I'm really fed up with how dim the dash lights are in my 1980 and was seeing if anyone had done something about this or had an idea. I've heard of people just putting in LEDs but I don't know where to get any and if they'll go right in. Also I had the gauge cluster apart the other day, and I think that the back of the plate that covers up everything other than the gauges being green affects the light and have thought about painting it white to hopefully make it brighter. I'm looking for opinions or ideas, if you have done something that made it better pics would be great!!!

Thanks!!!!

 

Has no one done anything about this? Or thought about anything?

 

Are you sure your dimmer switch isn't turned down or possibly gone bad? My lights are pretty bright with it turned all the way up.

 

bypass the dimmer and see if its brighter, stick a paper clip in the plug. if the bulbs are just dim any new ones will make it brighter unless you have a voltage supply problem

 

They are perfectly fine and all are lit, but i've heard of people putting in LEDs in or maybe another way to make them a bit brighter. I plan on getting different bulbs from NAPA today so we'll see how that goes.

 

Well I just ended up taking the gauges out of the cluster, and painting the inside of the cluster with some silver/ chrome paint that I had and it made a world of difference! Also no longer have the green gauge lights. Only took me about an hour and cost about $4 for the paint. Really helped!

 

pics man! i might have to do this one mine too. Mine aren't too dim but they're not exactly bright either. Work fine but i like a nice looking truck lol

 

I'll try to get some pics tomorrow, the camera on my phone doesn't really work in the dark so i'll have to try something different. But if anything I can get some pics of the inside of the gauge cluster tomorrow.

 

I'm running 194 Led's like these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-T10-194-...item3a7525f6eb

I am going to paint my gauge cluster white and see if that helps. the leds kinda helped out a bit.

 

Okay sorry it took so long but I got some pics of the after didnt take any before so this is all i have



Also you can take the cover off of the housing foe the heater control light to make it brighter and get rid of the green light



If i have time tomorrow i will take the gauge cluster apart so i can get some pics of the inside with the silver paint.

 

I'm having the same problems with my 89. I've ordered LED replacement bulbs that should be arriving this afternoon. I don't know about the early 80s models, but try these guys... whitegauges.net or superbrightleds.com if you're looking to upgrade to LEDs. superbrightleds.com even has a link to make recommendations for your particular vehicle. I'll take some pictures of mine once I get them in and let you see how it turns out.

 

I took all the "condoms" off my light bulbs....made them 10x brighter.

 

i painted the backs of my gauges silver and the plastic as well also cleaned the dimmer with tuner cleaner (sold at radio heck) in my 79 also got rid of the covers on the bulbs

 

Okay so I finally got some pics of what I actually did to make them brighter, if someone wants I could do a quick write/ how to on this with pics on this thread, if so let me know, anyways heres the pics...







Hope this will help some of you, it did for me.

 

very nice! i want the tach makes grabby fingers LOL

seriously though it does make it brighter doesn't it!?,

its simple and it helps protect the now getting to be very old plastic sealing the surface an making for a much cleaner color light

my ol'girl she had yellowing an burns around the areas the lights had been in

heck i replaced the corner markers with the metal toyo units from 78 an older with some mods to the openings (the sockets pug right in) they look much better their metal got a nice little stainless trim ring an dont crumble to dust trying to change the light bulb! they got a coat of the silver paint as well

 

Yeah it really does make a difference! I'd be interested in some pics of the corner lights you did! I've seen the lights on the 78 and older truck in the wrecking yards and never looked at them to hard. What did you have to do to make them work?

 

i had to shave (disk cutter) metal from top an bottom off the opening of the fender an drill a new hole for one screw

i will get a better pictures than the one snow covered one i have of her tomorrow for you


i sprayed zinc primer around the hole inside best i could then mounted the lights a file helps to fine tune the opening definately a no going back mod BUT it looks an works better than the plastic rotted ones she had before

 

forgive the rust an dirt im recovering from an amputation an havent worked on anything in several years
https://www.yotatech.com/members/cyb...80-rear79.html
https://www.yotatech.com/members/cyb...9-front79.html

 

I changed out the bulbs in my dash for some LEDs. I went with blue to match my stereo.