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| Taillight REFLECTOR: Don’t Paint, Light Reflects BRIGHTER on Polished Aluminum Tape ! (Page 2/2) |
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Vintage-Nut
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FEB 03, 09:25 AM
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When I said:
| quote | LED Bulbs STILL Needs Reflective Surfaces
LED Strips won't |
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I mean that all LED Bulbs or 'Lamps', which are a Double Contact Bayonet type {i.e. bulb #1157}, are BRIGHTER on a Polished Reflector than a 'dull' surface.
I agree with you that Chip-on-Board {COB} LED bulbs are brighter than Surface Mounted Device {SMD} LED bulbs, but all are still benefited from a shiny reflector.
When I said 'LED Strips' - the term means another type of LED array which aren't a Double Contact Bayonet bulb/lamp
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Vintage-Nut
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FEB 03, 09:56 AM
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| quote | 82-T/A:
It's a shame you didn't get any before and after "night" pictures.
That's the problem with people like us who "get it done," is that we often don't take before pictures... we just tear into it.
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BTW: My GT has been the garage from 2010
My before and after pictures are posted...
And I didn't "just tear into it"; I made a list of issues to address, and the taillights are on this list...  [This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 02-05-2025).]
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Raydar
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FEB 03, 12:00 PM
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When I replaced my lenses, I painted the reflectors white. I really like how they work.
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cliffw
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FEB 03, 06:38 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
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Where did you get, or how did you create the "Fiero / Formula" illuminated center on your tail lights ?
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cartercarbaficionado
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FEB 05, 01:48 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
When I replaced my lenses, I painted the reflectors white. I really like how they work.
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those do look nice. somehow my moss filled ones looked great after cleaning
i might try it when i can afford another set of gt lights.
these are insanely bright taillights compared to the 88
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Raydar
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FEB 05, 10:00 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by cliffw:
Where did you get, or how did you create the "Fiero / Formula" illuminated center on your tail lights ? |
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They came from Keith Goodyear, when he was doing custom decoration on lenses.
The "Formula" script came from some Sunbird or Firebird(?) door emblems. The "Fiero" script was derived from the Formula.
 [This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 02-05-2025).]
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Raydar
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FEB 05, 10:03 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado:
i might try it when i can afford another set of gt lights.
these are insanely bright taillights compared to the 88 |
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Those lights are bright. Look to be a lot brighter than mine.
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cartercarbaficionado
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FEB 06, 04:00 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
Those lights are bright. Look to be a lot brighter than mine. |
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the secret is i polished the reflectors and the fresnel lens assembly to what they should be from factory. very reflective but not mirrors. the tape is an easy way to achieve this but the seams need to be very good. i did ot on my s10 and it looks like garbage because i either had too big a gap or overlapping seams messing with the light
if you look at the light close its essentially perfect even with a literal dumpster find lens
2nd edit:felt like flexing with a pretty photo i took months ago
 [This message has been edited by cartercarbaficionado (edited 02-06-2025).]
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Dennis LaGrua
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FEB 07, 01:20 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by cliffw:
I am ignorant on LED lights. I am thinking they do not need a reflective surface behind them.
Vintage-Nut, excellent post. Your method of application reminds me of applying tint film to windows and applying stickers to my hard hats. |
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It is true that LED's project more in a straight line but typically LED lamps are arranged in multiple arrays for plug in replacements. A reflective surface behind them is essential for best performance. They are much brighter than regular light bulbs and use less power.
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jelly2m8
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FEB 08, 01:52 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
Look to be a lot brighter than mine. |
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too bright and washed out
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