6 volt LED tail lights for '40 Ford

[mcgarrett]

Anyone have a source for 6 volt LED tail light bulbs for '40 Ford? I'd like to get a recommendation from someone that is currently using them in their car. My original lights are just way too dim to my liking. I'm looking for the ones that are super bright for both tail light and brake light. Thanks for any info.

[Ken/Alabama]

Yep, got them in both my 40s. Got them from Amazon.

[mcgarrett]

Thanks Ken, exactly what I was looking for. I'll order some for my '40 too.

[JayChicago]

Been there trying to improve visible light on the 1940. Didn't have any luck with an LED, no improvement. But there are many 6 volt LEDs on the market now; maybe you will do better. Others may chime in here with a particular LED that made an improvement.

The 1940 has a unique problem: Tail light is on the fender facing the sky, not facing the traffic behind you. Seems the glass lens does not correct for the placement on the fender facing 45* up. Light seems bright when you stand over it, but stand behind the car and the light is dimmer.

Many LEDs give a straight out light beam, rather than flood the light housing and lens. Not the best for a light housing that is facing 45*up. Thats what I found with LEDs: more intense light looking at the lens from above, no better from behind the car where it's needed.

BTW: I believe 1940 was the year Ford switched to the modern bulbs with offset side pins. I think early producton still used sockets for the older style bulbs, with straight-across pins.

Edit: I see Ken already chimed in with a bulb that seems to flood the lens. Looks good in that photo. Let us know how it works for you. And let us know where to obtain that bulb.

[mcgarrett]

Jay,
You are absolutely correct about the angle of the light not being directed upward instead of rearward as it should. To rectify the problem I'm buying new sockets, drilling out the rivets holding the original sockets and relocate the new ones to a more favorable position inside the tail light buckets closer to the red lens. We'll see how that works.

[petehoovie]

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Originally Posted by Ken/Alabama

Yep, got them in both my 40s. Got them from Amazon.

[40ford]

I agree with you Jay.The chevron tail lights on a 40 work almost as good as the passengers outside mirror.I still love my 40 though

[Terry,OH]

Notice the off set pin type of the 1157 bulb. The original style bulb for 1940 is the 1158 equal pin spacing.

[TJ]

Painting the inside of the housing with white or silver paint also helps. Sometime back Drake offered a reflector you could rivet or screw into the housing Just below the socket that also helped reflect the light upward. I used them with the white paint and it helped a lot. I no longer see those reflectors advertised.

[Merc Cruzer]

Every bulb in my car is now LED, to include headlights, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals, dash etc. I got all of them from:

https://www.ledlight.com/g18-s25-2_6...-polarity.aspx



My car is a 53' Merc with a 6 volt pos ground.

Prior post:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...73#post1793573

[slowforty]

Another solution would be to use some Reflective Trailer Bright Strips.
You can get them at Harbor Freight.
They are about 18 inches long.
They are reflective red and white.
Mostly used on Semi Trucks and Trailers.
They have an adhesive backing. and I put mine on some magnetic tape, to make them removeable.
I installed them with the white tape on the front bumper and both red and white on the rear bumper.
With the car parked in the driveway you can see the car from a block away when
the light hits the bumper.

[slowforty]

Unfortunately they were not on the car in the Avatar picture at the time.

[Lawson Cox]

I gave up on LEDs on my avatar. I couldn't find any that were as bright as my stock tail lights with the inside of the housing painted gloss white. My 2¢.

[mcgarrett]

I painted the inside of the tail light buckets gloss white and that helped some, but the biggest problem is that the light actually points upward at almost a 45 degree angle. Perhaps the bulb socket could possibly be repositioned in the bucket to allow more light to be directed rearward. I'm going to try that approach to see if it makes an appreciable difference with LED bulbs.

[Ken/Alabama]

Originally Posted by Terry,OH

Notice the off set pin type of the 1157 bulb. The original style bulb for 1940 is the 1158 equal pin spacing.

Terry, you are correct. I had to think back when I done this. I was re wiring my 40 at the time and the taillight bucket looms were shot. I bought new taillight assemblies and they do come with staggered pins vs straight pins originally. I also used original or NOS lenses, they aren’t as dark as the repops, really helps to brighten them and I painted the inside gloss white.

[gajeepguy]

For my '40 I ordered the complete led lamp assembly. I forget where but the were about $75/each. They light up the world behind me, day or night. The only drawback is that I lost my turn signals. The old arm out the window still works however.

[Ken/Alabama]

Originally Posted by gajeepguy

For my '40 I ordered the complete led lamp assembly. I forget where but the were about $75/each. They light up the world behind me, day or night. The only drawback is that I lost my turn signals. The old arm out the window still works however.

Losing your turn signals could be the flasher. It takes a special flasher for LEDs because they don’t draw enough current to operate the mechanical ones.

[mcgarrett]

gajeepguy,
I'm interested. Who did you buy your LED lamp assemblies from? Is it for 6 volt positive ground? Is it designed for turn signal duty? Thanks for your feedback.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

gajeepguy,
I'm interested. Who did you buy your LED lamp assemblies from? Is it for 6 volt positive ground? Is it designed for turn signal duty? Thanks for your feedback.

Look on e-Bay. 18.99 for 6 volt positive. Just search for "6 volt led flasher".

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by Ken/Alabama

Losing your turn signals could be the flasher. It takes a special flasher for LEDs because they don’t draw enough current to operate the mechanical ones.

LED pos ground flasher. I bought one and it works perfectly:

https://www.ledlight.com/flasher-6-v...e-chassis.aspx