Miata LED Tail lights!
 

These are pretty neat but not mine

And here's mine that I built

Do I spot an arduino? I'd like to see how you constructed the led panels inside.

It's actually pretty simple. Not too complicated, just A LOT of tedious soldering and placement. Ugh... Hours and hours of test fitting, breadboard work testing all the circuitry, lining everything up (there's no way inside the tail light to go off of to make sure everything is straight). I'm going to be dramatically changing my design as this design was basically my "gotta start somewhere" design. Didn't come out half bad and I have had a lot of compliments/questions about where I got them. I wanted to start building and selling these, but I don't think it's worth it nor do I think people would want to pay to have them done. I figured around $400 for a set was what I would want to build these for. Cheaper if people would send me their tail lights, but that's a whole other ordeal.

Anyways, I am going to be building my own parabolic reflectors since the only 5mm reflectors were huge and expensive. I'm gonna be making my reflectors out of fiberglass and then somehow coating them with some type of chrome paint or chrome tape.

Excuse the pics, some were taken at 4am after not sleeping much lol.

Here's a few more pics since I could only attach 5 at a time...

Digging the NB turn signal. Brake lights seem a bit dim. Camera or actually dim?

They are extremely dim in the video as the batteries I was using weren't very powerful and didn't really produce the current needed to light them up right. I'm going outside to make a new video of them right now... Check back in like 10 min and hopefully by then it will be done being uploaded.

yeah try to get a shot from about 10' away in the dark with them lit up like they will be normally.

It's been 10min............................................. ........

Where's the turbo?

I did like 10-15 and like 20-25 ish

Sorry. Decided I wanted a Freeze from taco bell haha. Video is uploading to youtube so as soon as it's done, I'll post the link

Tired of turbo lol, plus don't need that much high end. I want to have instant power and great acceleration. That's why i want to go supercharger. Plus the supercharger is like $300... Then just a few hundred more for engine management, and some misc parts and a lot of welding.

pretty cool. looks nice

Thanks! Gonna be redesigning them soon and doing another set with a few improvements (hopefully) I have in mind.

Interesting. I like them overall, but I don't really like the cool white reverse. I would have gone warm or neutral myself. The blinkers are bad ass, but the brake lights themselves look a bit off to me. I understand there is limited space and limited arrangement for the bulbs, just looks a little off. Still cool overall.

Also, to shit all over your creation more, I would like to see this done with boards with tighter spaced holes, and with smaller LEDs, for a tighter grouping. I'm not a big fan of seeing the individual bulbs so spaced apart. Or maybe more diffusion between the bulbs and the other covers.

That actually look pretty good. The turns are still my favorite.

Yea I'm am actually drastically changing my design soon. These were basically a "let's see how it comes out" type of project. I will be creating my own fiberglass parabolic reflectors because the holders I used in the tail lights (generic) I think are hindering light output rather than helping. I don't want to go too outrageous with the LED's and be overkill, especially if I get a couple people that would want a set. The prices will stay low with less LED's. I am gonna build another board with LED's without the holders and see if that will diffuse the lights some. I think that might be better, especially because the LED holders are pretty expensive. Once I create and make my own reflectors, I can create an exact replica of the inside of the lens with the correct curvature so that the LED's put out extremely well with best efficiency. Also I may add 10-20 extra LED's that will only be illuminated when the brakes are applied.

As for the reverse LED's, they were extras laying around, and they are waaayyy too blue for me, but will do for now. I will order some soon and change those out.

Thanks! I want to build another array where it's the same shape, but will have like 4 half circles which will light up sequentially towards the outside of the car (indicating your actual turn direction)




Also guys, don't be afraid to give me your opinions. I take criticism well as long as it's constructive. I won't cry lol just don't be a dick lol.

Oh check these out for you guys interested in LED tail lights...

99-05 Mazda NB MX-5 Miata (Eunos Roadster) Products
They're only $2000 a set... OMFG LOL

:eek::nono:

I really wish I could see their design to see what they needed so many LEDs for.... Lol

I shouldn't talk because when I redesign, I think I'm gonna be close to their amount...

I think that will be really good change. No holders, and more lights for brakes only.

Yea I think the holders I used did the opposite of what I wanted, which was to focus the LEDs lights outside of the lens. In retrospect, letting them hit the lens a little more will make them appear brighter without even needing to up the current on them.

Price for tail lights!!!