[ZeGermanHam]

Hi folks. I was wondering if it is okay to bead (i.e., glass) blast the taillight housings from my '66 GTO, which I assume are pot-metal. Will they be okay, or is media-blasting to aggressive?

[SR-71]

Glass bead or walnut shells and then finish lightly with Eastwood Carb Renew 2 Bronze Aerosol 5 OZ if you don’t want to spend then money on gold chromate. I prefer to use 0000 steel wool instead of blasting since it preserves the smooth casting.

[dataway]

Walnut shells are wonderful ... I've done carbs that went from crusty to perfectly clean and showing some of the original chromate coloring.

[ZeGermanHam]

I decided to give bead blasting a try with the taillight housings. It ended up working just fine, and didn't cause any unwanted problems. The glass beads were gentle enough to not affect any of the casting numbers, and were just enough to take off the top layer of paint and grime.

[TAKerry]

Those turned out really nice. I know silver is correct for the reflector, but I have heard that painting them white will make the lights brighter.

[ZeGermanHam]

Yeah, I am pleased with how they came out, too. I still need to spend a little time scraping off the old gasket rubber, but on the whole, bead blasting was quick and effective. I'd have to imagine that silver would be brighter than white, but I don't claim to be an expert in that regard. I will likely go with silver, and I also plan to use LED bulbs that fit into the stock bulb sockets for added brightness. I know it's not traditional, but I've always worried about being rear-ended in my GTO with its louvered taillights.

[242177P]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

I'd have to imagine that silver would be brighter than white ...

If you think about it, silver (without gloss) is just gray, and that's midway between black and white. Black absorbs more light than white does. What about a mirror finish, like chrome? You'd have to consider the optics of the taillight housings. And adding LEDs would make that reflection worse, as the light emitted is directional (even though it's a cluster, they are in rows). You end up with a myriad of highs and lows. A flat finish helps disperse these patterns, the lenses are more evenly illuminated.

[dataway]

Very nice .... now I know what to do with mine

[TAKerry]

Gary has led's in his louvered tail lights and they make a big diff. I would go that route as well.

[JC455]

Ain't nothing traditional about being rear-ended-- the more light other drivers see, the better!

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by JC455

Ain't nothing traditional about being rear-ended-- the more light other drivers see, the better!

That's my view. It's bad enough not having a third high-mounted brake light.

[RAJ7395]

Keep in mind that when switching to LED bulbs you might need to switch to an LED compatible flasher as the LEDs don't use much current.

[TAKerry]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

That's my view. It's bad enough not having a third high-mounted brake light.

That would be a simple install. I had to put one in a jetta I had when the factory light went kaput. I got a red led and mounted it in the back window area.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by RAJ7395

Keep in mind that when switching to LED bulbs you might need to switch to an LED compatible flasher as the LEDs don't use much current.

Yep, a different flasher will be needed for sure. Otherwise it'll think a bulb is out and blink too rapidly.

Originally Posted by TAKerry

That would be a simple install. I had to put one in a jetta I had when the factory light went kaput. I got a red led and mounted it in the back window area.

I've been pondering what I might do about that, if anything. I might see if I can find some super bright CREE LEDs that are small enough to not be super distracting on the rear tray when the car is parked. If I do anything, I'll want them to be stealthy from an aesthetics standpoint while still serving their purpose from a safety standpoint.