Date:         Wed, 6 Feb 2008 07:38:12 -0800
Reply-To:     "Chris S." <mrpolak@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Chris S." <mrpolak@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: LED taillights WAS: Re: repost optional bulb sizes/wattages?
Comments: To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

http://autolumination.com/1156_1157.htm

Check out the first item on top.

You can also buy breadboard to solder your own LED lights which can be made to fit inside the Vanagon taillights.
 
Chris S. 

----- Original Message ----
From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 5:12:19 AM
Subject: LED taillights WAS: Re: repost optional bulb sizes/wattages?


>Maybe 
you'd 
be 
interested 
in 
LED 
tail 
lights.
>That's 
been 
done 
before.
>Bright, 
now 
power 
consumption, 
last 
forever.

I've 
been 
thinking 
about 
LED 
taillights. 
I 
wouldn't 
touch 
the 
LED
inserts 
you 
can 
buy 
to 
replace 
bulbs... 
just 
not 
enough 
LEDs, 
and 
the
lens/reflector 
are  
not 
designed 
to 
spread 
the 
directional 
LEDs'
light 
in 
the 
right 
way.

Problem 
is, 
none 
of 
the 
complete 
LED 
lights 
are 
really 
good-looking.
The 
rectangular 
ones 
LOOK 
like 
truck 
items, 
Narva 
moreso 
than 
Hella.
Peterson's 
(?) 
round 
lights 
come 
in 
yellow 
(indicator), 
red 
(brake 
or
tail) 
and 
white 
(reverse) 
and 
a 
three-light 
black 
bezel 
is 
available.
These 
would 
look 
OK, 
I 
think. 
This 
way 
would 
alleviate 
any 
necessity
of 
cutting 
the 
van's 
body, 
though 
some 
small 
holes 
would 
have 
to 
be
drilled 
for 
screws. 
To 
make 
things 
more 
esthetic 
a 
black 
acrylic
panel 
could 
be 
made-up 
to 
cover 
the 
entire 
rear 
panel, 
flush 
with 
the
tailgate, 
with 
circular 
cutouts 
so 
that 
the 
lights 
were 
the 
only
items 
visible. 
Or 
a 
plastic 
or 
metal 
panel 
color-matched 
to 
the 
van.
The 
panel 
could 
have 
a 
cutout 
for 
the 
licenseplate 
flap, 
or 
be 
two
separate 
panels, 
with 
a 
gap 
to 
clear 
the 
licenseplate. 
Smoked
transparent 
panels 
could 
be 
used, 
but 
raises 
the 
problem 
of 
dirt
inside 
showing 
through, 
so 
I'd 
recommend 
opaque 
materials. 
Shame
these 
vans 
didn't 
have 
modern 
wraparound 
taillights. 
I'm 
thinking 
of
doing 
this 
myself 
eventually.

The 
Peterson 
bezels 
attach 
by 
4 
screws, 
one 
near 
each 
corner 
(don't
think 
there 
were 
any 
in 
the 
middle) 
and 
the 
light 
units 
clip 
in 
from
in 
front 
(ie 
bezel 
has 
to 
be 
off 
to 
fit/remove 
lights). 
I'd 
use
stainless 
bolts 
rather 
than 
sheetmetal 
screws, 
so 
that 
the 
holes
drilled 
in 
the 
van 
could 
be 
rustproofed.

LED 
lights 
have 
a 
problem... 
they 
are 
pretty 
directional. 
Viewed
obliquely, 
they 
may 
not 
show 
up 
at 
all 
in 
daylight, 
but 
this 
is 
less
of 
a 
problem 
for 
rear 
lights 
than 
front, 
as 
you're 
going, 
not 
coming.
Just 
keep 
the 
front 
indicators 
incandescent... 
as 
they 
flash, 
you'd
probably 
be 
safe 
in 
upping 
the 
wattage 
considerably.
--
Andrew 
Grebneff
Dunedin
New 
Zealand
Fossil 
preparator
Seashell, 
Macintosh, 
VW/Toyota 
van 
nut
‚ 
Opinions 
stated 
are 
mine, 
not 
those 
of 
Otago 
University
"There 
is 
water 
at 
the 
bottom 
of 
the 
ocean"  
- 
Talking 
Heads







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