LED Upgrades

[rolesyboy]

Looking at ordering these. Mini tail lights esp Mk1 are pitiful. Does anybody have any experience of using them in classic cars?
Thanks
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153686725185

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... -bulb/170/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173984226196

I can’t find them anywhere else and I don’t know if they will operate correctly when say they tail and brake light are on together.
Interested in hearing forum experience as they ain’t cheap and become even more expensive if they don’t work.
Thanks in advance. Mark

[snoopy64]

Have used these guys no problem... with pos earth

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/

[rolesyboy]

Thanks Kevin

[snoopy64]

HI

once warm white was available, i converted my instrument lights, front pilots (for the sealed beams) and interior light.

(front pilots are better than the headlamps!!! )

Also did rear stop/tail.

Makes a huge difference but be warned LEDs are fantastic at finding poor earths on a car as they need so little current.

Once you've swapped out the bulbs you want, take a good look at the car in the dark and see if any have a slight glow!!

I'm hoping all the spare amps can make the heater fan faster!!

[rolesyboy]

Thanks Kevin. You’ve spawned a monster. Just placed an order for tail and brake lights. Had to rein myself in from ordering the lot haha. Very helpful bloke who took my order. My mate is in the States and already sorted indicator bulbs. Thanks for sharing
Mark

[finchy533]

+1 for www.classiccarleds.co.uk, I've got their tail/brakelight bulbs, indicators, and flasher unit.

I'd say decent LED tail/brake light bulbs are a must-have for a Mini for road use. Simple to fit, can't really see them when they're off, but no comparison when they're on. In the modern world, a Mini needs all the help it can get being seen.

The indicators are a bit less essential and a bit more complicated to fit as you need an electronic flasher unit - in my case I can hide it out of sight behind the dash panel I have so no worries about looking out of place. And the one I have makes a surprisingly convincing ticking noise - which, with it not being under the bonnet, I can actually hear when the engine is running!

[finchy533]

One other thing - an advantage of having an electronic flasher unit is that you could bodge hazards onto a Mk1 by having a switch that connects the left and right indicator feeds together (unlike a traditional flasher the rate won't be affected by the change in load).

[DUF2 ‘65 Elf]

Rolesyboy, if your lights are poor, make sure the lenses on the lights are clean, they can get very scruffy on the inside which in turn dims the lights, also make sure the little reflector behind the bulb is clean and if you do use old bulbs make sure they ar3 clean also.

[roymck]

Been told don’t use Red LED,s behind a red lense only use a clear LED, any thoughts ?

[snoopy64]

Red light behind red lens for sure

[rolesyboy]

Rolesyboy, if your lights are poor, make sure the lenses on the lights are clean, they can get very scruffy on the inside which in turn dims the lights, also make sure the little reflector behind the bulb is clean and if you do use old bulbs make sure they ar3 clean also.

Thanks. The car is pretty tip top in that regard.
The lights are fairly abysmal on any 50 odd year old car by modern standards and as somebody else pointed out Minis need all the help they can get. Especially with the equivalent of a baking tray as crash protection
These lights are significantly brighter and it doesn’t alter the appearance.
Love the idea of an audible click. Saves me driving back 200 miles from Bristol with everybody waving at me.
Also liking the idea of an easy set of hazards.
Thanks for the input folks.

[Tim]

Been told don’t use Red LED,s behind a red lense only use a clear LED, any thoughts ?

I would use red led behind red lense for sure. I put white LEDs behind the yellow lense on the moke indicators and they looked almost white from outside. The LEDs were quite blue and they just washed-out the colour of the lense completely.

Tim

[rolesyboy]

Yep according to the suppliers you match led bulb colour to the lens
Cheers

[TedW]

HI

once warm white was available, i converted my instrument lights, front pilots (for the sealed beams) and interior light.

(front pilots are better than the headlamps!!! )

Also did rear stop/tail.

Makes a huge difference but be warned LEDs are fantastic at finding poor earths on a car as they need so little current.

Once you've swapped out the bulbs you want, take a good look at the car in the dark and see if any have a slight glow!!

I'm hoping all the spare amps can make the heater fan faster!!

The dash bulbs found in most British instruments (especially Smiths) are terribly dim. On ebay there is a guy called charlieccu who sells LED dash lights for a variety of British makes and is quite reasonably priced. I switched all my dash lights to LEDs and the difference was remarkable. More light......less heat!

[docka]

[quote=snoopy64 post_id=250693 time=1594732863 user_idOn ebay there is a guy called charlieccu who sells LED dash lights for a variety of British makes and is quite reasonably priced. I switched all my dash lights to LEDs and the difference was remarkable. More light......less heat!

Do you have a link please?

[TedW]

[quote=snoopy64 post_id=250693 time=1594732863 user_idOn ebay there is a guy called charlieccu who sells LED dash lights for a variety of British makes and is quite reasonably priced. I switched all my dash lights to LEDs and the difference was remarkable. More light......less heat!

Do you have a link please?

Here is the link to his page of Land Rover parts (that's how I found him). He's out of Boston, Lincolnshire. I am told that he has LED dash lights for other makes as well, so if you reach out to him and tell him what you need he should be able to help. The bulbs are all the same, after all!

https://www.ebay.com/str/classiclandroverparts

[docka]

[quote=snoopy64 post_id=250693 time=1594732863 user_idOn ebay there is a guy called charlieccu who sells LED dash lights for a variety of British makes and is quite reasonably priced. I switched all my dash lights to LEDs and the difference was remarkable. More light......less heat!

Do you have a link please?

Here is the link to his page of Land Rover parts (that's how I found him). He's out of Boston, Lincolnshire. I am told that he has LED dash lights for other makes as well, so if you reach out to him and tell him what you need he should be able to help. The bulbs are all the same, after all!

https://www.ebay.com/str/classiclandroverparts

Excellent, cheers