366 LED Taillight Filler Panel - PICS!

Had this idea and the parts for a while now. It took Rita to start working on it. I was able to fit 366, 8000mcd red LEDs behind it. I grinded the head of each one so it'd dispurse the light better. It's wired for both the running light and the brake light but only the running light is hooked up now. The 3rd brake light wire goes to ground when it's off so it wants to short. I need to figure out a way to use it other than hooking up a SPDT relay to it. I used liquid electrical tape to seal up the soldering and I also used a piece of a mud flap to keep the circuit board off the body of the car so it wouldn't short.

I cut off the stock face and bent a piece of .080 thick plexiglass with a heat gun to contour it. Then glued it to the frame. Came back with some JB Weld on the sides to fill in any open places and make it a little stronger. Then used some black caulk to seal it off so no light would come though. I made my new emblem with AutoCAD and cut it on the vinyl cutter. Notice the bird is not stock, but looks like the front bird. I think it looks better and still appears stock. Painted it with 6 coats of black and 6 coats of clear. I used some Cardinal Red translucent vinyl and put 2 coats on the backside of it.

I also took off my key hole and drilled it out a hair bigger to pu a 1" reverse camera for my screen.

Took the lights off


Stock Key Lock


Before Drilling


After Drilling


After grinding 370 LED heads flat



370 LEDs plus my tackle box of my other LEDs


Before Soldering


After Soldering



With Plexiglass Attached


Test Fitting It


Future Look


After Paint


Mud Flap


All Installed



Lit Up!

That is AWESOME! That thing looks sooooo cool!

Cool mod. I love those cars and the color.

That is way out! That took some time, eh?

Thanks for the props!
I have 4 hours tied up in JUST soldering the LEDs. Time from start to finish paint everything was probably around 9-10 hours total.

very nice bro

Hate to be an ant at your picnic, but your next chore is to find out whether the LED taillights you constructed and installed (and that look so cool!) are DOT compliant.

I wonder if it has to be DOT type-accepted or only DOT-compliant.

O wait, I think that''s Uncle Sam poking me in the ribs...

Craig, only the center logo has leds. Unless you mean he was going to use this as 3rd brakelight and disconnect the stock one.. In that case I figure it won't be legal as it's the same height as the tail lights..

This raises an interesting question about addiitonal lights. If the stock taillights and third brake light are left in place and the backlighted logo is installed in addition to these, does the logo still have to meet DOT requirements? On a related idea, to lighted license plate frames have to meet specs also?

The brightness of that lit license plate more than meets the minimum requirements of the DOT.
Very cool looking emblem.
I wonder how long it will be before someone else in your area tries to copy your idea?

Is there a MAXIMUM taillight brightness specified by the DOT?

Well, the license plate light (not a frame) is 32, 6000mcd LEDs... It's about to be upgraded though cause I thought everything else has been maxed out until I looked at it. I will be able to fit 99 white, 13000mcd LEDs there. So 3x as many LEDs plus 2x as bright LEDs... =) I did have a cop stop me in a parking lot to ask me where I got it. Told him I made it and he seemed to hint to me that he wanted me to make one for his 05 accord. He also told me it's the only legal one he's seen since the LEDs aren't shown.

As of right now, my new filler panel is only a running light, so legally I think I'm okay... I think. Cops could always get me (and almost everyone else on the road) for the law that states "you're not allowed to modify any lighting on a vehicle". the rear LEDs are toned down for the running light and in person match my taillight brightness nicely. I want to hook it up to be a brake light as well, BUT the 3rd brake light wire goes to ground when it's not on so it wants to short with the running light on. Any suggetions short of using a relay?

I actually had someone last night ask me to make him a front bird and rear bird for his car. I declined, mainly cause it makes my car unique.

Anyone know how I can find out the max brightness a brakelight/taillight can be? I'd like to find out, just to know. I don't think I'll have a problem with my panel around here in Louisiana, but only time will tell. =) My front bird below has given me no cop problems in the 1.5 years I've had it on there. Knock on wood.