Exterior lighting maintenance, resto & upgrade
Great reference post, Dan. Thanks.
The point you did not bring out, but helped me the most, was spending an hour with a bottle brush, Q-tips, and a can of contact cleaner to work on the firewall plugs for the front wiring harnesses.
Thanks for your comments on LEDs. As an esthetic modification more than anything else, I duplexed the tail lights on my '73 Dart (using 1157 bulbs). At idle, the turn signals barely functioned. I converted to LED bulbs due to their lower current draw. The mechanical function of the flasher works much better.
I also noted a change in visibility as you reported. Refinishing the reflectors with chrome paint helped a little. Noting the directional nature of light coming from an LED, I stripped the reflectors and covered all exposed surfaces with shiny aluminum tape. The mirror like finish helped. Unfortunately, I do not have the expertise or equipment to measure the results. The arrangement is enough to satisfy the state vehicle inspectors and communicate adequately with fellow motorists. (The only honks I get are thumbs up about the car.)
Great reference post, Dan. Thanks.
The point you did not bring out, but helped me the most, was spending an hour with a bottle brush, Q-tips, and a can of contact cleaner to work on the firewall plugs for the front wiring harnesses.
Thanks for your comments on LEDs. As an esthetic modification more than anything else, I duplexed the tail lights on my '73 Dart (using 1157 bulbs). At idle, the turn signals barely functioned. I converted to LED bulbs due to their lower current draw. The mechanical function of the flasher works much better.
I also noted a change in visibility as you reported. Refinishing the reflectors with chrome paint helped a little. Noting the directional nature of light coming from an LED, I stripped the reflectors and covered all exposed surfaces with shiny aluminum tape. The mirror like finish helped. Unfortunately, I do not have the expertise or equipment to measure the results. The arrangement is enough to satisfy the state vehicle inspectors and communicate adequately with fellow motorists. (The only honks I get are thumbs up about the car.)
