Rise of the Phoenix, '96 Firebird Formula 6-speed Options

[Bitter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5hVMFjDAA8

[Box]

Good ole Steve Martin.

So after looking through everything on Amazon rated 4+ stars I came across these: https://www.amazon.com/Nilight-Light-Lights...=led+fog+lights

Pretty much the perfect size, and from some of the pictures in reviews they seem fairly decent. The only other thing I'd know to do is find nearly non existent O.E. fog lights that probably suck or swap to the Trans Am front bumper since it has giant fog lights and would offer more flexibility in being able to mount either a good projector or LED fog light.

[Bitter]

Those are not suitable to be used as fog lights, but they make AWESOME reverse lights! They have no pattern, just a blob of light that would glare other drivers as if your high beams were on. Buy them though, and wire them in as reverse lights and you'll be able to see where you're going at night finally....in reverse. See if you can find the flood pattern for reverse though.

I installed ONE on a customers GMC Envoy because her OE reverse lights filled with water and the sockets rotted, she LOVES it and her husband loves it too. She wants one on her new car also :lol: She says it lights up down the driveway the whole width...and across the street and up their whole driveway too. :rofl:

This post has been edited by Bitter: Jul 10, 2016 - 10:55 PM

[Box]

Darn you misleading Amazon item titles, oh well guess it's back to the drawing board. From looking at pictures the 7th gen Celica fog lights seem too big as well. Why must it be so hard to find a 2" or smaller fog light that's worth a damn.

[Box]

So here's some side by side comparison pictures, the driver side is tinted and passenger side is yet to be done. Just dark enough to hide the delamination but not dark enough to really effect the light output, I am pleased.

[Box]

Since it ended up raining again, at least this time thankfully right before I was going to start on the passenger side, I decided to get a night time comparison as well. Really no difference at all at night, so that's good.

[cheela]

Looks much better.
I need to do this to my matrix. I really don't like the altezza light style that the 05-08 models got. and since the car is gray/black already, tinted tails should blend right in.

[Box]

The tint itself really isn't that dark, but the way the tail lights are made the exterior lense is clear so even light tint makes them look a lot darker than if the exterior lense was red. I held the tint up to the tail lights on my brother's Genesis and there was barely a difference as the lense is bright red. Since your Matrix has the altezza light tails you can get away with a lighter tinting so that your light output really isn't effected, but it'll look a lot better against the dark paint. Hopefully the weather cooperates this afternoon as the mismatched tails makes me cringe.

[cheela]

nice! good to know. yeah anything is better than bright chromy looking tails on a dark colored car. lol

and yeah u should really do that other side asap. haha.

[Box]

Yup, or maybe you could find '03-04? lights if you liked them but I think tinted altezza style might look better.

So at least this time it started raining after I was finished:

[Box]

I'm thinking about more or less blacking out the outside perimeter of the third brake light leaving the reflector portion that lights up untouched, I think it'd look better that way.

[cheela]

yeah i was after 03-04 tails but I've seen too many of them turn pink for some reason. if i wanted that i'd rather just tape off mine and paint it red but tint is what im after.

as for the 3rd brake light. just put a vinyl overlay on it. you can even have it say something like "race me" while u drive like an old grandpa LOL that would get annoying quick i'm sure.

[Box]

That'd be great, even driving like an old man I'd crush some Hondas though.

[Bitter]

Needs some stupid bright LED bulbs anyway.

[Box]

Yep it's on my never ending and never shrinking list of things to do. I've noticed when shopping for headlight and foglight stuff that the price on LED tower bulbs has come down significantly in the last year or so. Just a matter of finding what works optimally in my housings.

[Bitter]

Try the JDMAstar EX-144 bulbs, they're wicked bright in most housings. I actually wired a resistor on my amber ones to make them dimmer on the low brightness so there's more contrast between low and high. 150 ohm 1/2 watt was just right!

[Box]

Holy moly, I need something like that for reverse bulbs.

[Bitter]

Reverse lights are tricky, most housings have **** optics.

[Box]

Yeah, these are straight up terrible and are purely for just letting others know you're backing up. I guess here would be the one upside to honeycombs, but I'd have to tint the rest of the light dark enough to hide the honeycomb pattern. I bet you could even fit in a projector housing of some sort where the reverse housing is, then would definitely be able to see backing up.

[1994Celica]

I'm really loving your F body.... Taillights look good