[DeTomaso] Group IV Taillight recommendation/ BRIGHTNESS.

[Dickruzzindesign at aol.com]

There was some discussion a while back about LED and other new technologies 
to improve the brightness of tailamps in Panteras.

I feel increasingly that this is a real safety issue as modern cars with 
larger tailamps have defined an expectation for lighting that is not fulfilled by 
older ones.

A Mangusta or Pantera is enough of a distraction on the road to other drivers 
without   considering the handicap of small tail and brake lamps. I do not 
want to be rear-ended.

I think the addition of one or two LED high level stop lamps would be a real 
improvement, but upgrading the brightness of the tail and stop lamps, I feel 
is a must as well.

Has anyone done that successfully?

The parabolas of lamps of all kinds are designed around the lamp filament to 
meet required standards of brightness. That means that halogen conversions 
probably have the best chance for lighting the entire lamp as the original bulb 
does. I see now that some LED lamps claim to do that.

I would like to see this group arrive at a recommendation based on the 
experiences of the members.

Dick Ruzzin