[DeTomaso] Has anyone made replacement turn signals for the small front bumpe

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Sat Feb 20 19:24:47 EST 2010


In a message dated 2/20/10 16 08 21, kenn_green at yahoo.com writes:


> The nose of my car was refinished without recesses for the original 
> bumper mounted turn signals (mostly for the wiring).  I want to fit the bumpers 
> including the turn signals.  It looks pretty simple to cut a plastic lens 
> and fit an LED behind it that does not take up much space to minimize metal 
> mods to the body.  Has anyone done this?
> 

The problem with retrofitted LED lights is that they simply aren't bright 
enough to be seen.   When you look at them from two or three feet away, they 
look impressively bright--they are legitimately brighter than incandescent 
lights.   However, they are unidirectional, only shining straight out from 
the direction they are pointed, and the light perceived by the human eye 
quickly peters out as the distance increases.

Incandescent lights are omnidirectional; their actual job isn't so much to 
throw light, as it is to light up the reflective housing inside the turn 
signal, and THAT then throws considerably more light.   LED lights don't shine 
any light on the reflectors, making them borderline useless in these 
retrofit applications.

Modern cars use LED lights with MANY more LEDs, and they are aimed and 
focused onto complex reflectors, which enables them to be sufficiently bright to 
be seen clearly at great distances.

Last year, Gray Gregory and I were following Charlie McCall's GT5-S at 
night.   His car was borderline invisible due to his LED taillights.   He has 
LED front marker lights, and they are virtually impossible to see at a 
distance too--this despite the fact that they are genuinely brighter when seen 
close-up.   

Gray told me he had a set of those lights on his shelf, waiting to go into 
his car, but after that pathetic display of illumination, they are not ever 
going there now.

As to your specific problem, you could either fix the damage done to the 
body by the previous owner, or alternately, get some L-model turn signal 
buckets (Hall Pantera has brand new ones, NOS, on the shelf) and have them welded 
to the underside of the fenders and then run Euro L-model blade bumperettes 
which don't have provision for turn signals.   That's if you wanted a 
factory look (pick your period).   Personally I'd opt to undo the previous 
damage, and just fit stock bumpers, stock turn signals and stock bulbs.   Works 
great, lasts long time.

As another option, you could kluge some lights into the upper corners of 
the front radiator grille opening, behind the grille.   I've seen several 
Panteras with no front bumpers with this modification.   It looks pretty bad, 
very hokey and hillbilly, but it's an option.

Mike



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