Completely Clear Tail Lights with Red LED bulbs?

[N8Dogg98]

and exactly who decides what is the "ricer" look?

I suppose there isn't a true definition of it, but generally altezza's, large fixed wings, unpainted body kits, non-functional tape on vents, etc... are by most accounts ricer mods.

Like I said, there is asking for and getting differing opinions and then there is getting the moronic ricer and ghey comments

Sorry if you don't like how I feel about clear tail lights. To me they are stupid looking

Yeah, wearing a pink dress with yellow tights is so the same thing as what we are actually talking about here, not...

It's called a metaphor. If you decide to go over the top with attention drawing mods (ie ricer mods) that's no different than going out in public with attention grabbing clothes ie pink dress, yellow tights, and a beard.

and I fixed your last comment:

Please don't take this the wrong way wyldpny, but if you look at the majority of American car enthusiast magazines, muscle car clubs, hot rod clubs, or any other club including Mustang, Camaro, and Corvette clubs, you won't find many cars sporting the clear tail lights and other ricer mods I listed above. Therefore, I think its safe to assume the people who like the ricer mods as I've defined them are a very small subsection of the American car enthusiasts.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I won't say much about "ricer" mods or "tacky" mods....but do want to say one thing about design intent.


LED lights are not bright....at least not compared to a single halogen filament bulb. Take a look at the differences in designs of taillights on cars on the road. All led taillight cars feature direct projection, milti-led setup with clear lens, while halogen bulb cars use a single bulb in a reflector housing.

Are LEDs any brighter? Well no, they can't be. Federal motor vehicle standards (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No 108 (49 CFR 571.108) )set a minimum and maximum "brightness" that the taillamp can be. Thats why at night, from a distance, all the red taillights you see are pretty much the same (except for where someone has tinted their lights out)

Where am I going with this? Well, LEDs are already dimmer than halogens and require more LEDs that are direct projected to equal a single halogen bulb. So to take an led array and reflect it in a halogen produces a dimmer light that is uneven. To put it behind a diffuser lens makes the issue even worse.

So, I could care less if it's ricer. That doesn't upset me, what upsets me is that it's an engineering hack job to put led bulbs inside a halogen reflector housing!

 

[N8Dogg98]

I won't say much about "ricer" mods or "tacky" mods....but do want to say one thing about design intent.


LED lights are not bright....at least not compared to a single halogen filament bulb. Take a look at the differences in designs of taillights on cars on the road. All led taillight cars feature direct projection, milti-led setup with clear lens, while halogen bulb cars use a single bulb in a reflector housing.

Are LEDs any brighter? Well no, they can't be. Federal motor vehicle standards (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No 108 (49 CFR 571.108) )set a minimum and maximum "brightness" that the taillamp can be. Thats why at night, from a distance, all the red taillights you see are pretty much the same (except for where someone has tinted their lights out)

Where am I going with this? Well, LEDs are already dimmer than halogens and require more LEDs that are direct projected to equal a single halogen bulb. So to take an led array and reflect it in a halogen produces a dimmer light that is uneven. To put it behind a diffuser lens makes the issue even worse.

So, I could care less if it's ricer. That doesn't upset me, what upsets me is that it's an engineering hack job to put led bulbs inside a halogen reflector housing!

The discussion is about clear, as in no red tinted plastic, tail lights. Many cars use LED's with red tinted tail lights (CTS, STS, G35, etc..)... Know what I'm saying?

 

[Mustang5L5]

The discussion is about clear, as in no red tinted plastic, tail lights. Many cars use LED's with red tinted tail lights (CTS, STS, G35, etc..)... Know what I'm saying?

Oh? Those lights suck. Carry on

 

[SaleenGT2001]

anyone else here remember the war that went on with wyldpony??

haha, i log on for the first time in a month and get this thread!!

i remember that pretty well, very entertaining

 

[wishihadastang125]

I just want to say a few things. First, the tail lights are in my opinion, sub par.
2) Being that every clear tail light thread ends up the same way, pretty sure most would agree.
3) In reference to the link provided for pictures of the clear tail lights. The next page goes on bashing the kid for his tail lights with someone saying "He can do what he wants. Let him be different."
4) Reflecting off of the above. Mustangs are extremely common vehicles. As are clear tail lights and such. Notice how they used to be $400/pair and are now $99/pair. (Will people start being different and make the price of 03 cobra spoilers go down?)
5) Chip Foose said what he said meaning he likes to use designs that flow with the body lines and what not. (subtle design) He is also is loaded off of this concept so I would say his opinion is pretty much what counts.


6) The last part of the original post: "Any suggestions?"