Run Trifecta at night and you will use them, a lot, and wish you had more.
CK5
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'74 K5 build: Smurf
- Thread starter dremu
- Start date
There and I thought I was pretty clear it's essentially 100% for show
I have the Hellas on the bumper for when I legitimately need light.I was of half a mind not to even run wires to it -- you know, an homage to the no-front-driveshaft trucks
But since I'd already done most of the work for the last lightbar, I did finish the job.-- A
Jester1
1/2 ton status
Need pics with the lights ON or it doesn't work......
Its dark out now.......
Its dark out now.......
lectric80
3/4 ton status
I have an advantage in that my Dad gave me a lightbar that he had on a 72 Bronco. Obviously it is too narrow, but it already has nice curved supports and I can easily replace the center bar with a piece of angle iron. I am thinking just 4 lights though, and if the ground plane will be strong enough I may put my radio antennas there as well.
What he said. Darkness is coming in a few hours!
It's actually really hard to take a picture of lights, especially large numbers of semi-bright ones =))
While it's not pitch black out, that's with no streetlights or any real illumination other than the lightbar. Nyah.
-- A
While it's not pitch black out, that's with no streetlights or any real illumination other than the lightbar. Nyah.
-- A
Mine eyes!
Jester1
1/2 ton status
That is totally wiked. (what movie?)
So next is the little happy face KC covers?
If your gonna rock the 80's lights ya gotta go all the way.
So next is the little happy face KC covers?
If your gonna rock the 80's lights ya gotta go all the way.
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
^ Agreed. 
I have actually been working on the truck, just haven't done anything particularly photo-worthy. There's one more Top Secret Project in the works, but thus far it's mostly been little stuff.
I replaced all the bulbs, save the headlights, with LED's: brakes, backups, markers, turns. It's REALLY hard to take photos of lights, especially with my cheap camera, be forewarned.
I do recommend LED's as an upgrade, for a coupla reasons:
Between their lower amperage draw and the fact that modern ones have constant-current drivers (not just passive resistors), they run full brightness even on decades-old wiring.
LED's generate very little heat, which translates to no melting of the plastic housings. Especially if they're as old and brittle as mine, this is A Good Thing.
They also snap on and off instantly (okay, at the speed of light
) as opposed to the incandescents which take a fraction of a second to light. At 60MPH, that fraction of a second can mean the difference between somebody rear-ending me ... and not.
However, depending on where you get them, they aren't cheap. I got bright fancy ones from SuperBrightLEDs.com, and they are pricey. They do have good documentation, including brightness and color comparisons, accurate dimensions, etc. Those on a budget could scrounge Ebay and put up with the lack of information there.
One thing to note is that the front side markers are not polarized. The wires are + / - with the lights on but - / + with the lights off, so neither is a ground nor a hot. This means that you need a 194 replacement that is non-polarized, which limits your choices. (Otherwise the bulbs only work when the lights are on, or when they're off, depending on in which direction they're installed.) Also note that the really long 194 replacement towers won't fit in the side markers, so don't go crazy and get a 42-LED thing.
Anyway, it's not 100% plug-n-play, but with a little attention it's pretty straightforward.
Without further ado, here's the pix. Shut up, especially Colby Stephens, about my camera and lack of skill with it
That's brakes and markers on, and the backup lights too. (The license plate light is actually still an incandescent.)
Nice wide dispersal pattern, even brightness, fills the housing nicely, IMO.
That's the front turn/markers. The non-polarized sides are not as bright as I'd like, but are as bright as my 194 incandescents were, and those front ones are obvious: I AM TURNING NOW
This is inside, with a 'festoon' in the dome light (with the cover on and the rollcage in the way), and a cool-white 1156 replacement under the dash, which is where most of the light comes from. It's not quite as blinding as the pic makes it seem, but I won't lose things on the floor in the dark.
Yes, that's a piece of 2x2 lumber in the passenger seat, which was used to hold down the brake pedal while I was taking pictures.
-- A
I replaced all the bulbs, save the headlights, with LED's: brakes, backups, markers, turns. It's REALLY hard to take photos of lights, especially with my cheap camera, be forewarned.
I do recommend LED's as an upgrade, for a coupla reasons:
Between their lower amperage draw and the fact that modern ones have constant-current drivers (not just passive resistors), they run full brightness even on decades-old wiring.
LED's generate very little heat, which translates to no melting of the plastic housings. Especially if they're as old and brittle as mine, this is A Good Thing.
They also snap on and off instantly (okay, at the speed of light
) as opposed to the incandescents which take a fraction of a second to light. At 60MPH, that fraction of a second can mean the difference between somebody rear-ending me ... and not.However, depending on where you get them, they aren't cheap. I got bright fancy ones from SuperBrightLEDs.com, and they are pricey. They do have good documentation, including brightness and color comparisons, accurate dimensions, etc. Those on a budget could scrounge Ebay and put up with the lack of information there.
One thing to note is that the front side markers are not polarized. The wires are + / - with the lights on but - / + with the lights off, so neither is a ground nor a hot. This means that you need a 194 replacement that is non-polarized, which limits your choices. (Otherwise the bulbs only work when the lights are on, or when they're off, depending on in which direction they're installed.) Also note that the really long 194 replacement towers won't fit in the side markers, so don't go crazy and get a 42-LED thing.
Anyway, it's not 100% plug-n-play, but with a little attention it's pretty straightforward.
Without further ado, here's the pix. Shut up, especially Colby Stephens, about my camera and lack of skill with it
That's brakes and markers on, and the backup lights too. (The license plate light is actually still an incandescent.)
Nice wide dispersal pattern, even brightness, fills the housing nicely, IMO.
That's the front turn/markers. The non-polarized sides are not as bright as I'd like, but are as bright as my 194 incandescents were, and those front ones are obvious: I AM TURNING NOW
This is inside, with a 'festoon' in the dome light (with the cover on and the rollcage in the way), and a cool-white 1156 replacement under the dash, which is where most of the light comes from. It's not quite as blinding as the pic makes it seem, but I won't lose things on the floor in the dark.
Yes, that's a piece of 2x2 lumber in the passenger seat, which was used to hold down the brake pedal while I was taking pictures.
-- A
After reading some threads here about timing, I ordered a spring kit when I got some other stuff from Summit, and recurved the distributor. I've never been happy with the timing on this truck: if I set the base so it idles right, it had no high end whatsoever, and if I set the timing so it ran at highway speed it would idle like crap, diesel when shut off, etc. Also it ran too hot all the time. I read up on the AIR as part of the "Timing And Vacuum Advance 101" and decided that it was to go.
Since Tankie is exempt from smog, I removed the AIR pump and replaced the exhaust manifolds, and put on an adjustable vacuum advance. This is all less photogenic than the LED's, but she definitely perked up. I may give yet her a little more advance on the high end, but she idles smooth and cool, and has materially more zip. Got her up to 65 or so without being completely puckered to the seat.
I also started the same process on the sixpack, which has a built big block (Tankie's just a stock 350), and am quite pleased with the results. Except for the scalded knuckle where I brushed against the header
and the various marks on my fat belly from resting on the fenders to stretch to the dizzy 
You guys with EFI don't know all the fun you're missing having to adjust every little thing on the truck six ways from Tuesday.
-- A
Since Tankie is exempt from smog, I removed the AIR pump and replaced the exhaust manifolds, and put on an adjustable vacuum advance. This is all less photogenic than the LED's, but she definitely perked up. I may give yet her a little more advance on the high end, but she idles smooth and cool, and has materially more zip. Got her up to 65 or so without being completely puckered to the seat.
I also started the same process on the sixpack, which has a built big block (Tankie's just a stock 350), and am quite pleased with the results. Except for the scalded knuckle where I brushed against the header
and the various marks on my fat belly from resting on the fenders to stretch to the dizzy You guys with EFI don't know all the fun you're missing having to adjust every little thing on the truck six ways from Tuesday.
-- A
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Cool stuff with the LEDs... and I don't think I've ever busted anyone's balls over their photos. 
What type 194's are you using?
I found that the LED 194's aren't very good at light dispersion. I have some of the 5 SMD ones. They won't fit correctly in the rear markers. The fronts I have no issue with, but they are polarized, so I've got to get the non-polarized ones if I want to run them in that position.
What they need to make are SMD's that are like the festoon bulbs (or similar with the circuit board) with more than just one LED pointing in each direction, but of course, with the dimensions, they would have to be just right.
Going to have to check into those non-polarized 194's, thanks.
I found that the LED 194's aren't very good at light dispersion. I have some of the 5 SMD ones. They won't fit correctly in the rear markers. The fronts I have no issue with, but they are polarized, so I've got to get the non-polarized ones if I want to run them in that position.
What they need to make are SMD's that are like the festoon bulbs (or similar with the circuit board) with more than just one LED pointing in each direction, but of course, with the dimensions, they would have to be just right.
Going to have to check into those non-polarized 194's, thanks.
Finally, I'm gonna redo the dash with a Classic Dash and new gauges. It'll be a bit before I get it all sorted, but here's the regulatory parts porn:
The empty hole is for one gauge which is drop-shipped and will be here in a few days.
I'll decide on placement later -- thank you Ryoken and 4x4High for your informative threads about placement and use --but the four 2 5/8"s gauges are in no particular order
Water temp
Tranny temp
Oil pressure
Fuel
Then the speedo and tach, of course, and the two 2 1/16" ones in place of the upper vent are voltmeters for the two batteries. I might do switch them around a bit someday, but for now it covers the basics.
The existing gauges are impossible to read at night as half the bulbs are out and the others are dim. I was debating pulling the cluster out, silver-painting the liner and putting LED's in for the lighting, but my PCB is getting corroded and the connections are just unreliable ... so my case of MightAsWell-Itis reared its ugly head, and I decided to just redo the whole thing. Gauges are the Phantom II's with LED backlighting, and the dash is basically the factory '74 one with one tweak, see below.
JJ ("Ion" here on CK5) does custom orders, within reason, i.e. the dash came pre-drilled for the 2x 2 1/16"s up top instead of the vent. I suspect you have all kinds of options, based on the discussion in the Vendor forum thread. He was patient enough to work through the whole thing with me (I'm picky, what can I say) and his pricing is amazing! For what I woulda spent at, say, Summit for just the gauges, he set me up with the dash, the gauges, the speedo sending unit, a whole pile of wiring harnesses, LED's & little stuff (that's the baggies at the bottom.)
Check out the thread on http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296816 for more pix and possibilities.
The blank panel where the radio goes will end up being drilled for switches and indicators, though I think I'll tone it down a bit from its current James Bond level of gadgetry. I'll also hafta decide on placement and such for the indicators like highbeam, turn signals, brake warning, etc.
I'll post more pix when I start installing stuff, but I think my knuckle has to heal first
-- A
The empty hole is for one gauge which is drop-shipped and will be here in a few days.
I'll decide on placement later -- thank you Ryoken and 4x4High for your informative threads about placement and use --but the four 2 5/8"s gauges are in no particular order
Water temp
Tranny temp
Oil pressure
Fuel
Then the speedo and tach, of course, and the two 2 1/16" ones in place of the upper vent are voltmeters for the two batteries. I might do switch them around a bit someday, but for now it covers the basics.
The existing gauges are impossible to read at night as half the bulbs are out and the others are dim. I was debating pulling the cluster out, silver-painting the liner and putting LED's in for the lighting, but my PCB is getting corroded and the connections are just unreliable ... so my case of MightAsWell-Itis reared its ugly head, and I decided to just redo the whole thing. Gauges are the Phantom II's with LED backlighting, and the dash is basically the factory '74 one with one tweak, see below.
JJ ("Ion" here on CK5) does custom orders, within reason, i.e. the dash came pre-drilled for the 2x 2 1/16"s up top instead of the vent. I suspect you have all kinds of options, based on the discussion in the Vendor forum thread. He was patient enough to work through the whole thing with me (I'm picky, what can I say) and his pricing is amazing! For what I woulda spent at, say, Summit for just the gauges, he set me up with the dash, the gauges, the speedo sending unit, a whole pile of wiring harnesses, LED's & little stuff (that's the baggies at the bottom.)
Check out the thread on http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296816 for more pix and possibilities.
The blank panel where the radio goes will end up being drilled for switches and indicators, though I think I'll tone it down a bit from its current James Bond level of gadgetry. I'll also hafta decide on placement and such for the indicators like highbeam, turn signals, brake warning, etc.
I'll post more pix when I start installing stuff, but I think my knuckle has to heal first
-- A
Last edited:
Cool stuff with the LEDs... and I don't think I've ever busted anyone's balls over their photos.
No, but you did all the nice photos with a real camera for your headlight relay thread. I tried doing before-n-after with the LED's on one side and the incandescents on the right and it was ... red blobs.
-- A
The non-polar ambers I have in the front markers are
http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...194-led-bulb-5-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/199/
The red ones I used in back are
http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...led-bulb-5-smd-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/206/
Which fit for me
-- A
Those red ones look a bit shorter than the ones I got. They are very close to fitting, just not close enough. They work sometimes, but the lens puts JUST enough pressure on them that normally they don't.
They work sometimes, but the lens puts JUST enough pressure on them that normally they don't.
So where do you mount your radio?
Martin
Martin
The thing that plays Zepplin so you don't hear all the other noises.
Martin
Martin
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