Not sure why I thought about doing this but I did and I think it adds a little custom touch. This can be done a bit easier and cheaper than I did it by using other bulbs or other sequential units.
The front of the Box Crown Victoria comes with 3 marker lights on the front and one is a signal, the center marker is a 3157 bulb and works as the signal, the outer 2 markers are 194 bulbs and this is where the modification comes in.
Parts that you will need include:
- housings - you can modify the ones on your car or buy them aftermarket or use an extra set so that you can go back to stock later, I used a set of Eagle Eye clear front markers and stock clear corners(found on 1991 only).
- sequential unit - I used one from Web Electric, it's a universal splice in kit that needs a turn signal feed and you wire it to the individual bulbs for sequential operation.
- harness or plugs - if you plan on using standard 3157 bulbs you will need to get the extra plugs to use for this, you can find them at any parts store or junkyard.
- bulbs - stock 3157 bulbs will work as will LED with the unit I used, I chose VLED v3 triton bulbs.
Start with your unmodified housing:
This is an aftermarket clear housing, this is the drivers side.
The signal in stock lights is on the inside of these
The outside is a for a 194 bulb and smaller
The corner is the same as the outer and for a 194 bulb
The inner lamp socket doesn't need to be modified since it is already made to fit a 3157 bulb/socket.
Using the VLED V3 tritons takes a little work even on a stock opening, you have 6 screw holes around the bulb that will hold it in place and you have to figure out by trial and error which screws need to be in place to make them fit. I used 3 screws(1 for each opening) and needed longer screws than those provided by VLEDs(6mm) to actually hold the bulb in.
I am using VLED V3 triton bulbs which will fit in pretty much any standard housing, I marked the outer edge of the gasket they come with to see where the 194 socket needed to be cut.
After grinding off the extra material, check to make sure the bulb will fit.
These bulbs mount using screws in their side that act like the tabs on a stock socket, once I checked to see that the bulb fit I put the screws in and marked off where to cut for them.
Cut some more
And in they went
You have to do the same modification to the outer housing that also held a 194 bulb
Once the housings have been modified, you can install the bulbs into the housings and get them ready for the car.
The inner signal housing with the V3 bulbs fit through the header panel fine, unfortunately that can't be said for the outer housing with bulb.
So I had to make the hole a bit larger forward of the original hole.
With that done, the housing can be put in.
Then there is the wiring...
This is the setup outside the car, the cylinder there is the "dynamite stick" used to create the sequence. The metal boxes are the controls for the V3 triton bulbs, the one without a piece of tape is for the amber/amber outer bulb. I numbered everything so it would be easier for me to install.
I have it set up to have each "ballast" running light to be powered by its individual socket power. I have the outer 2 with power and ground run from the car to the socket with a weatherpack connector(so I can change it back to stock if I feel like it).
The sequencer comes with instructions for use, it is generally used on the tails so there is a wire to have them light in sequence once then turn solid. In this case that wire is not used and is tucked up out of the way.
The cars signal wire is run to the sequencer and the inner signal, the sequencer then runs the signal to the second and third signal.
I am using an electronic flasher since I have LED signals, the flash rate is just long enough to turn on the outer bulb, there are people that will modify the flashers to your liking but I am ok with it as it functions now.
I have tried to use a regular bulb in the place of the 194 bulb on the corner and was not successful, the inner housing has more than enough room to do this but the corner light does not, it isn't deep enough for a larger bulb like a standard 3147. I tried a normal bulb and an LED, it was a tower and was the same depth as the stock bulb so it did not fit. You may be able to use a flatter 3147 LED but I haven't found one yet.
The front of the Box Crown Victoria comes with 3 marker lights on the front and one is a signal, the center marker is a 3157 bulb and works as the signal, the outer 2 markers are 194 bulbs and this is where the modification comes in.
Parts that you will need include:
- housings - you can modify the ones on your car or buy them aftermarket or use an extra set so that you can go back to stock later, I used a set of Eagle Eye clear front markers and stock clear corners(found on 1991 only).
- sequential unit - I used one from Web Electric, it's a universal splice in kit that needs a turn signal feed and you wire it to the individual bulbs for sequential operation.
- harness or plugs - if you plan on using standard 3157 bulbs you will need to get the extra plugs to use for this, you can find them at any parts store or junkyard.
- bulbs - stock 3157 bulbs will work as will LED with the unit I used, I chose VLED v3 triton bulbs.
Start with your unmodified housing:
This is an aftermarket clear housing, this is the drivers side.
The signal in stock lights is on the inside of these
The outside is a for a 194 bulb and smaller
The corner is the same as the outer and for a 194 bulb
The inner lamp socket doesn't need to be modified since it is already made to fit a 3157 bulb/socket.
Using the VLED V3 tritons takes a little work even on a stock opening, you have 6 screw holes around the bulb that will hold it in place and you have to figure out by trial and error which screws need to be in place to make them fit. I used 3 screws(1 for each opening) and needed longer screws than those provided by VLEDs(6mm) to actually hold the bulb in.
I am using VLED V3 triton bulbs which will fit in pretty much any standard housing, I marked the outer edge of the gasket they come with to see where the 194 socket needed to be cut.
After grinding off the extra material, check to make sure the bulb will fit.
These bulbs mount using screws in their side that act like the tabs on a stock socket, once I checked to see that the bulb fit I put the screws in and marked off where to cut for them.
Cut some more
And in they went
You have to do the same modification to the outer housing that also held a 194 bulb
Once the housings have been modified, you can install the bulbs into the housings and get them ready for the car.
The inner signal housing with the V3 bulbs fit through the header panel fine, unfortunately that can't be said for the outer housing with bulb.
So I had to make the hole a bit larger forward of the original hole.
With that done, the housing can be put in.
Then there is the wiring...
This is the setup outside the car, the cylinder there is the "dynamite stick" used to create the sequence. The metal boxes are the controls for the V3 triton bulbs, the one without a piece of tape is for the amber/amber outer bulb. I numbered everything so it would be easier for me to install.
I have it set up to have each "ballast" running light to be powered by its individual socket power. I have the outer 2 with power and ground run from the car to the socket with a weatherpack connector(so I can change it back to stock if I feel like it).
The sequencer comes with instructions for use, it is generally used on the tails so there is a wire to have them light in sequence once then turn solid. In this case that wire is not used and is tucked up out of the way.
The cars signal wire is run to the sequencer and the inner signal, the sequencer then runs the signal to the second and third signal.
I am using an electronic flasher since I have LED signals, the flash rate is just long enough to turn on the outer bulb, there are people that will modify the flashers to your liking but I am ok with it as it functions now.
I have tried to use a regular bulb in the place of the 194 bulb on the corner and was not successful, the inner housing has more than enough room to do this but the corner light does not, it isn't deep enough for a larger bulb like a standard 3147. I tried a normal bulb and an LED, it was a tower and was the same depth as the stock bulb so it did not fit. You may be able to use a flatter 3147 LED but I haven't found one yet.
Comment