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Do tail lights exist that....

2K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  Billet-Brain 
#1 ·
I need new tail lights for my 65 coupe, but want something a bit different. Does anyone make a set where the centre 'stripe' of each light is a clear reversing light?
 
#6 ·
You could convert the tail light bucket to three bulbs with two baffles to create three chambers, then get someone with a 3D printer to run off a clear center lens.
 
#8 ·
you could modify the metal trim. cut the 2 centers out. have 4 clear or white led inserts made. drill a tiny hole in the bottom of the red lens behind each backup light. put a water proof connector on the bottom of the tail light housing to plug the leds into. I designed a setup like this long ago. problem was it cost a fortune to get 4 led lights made.

760608
 
#10 ·
I'd put that money into making it go faster! I don't even have reverse lights! Seriously, and I'm an expert from watching the real Top Gear, none of that blingy crap would ever pass on your side of the pond anyway.
 
#12 ·
I get what you're trying to do, and I think it's a cool idea. An LED board would make things a lot easier than modifying the lamp buckets... well, easier for me anyway. I do that kind of stuff for fun. The lenses would be the challenging part. You could maybe 3D print clear or at least translucent lens sections, but getting them spliced in, sealed up so they won't leak water into the tail lights, and looking decent would be a challenge. The devil is in the details. So, not easy, but do-able I'd think.

Just random thoughts, ignore me... it's late.
 
#13 ·
Not sounding easy then. Those ideas are pretty much what I was thinking, I just hoped someone already made one. Its not illegal to have the clear reverse lamps integral to the main light cluster over here. You can buy aftermarket lights for the Fast n Furious lot, that are completely clear, with coloured bulbs.
Time is not something I have, so will probably end up just buying new standard lights, or maybe sequential ones.
 
#14 ·
by law you still need lenses with built in reflectors or separate reflectors. thats to let drivers see a car thats broke down at night in the road with no battery power so you dont get run into. clear lenses and no reflectors are illegal and you would be at fault if that caused an wreck
 
#15 ·
Yeh, I know. I assume they have a reflector somewhere, but the l overall appearance is clear lens, mirror back, and coloured bulbs. I might just hide some discrete superbright LED reversing lights somewhere.
 
#20 ·
If you don't mind doing some work patching things together Scott Drake does make a completely clear lens

You could cut your red lens apart, cut the center of the clear one out, glue them back together and you'd have your red/clear/red lens. It would even have the red reflectors in the outer lenses for people who are concerned about that sort of thing.

The glue lines would be hidden by the chrome cover so you wouldn't have to make the cuts too pretty, you just need to make them water tight.

Now how you light that is a whole other issue. But I think you could make the lenses you're looking for without too much trouble and that'll get you halfway there.
 
#23 ·
If you can find that divider, you can use LED bulbs. Put red LEDs on the outside and a switchback LED that's red/white bulb in the middle. Then you'd wire it up so it's red with brakes and white when you go into reverse.

Found the red/white switchback here: Home of Original Two Color Switchback Turn Signal LED Bulbs
 
#27 ·
If you are only wanting to add a reverse light, then the least expensive and easiest way would be to add the accessory backup LED light that is available now. I'm sure you can find a very discrete location to mount one that wouldn't be seen unless someone was looking for it.

Looking on NPD's site, I didn't see a complete kit for adding stock backup lights to a '65.
 
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