LED Tail Lights

[niles]

Hi all. A while back, I built LED front turn signals. Now I'm going to step it up a notch and build LED tail lights.

I'm still deciding the final design but I have a general finished product in mind. I will be using arduino micro controller for the brains and wiring it into the existing switches. It will actually control all of the exterior indicator lights.

One thing I'm having a hell of a hard time finding is giant sheets of red tail light pillow-lens. All I can find are small pieces in the tail light repair kits. That's not good enough. I know I can rig some using clear pillow lens and red tint stuff, but I'd rather have big pieces of red reflector type plastic. Any ideas?

[79cord]

Not sure if its relevant, or how well it would last with UV, but on Ebay I just noticed "4D" vinyl film in clear or tinted giving "Cat eye" or "Carbon fiber" weave whilst still letting light through. Might diffuse light from the LED's well enough.
Proper Reflective portions of the lens are normally carefully arranged so that their facets are facing directly rearward or to the side of the car. Older lamps would use standard flat reflectors aimed in those directions, sometimes with another clear lens over the top to follow the curves of the car.

[Vanilla Sky]

From someone who has looked at taking LED lighting into production, the best method with these cars would be to utilize the stock lenses, since they have the required retroreflectors built in.

[niles]

I will do that if I can't find a source. I really wanted solid red back there without the amber. That way I could use the full assembly as a turn signal

Sent from beneath a 3Gee with a wrench in the other hand

[charliekuney]

I really wanted solid red back there without the amber.

I have never understood this about people...

[niles]

It plays into the design I'm imagining. I think the amber turn signal has insufficient visibility from the side

Sent from beneath a 3Gee with a wrench in the other hand