2015 Project Thread!

i'm still using the amber and red 194 incandescent lights in the markers, I tried various types of led's in the markers, and found the lens was not fully illuminated from end the end, nice and bright in the center, but kind fade towards the ends. I don't know if we have the same side markers, but they are kinda large. which bulb from super brite did you use the get the best result.

saving a few bucks on the house will give you more money to use on the car later.

Here's a link to the bulbs I used for the side markers.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-smd-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/206/

I got one for the license plate light too, but it didn't want to fit.

I figured out a way to use the taller bulb in the backup lights. I ended up having the same problem too in the front turn signals. I found these 3157 sockets that are for '97 and up F150s that are perfect. They leave a lot more room for a tall bulb. The only catch is, you have to buy the pigtail too, so they cost more. But this way I get to use my backup light bulbs and front turn signal bulbs I already have! Definitely worth it.

Eric, it's cool you got to spend SOME money on the car. A/C is very nice though.

I put a set of xp-80's in a 06 F350's reverse light today. the guy's a camper, so we put some hp36's in the cargo lights, a few weeks ago under disbelief, then some smd2 for the license plates, about a week ago, now he wants to finish the rear of his truck, then do the frt to include the foglamps, and wants to fit his fifth wheel out with LED's. I should have got a proper business license and did the LED's on my own.  
I like to see people happy with things, whatever it is, but I had no idea this stuff would take off so well.
I'm glad you figured your bulb sockets out, all of my stuff is used from other cars that I've scrapped (back in the happy days) so I probly have plenty of sockets in the garage, although I know for sure my reverse lights are from a 93 mustang with those crappy long white sockets, so I'll have to change them again.....
a/c is the dogs nuts when the windshield get all fogged-up, or when it's 100f or hotter, especially on long trips. try to use the biggest condenser that will fit, the more surface area you have on the condenser the colder it will blow.
[ used the smd5's but was not completely satisfied, the makers weren't as bight at the ends of the lenses as with the regular 194 bulbs, I may try the superbite just to see.

Do you know what the price difference was between the smd 5s I used and the ones you used? It seems you really get what you pay for. Diode Dynamics' 194s were pretty inexpensive, so that scared me off from using theirs. I have these cheap ebay 194s that have 4 more diodes than the ones from the link, and they are WEAK. They were super cheap though. I just got them to play with, really.

I read in Hot Rod today that LEDs are a hot trend for 2015. So, how about that. Our old boxy cars are trendy! haha

Shoot, well, I had to order the F150 sockets, they came in, and they don't really work with the front turn signal bulbs. They are perfect for the backup lights, but the plasma bulbs in the front turn signals just need to sit a bit further back, so I need to get this other kind of F150 sockets for it. (sigh) There are two kinds, on one the bulb sits about a quarter inch out from the locking ring, the other sits a little bit inside of the locking ring. I need those precious millimeters to make room for the tall "plasma" bulb. I'll post pics of what I'm talking about when the others come in. It can't ever just be simple, can it? 3 different kinds of sockets for the same size bulb on the same car.

sounds like you have your hands full! but that what's you get when you start modifying these old heaps.
If it were simple & cheap, everyone else would be doing it.
the tax man is not your friend, they may smile, but it's only to conceal their true thoughts.
I'm glad I did the house first.
i'd like to know how you overcome the front t/signal issues.
why did you have to replace the other bulb sockets, and what did they come from?
I have not put the XP-80 bulbs in the reverse lights yet, I may have to sell them.

Oh, dang, you sprung for the XP80s in your backup lights, huh? Mine are the SMD27s. I have the HP11 "plasma"s for my other taillights. I tried the HP11 in the backup lights with my shallowest socket and it wouldn't work. At least on the sedan, I can't say for sure on a Futura.

I'll post pics when the other sockets come in. Now it won't be until Wednesday, but the two shallower types are the two different types you can get for '97 F150 taillights at O'Reilly. One has a 90 degree bend, and the other doesn't. The brand is BMD or something like that. For the main taillights, I used Dorman sockets intended for a '93 Mustang.

yeah; they are running around in Yuma in the back of an 06 F250, I'm trying to convince myself it's for research purposes.
I'll get more.

White lights in a red housing? I haven't tried it myself yet. I've heard it looks bad. How is it?

no they are 3157's in the reverse lights.

Oh, okay. I'm still waitin' on my parts. If I'd ordered from Rock Auto, I'd have them by now. (SSSSIIIIGGGGGHHHHHH)

sorry I meant 3156 bulbs. the guy said they were BRIGHT and is going to tell his friends. hate to let them go, but it is what is is. at least it will bring in more sales......
did you get your connectors from O'reillies, I thought they were pretty quick.
took the Fairmont to a wedding this Sunday, the only parking spot left was in front of the church, it looked like a turd in a punch bowl, but it drew a lot of interest.
I have been having a lot of problems with the canister purge valve. I used a crappa one, this will be the 3rd one, they don't seal off properly and create a vacuum leak, causing spark knock under aggressive acceleration like when passing other cars, and to run warm when driving at higher speeds for long distances. maybe I should get my dough back & go with a Ford unit next time.
a young guy (the groom's best friend) wanted to paint it to boost his reputation, I told him it took 30 years to get it this way, why ruin it in a week.......we'll see, he sounds determined. However; I like it the way it is.

Yes, O'Reilly IS usually fast, which is why I chose them this time. Often times if the part is in the warehouse, I can still have it same day. Auto Zone is ALWAYS the next day at least if it's not on the shelf. BUT, none of what I needed was in the warehouse.

I did get my pigtails in today, but it turns out they work for one type of socket, but not the other, so I had to have them keep 2 of them, and bought the other two. Sunzabiches were THIRTY DOLLARS EACH!! So, then I left O'Reilly and went and ordered the other pigtails from Rock Auto. They got enough of my money. I was able to finish the taillights and install the backup light sockets and bulbs. It's nice to be done bending over the dang trunk, haha. Here's a comparison of the original and new sockets I used for the backup lights.



I now have the shallow sockets for the front turn signals too. So I was able to take a pic of the comparison with the original there too.



You can see it allows a LOT more room for a long bulb. The LEDs on the sides should be right about where they need to be to act on the reflectors too. I'm pretty pleased with these.

Next, I have a comparison of an original and the way cheaper Dorman sockets that had the pigtail built in, but were quite a bit deeper into the reflector than the others. The "original" here is not a brakelight socket, unfortunately. I threw those away before pics could be taken.



There was no way the HP11s fit into the front turn signal housings with this kind of socket. Same with the SMD 27s into the backup light housings. The sockets I ended up using for those (first pic) allowed for a lot more room.

So, now we wait for the front turn signal pigtails to arrive. Then I'll be all LED!

most of my sockets are the same as what you've used for the yellow bulb. Seems it's a lot of work
just to change bulbs, but that's what it takes sometimes, a lot of work and indigestion. at least you'll have completed your goal to go led.

Yeah, that would've been the best choice to do all the same socket. It's nice and deep and the pigtails aren't THIRTY F***ING DOLLARS.

So, the XP80s don't fit in the backup lights even with that kind of socket? They must be even taller than the HP11s, haha.

no the xp80 bulb is the same length as the HP11 @63-64 MM in length; I believe they use the same aluminum shells. there is a lot of difference between the hp 11 bulb and xp80 bulb so far as brightness is concerned; while the smd27 bulb is the least brightest.
The main reason I chose the 90 degree socket was that they did not stick out too far from the taillights because I carry a lot of crap in the trunk, especially when we go shopping. I had no idea about the bulb's socket depth/length at the time.

Haha, well I should hope they are brighter if they cost half again as much. But at least now you can be fairly sure the SMD 27s fit. The reason I chose them was because they actually come in a 3156 variety, and backup lights are the least important for being really bright. If I decide they aren't bright enough (it was a little hard for me to tell they were on in bright sunlight), there's always the ones at SuperBright that are contained in a standard bulb size that should be brighter.

My last pigtails should show up today. Maybe i'll get a free few minutes to hook up the front turn signals. I watched my "How to use your new buffer" video yesterday. I'm getting excited to do that. And the valve job is being done on my heads this weekend. I should have those pretty soon!

I forgot to talk about how that guy wants to paint your car. I say do it! I know there's something to be said for "patina", but deep down, doesn't everyone really want something really nice? I know you'd like to get some attention for all your hard work at shows as much as I would, and I know if I had a shot at a free paint job, I'd jump at it! Do it for both of us!

yeah how much does free cost, he is supposed to be a good painter, that's what bothers me; what's the catch, why my car, questions, questions, that's not good for a naturally paranoid person to have to go thru. that means having to choose a color, and I only work well under pressure, I don't want a black car, he thinks it should be black, I want red, white or dark grey, so it's easier to leave well enough alone and just be happy...
we had a demo a few weeks back for the bulbs, and one of the things that came up was pricing, well guess what, there are cheaper bulbs out there, yep........some people drink Dr Pepper, some folks drink Dr thunder, it's all about personal preferences.
i'm wondering if I should get a business license, I think there's a few bones to be made' just don't have 2k to play with as the tax man owns me at the moment.
it's a good gig, buy more than a grand's worth, and get 30% discount, turn the bulbs over, do a few installs' if you don't stock it yourself, you can order the bulbs and have them drop-shipped. You need about 2k to keep things flowing, mainly the smaller stuff, and some assorted "big bulbs", you never know who'll you'll meet.
most people just hear LED and think it's cool and want some, but each car has to be "dialed-in" so it doesn't look freaky, over/under bright and that's time consuming, I'd rather just unload them, but you have to ensure things are right, otherwise people talk trash. you generally find people get what they pay for, and if the pay for what they WANT instead of what they can AFFORD, they are happier.
you seem to have an assortment of bulbs, maybe that's better in some ways, as long as you are content with your achievements, I say go for it!
i'm going to purchase another tire soon, so all 4 will match again, they are soft and bite well, but still cheapies. but I'm going to get a warranty, there's too many nails around here, left rear goes flat, overheats, go to junk pile.......so instead of 4 cheapies, I now have 3 and one junkie.

Yeah, I hear you on the free thing. You never know what you're actually getting yourself into. He may have unspoken assumptions about it that you don't have any idea.

I think the biggest thing to tell people about cheap LED bulbs, especially for the exterior, is that they are not even as bright as incandescent bulbs. THAT'S BAD. That's a safety concern! You could point them to the SuperBrightLEDs FAQs. They cover that really well.

Haha, that's always really bugged me to not have 4 perfectly matching tires. just one of the ways I'm OCD, I guess, haha.

I installed my front turn signals yesterday. On the positive side, the parking light function of the HP11s matches my SuperBright 194s PERFECTLY. It looks great. And the light spreads out in the reflectors really nicely. And... now for the bad news. The 90 degree bend sockets aren't going to fit without cutting the hole in the headlight bucket a LOT bigger. Do you have those sockets on your front turn signals yet?

I've been holding off installing my new 9007 headlights because I thought maybe I'd want to shine my current headlights on a wall from the proper distance away, install the new ones and make sure the new ones are aimed the same. However, I think I might just put the new ones in and then do a proper aiming after that. Who says my current headlights are aimed right anyway, haha.

i think that's a great idea to shine the light on the wall, but if I remember the vehicle has to be so far way from the wall to get the correct pattern height, I cant remember if its 12 1/2 ft or 25 ft....
since you have to take the trim panels off, im wondering if it would be worth removing the big spring from the buckets and remove the buckets to clean & lubricate the sliding surfaces.
the reason I/m saying that is; quite often on the older cars, the buckets don't slide easily in the clam shells due to dirt or rust, then they get bound up, then the ears get bent when you adjust them, it's not over even yet.....when you go over some bumps the bound up buckets are under a lot of tension; so by the time you get home, you have all 4 headlamps pointing if different directions.
[ saw those crazy/cool lights on CJ Pony parts; $24 bones a a pair with the bulbs, however somewhere in the write-ups it states not to use HID in them. they sure do look nice though.
things seem to be going pretty well so far, I hope the guy does a great job on the heads. i used MR GASKET intake gaskets, torqued the intake manifolds down to spec and found they leaked within a year, when i used fel-pro, they lasted a long time.
with the LED's and the buff-job, you should be set for your trip or a couple of car shows.
good job on the led installation and doing a good job and doing it correctly.
don't forget to get a cleaner for the buffer pads, it looks like a spur on a boot to get the junk off so it does a better job. are you going to do your dads car first or yours. there a some really good polishes out there to finish the job off.
i read some where that the cheaper LED's gas-off ad can leave an oily film on the lense when they get hot.
you may find some good reading on "Daniel Stern Lighting consultancy and supply". it also explains why you shouldn't use HID in normal headlamp fixtures.
I sold 2x HP36 and 1x hp5 read to the finance manager yesterday, I said he could keep the bulbs for a week to try them, and offer an honest opinion, he came back the next morning to purchase them. why do I need new bulbs, these are fine.......

Yeah, I remember seeing a link, I think it's to Popular Mechanics about how to aim your headlights. I would just look that up. I remember there being an apparatus you could attach with a suction cup when I worked in a shop, but I'll try winging it first, haha.

Yeah, I heard HIDs are illegal if you don't have an automatic self-leveling system. I've been surfing a Fusion forum since I've had the new car and some of those guys think nothing of dropping $1500 for a set of freakin' headlights! That's just insanity! You could buy a new engine for that!

Good to know about Fel Pro. I'd rather not deal with leaks, obviously, haha.

Thanks for the kind words. Autogeek sells a special "pad conditioning brush" you can use to brush the residue off the pad as you're working. I was a little skeptical of the benefit of having a special brush just for that, but I've paid the money for all the right supplies otherwise, so I think i'll just end up ordering it. I think it's cheap anyway. I also did get some specific pad cleaner and pad conditioner products from SMD. It made me feel warm and fuzzy to get those so my pads stay nice, haha. I'm not sure whose car will come first, mine or dad's. I'll probably do my trunk just to get some experience and then do Dad's car since mine is still torn apart, and will be for the foreseeable future.

Is that Daniel Stern the actor, like from City Slickers? haha. I might've made that joke already...

So, I was going to put the power window kit on my passenger door, but the window on that side is REALLY floppy. When it's rolled all the way down, it rattles like crazy. I looked at the components as best I could with it installed, but nothing appears worn or broken to cause that. All the rivets and bolts appear tight, so I'm kind of at a loss. I'm thinking it would be good to get that addressed before I put the power window kit on there. Any thoughts on what I can do to fix that?

look at your inner & outer belt line and the glass run moldings, those moldings are responsible to taking up the slack as well as sealing.
You are correctamundo, there is no HID kit that is DOT approved, and it is a physical impossibility to exchange them other than for visual appearances .
Yeah if you look up www.danielsternlighting.com/ you will find some good reading It’s funny how you can usually spot the b/s by reading about their “better” products, why would I want to buy a spark plug that give me 25% more horsepower when none of the name brand dealers are producing them?????
I did some research on car batteries one time, took about a month and a half of reading to find that there is no or very little research and development in flooded cell batteries and hasn’t been for years due to the fact that they are good enough for old technology, which kind of suggests they are researching different types of glass mat batteries, to make them more reliable. As you know glass matt batteries are out there and work well under ideal conditions, however they do present their problems, which leads me to continue to use the flooded cell batteries. I don’t need a 6-pack battery that looks good, I want a battery that I can rely on.
We can spend hours talking about batteries and battery discharging/charging rates, recovery from completely dead ETC, and for the most part it is not interesting to a customer who is sold on the 6 pack battery with a hard formed opinion, but I’m getting old and just want to have some fun now.
They cleaned-up the back of the workshop and got rid of all the olde engines, so now I have to start over with the 3 valve project…….sadly I don’t seem to have the time or motivation or cash to strip/clean and assemble a complete engine, but maybe it’s a good thing as it’s one less thing to do for now.
I finally completed the installation of may under hood light last night, funnily enough, I used a tungsten element bulb for illumination!!!!

Well, I think the beltline moldings are in fine shape, it's just once the glass is down inside the door that it really starts to bang around. When I took the door apart, I was really surprise to find no window tracks in there, but as you know, it's just how they are. The driver's window isn't nearly as floppy, which is probably why it doesn't rattle too. I can't really tell what the glass pivots on to be able to move around in there.

RED78 said one of his plastic window brackets (the thing the glass rivets to) was cracked, so he got some metal ones out of an LTD. He said it wasn't obvious looking at it that it was cracked, but I could see if that track in there the thing from the regulator rides in was cracked or worn, it would allow the glass to swing around in there. I don't know. I don't know if I want to spend the time to track down metal ones and leave my interior in pieces all summer. It's really hard for me to get out to the junkyards these days having the kids. If you go, it kills your whole day.

I took my headlights apart yesterday so I could cut the rear holes in the buckets larger to make room for the 9007 bulb retainer ring. I couldn't get a tool in there to cut them without removing the buckets from the plastic bracket/bezel thingy. As soon as I removed them, I broke some of the "bucket insulators". I thought hey, this has to be a common thing. Sealed beam headlights have been the same forever, every store has to have these for cheap. NOPE. No local store had them, or could even get them. One jackhole suggested the dealership. Yeah, right. Like the dealership is going to carry anything for a 35 year old car.

So, I came home and started to look online. Of course, I had no idea what those things are actually called, so I had to look and look. Plenty of adjuster assemblies available everywhere, and nylon push-in nuts available, but nothing like I need. Last ditch, I went to Late Model Restoration. They came through, and have a headlight adjuster rebuild kit.

See those white things? That's what I need. This kit is supposed to be for the whole car, but there are actually 3 "insulators" per headlight! I guess you just have to pray you don't break more than that! I don't need new adjuster screws, but I guess since this is the only way those things can be had, I'm shelling out the $30. No other sites anywhere had even a hint of those things, except Amazon. They sell a one-headlight kit that only comes with one insulator. Nothing else. Anywhere. So, that was my day yesterday. I was so pissed!

I'm not that familiar with glass mat batteries. I know there are a few alternate kinds out there. I remember hearing something about gel cells and Lithium Ion batteries. When I hear about that kind of stuff though, I always assume it's too expensive, haha. Optimas are too expensive for me too, haha. I'd rather have a battery that looks like it belongs anyway. Optimas scream "modified!!" to me. The red top on my Duralast battery even bothers me. I'm looking for one of those battery covers like Ford started doing in the '90s I can put on there, just to it looks black! haha. They never have them in junkyards though because they always take the batteries out, obviously.

You want a Coyote anyway, rather than a 3-valve, haha. If anyone can find a way to get one in his car, you can.

Underhood light, eh? Cool! I'll have to do that at some point too. Tungsten! That's SOOOO last century, haha.

glass matt, gel cell, spiral wound, that's what I'm talking about. everybody's interested in the NEW TECHOLOGY, then scream like children when the have problems. they have certain requirements when charging from a low charge, and even have special chargers. I don't need a 6pack battery, I need one that says Motorcraft on it that will perform well and last. I even use Motorcraft in my Toyota's, we regularly fit them in KIA's also.
good job on the bucket kits, that should see you thru.
I'm out of hp36 bulbs, just sold my last pair and an HP5 to a finance manager. the SMD 5 bulbs aren't bright enough.
I don't want to tie up any funds stocking anything at the house when i can buy it cheaper thru work.
i sent a message to the company suggesting they offer the shallow sockets for sale, I think the ones they had with the plug & play were what you were looking for, but they stopped selling them due to reliability issues. i had the same issues you had with the reverse lights, but i sold mine, now the problem is resolved!!! but at least i have the correct connectors.

I'm confused, are you buying bulbs to sell also, as well as facilitating that deal with your work for them to sell them?

There are reliability issues with the sockets?

I took the other side headlights apart today and broke 4 more of those "insulators" So, that's 6 I need now, probably more because they are so brittle. Not sure what I'm going to do now. Maybe I'll email LMR and see if they know of a source for them...

I did get a much needed break though. My plan has been to hook up the fog light switch to the center two headlight high beams. I was poring over my EVTM today and digging through my wire harness to find the headlight wiring. I was able to find it, and did find the foglight wire! I tested it with the switch and there's power to it with the switch on! I wasn't sure if I'd get that lucky because my parts car was an LX, but sure enough, the wiring is all there!