This is what I've been looking for! Excited to see how it'll turn out!.
LED Tail light concept
- Thread starter Alec_fields
- Start date
This is what I've been looking for! Excited to see how it'll turn out!.
Sorry for the long break in posts. The wife and I just got back from Ohio for the holiday and I was waiting on some parts to come in.
So I have one whole light insert all mocked up and ready to go. The photos make it look a little weird but to me it looks EXACTLY like the pure light that everyone is looking for. In the pictures the light looks a little un-even, but it isn't to the naked eye. I had to use the flash or the red was too bright and would flare the image. You can not see one individual LED. Also the lines on the finished product will be sharpened up. Light bleeds through even the diffuser to the other sections, so I will have to separate the diffuser layer and probably put something mirrored on the edges to keep the light in the appropriate section.
Here it is
These are the running lights
Turn signal section
Break light section
The running lights with the lens on and flash. The little lines are actually cracks in the red lens (failed lens separation attempt) and the reflection section obscures the pattern slightly, but not bad enough for me to change it for my tail lights.
More to come......
So I have one whole light insert all mocked up and ready to go. The photos make it look a little weird but to me it looks EXACTLY like the pure light that everyone is looking for. In the pictures the light looks a little un-even, but it isn't to the naked eye. I had to use the flash or the red was too bright and would flare the image. You can not see one individual LED. Also the lines on the finished product will be sharpened up. Light bleeds through even the diffuser to the other sections, so I will have to separate the diffuser layer and probably put something mirrored on the edges to keep the light in the appropriate section.
Here it is
These are the running lights
Turn signal section
Break light section
The running lights with the lens on and flash. The little lines are actually cracks in the red lens (failed lens separation attempt) and the reflection section obscures the pattern slightly, but not bad enough for me to change it for my tail lights.
More to come......
I'm impressed, good job on creativity!
I think you already pointed out one of your concerns but whenever you are trying to fire the LED's past another red OEM lense, you will lose some output and light. BMW's lights look so refined because their lights are built into the pre-defined red lense portion. our lights are frosted and not the optimum clear type plastic needed for an LED conversion to look OEM IMO.
Don't get me wrong what you are doing is very cool and would work great for a one-off installation but I don't see how this would be easy to replicate in other people's taillights without adding a lot of labor. One of the major difficulties we encountered is opening up the OEM tail assembly safely without any damage and putting it all back together.
Ideally if there are enough NSX owners, (which doesn't seem likely) would be go to a light mfr. in Asia and have them build brand new tail assemblies with the right opening for an LED retrofit panel to be installed. I like what you are trying to do and hope you get a working model soon.
I think you already pointed out one of your concerns but whenever you are trying to fire the LED's past another red OEM lense, you will lose some output and light. BMW's lights look so refined because their lights are built into the pre-defined red lense portion. our lights are frosted and not the optimum clear type plastic needed for an LED conversion to look OEM IMO.
Don't get me wrong what you are doing is very cool and would work great for a one-off installation but I don't see how this would be easy to replicate in other people's taillights without adding a lot of labor. One of the major difficulties we encountered is opening up the OEM tail assembly safely without any damage and putting it all back together.
Ideally if there are enough NSX owners, (which doesn't seem likely) would be go to a light mfr. in Asia and have them build brand new tail assemblies with the right opening for an LED retrofit panel to be installed. I like what you are trying to do and hope you get a working model soon.
Coming along great...I like it!
- - - Updated - - -
Coming along great...I like it!
- - - Updated - - -
Coming along great...I like it!
+1, I check this thread often, this has fantastic potential.
subscribed. this thread looks interesting
Bad ass. Ill buy it.
Yessss..... modernizing.
cannot wait to see a working prototype on an nsx. if it can be worked so that the fit and finish of your taillights are oem quality; your idea would have fantastic potential imo.
Our lens is just a solid red lens.... theres no frosting over it. It actually dosen't dispurse very much of the light.
I'm glad everyone seems to be on the same page I am. I think these look pretty sweet and keep in style with the NSX pretty well. Eventually I would like to do other designs for other people, if I end up selling kits. I'd give it about another week or so until the set for my NSX are done or very close to it. One of the only issues I am seeing as far as selling these goes is a few parts of the base of the tail light have to be cut out to install the "LED box". For mine it dosen't bother me, but some may not like that fact.
As far as the from DTR's. I'm still working on a way to keep it as long as possible but still having a heat sink for thoes 10W LED's. They put out some good heat and if I bend the rod too much I'll lose more and more light. So experimentation for that is still going on.
Nice, I like it a lot.
man these are pretty awesome
Thanks for all approval. Prime is a tough crowd at times. Here is an update. I have both tails wired, one is installed, the other is being sealed still. I will probably have a video of them installed tomorrow. The wife wasn't too pleased with me for working on them Christmas eve and Christmas day..... but it needed to be finished!
Here is a look of how the tails look not lit. I just took a few shots before I installed the one that is finished. Also I decided against using the white LED's, that are the same as the red ones used, in the reverse lights. Instead I opted for the 10W LED's I am using in the DTR lights that should be finished in the next few weeks. They are INSANELY bright. I just hope I don't have to revers towards anyone. They may be offended by the blinding light facing them!!
Here is a look of how the tails look not lit. I just took a few shots before I installed the one that is finished. Also I decided against using the white LED's, that are the same as the red ones used, in the reverse lights. Instead I opted for the 10W LED's I am using in the DTR lights that should be finished in the next few weeks. They are INSANELY bright. I just hope I don't have to revers towards anyone. They may be offended by the blinding light facing them!!
Good work! Keep it up!
Looking very good! keep up the good work!
Sweet project. Can't wait to see the video
Here's the video. It's pretty crappy for being able to actually see the tails, but you get the idea. Once this fantastic NC tornado watch weather clears up I'll get a video of them outside in the sun.
The reverse lights as you can see are VERY bright. I may have to tone them down a bit. Other then that I am pretty satisfied. :biggrin:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lsglZea_W30" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The reverse lights as you can see are VERY bright. I may have to tone them down a bit. Other then that I am pretty satisfied. :biggrin:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lsglZea_W30" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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