content22207
04-03-2012, 04:02 PM
A common repair for flaky OEM tail light boards is to put little #4 bolts through the outside socket rivets and cinch them tighter (doesn’t work on the inside positive rivets of course because they aren’t hollow).
I decided to take that concept one step further and replaced the rivets altogether with #6 nuts & bolts:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/299700_267066710005253_100001057778755_815837_8198 64422_n.jpg
One advantage of doing so was the ability to replace single element 1156 sockets in positions 2 and 4 with dual element 1157 sockets:
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/312032_266947050017219_100001057778755_815303_2981 13238_n.jpg
I now use my tail lights just like a modern car, rather than the anemic illumination that came from Dunmurry. I burn positions 2 and 4 as tail lights, then light up the whole rear end as brake lights (look closely and you’ll also see my 3rd brake light, which has largely been rendered moot by the brake lights themselves):
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/318628_266945596684031_100001057778755_815301_1835 904022_n.jpg
As stated, this is how modern cars use their tail lights.
At the end of this short video clip you can see what my brake lights look like by day:
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MjA4R6t1Fs
A simple upgrade that brings the tail lights of a DeLorean into the 21st century.
Bill Robertson
#5939
I use incandescent bulbs in my backup lights because:
1) incandescent bulbs produce more lumens than LEDs
2) incandescent bulbs produce a more complete color spectrum
My backup lights are not simple 1156 bulbs however: look closely and you will see two elements inside:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/548364_364872896891300_100001057778755_1087176_160 3876104_n.jpg
They are modified 2357's (the highest wattage output I could find -- somewhere in the mid to upper 30's when both elements are burning). I soldered across the base to make both elements operate normally in an 1156 socket:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/548364_364872903557966_100001057778755_1087177_172 3754490_n.jpg
Also had to file off the higher orientation pin. Bulbs are held in just fine by the lower pin alone.
Turn signal bulbs are 1156's because my flashing side light mod didn't work right when I tried LED's in the front and rear sockets. I also run bulbs in the side lights because LED's aren't visible enough, especially from behind (notice in the tail light picture that you can still see my side lights directly from the back).
Bill Robertson
#5939
I decided to take that concept one step further and replaced the rivets altogether with #6 nuts & bolts:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/299700_267066710005253_100001057778755_815837_8198 64422_n.jpg
One advantage of doing so was the ability to replace single element 1156 sockets in positions 2 and 4 with dual element 1157 sockets:
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/312032_266947050017219_100001057778755_815303_2981 13238_n.jpg
I now use my tail lights just like a modern car, rather than the anemic illumination that came from Dunmurry. I burn positions 2 and 4 as tail lights, then light up the whole rear end as brake lights (look closely and you’ll also see my 3rd brake light, which has largely been rendered moot by the brake lights themselves):
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/318628_266945596684031_100001057778755_815301_1835 904022_n.jpg
As stated, this is how modern cars use their tail lights.
At the end of this short video clip you can see what my brake lights look like by day:
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MjA4R6t1Fs
A simple upgrade that brings the tail lights of a DeLorean into the 21st century.
Bill Robertson
#5939
I use incandescent bulbs in my backup lights because:
1) incandescent bulbs produce more lumens than LEDs
2) incandescent bulbs produce a more complete color spectrum
My backup lights are not simple 1156 bulbs however: look closely and you will see two elements inside:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/548364_364872896891300_100001057778755_1087176_160 3876104_n.jpg
They are modified 2357's (the highest wattage output I could find -- somewhere in the mid to upper 30's when both elements are burning). I soldered across the base to make both elements operate normally in an 1156 socket:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/548364_364872903557966_100001057778755_1087177_172 3754490_n.jpg
Also had to file off the higher orientation pin. Bulbs are held in just fine by the lower pin alone.
Turn signal bulbs are 1156's because my flashing side light mod didn't work right when I tried LED's in the front and rear sockets. I also run bulbs in the side lights because LED's aren't visible enough, especially from behind (notice in the tail light picture that you can still see my side lights directly from the back).
Bill Robertson
#5939