Clear Tail Lights and Parking Lights

[WarDamnEagle]

Does anyone know if any of the vendors here or elsewhere offer tail lights and parking lights with clear lenses that I can put red/ orange 1157 LED bulbs in?

I think I saw some a few months ago and thought it was Finish Line, but cannot find them on Their website now.

Thanks for any help.

[Frank Messina]

Sorry, but this is just the bad idea du jour and may be illegal in your state as well.

Frank

[RickP]

Does anyone know if any of the vendors here or elsewhere offer tail lights and parking lights with clear lenses that I can put red/ orange 1157 LED bulbs in?

I think I saw some a few months ago and thought it was Finish Line, but cannot find them on Their website now.

Thanks for any help.

Make sure you check your DMV laws regarding clear lenses. Here in PA they are illegal.

[jcrumpley]

search for clear lucas L691 and clear lucas L539

an example here: http://jollyrogersmotors.com/store/p/769-Lucas-L691/L692-Lens-Pair-red-amber-or-clear-New.html

[videodude]

"Alabama Code Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic § 32-5-240 | FindLaw
codes.findlaw.com › Codes › Alabama › Title 32. Motor Vehicles and Traffic
(1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles shall be equipped with at least one tail lamp mounted on the rear which, when lighted as required, emits a red light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear."

A clear lens with a red bulb sounds like a real good way to spend a little time with your buddy "John Law". I wouldn't do it, but then again, I live in Nevada where folks don't stop on red anyway.

Video

[CraigS]

Seems to me you get red light whether the bulb is red or the lens is red.

[wareaglescott]

Seems to me you get red light whether the bulb is red or the lens is red.

yep me to.

[DadofThree]

Just to show the red LED in action, Here is a video that I did showing experimentation. If a policeman is curious about your lights, as soon as you press the brake to slow down, they'll see that the lights your emmitting are red. (NOTE: Disregard my comments in the video. The problems that I am having will not be the same for you. I am using a signal dynamics PentaStar XP turn signal module)

I would imagine that Alabama is one of the more relaxed states on this matter. :)

https://youtu.be/SMByJ-bZpOs?t=1m37s

[videodude]

Not to continue stirring this pot, but I see 2 potential issues here: First, the OP stated he wanted to use 1157's; nothing was said about LED's, and second, why would you want to draw even more attention to yourself from someone with the power to detain you and go over everything? I agree the LED's that glow RED (AND can be seen EASILY from 500 feet) are cool, but these cars already attract more attention than normal; why you'd want to attract more police is beyond me. FWIW, most of the big rig tail lights I see use RED led's in a clear housing, at least they look RED, and are damn bright. The Alabama statute also is only referring to the TAIL light, not the STOP light. A colored 1157 is lower candlepower than a clear one, and the red lens has reflectors inside to make it brighter. Even if the clear lens is facet cut inside, the light output will be less. Not an issue for directional indicators, but stop/tail . . . and one more thing, do you ever intend to drive or sell out of state? Jus' sayin' . . .

Just my 2 cents.

Video

[EZ$]

Cobra Restorers sells both the complete light unit with a clear lense, about $50, or you can purchase just the clear lense, part # CP1429A - $20. Been looking at these since the FIA's had clear turn signal lenses on the originals.

Rick

[2bking]

.... the OP stated he wanted to use 1157's; nothing was said about LED's .....
The OP stated, "red/ orange 1157 LED bulbs".

A colored 1157 is lower candlepower than a clear one, and the red lens has reflectors inside to make it brighter.
The output of a colored bulb, LED or incandescent, may seem to be less but shouldn't be much different than the colored LED or clear incandescent bulb's output through a colored lens (assuming the lens and LED are color matched). The reflectors inside a lens stops light passing from the inside thus making the output less (dimmer). Any perceived brightness enhancement would be from reflected light behind the vehicle.

Even if the clear lens is facet cut inside, the light output will be less. ...
The facet cuts in the lens spread and focus the light from the bulb/reflector giving a more uniform distribution in the intended viewing area.
Video
These are the physics of light. Jus 'saying'. . .

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Any number of modern cars come with "jewel box" clear covers in back. Don't really see a problem if the lights are red when on.

[WarDamnEagle]

Thanks for the discussion guys, I thought this topic would create issue over originality not legality.

From my experiences around here (Alabama) if I am not acting a fool by the way I drive and I am a clean cut, grown, tax paying member of the community, the police are not looking to bust anyone's balls over whether a white light comes through a red lens or a red light comes through a clear lens. But if I were a teenager or driving in parts of town I will not be taking this car, of course I would expect to get a hard time.

As for re-sale, I think it would be easy enough to change the taillight bulbs and lenses before selling.

[Fixit]

I'm no lawyer, but I'd look at the "legaleze" wording of the specific law(s) about lighting... and one thing comes to mind about maintenance/public works/emergency vehicles that use LED lighting... they all look clear unless energized.

The laws in MN seem to take no mind of the lens color of the lamp in question - the law is concerned about the color of the light projected.
Up here, Blue is exclusive to Emergency/Maintenance/etc. vehicles - no blue for John Q Public.
Red can only be projected to the rear.
Yellow in any direction.
White only forward (except license plate).

[Avalanche325]

I am sure that I read that the bulb and lens should always be the same color for LEDs. What I saw was a comparison of red bulb / red lens vs white bulb / red lens. The white / red combination was terrible. I can imagine that red bulb /clear lens would be pretty bad. The last thing you want are worse brake lights than we already have.

Keep in mind that modern cars with clear lenses are designed that way from the ground up. Sticking an aftermarket bulb in a 1960s unit is entirely different. I wouldn't worry too much about them being legal. I would be concerned about getting rear-ended by the typical phone talking, Xanax popping, soccer Mom.

[Fixit]

I'm not a physicist, but I got an M.I.T. (Mistakes I've Tried) degree in LEDs in a failed business venture.

It's all about the wavelength of light, and how our eyes see different wavelengths (color) of light.
The "red" end of the spectrum is kinda like Bass in music - long & slow waves. The "blue/purple into white" is Treble - short & quick.
A red LED light into a red lens will (usually) disperse & radiate the light around within the lens, and really be visible to us.
A red light into a clear lens... the lens can act as a filter of sorts, and knock out the transients, only allowing true red to come through - just red dots behind the lens.

I've also found that depending upon the color/tint of the red lens, it will effect the allowed LED light through.
LED's project a light in a very tight/specific band of wavelength. Incandescents throw the whole spectrum out. Depending on the "red" of the lens, it might not allow the whole red spectrum through... (have I lost you yet?) especially if the LED is throwing a wavelength that's outside of what the "tint/red" of the lens will pass.

Light is weird stuff.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

How about a solution like the weatherman should do go outside & see whats up. Clear lenses are cheap. Buy a set put them on & see if the light is OK.

[CNIdog]

My experience is not good using WHITE(6000k) LED bulbs behind a red lens. The output looks pinkish-white instead of red. I used a RED (800k)LED behind a RED lens and it looks bright RED. I had to experiment with many RED 1157 LEDs before I got what was claimed high @400/low @40 lumens by the sellers on eBay. Most of them (offshore) haven't clue what they are selling. Generally the cheapy $3 LEDs are too low lumen. The $7+ bulbs are better. Find a US seller you can talk to first. From one order to the next you may get something different. LED technology is changing rapidly.

I did put clear lenses on front and use 1157 Amber LEDs. looks good. In Ontario we need backup lights and I did not want to add another set of lights to the rear so I swapped out a red lens on each side for clear ones and used a 1157 AMBER/White LED. White for backup lights and the Amber for turn-signal. Both colors are the high lumen ratings. I also use them on the wife's BMW Z3 on the front corners.