Lighten Up
Hey Don , it looks nice I have a ? for you ,when you changed over your Eagle to LED did you use the 1157 led Blubs or did you change the whole lite ? I guess I could look at your project page . Iam thinking of switching ours over so was wondering . Thanks you Bus is looking Nice Andy
_________________
Andy Wright 68 Silver Eagle Model 5 8V92 #7481Hello Andy, I will do my best to answer some of your questions this morning, then it is hit the “Yard Donkey” (riding lawnmower) and get after it!
I checked back and the last time I put anything in there (the projects string) was back in March of this year. To be honest about it, I am not sure what all is in it, to tell you the truth. When I get an idea I usually just post it in Eagle Tech or Travel or something like that. I also freely admit a lot of it is not where it is supposed to be, but then again, I never claimed to be computer literate. I trust the adminstrators to move it if need be.
Pretty much low maint. I cannot be counted on to be disciplined at this. I am not all that motivated to maintain and keep up a project page. Project pages are big time eaters, and this takes me away from my “Idea Bank.” Here is a shot of it here, in the late afternoon this is where most of my fantastic (yawn) ideas are spawned. Hurr-yuk, Okie humor.
The only stock lights left on Daddy’s Hobby (our coach) are the instrument lights. All our step lights, interior overhead, and misc lighting has been changed over to LED. In answer to your question, yes, the marker lights are 1156, be forewarned “they are a tight fit” but they work. They are not cheap, if you have been shopping around and looking at them, then you already know what I am talking about here.
Most of my stuff is truck stuff, it comes from United Pacific or Rockwood Industries, no Chrome Shop Mafia. Eagle items are coming out of IBP in Florida and some other places.
The first to go were the headlights. One of the things I found out from the onset was the old Eagle round style lights did not do the job. I updated it to an ‘89 model by installing square lights, which were later replaced with new sealed beam units (also from United) that present 40% more light. Worked out well.
[center]
Second came the side turn reflectors, again of my design.
Step lites, front to rear interiors, all of my design and truck-stuff. Van is the only member that has personally observed any of this, and he can testify to their brightness and overall effectiveness.
All my markers are white light LED’s (they appear to be white during daylight hours) to blend in with the silver sides of the bus. The side markers, lower bumper running lights, are all Phoenix Design, which is a local outfit here in Oklahoma City.
At one time the owner was the founder of Panelite, he has since retired, but you can still get their stuff. They also fabricate a lot of my stainless steel items.
My tail lights and turn signals are a mix. I used standard Eagle parts, modified them to fit the new lights, and then installed them on the coach. Once again, they are white light and I tried to do my best to blend them in, and at the same time, acquire a radically different look for the bus.
The above shot is just running lites, the brake lights are not shown.A lot of this is not strictly bolt up, or in other words, You cannot just change it all over. You have to put in a new flasher units with the LED’s and also on my rear tail lights, I had to wire in two bulbs into the circuit in order to create resistance for the flasher units (these are standard bulbs hidden in the engine compartment). Most all of the other stuff is bolt up or bolt on items, except the custom stainless steel items that I designed and had made for me.
When it comes to the bus, I have discovered that “cheap” is not the way to go, as with most things, you spend more replacing this “Made In China” garbage that doesn’t seem to work. Whenever possible I try to purchase high-end or middle of the road items, I shy away from cheap.
When you go the cheap route you just throw good money after bad, it never works. I just ate a set of underbody neon’s as a prime example, only mounted a short time, and they all switched for some reason from red to white. Receipt was long gone, so I could not take them back. PEP Boys sells these, take my advice, steer away from them, there are far better units available and they too, are in LED.
For example here are our Pimp Lites:
As you can see, I clearly like the LED’s ... Jury is in on that .... Guilty as charged.
In the beginning I set out to build us a "head turner" and I believe we have accomplished that. Our old hoopie will hold its own with just about anyone else, and it gets a lot of flowers from the boys on the slab (comments on it over the CB) so I believe we have been successful.
There isn’t another coach in America with this particular lite setup and I not only like the appearance of them, I find myself quite proud of the way they turned out. I can say this, because most of them are of my design. It all went together with a lot of help of my friend Randy at Eagle Interior Accents in Oklahoma City (405-495-1899).
The lights not only change or update the bus, but they also remain within the parameters of keeping the same good lines that the Eagle is famous for.
It also might be worth mentioning here, that some won't approve. There are those in the Eagle community that most likely do not go for this kind of change, and that is understandable. But at the end of the day, there is only one thing that really matters.
In the end ... the only person who has to like them ... Is the guy that put them in,
and he is ... as far as I know ... okay with it all.
The only person who doesn’t really get into it is my bride, she will look at something and she will say .... “What did you spend on that?” and I tell her .... which always leads to a lively discussion on new counter tops in the kitchen. (Which is really
stoopid when is the last time you heard of some dude driving a counter top to a bus rally, think about it.)
Watch those right-handers, see you in the fast lane. *
BCO* Van I am pimping off the toad, have one light on order as we speak, it will match the bus exactly (or as close as I can get it).
Login
Register
