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Camaro LED Brake Lights

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Old Aug 10, 2004 | 11:22 PM
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Default Camaro LED Brake Lights

Ok dont get too excited I dont have them.... yet. Im starting the project tomorrow, and im going to need a lot of help, first of all anyone with any used 98-02 tail lights that want to sell them dirt cheap let me know, also if anyone knows a good place online to get some leds, im going to need about 200 of them just to be safe.

Also anyone who knows a lot about electrical shizit, is the stock power anough to run say 50 LED's?? Ive checked up and am pretty sure it will be fine since LED's use a lot less power than lights, and how many LED's can i use per resistor?? and what kind of resistors would be best??

Any info would be great, and when Im done if anyone is interested I will do a write up on it with some pictures and what not.....
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 06:56 AM
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BTW, they already make LED bulb set-ups to replace #3057 or #3157 tail light bulbs. There are around 20 LED's mounted in a housing that plugs right into your socket - come in clear or red. I replaced all (6) of my rear bulbs on the TA with these - six because I have the sequential turn signal mod with the xtra light to replace the outboard lamps.

Guy sells them on eBay for $9.99 or I've seen them in autoparts stors for $18
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 09:49 AM
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yes but those take up 1/20th of the tail lamp, i want the entire red area to be filled with LED's....

update... tried to take apart the tail lights last night, they wouldnt come apart for the life of me, ended up cracking one, so now back to original plan of cutting them.. anyone have any suggestions??
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 11:07 AM
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Sounds cool but. It would be easyer to do like the Cadillac DTS light and use one light and that plastic plate that makes it look like 200 leds. Then all you need is that plastic plate. Heat the lens in the oven to remove the glue and glue the plate inside the lens! The oven is the way they do the front lights!

Just a idea as it would be a pain in the *** to drill,glue,and wire 200leds. Unless you had a led board?
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 12:48 PM
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Check out this thread:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...&highlight=led
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 01:00 PM
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i tried them in the oven but they wont come apart, one light started to melt so i hadto take them out and they still wouldnt budge... anybody ever try takin apart camaro tail lights before??
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 01:07 PM
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so how exactly does that volt calculator work?? i dont know much about the electronics
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Old Aug 11, 2004 | 10:45 PM
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Here is an example:
Voltage = 1.5V, Amp = 0.015 A. Therefore, to calculate resistance needed for a 12V line-in;

Ohm = (Mains Voltage - LED Voltage) / LED Amperes, so;
Ohm = (12 Volts - 1.5 Volts) / 0.015 A
= 700 Ohms or 750 Ohms
(http://www.virtual-hideout.net/guide...us/index.shtml)

Here is a LED calculator. There are better ones, but this gives your an idea.
http://www.metku.net/index.html?sect...calc/index_eng)
The "amp" box in the calculator is already in miliamps, so enter 15 instead of .015

Here is another LED Calculator:
http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/T...d_LEDCalc.html
This one gives pointers when you use it.

The calculation also changes if you are doing a single LED or multiple. It also changes depending on whether you are running them in Series or Parallel.

Last edited by VIP1; Aug 11, 2004 at 11:06 PM.
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Old Aug 13, 2004 | 02:06 PM
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If I were to take on this mod, I'd shave the rear lights completely and put in a slit of LED's that continues along the rear deck seam like the BMW Z8. Shaving the tail lights would be intense but installing a row or two of LED's behind a strip of contoured and tinted polycarbonate should be doable. Done right, the results would be spectacular. Gotta love the Z8 tail lights.
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Old Aug 16, 2004 | 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by 2FAST4U
Just a idea as it would be a pain in the *** to drill,glue,and wire 200leds. Unless you had a led board?
This statement is true as I just got done doing 196 of them to Illuminate my front bird. Worth it you ask?? Definitely, see pictures:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v375/I...tedFrontPlate/

18 LEDs is alot easier and WAY easy once you've already done 196 of them and know how to organize it better :
http://photobucket.com/albums/v375/I...nsePlateLight/
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Old Aug 16, 2004 | 12:19 PM
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Keep in mind that you'll need to wire up different intensity LED's in there somehow. It isn't just a matter of getting them to light up when you hit your brakes, they'll also need to light up when you turn on your lights and aren't on the brake.
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Old Aug 16, 2004 | 01:10 PM
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Or you could create a pattern, such as just an outline for "parking light" mode and the whole thing can light up when you hit the brakes.
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Old Aug 16, 2004 | 09:59 PM
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ok ive been through 100 LED's and thats just on one light!!! crazyness, but i think i might cut it down to fewer leds to each light, but it looks so nice, ill try to gets some pictures up soon, but im nowhere near being done yet
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Old Aug 17, 2004 | 03:31 PM
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What would really be cool is if you can have a controller to do different running light pattern, brake light patterns and turn signal patterns. I bought a tail light board for my bike and have 30+ different patters for EACH of the above mentioned. Pretty cool little thing and would be awesome to have on a car. Not sure the legal aspect of it, like the running lights, but I've had no problems on the bike. Plus on bikes, you want to be noticed so many cops understand?

Here's 196 of them lit up. Sorry for the quality, crappy free camera phone.
Name:  JustLEDs.jpg
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