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  1. #1
    FEP Member 5pointoh's Avatar
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    Default Looking for a good replacement dash bulb kit for my 82

    OK it looks like my lights are pretty well gone on my dash as it is very dim when they are turned on. I was wondering has anyone found a good replacement dash bulb kit that would work on my 82 GT? I came across these on the NPD. They claim to be very bright and come in 3 different levels of brightness. The kit in the link is the brightest and thus the most expensive. There are 2 more kits below this one in level of brightness. Has anyone used this kit on their fox or has any other good suggestions?

    https://www.npdlink.com/product/led-.../178661/150653
    Current Mustangs:
    82 Silver GT - 5.0L crate motor, Tremec 3550 5 spd tranny, SVO brake kit, 8.8 rear end with 373s
    05 Legend Lime Fastback - some mods
    05 Screaming Yellow Vert - even more mods including Edelbrock blower

  2. #2

    Default

    I’d like to see how this kit works, I have the same dim lights in my car.



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  3. #3

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    You only need five for backlighting. The rest you can do without more expensive LEDs and just stick with incandescent.

    https://www.superbrightleds.com/sear...ter-gauge/194/
    Last edited by FoxChassis; 11-17-2018 at 09:00 AM.
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  4. #4
    FEP Member 5pointoh's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by FoxChassis View Post
    You only need five for backlighting. The rest you can do without more expensive LEDs and just stick with incandescent.

    https://www.superbrightleds.com/sear...ter-gauge/194/
    They have also got this one which is the kit below. This one cost less and is suppose to be up to 5 x brighter than OEM. The more expensive one is up to 8 x brighter. I think I would be happy to have something up to 5 x brighter though anything is better than what I currently have.

    https://www.npdlink.com/product/led-.../178657/150653
    Current Mustangs:
    82 Silver GT - 5.0L crate motor, Tremec 3550 5 spd tranny, SVO brake kit, 8.8 rear end with 373s
    05 Legend Lime Fastback - some mods
    05 Screaming Yellow Vert - even more mods including Edelbrock blower

  5. #5
    FEP Senior Member gt4494's Avatar
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    Nov 2004
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    Chas. SC
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    Default

    Watch the attached yourtube. The guy can bloviate a bit but its the best "real world" comparison that I have seen. 2 types LED vs incandescent lights for the dash

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwnEIDb0OxE&t=1540s
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
    Albert Einstein

    1984 20th Anniversary GT350
    Almost "Stock"

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member dagenham's Avatar
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    Default

    The bulbs shouldnt be getting dimmer. Are you sure you arent turning the headlight knob to the right when you pull it out? Also there could be dust building up back in the instrument cluster blocking the light. I have a LED kit in my wifes 91 5.0 and its one of the best things I've done to it. I dont think it matters to much which incandescent bulb you use you wont see a noticable difference.
    Current Mustangs
    1966 6 cylinder coupe
    1984 SVO 9W
    1985 Saleen #132

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    SE Michigan
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    Default

    Not much can do to improve cluster illumination. It is what it is due to design.
    Funny how everything was fine when car was new.
    Backlit behind face. Reflects off inside white cluster housing to light face.
    Newer are backlit thru mask. Much better. If ours were mask type, reg bulbs would work fine.
    Hard to increase without glare like a cellphone at night. Ruins night vision. Fine for dawn,dusk, rainy day.
    Washout. Dim LED down and right back where it was with incand?
    Run higher watt incan and heat is a problem.

    Read 1 candlepower= 12.57 lumens
    T-3.25 wedge
    193 bulb=
    194 bulb= 2.0cp 25L about 4w
    168 bulb= 3.0cp 37L
    5w xenon= 30L
    3w xenon= 15L
    2825 bulb 5w 50L 12v

    1157, 570 truck bed light is about 32 cp or 400L
    Dome light about 100-250 L
    1816 bulb swing down map light 3.0cp 38L 13v


    Car LED have diff color temps just like house lighting.
    Warm white 2700k spectrum is like incandescent.

    I modded cluster lighting with 5 new wedge socket pigtails, wired directly to hvac panel lighting. 194/168/2825 working fine.
    Removed all blue masks behind gauges. Some were loose, cracked. Twist in sockets are shot, no contact with printed circuit.

    Tried colored bulbs. Color is washed out when lit. Slip on bulb covers work fine, not with 5w though.
    The deeper the color, the less brightness. Sometimes have to use colored bulb and colored boot.

    Prob would use led if they cost the same as regular. I feel too many drawbacks to experiment buying them.
    Usually the lumens are not listed. Heck can ride a bike at night no problem with 250L headband light.
    24L is no improvement. 56L prob fine if really dimmable. 92 lumen is bright.
    Ultra bright. What is that supposed to mean? Do they diffuse like a reg bulb?
    Don't get me wrong. Am using LED 2700K warm white in the house and like them a lot. No going back.

    Trick is to increase brightness, be able to dim, have same color as stock, keep heat down, keep expense down.
    Wish the Mustang's lights were backlit like my 93 Ranger.

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