LED Lights on the Bumper?

GMAN

GMAN

Dedicated LVC Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
4,747
Reaction score
31
Location
Spring, Texas, United States
I've been seeing so many cars lately with daytime LED lights on the bumper. They look really nice, so I started to wonder what would these lights look like on the Mark? I don't know if it would look cheesy or not. There is no shortage of them on Ebay. What do you think?
 
i think it would be cool. we should procure a bumper and find out!
 
I done my headlights for $20 because I was bored but honestly, when the sun is going down, they are bright just like an Audi. I tried taking a night time pic but they are showing too much of a glare and they really don't look like the pic shows them from a distance. They really look wicked from a distance. They are "side shine SMD LED's" 24" and can be cut after every 3rd LED. During the day, you can stand right in front of it if they were off and never even see them.

DSC03136.jpg


Here is a distant shot but remember, the glare isn't like you see in the pic but they are very bright but not headlight bright. I think the white bumper cover is helping make the glare.

2012-05-08193710.jpg
 
LED's

I like it. I put LED turns, markers and cornerings in my Mark and theyare bright! I'd like to see a set embedded in the trim strip of the front bumper.
 
Kevin O'Connell said:
I like it. I put LED turns, markers and cornerings in my Mark and theyare bright! I'd like to see a set embedded in the trim strip of the front bumper.
Click to expand...

I thought about it but then the rice started hitting me so I stopped at the headlights. I thought about taking out the 90 degree turn to see how that looks but it's something that has to be seen in person to really see what they look like when lit at night.

2012-05-05211117.jpg


BTW, I got rid of all the door framing and doors and mattresses today, I hate clutter in my garage.
 
GMAN said:
That looks great Terry, I was thinking of mounting these on the bottom of the bumper.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I knew what you were speaking of but I really didn't have a spot for anything like that and I was really shooting for the headlights. I see the lights you're talking about on a lot of the newer cars but I wouldn't know where to go with them and still make it look discreet. These "side shiners" are very thin and flexible. Might just wanna try some of them down low. They have 12" too and shipped fast and as a matter of fact, they came from Texas lol. I'll see if I can find the seller. If they were stuck on down low enough, they would be discreet during the day, unless you had them on. They are bright.
 
This is who I bought from and had them in 2 days.

[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-24-LED-SIDE-SHINE-HEADLIGHT-STRIP-LIGHTS-DRL-B5-/160788184466?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item256fb8fd92[/URL]

12"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-12-LED-SIDE-SHINE-HEAD-LIGHT-STRIP-DRL-HEADLIGHT-STRIPS-B5-/160710020688?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item256b104e50

Another good seller with the 6000K strips for $24.95 is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Error-Free-Audi-A5-R8-Style-30-SMD-LED-Daytime-Running-DRL-Fog-Strip-Lights-46-/330673224898?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cfda8fcc2&vxp=mtr

If you click the link right above, scroll down and you can see different pics of what they look like on different cars. When they are not on during the day, you really have to be looking for the strip to even see it. It's very thin and flexible and they can be cut with scissors or wire cutters after every third SMD. These are SMD LED's, not just a normal LED bulb on a strip.
 
NoLimit95 said:
I done my headlights for $20 because I was bored but honestly, when the sun is going down, they are bright just like an Audi. I tried taking a night time pic but they are showing too much of a glare and they really don't look like the pic shows them from a distance. They really look wicked from a distance. They are "side shine LED SMD's" 24" and can be cut after every 3rd LED. During the day, you can stand right in front of it if they were off and never even see them.

DSC03136.jpg


Here is a distant shot but remember, the glare isn't like you see in the pic but they are very bright but not headlight bright.

2012-05-08193710.jpg
Click to expand...

damn, dude that looks good, I bet if your car wasn't white it wouldn't reflect so much off the bumper and make that glare..I'd like to see it on a darker color though..I wonder how it would look if you seperated a set of headlights and put them inside at the bottom edge instead.
 
I'll disagree with everybody and say.....I don't like!

I can't stand those things. The leds look good but those strips look ghey on anything that didn't come from the factory with them.

No offence N.L.
 
keVIIIn said:
damn, dude that looks good, I bet if your car wasn't white it wouldn't reflect so much off the bumper and make that glare..I'd like to see it on a darker color though..I wonder how it would look if you seperated a set of headlights and put them inside at the bottom edge instead.
Click to expand...

If you wanted to cut a set open, it would probably look even better but only with HID housings like you have and Alex but I don't think any of us want to cut open our housings for a $20 pair of string lights. I think a Gen 2 would look good because of the curve in the headlights and yes, the white bumper is helping with the picture glare but I tried getting down below where the light would reflect off the bumper and taking a pic. It's just that they're really that bright and I used two different cameras. Maybe the night time settings just aren't right. Anyway, it's only $20 and about 30 min worth of work and not permanent, unless you leave them there.

I used MAF cleaner. Sprayed it on a microfiber rag and wiped the bottom of the housing and up the side where I was going to stick them. You can use alcohol too but MAF cleaner leaves no residue and dries fast. They are sticking very good. They come with 3M adhesive tape on the back side and bend just about any way you want them to and each strand has markings on the back to show where you can cut. I would like to see others on a darker colored car too.

You have to tie into two of your three parking light wires. Mine are wired to stay on and not blink. Just pull the wire harness from the bulb socket, leaving your bulb inside the housing. Find the two darker colored wires and get the strand to light up to make sure you have the right side in your hand. They only shine in one direction sideways so you do have a left and a right. Once you have the wires stuck into the harness, take the harness and stick it back onto the socket and push it on. I promise it works and no cutting of your existing wiring. Once you have that harness pressed back onto the socket, it ain't going anywhere.
 
sbcaprice305 said:
I'll disagree with everybody and say.....I don't like!

I can't stand those things. The leds look good but those strips look ghey on anything that didn't come from the factory with them.

No offence N.L.
Click to expand...

There are some that don't like them. It's also something that can be over done too. Another reason I was thinking about doing away with the 90 degree turn but before I cut them down again, I'm going to put electrical tape over the vertical part just to see what a straight line looks like. But it is something that some like and some don't and I take no offense. :)
 
NoLimit95 said:
There are some that don't like them. It's also something that can be over done too. Another reason I was thinking about doing away with the 90 degree turn but before I cut them down again, I'm going to put electrical tape over the vertical part just to see what a straight line looks like. But it is something that some like and some don't and I take no offense. :)
Click to expand...

The way you did yours looks fantastic. I love LED's. I would like to put a set of Audi-style "eyliners" on my '97. But I'd have to take the headlights apart to do it right. For now, I've just got LED brake lights. I'm planning to convert all the incandescent bulbs on the car to LED's eventually. But personally, I don't mind the multiple dot style led's, but I'd rather have somethinng more like a light stripe that's unbroken. I've thought about using electroluminescent tape or wire, but I've heard it isn't as bright as an LED. I've got a couple of 12" blue LED strips that I haven't decided what to do with yet. But I think they're going on the interior. Anyhoo, nice look NoLimit!
 
I like em bro! Looks great!

I was in England for a while and all of the audi's have them. I though about doing it to my car. I really like them.
 
isaiah3g said:
I like em bro! Looks great!

I was in England for a while and all of the audi's have them. I though about doing it to my car. I really like them.
Click to expand...

The first car I ever saw the LED's on was an Audi. I think Audi started it and now everybody from Mercedes to Kia has LED driving lights:D The trend just snowballed down the automotive food chain. I like 'em. Looks high tech.
 
thaywood said:
The way you did yours looks fantastic. I love LED's. I would like to put a set of Audi-style "eyliners" on my '97. But I'd have to take the headlights apart to do it right. For now, I've just got LED brake lights. I'm planning to convert all the incandescent bulbs on the car to LED's eventually. But personally, I don't mind the multiple dot style led's, but I'd rather have somethinng more like a light stripe that's unbroken. I've thought about using electroluminescent tape or wire, but I've heard it isn't as bright as an LED. I've got a couple of 12" blue LED strips that I haven't decided what to do with yet. But I think they're going on the interior. Anyhoo, nice look NoLimit!
Click to expand...

I have seen what you're talking about in the new Chrysler vehicles, not all of them but the higher end style cars. More of a neon look or whatever makes up an angel eye. Just a normal LED strip wouldn't be bright at all but the SMD LED's are very bright. I have them in the 194's for my interior too and it's all bright in there. I put one in the tag light too. Made a big difference. 6000K 5 LED SMD's for the interior and the headlights have the 6000K SMD LED strip. I almost got the 12" but glad I did get the 24" because that allowed me to do what I wanted and still have some left over. They have power wires on both ends so even if you cut, you still have another piece left over to put elsewhere.

isaiah3g said:
I like em bro! Looks great!

I was in England for a while and all of the audi's have them. I though about doing it to my car. I really like them.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

The Audi was what made me do it lol. :p Just wished it was an Audi A8 :rolleyes:
 
Those lights look cool.

LED's really enhance/modernize a cars appearance. They can make a car looky "ricey" if you use the wrong ones. I replaced all exterior lights in my LS with leds except for the turn signal/brake lights. Just wanted to get rid of yellow light.

Also wanted to match my fogs to the oem HID's, and they come pretty close being LED fogs.

In my opinion you can never have too many leds...just dont install crazy high temp bulbs. I stay around 5k-6K for the slight hint of blue. Also adding lights where there were none from the factory is pushing it unless done right.

Only thing i dont like about LED's is the instant on/off instead of the fade effect with incandescent. They also draw a smaller amount of voltage and there is always residual power in a vehicle, so after the car is shut off they stay on very dim. With the LS, theres a battery saver circuit so it cuts them off completely after a few minutes. But other older cars may keep them on and possibly drain the battery.

It doesnt bother me...i think it looks pretty cool. And the better led's are brighter than their incandescent counterparts.
The mark front end would look better with a rounded fog i think.
 
LEDs look cool on european cars. BMW was first to use them in their angel eyes, when europes equivalent of our Dept. of Transportation made it illegal to use headlights around towns with narrow streets. Streetside cafe patrons complained about the blinding headlights. So car manufacturers there had to adjust to the new rules. Now you see all these LEDs from Daimler-Mercedes, BMW, Audis, and Maseratis, Land Rovers, Jaguars among others as standard european OEM.

In retrospec, In California, I believe its illegal to use them on their own on any public street unless your headlights are on. Even ambers are illegal without your headlights on. Yes folks, its a ticket violation.

I think they're cool. I have them on my Daimler. I may replace the incandescent bulbs with LEDs in the light assembly but thats about the extent I will go on my Lincolns. Chris, your car looks classy w/o the 90*

I've seen too many butchered cars adorned in PepB-ys paraphernalias and gawdy P/U's around here with LED strips that would make you puke and LOL that I don't want to be associated with.


-Ren
 
BlackLS06 said:
Only thing i dont like about LED's is the instant on/off instead of the fade effect with incandescent.
Click to expand...

That's what I like about the LED's. And that instant on/off feature is why a lot of cars now have LED brake lights standard. It gives the car behind you several hundred feet more reaction time compared to incandescents. I think my favorite LED tail lights of all time are the ones on the late 90's and early 00's Cadillacs. They are the trapezoidal shaped ones that lit up the entire lens and had that shimmery look instead of individual dots of light. It baffles me why Caddy did away with that design and went with the LED strips on their newer cars. And I've got blue LED's in my interior and they fade on and off just like the old incandescents did.

BlackLS06 said:
The mark front end would look better with a rounded fog i think.
Click to expand...

I agree.:)
 
Wasn't there someone on here that put in LED's in their G2 headlights? I may be wrong, I've got the memory of a gnat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 111 (members: 0, guests: 111)
Back
Top