High Performance rear lights - E30 Late style

[Mo Brighta]

LED update - not quite yet ...

Hey read through the thread twice but am a bit confused. If I understand correctly, the LEDs are still under development correct? Or are they available now?

Still under development.

I just got word last week regarding some new designs for plug-in LED lighting on the standard Bayonet base, I'll have to look them over and report on how they respond in the standard 'reflector dish' in most BMW lights ... stay tuned!

And yes, I will take pics!

[Dbeckman843]

how are the leds coming along?

[Mo Brighta]

Development = Cost

how are the leds coming along?

Still looking for funds for materials... I suppose if I put a detailed plan on the forum, with a plea for investors, I'd have a better chance to get investment capital.

[Mo Brighta]

Bump - reviving the post for late style lighting upgrades.

These cars are worth upgrading, so why are all the questions lately about convertibles and early tail light cars? ...not that I'm complaining, I just wondered.

I see someone has revived an old (5 years) thread about LED conversions.

I might soon be testing a lamp - Philips is now making a range of lamps with LED technology claimed to imitate a filament light source. Meaning, the light is emitted from a position or location on the lamp similar to the position of a standard incandescent (filament) bulb, and that it radiates in "all directions" to properly illuminate the entire reflector dish.

We'll see about that.

Meanwhile, anybody with a later style light that needs more 'Brightness' in back? Tails, brakes, turns come to mind.

[validius]

I love this idea but i also want euro style rear fogs. Wont they conflict?

[Mo Brighta]

Add rear fogs AND extra brake / tail lights?

I love this idea but I also want euro style rear fogs. Won't they conflict?

So, does the harness have a grey/violet wire for rear fogs, or are you adding rear fogs to a US car? US lights are missing the pin & socket in the connector for these... but it can be done using other methods.

Will they conflict? Well, yes, maybe, and no. There are options... My usual upgrade for rear lights has dual tail and dual brake lights, and uses the rear fog location (empty in US cars) for the second brake light.

Yes it conflicts, because a second BRAKE light in the 'rear fog' location is tied into the brake circuit so it operates in parallel with the stock brake lamps. This socket is designed for higher wattage (~25W) lamps that make enough light to be seen as 'brake' or 'rear fog' by other drivers.

Maybe not, a second TAIL light (within the stock brake socket) means you could upgrade to dual tail lights (bigger, brighter, more reliable), keep the standard brakes, and add rear fog lights. This will need wiring and a set of connectors to run the rear fogs.

No conflict at all. In lights with similar wiring style, like E24 and early E30 lights, I expand operation using relays and connectors that are easy to install. The addition of relays allows rear fogs to operate as a dual brakes when rear fogs are not in use.

Last word - yes, I can design it so you have rear fogs and dual brakes and dual tail lights, or any combination of the three. All can be done inside the rear covers, NO WIRES are cut in the harness. That's kind of my mantra, like a Hippocratic oath for cars - "First, do no harm to the wires." That way, if you want to return to stock wiring for any reason- you unplug a wire, pull a bulb, and you're back to stock.

Send me an email or PM for more detail, cost, whatever.

Andy

[Mo Brighta]

Bump-
Still thinking about rear fogs Validius?

I also suggest high output bulbs for all rear lights that have tinted lenses (for 'show purposes') -- the appearance changes only when you use the lights, so your dark lens looks the same, but now you would have the advantage of being seen when you drive at night, and any time you stop, turn, or reverse, day or night.

You can buy a set of HO bulbs with or without the dual tail / dual brake light upgrade, of course -- but by combining the two, you have a much better better chance to 'Be Seen, and Not Hurt.'

[lambo]

I'm surprised I haven't seen this thread before.

I've been meaning to try making some led taillights similar to these:

https://instagram.com/p/vUXSQ-nZbe/

[Redmcoupe]

any updates on late model LEDs?

[Mo Brighta]

LED update

any updates on late model LEDs?

Sorry, nothing yet. Really busy with E24, E3, and E10 cars, plus wiring to revise headlight operation "Euro Style" for an E30.

[LEANE30]

You in Golden? I would dig seeing some of these products you are making in the flesh some time. I commute between castle rock and DTC. First beer is on me if you ever venture out this direction with something running one of your LED taillights.

[Mo Brighta]

Road Trip/Demo

You in Golden? I would dig seeing some of these products you are making in the flesh some time. I commute between castle rock and DTC. First beer is on me if you ever venture out this direction with something running one of your LED taillights.

Love to get together for a beer... love to demo the late model tails. There's an issue with not having an E30 of my own, but I can certainly bring a set to plug into your harness, at least you can see what they do is 'complete the design' that BMW left unfinished in US national version - 'OHNE NSL.'

Stupid US regulations... they now allow rear fogs, in E30 days they were illegal. Go figure. Still, it leaves an opportunity to really shine - if you know how to take advantage of the unused socket, and do a little wiring magic.

Send me an email, let's talk.

Andy

[Mo Brighta]

Video-game rear lights / LED bling

I'm surprised I haven't seen this thread before. I've been meaning to try making some led taillights similar to these ...

You're kidding, right? I suppose if that was a display-only mode that was not used in traffic ... but I'd be worried about someone having a seizure if that was in their field of view. I about had a seizure looking at the suspension damage someone apparently paid money for.

But hey - I have this crazy idea that rear lights are designed to communicate clearly with other drivers. So they don't use your car as a bumper or berm. Call me old fashioned.

And good luck.

[Das Delfin]

Andy,

A while ago I saw a Mercedes (I think a CL class) which had red tails but when the turn signal was on part of the tail light illuminated yellow... through the red lens. I would love the look of all red tails but don't want to give up the yellow turn indicator because it stands out better than a red turn light would.

Along that line of thinking... I've seen LED strips for trucks you mount under the tailgate which can light up dim red, bright red, yellow, and white. Any thoughts on incorporating something like that into an e30 tail? The idea being if you make the entire light come up both as a brake light and then a yellow turn light, it'd be super bright and obvious to others what's going on. I'm wondering if there's a yellow LED bright enough or at the right color wavelength to make it through the red plastic used by BMW...

[Mo Brighta]

UPDATE - Copied from my post on the same subject for the EARLY style (pre-facelift) lights... (back from the grave?)

A new design has been adopted for the "Plus 4" upgrade, it makes the modifications more benign - less additional stress on the hardware. This has been incorporated into a pair of late (facelift) plastic lights, and to the early style metal lights. 'Plastic' and 'Metal' refers to the bulb socket, most of the rear light is some type of plastic. The new design developed from a brainstorm (it only hurt a little) after finishing a pair of 2002 round lights. ((Respect your elders applies here, once again!))

I believe the new design to be more robust, more durable, and less subject to 'operator error' - and makes installing replacement dual filament bulbs easier (when necessary).
I have carried the principles back to the E9 coupe lights as well, they formerly required separate left- and right-handed bulbs in the 'brake' light sockets. Simpler and More Reliable are the objectives, in addition to Bigger and Brighter. Same visual improvements, of course.

"Be the first one on your block" to order a pair of these, you never know how or when it will help you avoid disaster.