Jump to content

Wanted: Superformance S-1 tail lights


Off Road SHO

Recommended Posts

Thanks, I've sent emails to them. We'll see if I get a response back from any.

 

I'm not beyond just replacing the whole assembly, both backing plate/socket/lens and pigtail with something else. I wonder what these tail lights were originally installed on? They kind of look like Land Rover tail lights.

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, I've sent emails to them. We'll see if I get a response back from any.

 

I'm not beyond just replacing the whole assembly, both backing plate/socket/lens and pigtail with something else. I wonder what these tail lights were originally installed on? They kind of look like Land Rover tail lights.

 

Tom

 

Did you contact any of the SPF dealers listed there? Forget about sending an email, pick up the phone and speak with them live.

 

Bill S.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill,

 

I did on another problem and got the feeling I was keeping them from their higher paying work. I've google image searched and see some that are similar but not the same. Would really like to replace them with some quality units, but that might not be possible in today's China centric manufacturing.

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My lenses are okay so I was hoping to avoid drilling new holes in my S-1, since those don't show how it's mounted to the body.

 

I can't believe the Superformance guys designed and had built their own tail lights, they probably picked something from a car or truck.

 

 

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My lenses are okay so I was hoping to avoid drilling new holes in my S-1, since those don't show how it's mounted to the body.

 

I can't believe the Superformance guys designed and had built their own tail lights, they probably picked something from a car or truck.

 

 

 

Tom

 

Parts were all sourced locally in South Africa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

forget direct replacement. why replace that that failed? Look on ebay for 12v led lights that can be mounted in your enclosure, that is what I have planed as one of mine is already heat damaged. and they can be much brighter. We own orphans but no worse than a home built and SF did do a great many tings right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

forget direct replacement. why replace that that failed? Look on ebay for 12v led lights that can be mounted in your enclosure, that is what I have planed as one of mine is already heat damaged. and they can be much brighter. We own orphans but no worse than a home built and SF did do a great many tings right.

 

 

Speed, That's the problem, the enclosures as you call them are melted from the old style filament bulbs. The previous owner replaced the bulbs with newer LED bulbs but the enclosures were still the old melted ones. I will try and insert a pic of the melted bulb housings.

 

Tom

IMG_1014.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Found them in the U.K. They are from the Land Rover Defender 90 and 110 vehicles.

 

http://www.pegasusparts.co.uk/ourshop_90073/prod_2756583-RTC-5523-KIT-StopTail-Lamp-Assembly-September-1973-onwards.html

 

Now if I can just find them here.

 

Tom

 

Being a Rover owner too ('74 series 3 88") I will caution you on those lamps. The bulb holders are often (way too often...) very soft plastic that don't hold the bulbs in place. The contact springs will often push the bulb completely out of the socket leaving but a nice groove the shape of the bulb bayonette, with the now broken bulb ratting about inside the lens.

 

I have resorted to buying these things, gutting the lamp holder, and splicing in a standard metal lamp holder from NAPA.

 

Even after all that, the posts that "catch" the screws used to hold the lens in place will strip if you either a) remove them more than 4 times, or b) apply more than 1oz-in of torque.

 

I wish I had a better option to offer, but this is a so-far unsolved issue in the Rover community.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can get them from my local Land Rover stealership (part number RTC5523), who in turn gets them from somewhere in cauliflornia but he wants 38.00 apiece, 76.00 per pair! And I end up with the same cheap plastic bulb holder, that transalpian mentioned.

 

I went down to the local Oreily's for just the socket in metal, but they look absolutely cheap too. I will try and go to NAPA tomorrow to see if they have better sockets. On the cheapie factory units, the bulb socket actually protrudes through a big hole in the fiberglass escucheon (sp?) that the socket base is screwed to. If I have to modify anything, I might as well just by some newer style LED lights and be done with it.

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same lamp, but from British Pacific

 

http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/3736.cfm

 

$17.95 each.

 

From Rovers North

 

http://landroverparts.roversnorth.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=PLF199&type=0

 

$15.95 each.

 

I cut the plastic lamp holder from the mounting flange and superglued in a metal lampholder. Easier to do than to explain.

 

I also have ground "issues" (as almost all series owners do) so I bought a lamp holder with a direct wired ground rather than relying on the body ground.

 

Rovers North also sells an LED replacement (but not direct replacement, the bolt patterns are different):

 

http://landroverparts.roversnorth.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=LED6388&type=0

 

$29.95 each.

 

Lots of options, none great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the cheapie factory units, the bulb socket actually protrudes through a big hole in the fiberglass escucheon (sp?) that the socket base is screwed to. If I have to modify anything, I might as well just by some newer style LED lights and be done with it.

 

That's how they all mount. It looks like yours are held on with four bolts? If so, that surprises me as the lamps were designed to use three, one of which provides the ground connection to the body.

 

But of course fiberglass isn't the best ground conductor...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Land Rover lights on my Westfield and replaced the stop/tail lights with Radiantz 1.85" LED clusters. They are very bright, and maintain an edge over the outgoing 2357 bulbs even at extreme angles. It's available in a pigtail version that terminates in an 1157/2357 plug, which enables you to fit the large cluster at the base of the light fixture.

 

-John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Damn I am so pissed. Finally got the new lights and they don't *%#&@in fit! The escutcheon that the lights screw to (that converts the angle of the fenders to vertical for the lights) is too shallow near the bottom, a quarter inch too shallow.

 

 

They also missed on the hole alignment at the back of the escutcheon and fender. I sure don't feel like grinding bigger holes in fiberglass to make a shitty light fit in a poorly designed mount. I think I will find some surface mount amber and red LED lights.

 

Anybody want to buy some brand new Land Rover lights and LED 1157 bulbs to go with them?

 

Tom

IMG_1147[1].jpg

Edited by Off Road SHO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...