LEDs all around on my 69 C10

[Rich69shortfleet]

This weekend I installed a new gauge cluster adding a factory tach and vacuum gauge and a new engine harness to clean up the engine compartment and tidy up the wiring to the HEI. I also installed LED park lights, side markers and tail lights. The tails are from Digi-Tail and have a sequential setting. Everything went in well and everything worked without much fuss but there was a bit of cursing here and there. I also found time to install park light LEDs in the wagon and the seat belts that finally showed up into the old GTO. A VERY good weekend all around. Only real problem was that the new printed circuit for the gauge cluster had an exposed bit of circuit on the back side and shorted out against the housing. I was able to fix it, but I really shouldn't have to mess with a brand new part like that. Going to call tomorrow about getting a replacement.

Here are the LEDs in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_ar...ature=youtu.be

[Jayred]

Your truck is bad ass-- from the flat paint, to the wheels, to the stance. It's old school/kinda rat rod. LED's kinda suck. I'm not trying to be a jerk bc your truck is awesome, but the knight rider stuff needs to go...

[Foureye71]

Im diggin those led's. I would eventually like to do the same for my 71'

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Jayred

Your truck is bad ass-- from the flat paint, to the wheels, to the stance. It's old school/kinda rat rod. LED's kinda suck. I'm not trying to be a jerk bc your truck is awesome, but the knight rider stuff needs to go...

Yeah, well, I don't really like the flat paint rat rod look at all and that is the next thing to go. Shiny paint and a fresh interior will be a great leap forward along with a wood bed and polished stainless bed strips and bolts. The patina, such as it is, is only there because I haven't yet gotten around to doing anything about it yet, it certainly isn't intentional. About half the paint is original and very, very tired.

[n33k0]

Neat. Did you have any trouble with the flashers and getting the turn signals to work?

I've been on the fence about getting LED marker lights and brake lights. I don't want to see the individual spots of light from each LED bulb, I would rather just have one "bar" of light rather than a row of separate dots. Is it possible to separate the lens from the bulbs so I could install some sort of diffuser to blend the LED lights together?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by n33k0

Neat. Did you have any trouble with the flashers and getting the turn signals to work?

I've been on the fence about getting LED marker lights and brake lights. I don't want to see the individual spots of light from each LED bulb, I would rather just have one "bar" of light rather than a row of separate dots. Is it possible to separate the lens from the bulbs so I could install some sort of diffuser to blend the LED lights together?

The only trouble I had with the turnsignals was easily fixed. Everything flashed with the emergency flashers but the turnsignals didn't flash. I read in another thread that you sometimes need to reverse the connections on the flasher so I tried that with a couple of short wires and the turnsignals then flashed properly.

The park lights and side markers I bought were sealed units, no way to get inside and do anything different. The tail lights had to be assembled and are a separate circuit board you mount inside the housing, though the LEDs are pretty close to the lens when it is all together so I don't think there is much room to put any kind of a diffuser lens between the two.

[firedemon]

nice I want to do the led conversion on mine anything to brighten it up so people don't pile into the back of me . this is new York people here cant drive and don't care first thing they tell the cop I didn't see him

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by Jayred

Your truck is bad ass-- from the flat paint, to the wheels, to the stance. It's old school/kinda rat rod. LED's kinda suck. I'm not trying to be a jerk bc your truck is awesome, but the knight rider stuff needs to go...

Nice 4th post. Sometimes it's better to just keep your mouth shut, especially when you can't help but let dumb crap fall out.

Awesome truck! LED's are lookin good

[Wide Open]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

This weekend I installed a new gauge cluster adding a factory tach and vacuum gauge and a new engine harness to clean up the engine compartment and tidy up the wiring to the HEI. I also installed LED park lights, side markers and tail lights. The tails are from Digi-Tail and have a sequential setting. Everything went in well and everything worked without much fuss but there was a bit of cursing here and there. I also found time to install park light LEDs in the wagon and the seat belts that finally showed up into the old GTO. A VERY good weekend all around. Only real problem was that the new printed circuit for the gauge cluster had an exposed bit of circuit on the back side and shorted out against the housing. I was able to fix it, but I really shouldn't have to mess with a brand new part like that. Going to call tomorrow about getting a replacement.

Here are the LEDs in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_ar...ature=youtu.be

Looks nice!
I see you mention the brand of taillights but unless I missed it I didn't see which side marker lights you used.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Wide Open

Looks nice!
I see you mention the brand of taillights but unless I missed it I didn't see which side marker lights you used.

Front park lights and side marker lights are made by United Pacific. They are the ones all the big truck parts sellers (LMC, Brothers, etc.) sell. Nice units.

Getting the front side markers wired so they would provide (dim) running lights AND (bright) flashes with both the emergency flashers and turnsignals was a whole lot more trouble than it should have been. Wiring the rear sides was easy. GM really wired the front side markers in a weird way, but hey, bulbs only have OFF and ON not OFF, DIM, BRIGHT. But still, the ground in the front side marker bulb sockets are also apparently switched which was what through me at first. Seems that is how they got the front sides to blink with the emergency flashers.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

Front park lights and side marker lights are made by United Pacific. They are the ones all the big truck parts sellers (LMC, Brothers, etc.) sell. Nice units.

Getting the front side markers wired so they would provide (dim) running lights AND (bright) flashes with both the emergency flashers and turnsignals was a whole lot more trouble than it should have been. Wiring the rear sides was easy. GM really wired the front side markers in a weird way, but hey, bulbs only have OFF and ON not OFF, DIM, BRIGHT. But still, the ground in the front side marker bulb sockets are also apparently switched which was what through me at first. Seems that is how they got the front sides to blink with the emergency flashers.

threw me at first

(sure wish the edit feature was available for a bit longer)

[Custom 68]

Those look great. Led lights are always a great upgrade and I like those.

[Rich69shortfleet]

I added LED bulbs in the back up lights and they too look great. Those "bulbs" came from Digi-Tails too. I added 1156 LEDs to the courtesy lights in the interior, super bright! I also added an LED to the dome light but it is not as bright as the incandescent it replaced but provides adequate light and the courtesy lights make up for it. I like the idea of having a dome bulb that won't melt the housing or lens if the doors are open for an extended period. These LEDS all are Sylvannia and came from the local parts store.

[Wide Open]

Cool. Good info to know.
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