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Box (Grand) Marquis Taillight Modification

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    Box (Grand) Marquis Taillight Modification

    I've been thinking of doing some modifications to the taillights in my '79 Marquis. More exactly, getting am extra set of taillights and modifying those. Anyway... One of the mods was to replace the standard taillight (not brake or turn) with LED strips mounted inside of the assembly. In a way it would be like these modified taillights I purchased for my '87 F-250, as seen in the attached photo. I was think two strips in each lamp, either along the top and bottom, or along the two inner ridges (likely requiring removing the chrome paint along the two ridges). Just not sure how any of it would look, though.

    I was also thinking of modifying the inner bulb mount on each assembly so that all three bulbs act as brake/turn in order to setup sequential signals. Figure I would just need to make an outline of the larger socket holes, trim appropriately, and rewire to replace the socket.

    Anyone done any of this before?
    1978 Ford LTD wagon, 351M
    1979 Mercury Marquis, 351W
    1987 Ford F-250 HD 4x4, 460, 4-speed, reg cab full bed
    2003 Mercury Marauder, 4.6L DOHC, JLT CAI, 4.10 gears, J-mod, custom tune

    #2
    Closest I did was modify a set of taillights in my c10 to fit the guts of a set of LED trailer lights into them. Worked great, but as with everything LED, I did not like, nor expect, was how difficult they where to see with the setting or rising sun in your eyes. Night time, it lit up everything behind me bright red, I'm sure any driver behind me at taillight level hated me. But that poor performance during the morning commute and drive back home they where difficult to see. Nothing like driving behind your own vehicle to see what the true effects where in all conditions, not just the optimal ones. I went back to original housings & incandescant bulbs in it.

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      #3
      The brake/turn lights wouldn't be the LED strips, only the taillights,so that wouldn't really be an issue. The lamps would illuminate normally for brake/turn, with the exception if I'm able to replace the inner bulbs with a barke/turn bulb and making them sequential.
      1978 Ford LTD wagon, 351M
      1979 Mercury Marquis, 351W
      1987 Ford F-250 HD 4x4, 460, 4-speed, reg cab full bed
      2003 Mercury Marauder, 4.6L DOHC, JLT CAI, 4.10 gears, J-mod, custom tune

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        #4
        This is actually along similar lines, in concept, to what I wanted to do with my 91 tail lights. I was going to use LED panels (typically available as aluminum PCBs) to form 3 functionally distinct segments (for sequencing) "floating" with an air gap around them, to be the brake/turn lights, and use some sort of plug-n-play LED bulbs in the original sockets behind to create a perimeter glow for the tail light.

        Never ended up doing that. Even picked up a spare set of tail lights.

        I'd have to say since you came up with the idea, you're more than capable of making it happen. If it were me though, I wouldn't be modifying my only set of lamps, and I know the 79-82 lamps are way harder to come by. Consider what happens if you get a ticket and need to put the car back; much easier to just swap housings then put it back to modded when the ticket's taken care of.

        Current driver: Ranger
        Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
        | 88 TC | 91 GM
        Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
        Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
        | Junkyards

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          #5
          That's why I mentioned that I was getting a second set of taillight assemblies. Already ordered them off of eBay. Found plenty for passenger side, but only one driver side.
          1978 Ford LTD wagon, 351M
          1979 Mercury Marquis, 351W
          1987 Ford F-250 HD 4x4, 460, 4-speed, reg cab full bed
          2003 Mercury Marauder, 4.6L DOHC, JLT CAI, 4.10 gears, J-mod, custom tune

          Comment

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