good thing. Maybe one of you sport bikers (auxillary and RickS come to mind right off the top) could tell me if these are just replace bulb units or is this something more specific to that model of bike? If its just bulbs, then behind the stock lenses might look cool and be fairly bright. Just a hair brained idea (from a guy with no hair, must all be growing inside... nah I shave it, I lied).

 

Regards,

 

Lone

[Sleek Z]

I just came out of my cave last week and ran across a seller site for these LED light inserts, but can't seem to find the link now. Can anybody post a link to some detailed tech info on LED lighting units and the technology and hook up/power requirements for them?

 

Being a person that often works with lighting and the modification of such, I have often considered experimenting with new approaches to creating even lighting distribution effects within tail, turn and marker light assemblies and I would like to investigate these LED units closer for that purpose.

 

John Haag brings up an interesting and important point that I think is often overlooked in planning a custom tail light swap, that of the style of back side refractor patterns of tail light lens over the years. IMO, many of the designs of the past do not help distribute and refract light from a single bulb in a way that gives off the kind of "fresh" look needed on a cool looking hybridized Z car.

 

Not sure why car manufacturers would need to resort to "diamond cut" methods unless the term refers to the current design look of today's new trendy lenses. What I have noticed though, is that the new designs are making strong use "designerly" refraction patters" inside the lens. The mix & match and interplay of pattern themes can be quite interesting to study up close.

 

My main question related to creating "fresh" looking tail lights is whether I can find a way to design and cast my own designs with off the shelf plastic and resin components to achieve similar effects of my choosing. Anybody know anything about such things? Experimented with such?

 

Below is some extreme, hand built custom work done on an E-Type Jag showing home crafted tail light lenses. Not that dramatic compared to what we are looking for for our Z car projects, but man, look at what this guy did to the Jag's rear look and fenders! This guy has also worked over an S30 body nicely as well, but no fancy tail lights. When I interviewed him 2 years ago, he kept referring to how he creates such cars by "seeing" with his hands instead of his eyes.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Sleek Z

[280Zone]

The problem with the LED replacement lights is that the light is not diffused very well so it looks like one small light inside of a rather large lens. I modified my 75 tail lights by buy a few of the long LED brake light strips and breaking them in half (so they are the length of the lens) and running a couple of strips in each lens. That way I could retain the stock look tail lights but the modern look of the LED instant on and instant off look I was going for.

[Wagz]

I spent a little more time with an image editor tonight (not much more time) and came up with a couple of versions of lights on Dan's car. Check 'em out:

 

300ZX Lights (version 1)

300ZX Lights (version 2)

Supra Lights

 

Hey, Dan - Would you run out in the garage and paint the entire back half of your car gloss black and take a picture for me? I want to make the photos of these lights blend in better.

 

-Marc

[Sleek Z]

Again, Wagz, you came up with some interesting visual ideas. I am not totally sold on the late 300ZX look, but your first link seemed the most balanced to me. Big Phil's looks well balanced and blended to the 240Z stock look..

 

tim240z, it'll be most interesting to see your final rear body look after paint.. What color will you use? I had tried to communicate to Dan verbally about how finishing off the look of his car's rear area would require a very different approach because of the absence of a stock rear bumper to divide up the tail light panel and lower valance areas due to the positioning of his dual tail pipes. One thought I had at the time was how it might be practical to think of adding a complete new panel below the tail light area all the way down and underneath his gas tank that would tie into and integrate the lower edges of his rear flares. Your rear panel weld in design reminds me of what I was envisioning when talking to Dan, although not really the same design.

 

Very helpful additions to the thread, Wagz & TimZ

[Guest 320Zeven]

Originally posted by Zachb55:

Any of you guys think about putting a setup like the R34 Skyline. That would be my dream tail light setup...

 

Is there any reality to this? think it would work?

Shhhhhhhh im in the process! the hope to be the only one if not one of few in the US..... there alittle big but they work pics in october.

[Owen]

The LED topic was a hot one last year, I modified some spare taillites but decided the effort wasn't really worth it. I also want to stick with the stock style but hope to get a clearer (diamond cut?) lens.

 

The S2000 taillites are pretty cool, I like how they are tinted, not the gaudy APC crap you see on every civic, IS300, and now American trucks!

 

Here's some pix, good thing I only spent about $20 on all this.

http://www.v8zcar.com/s30z/tail-led2.htm

 

Owen

[DAW]

RE: LED tailight bulbs, J.C. Whitney still sends me catalogs ever since I ordered something before I had a driver's license and in the most recent issue they have LED-cluster tailight bulbs that appear to be replacements for a std 1157-type bulb. It looks like it would be a good thing, anyone tried them7 DAW

[Sleek Z]

Thanks DAW

 

I'll check out JC Whtney. I saw similar LED cluster units for sale on a website meant to replace the 1157 bulbs, but can't find it any more. What I am wonderiing is how extensive and varied the offerings and choices are for LED bulbs and as to whether some clusters are larger or more conducive to custom work than these small 1157 bulb replacement types. For instance, do these LEDs come in low profile, wide 'strips' or 'mat clusters" of some sort?

[DAW]

Thanks Owen, I thought it looked too simple a solution but I hadn't bought any yet. I see they have a halogen bulb replacement for back-up lights, could these be used in an 1156-type socket for brake lights? DAW

[BLKMGK]

I favor the Supra pic, I think it rox The ZXTT lites didn't do it for me, the 1st one also wasn't too bad. The Supra lites can be gotten as low as $75 a pair (used) I think, the later 97-98 ones new are fairly expensive last I saw them posted.

[pparaska]

Counter vote: I like the 300ZX lights better, Wagz. Something about round tail lights on a car with such nice changing radius curves just doesn't jive for me.

 

To each his own!

[Owen]

I heard the 1157 type LED replacements suck. Especially since LEDs are more directional than radial when emitting light. Our Z lenses would probably be too smoky too. Using these replacements, you'd most likely see two bright red dots right where you installed them in the tail lights vs. the entire lens being illuminated evenly.

 

I used the JC Whit 3rd LED brake light for my tests and they where much better.

 

Owen

[Guest Anonymous]

For the modern one, I've always wanted to see a smoked or tinted acrylic peice completely covering the entire rear panel, numberplate included, but veiwed thruogh a clear section. (great for the speed camera's)

 

For the classic one, a (Ford) Lotus Cortina GT light divided like an MB emblem with chrome ring and chrome divisions, set against a recessed body coloured or anthrasite coloured panel.

 

However the Series 1 240Z lights suit its vintage and market sector well, but the 260's are not quite as elegant.

spt

Perth, Australia

[Owen]

DAW,

I don't know how those halogens will work. What I ended up doing was swapping out the entire bulb/socket assy. I hate the two pin bulbs because the stupid spring gets weaker and the bulb also rotates, causing the pins to slip off the socket contacts.

 

So what I did was switch to some wedge type bulbs, 3157Ks? These might be the same ones you're talking about. Now they don't have any problem with losing contact with the socket, etc.

 

Owen