** Oh double snap, Carson Toyota/Lexus Parts JP Style Tail lights are in **
04-04-06, 09:01 AM
#106
Pole Position
Glen, excellent review, and excellent modification to the light with the red film. I definitely like them more with the red film.
Thanks for all the time and effort and the pictures. Would you mind taking a few pictures at night or at dusk from farther back, like 30-40 feet back? I'd like to get that '3 or 4 car links back' perspective.
And, is it me, or does the turn signal look kind of dim? That's a dim orange, not a vivid orange, huh?
Thanks for all the time and effort and the pictures. Would you mind taking a few pictures at night or at dusk from farther back, like 30-40 feet back? I'd like to get that '3 or 4 car links back' perspective.
And, is it me, or does the turn signal look kind of dim? That's a dim orange, not a vivid orange, huh?
04-04-06, 09:35 AM
#108
Originally Posted by KevinGS
Glen, excellent review, and excellent modification to the light with the red film. I definitely like them more with the red film.
Thanks for all the time and effort and the pictures. Would you mind taking a few pictures at night or at dusk from farther back, like 30-40 feet back? I'd like to get that '3 or 4 car links back' perspective.
And, is it me, or does the turn signal look kind of dim? That's a dim orange, not a vivid orange, huh?
Thanks for all the time and effort and the pictures. Would you mind taking a few pictures at night or at dusk from farther back, like 30-40 feet back? I'd like to get that '3 or 4 car links back' perspective.
And, is it me, or does the turn signal look kind of dim? That's a dim orange, not a vivid orange, huh?
Very Keen observations on your part. I'll see if I have a chance to take near/far pics at night. I know the perspective you are looking for. Having LED inners would help the look too.
I also took no brake light shots. I'll need a second person to help me do that.
Yes the turn signal is dimmer than stock. Several reasons for this, none of them are new, but you have to decide what you want based on the trade offs.
The bulb is Chrome over amer, so first problem it does not glow as vividly. Second the lens is not amber so the reflectance of the amber color worsens that much more.
In a standard car with clear turn signals, they use an amber bulb which would help in this case quite a bit, but then you would loose that clear look with the chrome bulb and see amber reflected even when off. This is the trade off I mean, and it affects the JP, Wise or stock OEM if the turn signal section is clear. If you want more vivid amber at night, you have to switch to an amber bulb.
Now for the Amber LED option, the situation worsens. First off the existing amber section has reflective contours to bounce the amber off of. With LED's you would need to change the design completely so that there would be a reflector built around each amber LED. Unfortunately they did not design the turn signals for this.
The other option you could use an amber cluster mounted on to a standard bulb socket. What you would get is an amber glow of direct light from the bulbs but very little to none of it reflected. This happens because the LEDs do not distribute light at wide angles.
I believe no matter what you try, the turn signal section will have it's compromises, but like I said, this affects all clear tails, Wise, JP or otherwise.
04-04-06, 10:01 AM
#109
Pole Position
Originally Posted by RMMGS4
Hey Kevin Thanks!
Very Keen observations on your part. I'll see if I have a chance to take near/far pics at night. I know the perspective you are looking for. Having LED inners would help the look too.
I also took no brake light shots. I'll need a second person to help me do that.
Yes the turn signal is dimmer than stock. Several reasons for this, none of them are new, but you have to decide what you want based on the trade offs.
...
I believe no matter what you try, the turn signal section will have it's compromises, but like I said, this affects all clear tails, Wise, JP or otherwise.
Very Keen observations on your part. I'll see if I have a chance to take near/far pics at night. I know the perspective you are looking for. Having LED inners would help the look too.
I also took no brake light shots. I'll need a second person to help me do that.
Yes the turn signal is dimmer than stock. Several reasons for this, none of them are new, but you have to decide what you want based on the trade offs.
...
I believe no matter what you try, the turn signal section will have it's compromises, but like I said, this affects all clear tails, Wise, JP or otherwise.
Ahhhhhhh, OK...makes sense. I have JPs and use a 12-LED tower bulb that blinks superwhite (and yes, I have the load equalizers to get rid of the fast-blink syndrome). They look great at night, but are often unnoticeable in sunlight. So I know what you mean by trade-offs.
The Tower LEDs are pretty darn bright for LEDs though...but during the day, they still can't match an incandescent bulb's brightness level.
For the "foot on the brake" shots, just lean a heavy object on the brake pedal as I do. I use my heavy azz dayplanner, and just lean it on the pedal. You could probably use a phonebook, or a CD case, or anything with a little weight to it. It doesn't take much to have the brake lights come on.
04-04-06, 10:25 AM
#111
Originally Posted by KevinGS
Ahhhhhhh, OK...makes sense. I have JPs and use a 12-LED tower bulb that blinks superwhite (and yes, I have the load equalizers to get rid of the fast-blink syndrome). They look great at night, but are often unnoticeable in sunlight. So I know what you mean by trade-offs.
The Tower LEDs are pretty darn bright for LEDs though...but during the day, they still can't match an incandescent bulb's brightness level.
For the "foot on the brake" shots, just lean a heavy object on the brake pedal as I do. I use my heavy azz dayplanner, and just lean it on the pedal. You could probably use a phonebook, or a CD case, or anything with a little weight to it. It doesn't take much to have the brake lights come on.
The Tower LEDs are pretty darn bright for LEDs though...but during the day, they still can't match an incandescent bulb's brightness level.
For the "foot on the brake" shots, just lean a heavy object on the brake pedal as I do. I use my heavy azz dayplanner, and just lean it on the pedal. You could probably use a phonebook, or a CD case, or anything with a little weight to it. It doesn't take much to have the brake lights come on.
Yeah, I forgot to mention that the lights look even dimmer in the daylight. Imagine the morning sun shining directly on them?
heavy azz dayplanner?
Everything I need is on my Treo650.
It's great unless the battery dies.
04-04-06, 10:30 AM
#112
Pole Position
Originally Posted by RMMGS4
Yeah, I forgot to mention that the lights look even dimmer in the daylight. Imagine the morning sun shining directly on them?
heavy azz dayplanner?
Everything I need is on my Treo650.
It's great unless the battery dies.
heavy azz dayplanner?
Everything I need is on my Treo650.
It's great unless the battery dies.
One day I'll trust an electronic gizmo, but not there yet. Yeah, in bright sunlight, my white-LED turn signals are damn near non-existent. I just stick my arm out the window and use hand signals...'cause I'm old school.
04-04-06, 10:32 AM
#113
Originally Posted by tuddy
wow that red tape mod makes it look 100 times cleaner..you def made me change my opinion on these tails 
Well, glad I could help you with that perspective.
I don't mind if others still don't like em, I'm just asking that they explore the possibilities before righting them off.
It's kind of like when a majority appeard to reject the new GS styling. I knew it had great potential with the right body kit, but trying to convince others of it's potential without visualizing it is not easy.
This visualization cost me a couple bucks in red tape to try out.
04-04-06, 10:38 AM
#114
Originally Posted by KevinGS
LMAO, I'm a throwback. I'm old school. I like to actually write it down, in pencil, and then erase, and check stuff off when finished. One day I'll trust an electronic gizmo, but not there yet.
One day I'll trust an electronic gizmo, but not there yet.
Originally Posted by KevinGS
Yeah, in bright sunlight, my white-LED turn signals are damn near non-existent. I just stick my arm out the window and use hand signals...'cause I'm old school.
04-04-06, 03:27 PM
#117
Original CL Sponsor since 1999
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by RMMGS4
Ohhh Man Steve. Nice Flash demo !
I can just picture how good it would look with the the inner tail lights converted to LED.
cough , cough . . .
I can just picture how good it would look with the the inner tail lights converted to LED.
cough , cough . . .
04-04-06, 11:29 PM
#119
for the ambert chrome bulbs, if you get the amber glass chrome bulb, it's going to blink a lot bright than bulb painted amber and then chrome over. those are different, a lot dimmer
amber glass bulb, the glass itself is amber so they could be brighter, a bit more expensive and worth it
i have the amber glass bulb on both my gs400 and sc430. it's only very slightly dimmer than stock
amber glass bulb, the glass itself is amber so they could be brighter, a bit more expensive and worth it
i have the amber glass bulb on both my gs400 and sc430. it's only very slightly dimmer than stock
04-04-06, 11:39 PM
#120
Originally Posted by rominl
for the ambert chrome bulbs, if you get the amber glass chrome bulb, it's going to blink a lot bright than bulb painted amber and then chrome over. those are different, a lot dimmer
amber glass bulb, the glass itself is amber so they could be brighter, a bit more expensive and worth it
i have the amber glass bulb on both my gs400 and sc430. it's only very slightly dimmer than stock
amber glass bulb, the glass itself is amber so they could be brighter, a bit more expensive and worth it
i have the amber glass bulb on both my gs400 and sc430. it's only very slightly dimmer than stock
I'll have to check out your bulbs and we should take a pic of both cars next to each other, JP & Wise.