LED dash light report

[bacfire]

Got my instrument cluster back in with the new LED bulbs. I like 'em. It has a nice neon-like blue color and is much brighter than what I had. The kit from these folks ( http://stores.ebay.com/HiPoParts-Manuals ) uses an "inverted lens" bulb that casts the light to the sides. I removed the old filters and painted the inside of the cluster gloss white to reflect as much light as possible. The kit includes 4 blue bulbs, 2 white, and 2 red.

The outside edges of the temp and fuel gauges are a little dim, but that's pretty much unavoidable with the stock bulb placement. The only other drawback is that the dimmer doesn't work anymore, I suppose because it's not made to regulate the low current draw of the LEDs. As it is, it's just a little bit brighter than I prefer.

 

[freddyfender]

Picture?

any pictures of your new LED's installed?

 

[carefact0rzero]

what do you get in this kit? i looked at the pictures on e-bay, looks pretty sweet.

 

[bacfire]

The '65-65 kit comes with four blue bulbs, two white (turn signals), and two red (high beam/warning lights). I don't have any pics, but the ones on Ebay look exactly like my dash.

 

[19stang66]

Is it true that the original lighting was blue like in the ebay photo? I always thought they were green.

 

[iskwezm]

Is it true that the original lighting was blue like in the ebay photo? I always thought they were green.

if you pull the cluster apart, the original colored lenses are blue

 

[66 Restomod]

I had installed new blue lenses in my cluster along with new bulbs (not leds). But the lighting is still green. I think the original intention was for the lights to be blue, but mixing blue covers with yellow incandescent lights produces a green hue.

 

[Shakin66]

Bacfire, I have my dash out right now getting rid of the white faced stickers and have that same kit sitting on bench. Did you remove the factory blue covers? And if they are too bright I may rethink that and try it with them on. I have thought about changing all of my other gauge lights to these also....

 

[19stang66]

So these LED's won't work if you have white face guages or are you just going back to the stock look?

 

[Shakin66]

I am just tired of the look. I should warn anyone who does change theirs that going back is not just a case of peeling off the white sticker....They leave alot of residue and you have to gently clean them off with Q tips soaked in WD 40.

 

[bacfire]

Bacfire, I have my dash out right now getting rid of the white faced stickers and have that same kit sitting on bench. Did you remove the factory blue covers? And if they are too bright I may rethink that and try it with them on. I have thought about changing all of my other gauge lights to these also....

I removed the covers. I also painted the entire inside of the cluster gloss white. Parts of my cluster had black shading. I assume it was to control reflections, direct light, or whatever. I painted over all that.

Although I mentioned that my dash is a little too bright for me, understand that I only drive old cars and am used to the dim lighting. Every time I drive someone else's late model at night, I dim the dash lights. It would probably be just right for most folks, or maybe a little dim if you're into the retina-searing thing like my wife.