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Old 08-03-2021, 04:13 PM   #1
Mart
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Default Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

Got an old car? repro lights? If they're dim, you can brighten them up with this quick, easy and simple hack. It does involve cakes which can't be a bad thing.
https://youtu.be/AZT4aimwBsQ
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Old 08-03-2021, 06:41 PM   #2
51 MERC-CT
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

Worthwhile tip but in my case I don't have a round tail lite.

So at the time a number of years ago I just formed heavy duty kitchen aluminum foil to fit.
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Old 08-03-2021, 07:39 PM   #3
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

I remember reading an article a few years ago that said that painting the insides of the housings white was more effective than silver paint or something like this.
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Old 08-03-2021, 07:40 PM   #4
Ross F-1
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

Painting the inside of the light with Bright White or Aluminum paint works too.
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Old 08-03-2021, 07:54 PM   #5
39portlander
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

Great tip Mart and will use that on my 26 T rear tail/brake light.

Better yet we just scored on some blueberry tabletalk pies...those tins are just the right size
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Old 08-04-2021, 07:24 AM   #6
APDAVE
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

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Thanks Mart!
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Old 08-04-2021, 07:34 AM   #7
richard crow
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

there is nothing better than a third brake light mounted high . no mods needed to body EZ to install .quick to remove if you are showing the car
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Old 08-05-2021, 08:33 AM   #8
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

It seems these days no one is paying attention, so signal lights have to be real attention getters.
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Old 08-05-2021, 09:15 AM   #9
flathead 39
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

I use brakelighter. Works great. https://www.brakelighter.com/
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Old 08-05-2021, 10:59 AM   #10
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

Bright white is more reflective than silver paint in a light housing, surprisingly black paint and or dark green on an engine dissipates heat better than any other color. Hmmmm?
I wonder if H. Ford knew that when he painted the early V8's dark green prior to the practice of using colors to identify engine series/size.
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Old 08-05-2021, 02:50 PM   #11
TJ
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

You can also use flashlight reflectors slipped over the light socket along with the white paint to brighten your taillights
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Old 08-06-2021, 10:21 AM   #12
farmertom
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Default Re: Old car brake lights: Brighten em up for free! Safety improvement!

hey barners,following Marts advice,i went to grocery store and found a pack or box of 24 reynolds aluminum cupcake thingies very light weight. remove the thin paper liners and put the alum.cup over a rolled up rag to cut hole just big enough for bulb shank. they fit perfectly in my '37 tail light buckets. thanks Mart,for sending me down right path. tom.
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