How to make your cluster lights brighter

[JayBee]

Yep, resurrecting a 4 year old thread because I want to paint the inside of a rallye light bar's cups BUT can't seem to remove them from the frame. The bar was soaked in Evaporust for two days, all the rivets have been ground off and the blue lenses removed. It almost looks like the "cups" are spot welded on too.

I guess I'm reaching out more so to Farouk (hasn't been active since August), and Ville, or anyone else that has removed them feel free to chime in.

I'd also like to know what paint was used by the guys that have done this. Testors has a chrome silver hobby paint that can be brushed on if the cups won't come off but it doesn't look shiney enough. All other chrome paint I found is in a rattle can and I can't see using that with the cups still attached.

On a final note I'm looking at sourcing out those rivets. I think I found a place but you got to buy at least 100. Thanks in advance for any input.   

[Kapteenikosmos]

Hmm, It has been couple of years already when I removed mine so my memory is bit hazy. If I recall right, the cups came off quite easily after I drilled the rivets. It might have been so that on some cups, I had some rivet "leftovers" as I tried to drill them with a drill as small as possible so that I had to pry the cup open with a screwdriver. Could it be so that there is a difference between the rallye panel cup installation and standard panel cup installation? Mine has a standard panel.

Still, bit hard to understand why they would have been riveted and spot welded? You could try to drill the holes with a bit larger drill? Or tap the holes where the rivets were lightly so that you would see if there are still some remains left.

For the paint I used some standard hobby type home decoration chrome paint which was actually quite reflective.

Can you post a pic of your light bar and the cups?

[JayBee]

I'm convinced these cups are spot welded. Each cup has that indent(weld) right by the rivet hole. The razor blade in the pic won't go beyond that point. I used a dremel to grind the rivets off and they punched clean out, no "leftovers". Another question, did you spray or brush on your paint? Spraying would be a pain if the cups can't be removed. Thanks for all your input.

[DAYLEY/CHALLENGER]

Simple...........go to Advance Auto.......buy a lite strip for 12 volts........cut it the length you want.......peal and stick, wire it in and drive well at night..............


Actually it was so bright I put short pieces of electrical tape over spaces to tone it down................

[422STROKER]

haha I bought the green LED strips, nice and bright.  They dim down pretty good.  A little pulsing at idle dimmed low though.

Tom

[HP_Cuda]

haha I bought the green LED strips, nice and bright.  They dim down pretty good.  A little pulsing at idle dimmed low though.

Tom

Slap a potentiometer on there and blammo! Good to go!

[422STROKER]

I just leave 'em up all the way, can see them awesome even on overcast days.

Tom

[cuda346pk]

I'm convinced these cups are spot welded. Each cup has that indent(weld) right by the rivet hole. The razor blade in the pic won't go beyond that point. I used a dremel to grind the rivets off and they punched clean out, no "leftovers". Another question, did you spray or brush on your paint? Spraying would be a pain if the cups can't be removed. Thanks for all your input.

I am pretty sure you are correct. I did mine this past winter and IIRC the rivets were only to hold the blue lenses in. I left my cups in place as the white paint was in good condition but I replaced all the blue plastic with purple and that helped the brightness as the purple is not as dark. I need to have my dimmer switch rebuilt now.

[Katfish]

I just leave 'em up all the way, can see them awesome even on overcast days.

Tom

Now that is just awesome, got a link or PN?

[DAYLEY/CHALLENGER]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Pilot-Automotive-10-in-white-LED-flexi-light-strip/_/N-262s?itemIdentifier=835535_0_0_

This is for the 10 " strip but they have more...................

[JayBee]

Thanks everyone for all the input and suggestions.

[73EStroker]

1. LEDs are supposed to have 12v to them all the time.
2. You can use aviation AN rivets to reinstall. They are solid with mushroom head. I built a plane so have the squeezers you need to squash them down
3. I simply painted mine white inside and left the blue covers off. Need to use the dimmer to turn them down as they are too bright on full.