Mustang Project Taillights Recommendations?

[sentipede]

I was looking to cover up my slightly dented/wavey rear panel on my 65 black fastback, and was looking at the led Shelby taillight panels from Mustang Project. Has anyone used these before? I was wondering if the taillights can function without the sequential action. Does the brake LED glow look too modern?

Which version do you prefer? Does anyone have any other pictures of these installed on other cars?

Thanks in advance!
:SNSign:

 

[ozstang65]

If you're up for a bit of work you can get a replacement rear panel...

But as for the LED's I'm all for them. I'm using standard taillight enclosures for mine and I've custom made a circuit board to hold the LED's (8x10mm in each lens section). Here in Aus, we have to run orange indicators so the outside lens has orange LEDs and the inners are red. (The whole lens is orange)

The secret to them not looking like LED's is all in the circuitry. For the brakelights in mine I run a capacitor and resistor on the earth side so that when you get off the brakes, the current to the light ( from the battery) stops and the capacitor discharges through the resistor to make the LED's 'fade out' rather than instantaneously switch off.

I've custom made circuitry for the indicators that ramps up and down the current to make the LED's look like regular lamps. I've finished the circuit and I'm currently installing the wiring so I'll let you know how it all turns out after testing.

As for the lights you've shown, I personally think they're too large for the '65/6 shape. If I had to have them, I'd take the top ones.

 

[sentipede]

ozstang,
That sounds like a brilliant fix for the LED fade look. If you can provide results when you are complete, or even a little more details, I would really appreciate it.

here is another pic of the taillights on a 65...

 

[yeloxr7]

I remember there were several people that had 65 Thunserbird taillights installed on early Mustangs when they were new. Another alternative was to put two more pairs of stock Mustang taillights in the rear panel for that "wall-to-wall" look.

The 65 T-bird lights (rectangular with the vertical bars) look better on the early tail panel than the 67-68 units (the ones with the curve at one end and a point at the other). 65 t-bird lighte were used on 68-70 Shelbys, 67 Shelbys used the Cougar lenses with a plain frame.

 

[krash kendall]

Here's a link for doing the T-Bird mod.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/howto/16362/index.html

 

[65ShelbyClone]

If you're up for a bit of work you can get a replacement rear panel...

But as for the LED's I'm all for them. I'm using standard taillight enclosures for mine and I've custom made a circuit board to hold the LED's (8x10mm in each lens section). Here in Aus, we have to run orange indicators so the outside lens has orange LEDs and the inners are red. (The whole lens is orange)

The secret to them not looking like LED's is all in the circuitry. For the brakelights in mine I run a capacitor and resistor on the earth side so that when you get off the brakes, the current to the light ( from the battery) stops and the capacitor discharges through the resistor to make the LED's 'fade out' rather than instantaneously switch off.

I'd just get a repair panel like I'll have to do on my car anyway.

What uF cap are you using for the LED circuit? I imagine with 12V and duplicating the slow "on-off glow" of incandecent bulbs, the cap is fairly large.

 

[ozstang65]

I haven't got the LED controller with me at the moment, but if I recall correctly i used a 220µF 25V electrolytic capacitor and (I think) a 270Ω resistor. The positive side of the electolytic cap is hooked up to the positive side of the LED array, the negative side of the cap is hooked to earth via the resistor.

For the indicators (which also includes the hazard lights) I've adapted the 'Automatic 12 Volt Lamp Fader' circuit using a LM324 Quad Low Power Op-Amp Linear IC as the 'brains'.

 

[Edbert]

here is another pic of the taillights on a 65...

OMG...are those shackles...who would spend that much on paint and bling then add shackles to their leafs?

 

[chepsk8]

For years I sold a stand-alone circuit board to all the Shelby & T-Bird guys to convert any car to sequential turn, and standard stop lights. I still have a few left.

BTW, I am working on a Custom LED Assy for Cobras!