68 Dart front grille turn signal indicator dia?

[MyCreation68]

Looking to find out the diameter of the turn signal lenses for a 68 dart. Can anybody help me out I have an idea for something kinda cool but I need the sizes of the lenses. thanks

[ls23h8b]

About 3.5"

[MyCreation68]

thanks much.

[golferjohn]

Looking to find out the diameter of the turn signal lenses for a 68 dart. Can anybody help me out I have an idea for something kinda cool but I need the sizes of the lenses. thanks

so what's the cool idea?

[MyCreation68]

I'm thinking about retrofitting some of those "Halo" style lights around the turn signals. I'm thinking I'll find a nice clear lense fog light in 3.5" Diameter and make a custom "Halo" ring for the inside edge of it that will be lighted by a white led.
For those who don't know the "halo" I'm refering to comes on BMW's and is the round white tube in these headlights:


I just figured I'm updating the look of my car a bit so I might as well see how this looks. Not sure how it'll turn out but I figure it's worth a try.

I'm also thinking of finding the font type the new challengers emblems are in and get the darts emblems done in that.

[That One Guy]

that's pretty cool, I'm thinkin about doing something with my big lights, here is a rendering of the idea
basically the headlights will be covered, and all that's going to be open will be the M

will those produce quite a bit of light, I know the old park lights are mostly useless for giving light ahead of the car to see with, although that's not what their intended use was, but that's what my dad apparently thinks they're for (see his pic on his sig.)

[golferjohn]

great idea...I was thinking of getting Xenons for the headlights, my X5 has them and I'm spoiled by the amount of light they produce.  have you investigated this?

[68_Val_Sedan]

a xenon headlight for the dart is a bolt in deal ... you will need to add ealys to handle the extra current they draw ... the guy who built you car up for you should have no trouble getting it done for you ..

[MyCreation68]

yeah I'm going to put HID's in my dart when it comes time, a major issue with that tho is finding a 7" headlight housing that has a proper beam cutoff so your not blinding people. I believe Autoloc makes one that would work great but I havn't looked into it to much yet.

[MyCreation68]

great idea...I was thinking of getting Xenons for the headlights, my X5 has them and I'm spoiled by the amount of light they produce.  have you investigated this?

The "Halo"s that I want to do I could do in two configurations I could change the fog lights into turn signal housings and have the "halo" lights just as a white ring or I could make the "halo" lights into my turn signals, and have fogs, The turn signals then would be led's and would have a huge life to them over normal bulbs. I'm thinking of trying some things with the taillights as well with LED's. I did a bit of research a while back and got a bit discouraged but I think I'll try it and make them work.

[golferjohn]

I purchased something similar to these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mopar-Dodge-Plymouth-24-LED-Tail-Lights-1156-1157_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33713QQihZ002QQitemZ120279507141QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

and was not too impressed by their output...I may try them again since I've replaced the regular flasher with an electronic one...this holds the light on much longer and it may make a difference.  We'll see

[MyCreation68]

I purchased something similar to these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mopar-Dodge-Plymouth-24-LED-Tail-Lights-1156-1157_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33713QQihZ002QQitemZ120279507141QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

and was not too impressed by their output...I may try them again since I've replaced the regular flasher with an electronic one...this holds the light on much longer and it may make a difference.  We'll see

I've seen those but I don't like them to much. I've been tossing the idea around for a couple years of making a custom piece that is inserted right behind the lense with 24 led's behind each red section.

[golferjohn]

I have a friend with a tricked-out '69 Charger that has LED tail lights and each side has three banks of LED's that encompass the full lens, no gaps or dull spots...looks very cool.  Maybe something like that would work?

[MyCreation68]

My plans actually came from Prelude Power.com a guy on there wired for led tails, Here's a shot of his turn signals and back up lights compared to stock bulbs:

and here's led tails compaired to stock bulbs:

[golferjohn]

That would be too cool, count me in on that!  Can you let me know when/if it's avaiable?  Thx, J

[MyCreation68]

That would be too cool, count me in on that!  Can you let me know when/if it's avaiable?  Thx, J

Well I guess if you want a set I'll get to work on them. It'll take a bit of figuring just to make sure everything fits and that i can get everything sealed properly so give me a bit of time. I'll order up my LED's in the next couple days and get tinkering.

[golferjohn]

cool,     

[MyCreation68]

Here's what I'm looking at for a layout for my LED's this will be a complete bolt in piece that I Will go to the effort to make sure there is no modifications to the housing or lense.
The red dots indicate the 4 rows of red LED's that are for the brake lights 48 led's with 12 in each of the 4 rows, the orange dots indicate the 24 Red LED's that will be used in the turn signal circuit, and the white dots in the reverse light section indicate the 24 lights that will be in the reverse light circuit. I may have to include a new turn signal flasher can(whatever their called) to make sure any set I make will function properly and that would be they only wiring required as I want to make these so you can plug the LED's into the factory bulb socket and that'll be it but If I do have to change that plan I will include something easy to change that will be an easy to do thing.

I have to find out what sort of resistor values I need to make the turn signals function properly so they don't blink like when their just normal bulbs and you have a burned out bulb.

[golferjohn]

an electronic flasher will take care of the resistance issues...I'm using one now because I hooked-up my front side marker lights to the turn signal circuit, which made the signals "quick flash".  Easy

[MyCreation68]

an electronic flasher will take care of the resistance issues...I'm using one now because I hooked-up my front side marker lights to the turn signal circuit, which made the signals "quick flash".  Easy

Finally got my LED's their so tiny 3mm diameter led's. I think I have a plan worked out I just have to go out and buy some plexiglass and start fabing something up. My current plan will require drilling the 3 "rivets"(I think their rivets) and removing the piece that separates the Reverse light section from the Tail light section. I'll find some plexi and start working on this with my spare taillight housing.

[golferjohn]

Keep us posted

[PureGTS]

  For the LED tail lights on my 68, I used DOT approved Truck/trailer lights; the oval ones. I cut the lenses off and reshaped the "guts" to fit the tail light housings. A little servo tape to protect the electrical bits of the circuit boards and a couple thin pieces of aluminum to mount to, and a butt load of patience it can be done. As for the bulb sockets, I broke up a couple 1157 bulbs, soldered in the wires for the LED's and filled the 1157 bases with "marine goop". The bases could be put in to the OEM sockets so the whole thing was reversable and would leave no permanent damage.
  At $20 each, and it requires four of them, it got kinda 'spensive but the results are outstanding. I was so full of myself, I went to Radio Shack and got some jumbo LED's (R & Y) and made the side marker lights LED too. Though not DOT they are fairly brighter than the 1893 bulbs the factory sent it out with.You can, however, expect to burn your fingers on those a few times building them. But they work good too.

[MyCreation68]

cool deal Pure GTS. I found some plexiglass so it's time to start drilling holes and placing leds. gimme til hopefully next wednesday and I should have something to look at likely incomplete but something to look at.

[MyCreation68]

John I finally got some more parts I ordered. Isn't shipping nice  I've been dogsitting and housesitting so I havnt been home to do anywork. I think I have my resistor values worked out and I'l be assembling a simple test circuit when I'm home after work wednesday morning, Hopefully if my figuring is correct I'l be able to make an order on some better quality resistors and start finishing my set. The Relay's are on order and their a simple SPDT Bosch style relay so if I ever blows it'll be a easy stop at the local Napa to find a new one, I've even bought some with sockets to make the install of a new relay if one ever blows out it'll be a piece of cake.

[MoPar_or _NoCar]

  For the LED tail lights on my 68, I used DOT approved Truck/trailer lights; the oval ones. I cut the lenses off and reshaped the "guts" to fit the tail light housings.

Do you recall the Grote part#? Thanx

[That One Guy]

this is pretty cool, are you thinkin about doin more, or lettin us know about what you used so that we can have something cool, I'd like to have something like that, and I'd pay for it, as long as it wasn't rediculous.

[MyCreation68]

this is pretty cool, are you thinkin about doin more, or lettin us know about what you used so that we can have something cool, I'd like to have something like that, and I'd pay for it, as long as it wasn't rediculous.

I definitly want to do more. I'm hoping to make it a kit that I can sell with simple instructions so others can do it as well. Once I get these figured out for the 68 I want to branch out first to 67 and 69's and then to other years as long as I can snag a taillight or two to fit.

EDIT: btw what do you feel is a fair price for something like this? I'm keeping track of what it is costing me to see if I can do this for a good price.

[golferjohn]

I'd pay @ $100.00 per set

[Bakaruda]

I like it. I have been looking for some of those.

[That One Guy]

I dunno, depending on what it costs to do, and how long it takes to make........
I think $100 is a pretty good idea on price