kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

I know some of you hate these, others love them but won't get them cause they are too expensive... Seems all of us who tried to find a bargain, all seem to hit a dead end. Long story short, I buckled and will be ordering a set of these most likely tmrw. Probably not from UncleSamdeals cause the name just pisses me off (Uncle sam fkd me over enough with taxes already this year).

Question is: Should I get the smoked or the clear for my silver v?

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

I've always thought that tinted tail lights tend to look bad because they're usually too dark. Black and silver cars really need an injection of color somewhere. Even red cars have a hard time getting away from it.

That said, based on Anzo's promotional images of these units, it's really hard to tell how dark the "clear" and "smoke" versions actually are. All we have to go on are the following images provided by MartinV on the CF here and here. For convenience:





MartinV's pictures look like the lens is approximately as dark as the stock stuff (dark fringing on the sides is clearly present, for instance). If I had to go out and bet $450 on a set of tail lights, I'd pick the clear ones. But if you get a set of smoked ones, I'll be very, very interested in seeing your pictures.

GFallen

I smoked my rear but I also did side markers, redid yellow fogs and outlined headlights so it all blends together. My car is silver also. Looks much better imo.

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

Hey fuzzy are his the smoke version or the clear ones, kind of hard to tell when they are lit up??? His look smoked out to me. I thought the only dif between the two is the little box in the back of the light (where its smoked out or see-through). From the side his pics do look real close to stockish. I expected them to be much more clear. I will most likely be going with the clear lenz since my side markers are clear as well as my fog lights and the whole car is silver and chrome motif. I really don't have anything dark on the car besides the black interior.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

If you follow the first link I posted, he says that they're the clear model, except that he had the turn signal portion of the light smoked.

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

Yeah if the blinker is smoked, he has the smoked version. From what I can tell the two versions are identical aside from the blinker, smoked vs clear. The other car in stealth gray seems to have the clear ones in that same thread. I will be ordering the clear ones personally. I feel that even though its just the blinker, it still diffuses through the rest of the light when looking from the side, making it appear slightly darker. I'm staying away from this for my lighter car. I will order tomorrow and send you pics next weekend. If my car was black i'd be getting them smoked like the other car in that thread.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

After additional inspection, I'm starting to think that the "smoke" and "clear" designation is only applied to the turn signal. You may want to consider getting the "smoke" version.

Clear:

Smoke:

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

Fuzzy,

I just bought the smoke version from that dude "neverrunstock". Im sure his *** just profited at least 2 bills off me I will update with pics, hopefully if they come by the weekend. After parting out/selling several tail lights and fogs I had from a parts car, the total didn't seem as devastating. Still have mine to sell that are on the car. Just sold a tail on ebay for 85 buy it now within a day. I think reasonably, you should expect to get about 175 for the stockers, if you want to sell them moderately quick.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the info. I probably don't need to ask, but when you get them installed, would you mind taking a couple of pictures?

I'll probably pick up a set of spare headlights while I'm buying the tails. At least I won't feel like I'm being bent quite so far over the barrel.

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

No prob fuzzy ill def post some pics...His all look like they were taken on a gloomy day plus I'm sure you want to see them not illuminated as well. Im thinking Ill change one of them first and take a few pics that way, so you can compare stock to led side by side before I swap them both out.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

You called it on the looks with the LEDs off. I'm less interested in 1/2 installation pictures, because I doubt you have the same 25W LED 3157 units in your housings that I do. I'm definitely interested in off-angle shots and daytime brightness (the specific case where the back of your car is lit by the sun).

If I don't think they're bright enough, I may try to disassemble the housing and replace all 27 LEDs with Cree Q5s (5 watts apiece).

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

By the way, you might want to consider picking up a set of amber 25W (Cree Q5 based) 3157s for your rear turn signals:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-CREE-Q5-LED-25W-SMD-Car-Reverse-Backup-Turn-Signal-Brake-Stop-Light-Lamp-Bulb-/300773281708?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item46077c0fac
I would get the version without the projection lens. This will also make them suitable for use in your front turn signals.

Edit: Screw LS1Tech's bloated auto-advertising of eBay links.

Chrismikeb

iTrader: (2)

I'd be interested in a pic of stock vs new led, lit up

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

Here they are. I love them and am glad I did not get the clear ones. The smoke version is clear enough. A completely clear little window would look ricey. I know there are a bunch of haters out there but I like them If you need more pics let me know. My stock lights were in good shape and flew at 95 a piece. Had some laying around from a base as well so in the end ended up getting 190 for mine and another 170 for the other set I had. All in all after selling mine and changing for these most of you are looking at 240ish net spending.

kciaccio

I would get them if they did something sequential like the 2010 mustangs I have seen.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Interesting. They seem to have the same fitment problem as the CCFL halo lights. I wonder if you can do the "push down and tighten bolt" trick on that. Either way, I'm lucky because my car is red.

Other than that, they look solid. Looks like those housings have the integrated sidemarks like the stock tail lights. I'm glad you like the color--I was worried that you'd think that it looked weird next to the reverse lights.

Thanks for posting pictures!

kl2onik

iTrader: (3)

The fitment is not as much in the light actually, but rather the piece of crap "stick on" rubber molding they provide, that goes along the edge. Its basically on there with double sided tape and slides all over the place. Its on there very loosely like gum and peels right off. I'm busy w my exams at the moment so I didn't have time to really mess w the rubber strip. Its not allowing the light to fit like a glove. There may still be some disfigurement but once the strip is properly placed and glued evenly around the entire outside, it would be minimal. When I have some free time I will take them off again and glue the strip on evenly and properly. if you look closely at the side view I took zoomed in you can see that at the middle where the angle changes the strip is on the outside and later ends up inside the grove. Cheapo job by taiwan but what could you expect. With a little TLC you can make them much smoother.

Chrismikeb

iTrader: (2)

Those look alot better. Any pics/vid of them lit up?

swiss

iTrader: (3)

The rubber strip was falling off of mine as well. I removed the strip and all of the old adhesive then reapplied with some trimmed 3m tape.

Your fitment doesn't look too bad. Mine was way off, but I wouldn't be surprised if the fitment varies from one set to another. Shimming the bottom mounting post fixed the fitment. I used some thick plastic spacers (probably 1/4 thick) that I had left over from a flat screen mount. Just take off the little foam gasket, put in the spacer, and put the gasket back on top. You might experiment with different thickness washers.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Quick update: MartinV on the CF sent me the following pictures. They were really, really blue, so I had to do a quick and dirty color correction to balance the levels. I should probably ask him if he shimmed the tail lights, because they look like they fit really well.