Sold on LEDs

[gwri8]

Thanks for taking the time to do manual/long exposures.  It's the only way to actually see the difference in bulb intensity and color.  Well done.

[rcb280z]

Very nice! I've just started looking into leds for my gauges. Perfect timing. Did anyone notice the clock works? That's rare.

Edited January 27, 2018 by rcb280z

[joe newsom]

Great info


Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

[munters]

I took nr6 in green for everything. Not as green like nr 4 but more then your white.

[Jeff G 78]

I'm sure it's in this thread somewhere, but I didn't see it.  What's the total number of dash light bulbs needed for the speedo, tach, and three center gauges?  I am going to place an Amazon order for the BA9s bulbs. I'm less worried about the ash tray, glove box, and other misc bulbs right now.

Thanks!

[gwri8]

Here you are.  For what it's worth, I didn't bother changing out the turn signal lamps.

 

Edited February 3, 2018 by gwri8

[Jeff G 78]

Perfect!  Thanks Greg.

[rcb280z]

59 minutes ago, Jeff G 78 said:

Thanks Greg.

Just ordered mine as well

[2377kN]

Got some more pics of my gauges and other lights inside the cabin.  Again, all the following pictures have been shot in manual exposure mode with a white balance set at 5000K.

 

Here’s a pic of the three small gauges with bulb number 6 from my previous post.

Here’s a pic of the speedo and tach. 

I also put LED bulbs in the turn signal indicators, high beam indicator, and brake warning light in the gauges.  I tried a couple different bulbs but forgot to take before and after pictures.  These are what I used.

For the turn signals I got green bulbs from superbrightleds.com.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/ba9s-ba7s/ba9s-led-bulb-1-led-ba9s-retrofit-car/3/#/attributes/15

Green. 90°. 4 Lumens.       BA9s

These bulbs are perfect.  Obviously brighter than the stock tungsten bulb, but not overpowering.

Got a red bulb of the same variety for the brake warning light and the fuel warning light.  Again, brighter then stock but not too much.

For the high beam indicator I went with a different style bulb then the turn signal lights and brake light.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/ba9s-ba7s/ba9s-led-bulb-4-led-ba9s-retrofit-car-classic-car-bulbs/6/

Here’s a pic of the speedo with brake light and high beam indicator lit up.

Since my car is a 1975 California car, it has a floor temp warning light and catalyst warning light.

Here’s a pic of the bulbs tested for the catalyst warning light.  

Bulb 1. - Stock tungsten 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

Bulb 2. - Red LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/227/

The stock bulb is really dim. 

The LED is much brighter.  Even though it does not show in the pic, it is nice and red when seen in person.

Here’s a pic of the bulbs tested for the floor temp warning light.  

Bulb 1. - Stock tungsten 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

Bulb 2. - Amber LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/227/

The stock bulb is really dim. 

The LED is much brighter. 

Here’s a pic of the bulbs tested for the rear defogger light.  

Bulb 1. - Stock tungsten 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

Bulb 2. - Blue LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/227/

Bulb 3. - Warm 3000k LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/instrument-cluster-gauge/74-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/226/

The Stock Bulb is really dim.

Bulb number 2 is way too bright for a bulb that will stay on and not a warning light.

Bulb 3 is perfect.  Brighter than stock, but not overpowering.  To the naked eye its really similar to the look of the stock bulb, just brighter.  3000k is really close to the 2800K color temp. of tungsten bulbs.

Here’s a pic of the bulbs tested for the hazard light switch.  

Bulb 1. - Stock tungsten 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

Bulb 2. - Green LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/227/

Bulb 3. - Warm 3000k LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/instrument-cluster-gauge/74-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/226/

The stock bulb is really dim.

Bulb number 2 is way too bright for a bulb that will stay on and not a warning light.

Bulb 3 is perfect.  Brighter than stock, but not overpowering.  To the naked eye its really similar to the look of the stock bulb, just brighter.  3000k is really close to the 2800K color temp. of tungsten bulbs.

 

 

The fuel warning light is a standard BA9s tungsten bulb.

Here’s a pic.

I replaced the stock tungsten bulb with the same one used in the brake warning light inside the speedo.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/ba9s-ba7s/ba9s-led-bulb-1-led-ba9s-retrofit-car/3/#/attributes/15

It’s brighter than stock but not excessively so.

Here’s a pic of the bulbs tested for the fasten seat belts warning light.  

Bulb 1. - Stock tungsten 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

Bulb 2. - Red LED 74 Mini Wedge Bulb.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/74-led-bulb-1-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/227/

The stock bulb is pretty dim.

The LED is much brighter.  Even though it does not show in the pic, it is nice and red when seen in person.

 

The cigarette lighter socket and the HVAC controls both use 194 Wedge bulbs.

I don’t have a pic of the cigarette lighter socket but I do have one of the HVAC controls replaced with an LED.

This is the bulb used.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/boat-miniature-wedge-bulbs/194-led-boat-and-rv-light-bulb-6-smd-led-tower-miniature-wedge-retrofit-106-lumens/2489/4112/

 

The map light was also replaced with LED’s.  When I had my combo switches re-built a couple years ago I sprung for the map light LED from Dave at www.datsun-240z-upgrades.net.

Here’s a pic of the stock bulb.

Here’s a pic of the LED bulb from datsun-240z-upgrades.net.  It’s way brighter and the map light is actually very useful now.

 

The only interior bulbs not replaced with LED's in my car are the dome light and the glove box light.  I swapped an LED in the glove box light but it did not work.  The polarity needs to be reversed and I didn't get around to it yet.

 

Here's my bulb count so far for a '75 2+2.

Speedometer:

(2) BA9s bulbs for illumination

(1) BA9s for High Beam Indicator

(1) BA9s for Brake Light Indicator/Warning

 

Tachometer:

(2) BA9s bulbs for illumination

(2) BA9s for Turn Signal/Hazard Flashing Indicators

 

Temp/Oil Gauge:

(1) BA9s

 

Clock:

(1) BA9s

 

Amp/Fuel Gauge:

(1) BA9s

 

Catalyst Light:

(1) 74 Mini Wedge

 

Floor Temp:

(1) 74 Mini Wedge

 

Rear Defogger:

(1) 74 Mini Wedge

 

Fuel:

(1) BA9s

 

Fasten Seat Belts:

(1) 74 Mini Wedge

 

Hazard Switch:

(1) 74 Mini Wedge

 

Cigarette Lighter Socket:

(1) 194 Wedge

 

HVAC Controls:

(1) 194 Wedge

 

Glove Box:

(1) BA9s

 

Map Light:

(1)  Might be 194 Wedge, not sure on size, replaced with LED from datsun-240z-upgrades.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[narth327]

heres mine, i didnt like the hotspots that the replacement wedge bulbs created, so i used LED strips instead, giving me perfect and even light distribution.  the pics show a fairly blue light, but thats because the camera phone couldnt handle the white balance correctly, i chose a fairly neutral to natural color.  also forgot to put in the signal indicator shields at the time. 

pretty sure i used these, if not, the brighter ones

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flexible-led-strip-lights/led-strip-lights-12v-led-tape-light-with-lc2-connector-114-lumens-per-ft/1464/

i use a pwm dimmer, took it out of the enclosure and stuck it in the stock location.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/single-color-dimmer-switches/ldk-8a-12-24-volt-dc-single-color-led-dimmer/62/365/

 

Edited March 27, 2018 by narth327

[240260280]

I guess I am old school.  I just like to only see the markings on the instrument illuminated, not the face or the enclosure.

 

Like this:

 

 

Not this:

 

 

[rcb280z]

I used to like this as well Philip but now that I have gotten older.... the brighter is better. Not too bright, just brighter.