Reflectors to Taillights - uprated

If anyone's interested, have built uprated reflector-taillights using mechanical clamping and not dependent on the integrity of the rubber gasket to hold the bulb socket in place.
Photo essay:
https://www.pbase.com/stevegerow/reflectorconversion

Hi Steve,

Looks great. Tried something similar and although the light was substantial (as yours), it eventually melted the reflector plastic. Although using it for directionals had no major effect, stepping on the break for an extensive period during a traffic light was the cause of the heat build-up. How does your implementation release the heat of the high intensity bulb?

I really like your design.

Ray (64BJ8P1)

Ray,
Hadn't thought too much about the heat as several of my buddies are using similar halogen lights and so far no one has had a meltdown.

Thank you for the warning. Will check out the heat next time I'm sitting at an extended stoplight.

How about Hendrix does he have glass reflectors.????

The melt down of the plastic reflectors when using LED Bulbs has been noted since the mod was introduced years ago.

Hendrix reverse engineered the mod and I thought he also upgraded the reflectors to glass.

Steve,

Wow, that looks great!

As I always say, it's great to have a mad scientist as a buddy.

Keep up the good work

Jwff

According to Hendrix' site: "Made from stock factory reflectors, these lights will look exactly like your original reflectors, but will light up when you put on your brakes or signals. Bright low-heat halogen lights ensure that the SUV behind you can see your Healey stopping and turning."

I'm using halogens as are the other folks in our club who've done the mod.

I'm using halogens as are the other folks in our club who've done the mod.

OK Steve I thought you were using LEDS--

Some of us are using LEDs for our regular turn/brake lights - but that's a metal socket and glass lens.

I'm not 100% sold on them - their cost is all out of proportion to their real or imagined superiority. One guy has some kind of halogen 1157 that's the brightest of all.

Steve,

Well done and well documented! I have done a similar conversion on my BT7 Tri-Carb, but differs from your project as follows:

1). I used LED lights instead of halogen bulbs. The LED's were purchased from a company called Harrison Specialties on e-bay. They now show up on Amazon when searched.

2). Used a couple of store-bought (from the local "Mom & Pop" hardware) washers of differing sizes to sandwich the LED lights. Holes were drilled in washers, and secured to shroud by screw-head bolts, nuts, and washers.

3). I used the earlier style conical lens assembly, as it looks more like a tail light than does the later reflector assembly.

Conversion/upgrade was done at least a couple of years ago.

Jerry

FWIW - replaced the compression springs with brass tubes which are easier to source.
https://www.pbase.com/stevegerow/image/155320735