LED Bulbs/Flasher Upgrade Issue - '71 Cuda

[annularnos]

Nope, just swapped out the rear bulbs and everything still works fine.

Some flashers will work and some will not. The original flashers work by heating up and then breaking the connection repeatedly. Often, when going to LEDs, there is not enough amperage (heat) to operate the original flashers. Also, the more lamps you change to LED on the flasher circuit, the less likely the original flasher will work. Usually, if you just change the tail lights to LED and keep your factory flasher, the flashing rate will be slightly slower. The more lamps on the circuit that you change to LED, the slower the flashing will get. At some point it usually will stop flashing.

[tman]

By changing just your rear bulbs, they should flash ok.  When you change out front signals, then you will have an issue or vice versa.  Right now your front turn signals is enough to get your flasher to work. 

[shadango]

By changing your just rear bulbs, they should flash ok.  When you change out front signals, then you will have an issue or vice versa.  Right now your front turn signals is enough to get your flasher to work.

Maybe I will try just the two rears then. 

Not sure what brand will be brighter....

Pep Boys had a "pilot" bulb for $20.....and a sylvania for the same... the latter was built so that it reflects off the back of the light housing.....the pilot is bright 360 degrees around it .....that is the one I was going to try......since I can get them local and fill that itch quickly....LOL...anybody try the Pilot brands?

[ShelbyDogg]

Made mine a little differently. I used tail lights and modified them to fit into the originals. LEDs all the way around.





Mine still flash okay with the stock flasher. And Electronic flasher can always be added later as I add mode LED bulbs.

[annularnos]

I haven't heard anything about the "Pilot" brand of LEDs. This is what I ordered from SuperbrightLEDs.com for my taillights, front turn signals, and reverse lights. Yes, it's a lot of money, but they are the best I've seen....and they ship quickly. FWIW, painting the light housing interior surface a light reflective silver or white helps as well.

[shadango]

Made mine a little differently. I used tail lights and modified them to fit into the originals. LEDs all the way around.





Mine still flash okay with the stock flasher. And Electronic flasher can always be added later as I add mode LED bulbs.

I do like that!   WOuld have to rund up a second set of lights.....carlisle list maybe.....but for now wouldnt mind just bumping up the brightness with plug and play...

[shadango]

I haven't heard anything about the "Pilot" brand of LEDs. This is what I ordered from SuperbrightLEDs.com for my taillights, front turn signals, and reverse lights. Yes, it's a lot of money, but they are the best I've seen....and they ship quickly. FWIW, painting the light housing interior surface a light reflective silver or white helps as well.

Do the taillight lenses come apart from the reflector??? Easily??

[ShelbyDogg]

I show how to do it in my locked Cuda thread under the restoration projects  forum

[shadango]

I show how to do it in my locked Cuda thread under the restoration projects  forum

Have a link handy?

[ShelbyDogg]

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=33441.60

[shadango]

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=33441.60

Thanks!   Thats a great idea.

A great way to get twice the light for brakes!

[shadango]

I am reviving this thread because it seems like the folks in it know their stuff when it comes to the LED stuff....

I havent made the jump yet.....but my son is trying to on his 80 Volare....

Since that car and the ebodies share so much of the basic technology, I figured I would ask for some advice here....

He replaced the front signal lights with LEDs , keeping his stock flasher and the stock rear bulbs.....stuff works fine.

Then he swapped in LED rears to match the front and they would just come on full, no blink....ok, so we swapped in an electronic flasher unit.

Hazards work fine.  But signals do not.....he switched the stock lamps back into the front, keeping the LEds in the rear, and stuff works again.

So, clearly a load issue, even with the electronic flasher.....

Is there a second flasher unit somewhere? I thought one flasher covered signals AND hazards?

I saw some mention of polarity of the flasher...some of the units I saw for sale even came with a plug in base that reverses polarity.....but if the polarity was all wrong, why would fronts or rears work at all by themselves?

[bc3j]

What worked for me was after the parking/turn bulbs and the brake lights were converted I discovered the factory hazard flasher still worked, but at a slower rate. I left it alone. The turn signal flasher on the ash tray was changed to a neutral polarity unit with a ground wire. Plugged it into the factory plug and put the ground wire to the ash tray frame and it works perfectly. Even clicks.

[dodj]

There are two flasher shadango
One by the ash tray and one on the column support framework.

[shadango]

Thanks guys.

Yep, picked up a neutral polarity blinker and added that to the mix and all is well.

Still not sure what I think of it.

He spent $75 on new lamps for the signals, brakes and backup. Plus another $25 on the two flashers.

So $100 for the lights to light up and blink correctly just like they did before except they are "cooler" in color temp than before.....MAYBE slighty brighter.....

Not sure it was worth it IMHO.