More power out of interior bulbs?

[userdead626]

Howdy guys,
Searched without much luck.
Has anyone come up with a solution to the 'almost-useless' panel lights w/o any major modifications?
I would love to hear suggestions!
Cheers!

[cudabeforeIdie]

Have you tried an LED of the same size? Can that be done?

[Jamiez]

I'd recommend swapping out the dimmer switch first.  Slotts makes ones which are better than the stock ones.  The stock ones have typically corroded to the point where the light output is a fraction of what it was new.  Swapping my dimmer nearly doubled the output from the light bar.

If that's still not enough for you, you could probably swap the lights in the bar out for LEDs.  Bars often come up for sale on ebay, moparts, or here for in the $50-$100 range.

[Chryco Psycho]

drill out the rivits & paint the reflectors chrome silver

[userdead626]

I'd recommend swapping out the dimmer switch first.  Slotts makes ones which are better than the stock ones.  The stock ones have typically corroded to the point where the light output is a fraction of what it was new.  Swapping my dimmer nearly doubled the output from the light bar.

If that's still not enough for you, you could probably swap the lights in the bar out for LEDs.  Bars often come up for sale on ebay, moparts, or here for in the $50-$100 range.

Great idea! Any idea what he usually charges?

[Padawan]

I second Jamiez suggestion, I simply bypassed the dimmer switch and the lights are now always full-on, which is bright enough. Maybe one day I'll reinstate its original functionality... 

[Jamiez]

For a dimmer?  I think it's around $100....he'll take your existing dimmer as a core.  I can't remember if that's what I paid with or without it.  Just send him a PM and he'll send you the details I'm sure.  You can see some of his work here:

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=64880.0

[Slotts]

Thank you for the referral, Jamie. I appreciate it. 

My inbox is full. It's easier for me to keep track of things via email. If I can help with a dash dimmer switch, please send me an email to jsrestorations@rocketmail.com

Yes, painting the light sockets is also a good idea. I would suggest using 4-40 screws to re-attach the lenses while gently tightening the nut to not crack the lens. Use a drop of Loc-Tite. 

Slotts