I'm considering replacing the neon lamps in my '98 LSC with LED strips. Wiring isn't going to be a problem. Has anyone successfully gotten the trunk tail light apart to get access to the neon tubes and can be reassembled?
Gen 2 trunk tail light disassembly.
- Thread starter Rick.0256
- Start date
ONLYTONY
Dedicated LVC Member
I had a broken neon and tried to take it apart to see what made it tick. It ended up in pieces in the trash. I don't think they were made to be taken apart. Heat might do it. Take it to your local pizza shop and borrow their oven. Good luck
Markviiiedrea
Speed Bump
ford nut
Local nut case
The LED strip is OK but not up to what I would like when up close.
Its not too bad to come apart if you take your time, funny JA and I were going back and forth today on ideas on how to defuse the led lights to kill the up and down pattern.
I will be getting back to this soon.
Its not too bad to come apart if you take your time, funny JA and I were going back and forth today on ideas on how to defuse the led lights to kill the up and down pattern.
I will be getting back to this soon.
I clicked the link left by Markviiiedrea and found a link to ford nuts LED strip pics. I'm gathering from that thread that first I need a spare assembly to work with, and red LEDs are important.
What I found was a red strip that is marketed as a strip that goes below a pickup tailgate and has brake/tail/turn all with a trailer type connector on one end.
So first on my list is to find a spare and carefully take it apart. I like the LED matrix, but I think a red strip at the top will better carry the original look and improve reliability at the same time.
What I found was a red strip that is marketed as a strip that goes below a pickup tailgate and has brake/tail/turn all with a trailer type connector on one end.
So first on my list is to find a spare and carefully take it apart. I like the LED matrix, but I think a red strip at the top will better carry the original look and improve reliability at the same time.
Markviiiedrea
Speed Bump
I always though about installing smaller neon's inside the tail light (or several).
ford nut, a good material I found was a defuser panel inside broken LCD TV's, granted it might involve a little hunting to find some but it's what they use to diffuse the neon back lighting inside the TV's.
Example Here
Bloomington has a recycle day every year and I always see a bunch of broken LCD's on the curb. I have one diffuser at my house if you want to try it.
ford nut, a good material I found was a defuser panel inside broken LCD TV's, granted it might involve a little hunting to find some but it's what they use to diffuse the neon back lighting inside the TV's.
Example Here
Bloomington has a recycle day every year and I always see a bunch of broken LCD's on the curb. I have one diffuser at my house if you want to try it.
ONLYTONY
Dedicated LVC Member
They come in 3 sections wired together. One kit makes them turn white for back up lights.
ONLYTONY
Dedicated LVC Member
LIGHTING IDEA In the late 90's a juke box company NSM from Germany, installed a 1/2' strip of red plex across the front of the machine, that had the edges polished. In the machine there was a fluorescent light that shined on the back of the plex. It looked just like a neon light. Worked like fiber optics sending the light through. I thought is was a neon light, until I looked inside.
ONLYTONY
Dedicated LVC Member
Found a picFrankAZ
Active LVC Member
Consider looking into 5050 LED strips. I've used similar flexible strips for Christmas lighting projects. You can get red LED strips for 12v and 60 LED's per meter for cheap.
One thing of note: the 5050 strips sit perfectly on a 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum strip. I used this for a Christmas Lights display I did on my bicycle with some 3/4" clear heat shrink tubing to secure the lights to the aluminum.
One thing of note: the 5050 strips sit perfectly on a 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum strip. I used this for a Christmas Lights display I did on my bicycle with some 3/4" clear heat shrink tubing to secure the lights to the aluminum.
I was looking at using 5050 LED strips for the brake/turn signal and the a strip of 3528s that produce about 1/3 the light for the running lights. Finding the strip that has already done the research for $36 seemed like a way to make it work without reinventing the wheel.
FrankAZ
Active LVC Member
Makes me wish I could get my hands on a rear assembly cheap! I'm pretty sure with a resistor to drop the voltage a bit and diode to prevent back feed. It would be simple to get two different brightness levels out of a single 12v strip.
UltimateSVT
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It's a PITA, easier to buy another one & replace it. I pried one apart (it was a bad donor - was garbage anyway) with heat & a flat head screw driver & it broke in 4 places. Swire I'd never do it again.