Modding 89+ Tail light center to light up?

[BorHor]

The other day on SF someone posted a question about getting the center to light up. Well I just won a set of JDM 89+ on ebay. I plan on getting to light up when the parking and head lights are on. Any ideas to get me rolling? And has this been done before?

 

[da89soup]

Hmm, never thought about that before. Well your power source is right there. You can splice of of the right and left side. Mounting the bulbs could be tricky. Do you mount them from the backside of the lense itself or do you go through the metal into the lense. I think clearance wise you dont have the room to mount the bulbs into the lense itself. That lense sits right up against the metal of the car in the back. I think you would have to mount into the metal and then into the lense and make sure you have a seal. Then run your wires and it can all hide behing your plastic trim in the back.
Thats my two cents!!! Anyone else

 

[Sl1dewaysSupra]

^ What he said, it would be fairly easy besides mounting bulbs. Even that wouldn't be to hard(on a scale of 1-10 I would say a 6 tops mabey more like a 4 if you have exp. working w/ lighting/electrical) I don't know about every one else but I want to see it done. Uniqe (<Like my spelling) to say the least!

 

[BorHor]

I was thing of wiring some leds. I think my dad bought some leds from a tail light of some car.

 

[Sl1dewaysSupra]

LED's would look friggin sweet shinin through the red plastic. I say a red or dull white FTW!

 

[KeithH]

I have been thinking about doing this for a number of years - yes, just like a lot of my projects.

First you have to carefully get the lens off the base. This is easier said than done. Be careful not to break your lens.

I don't know if the JDM center piece has the paint on the inside but the USDM has a silver paint that I have been experimenting on how to get off without ruining the red plastic.

There is some room in there once you get everything apart.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[johnathan1]

hmmm...I like this idea...I thought about this a while back too, when I saw...what was it?...I think it was either an Illumina or some kinda Oldsmobile or something, and the center light lit up...

I would try soaking the paint with rubbing alcohol, and then using cotton pads to get it off...(won't be easy) It would have to be repeated several times probably, but it would work...I have heard of people doing this with the inside cover if their Mac Laptops, so that you can have a clear cover, and display whatever you want...

 

[ChadMKIII]

Hmm, I think the Aurora might've lit up.

I know a Lincoln MkVIII or something like that does it. Whatever the 2-door coupe from teh 90's was, it had a full light up all the way across the tail. It always intrigued me...Same with the Mercury light bar across the front from the 90's.

Boy they did some weird things in teh 90's

I think it'd look pretty sweet, anyone wanna Photoshop it? I'm curious how it'd look.

 

[Stretch]

My mom's 92 buick century did it. Yay for the 90's!
eric

 

[BlkSupra87]

hmmm when I had my 88 supra I wanted the knight rider light in the front... where the honeycomb grill is....sweet!!! LED lights... for the back... maybe taking one from a 90's car and adapting it.... I used to love how one of those cars had the flashing wave when they were signaling to turn....(cant remember what model/make it was)

 

[supraman7mgte]

the led's would be brighter than the rest

 

[KeithH]

I've seen a product online that claims it takes paint off plastic without damage. I just can't it locally.

 

[CRE]

the led's would be brighter than the rest

Not nessecarily... depends on the LEDs and how you wire them. In that case though I'd build a paned of LEDs for the stock tails as well.

 

[BorHor]

I've seen a product online that claims it takes paint off plastic without damage. I just can't it locally.

What paint are we talking about??

And for bightness. I would make sure it would blend the same as the rest of the lights. I think I will get the lights on monday and will get started asap. I think I will have to take the red lense off the backing. Anyone have a clue on how to do that?

 

[KeithH]

On the USDM center section there is a silver paint on the inside of the red lens. If you get rid of that silver paint you get the added benefit of making the center section match the lenses - without getting the JDM lenses.

The lens is glued on. There are also some tabs that you will want to NOT break off.

 

[BorHor]

Oh.. i didn't know about the paint. But I bought a jdm set so I'm good to go. Should I heat up the edge to heat up the edge to help loosen with the glue?

 

[johnathan1]

I've heard of people heating their tails up in the oven to get the lens out of them...I would imagine you'd have to be careful not to melt or warp the lens though...

 

[chriso]

Lighting up the center lens would look cool as hell. I am going to have to research this one.

As far as taking the center lens off, I've done it many times to rig the 87 style lock in there. They aren't too hard to take off, just take your time. Out of the 8 or 10, I've taken apart, I only broke one.

 

[BorHor]

Well I will have to be very careful now. So it sounds like i dont need to heat it up do I?

 

[johnathan1]

It does have to be heated...to melt the glue, to make it possible to remove the lens...