jp7 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Hi all, whilst in the process of a rebuild I thought I'd fit some clear front and rear lenses. Front and rear indicators work well with Clear lens/yellow bulbs, but I have to say that the clear rear lights/ LED lights are a bit weak in the daylight as compared with the original red lens and conventional bulb. Has anyone found a solution? Would a red coloured reflector on the backplate, inside the lens help? What about splitting the two colours and having a red brake lens glued up to the new clear indicator lens. I could stick with the conventional red rear then. It was only the yellow lens I wanted to get rid of. Any thoughts appreciated. Cheers Jon Edited by - Jp7 on 14 Jun 2012 11:42:57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Top Tip If you haven't already fit a decent LED high level brake light for your safety. I have followed 7's on blats with your rear light setup & the brake lights are almost useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Second that. They are so useless, I don't know how they legally get away with it ❗ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp7 Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 I agree. Searching around on the net I found some Osram DiaDem 21/5w red bulbs that are E marked for use here and with clear lenses. Not cheap at £16 each but do you think that would work better than the LED bulbs which are hopeless? Cheers Edited by - jp7 on 14 Jun 2012 11:43:27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 By all means fit brighter bulbs (but at a price ) but fit one of thesehere I have & so have many other sevener's down this way. Very neat, very bright & simple to fit. CC can supply a sub loom or just patch into the wiring inside the rear wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_I Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'd love brighter rear lights but seems impossible to find or get. I went the 48-LED 3rd brake light route as well. A very very easy upgrade to the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I put the SVC LED rear light clusters on Eugene - very, very bright in all conditions! 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Stick alu tape on the reflectors and polish this tape, the rear lights will be brighter, or if you have tape with a chrome effect it has the same result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dignity Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Quoting Martin Jeffrey: Top Tip If you haven't already fit a decent LED high level brake light for your safety. I have followed 7's on blats with your rear light setup & the brake lights are almost useless. Third that High level LED is an easy and cheap upgrade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted June 9, 2012 Leadership Team Share Posted June 9, 2012 A few of us locally have fitted this high level brake light - it's a Hella unit and very thin so sits nicely on the back of the roll bar. As mentioned use the Caterham sub-loom for an easy install Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian B Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Def fit a high level LED brake light , but changing the standard CC dim LED lamps for brighter SMD chip ones will make quite a difference. £16 is about right for high power stop/tail LED lamps, but check that they have as many of the LED chips facing the right direction (to the side) when the lamp is horizontal (ie not all on the 'end' IYSWIM). Reflective/chrome coating behind will almost double the light output as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felixgogo Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Hi - can anyone please provide any good links to those better SMD type LED lamps - I would also like to change out the indicators and stop / tail lamps into my standard Caterham rear lights. I have already swapped out the fog & reverse for different units completely, and I echo the recommendation of a high level unit - I fitted the 'Hella' one from Car builder solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Allen Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I've just bought one of These Very bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp7 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 Hi guys, many thanks for the replies. The bulbs i found are standard twin filament types, coated in something to give the red colour and they are e marked, so therefore legal, i presume. Can someone put a link on for the SMD led lights they have used, i looked around and there are masses of the things. I was going to call Britax and see if they would make up some white indicator/red brake lenses, would anyone be interested? I think the minimum order is for 12 lenses, or 6 cars worth. cheers Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 the lenses are in three parts - reflector, orange and red. so you could mix and match your old red brake light lense. The three parts are only lightly glued together . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Second that. They are so useless, I don't know how they legally get away with it They don't ! the clear lens and LED bulbs are not E marked and therefore not legal for road use, as I've said before you could land yourself in hot water if you end up being shunted in the rear - easy get out for the other insurance company! Using a multi LED rainlight type as a third brake light is a very good idea though there around a tenner with the resistor of flebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp7 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 No way would I use them as is, I have no desire to be rear ended and then not be able to claim cos of some technicality. The high level is a good idea, I shall get myself one. Ive managed to split one of my old lenses but destroyed the reflector in the process, don't know what theyre glued with but it's not giving up lightly The new clear lens appears to have glue along the join between the two clear halves so that will be even harder to get apart. The reflectors have a part number of their own so I should be able to get some replacements. If anyone has a top tips for splitting the glue, I'd love to hear it. Cheers Jon Edited by - jp7 on 14 Jun 2012 11:44:36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 7 wonders. Is that right? I thought CC were fitting these things to new cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oily Mick Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Quoting 7 wonders of the world: the clear lens and LED bulbs are not E marked and therefore not legal for road use, as I've said before you could land yourself in hot water if you end up being shunted in the rear - easy get out for the other insurance company! Using a multi LED rainlight type as a third brake light is a very good idea though there around a tenner with the resistor of flebay. Quoting ozzy: 7 wonders. Is that right? I thought CC were fitting these things to new cars? They are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Well if that's the case. How DO they get away with it then? Especially, if it could cost a customer Big Time! Something doesn't ring true here Edited by - ozzy on 10 Jun 2012 18:51:03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Are these clear lenses/LED combinations a case of: Weight, Cost, Complexity Performance Is there some point to this fad which I'm missing? It seems a bit like putting Lexus bling tail lights on an Austin A35 Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp7 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 In my case the whole car is silver,black and chrome. Just wanted to do away with the amber indicators, nothing more vain than that 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp7 Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 See bulk buy thread for some red brake/clear indicator lenses. cheers jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Lef Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 link here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbc Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Quoting ozzy: Well if that's the case. How DO they get away with it then? Especially, if it could cost a customer Big Time! Something doesn't ring true here As i understand it, the standard lights are used for the IVA test and then swapped afterwards. Edited by - ozzy on 10 Jun 2012 18:51:03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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