Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

[Guest]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

I have exchanged the inner/backup socket to a standard two filament socket and mounted the parking light link. I now have parking lights on all six tail lights. There is one thing that’s bother me. If I have the parking lights turned on, the brake lights is very dim (weak). The braking lights go on but they are hard to notice. Alexander, did you noticed the same? Could the installation cause too much load to the electrical system?

[Alexander]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

I did not notice that problem on my 1960. The lights seem normally bright. It is just two extra lights lit as brake lights - six instead of four. They are not connected in series, so there should not be a dramatic increase in resistance of the circuit involving the brake switch.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Alexander]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

There is a link on the bottom of this page of a great little movie of Eric's T-Bird lights in action: http://www.squarebirds.org/sequential.htm .

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[tarps3]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Where can I find a 2-filament socket to replace the single-filament backup light?

Is this a common thing I can get at my local auto parts place?

The sequential lights are cooool. I gotta have them!

Casey
60 hardtop

[tarps3]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Also where can you find the plastic red covers to fit over the bulb so the back-up lense can stay clear?

thanks,
Casey

[Alexander]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Almost any car wash or auto parts store has the red bulb caps.

I no longer need mine since I changed to all red lenses, so I can send them to you. I will try to find them this weekend.

The sockets for the 1960 T-Bird are unique, but you probably can get a universal two filament socket to work.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

I found my two filament sockets at an auto wrecking shop. They came from a Dodge (sorry) Van from the 80’s. They fitted the holes in the buckets. I just had to push them in.

BTW, I think my problem with the dim brake light is solved. One of these import 1157 bulb was burned. It was new, Chinese made.

[tarps3]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Hi Alexander,

I installed the sequential kit in my '60 Bird today.
The wiring in the trunk was a little screwy so i had to mess with it quite a while to determine which wire went where.

Anyway, i think I have it all finished up but the passenger side has a problem.

When the turn signal kicks on, it flashes the inner light first but then it flashes the middle and outside light at the same time - it won't sequence them. I rechecked everything and it appears to be wired correctly.

Then my flasher went out or something cause nothing flashes now.
Could the malfunctioning flasher cause the middle and outer lights to flash together?

Also, where is the flasher on this car so I can replace it? I figure it's behind the dash somewhere, but instead of removing a lot of unnecessary items trying to find it, I figured I would just ask.

Please let me know what you think and how to get to that flasher.

thanks,
Casey

[Alexander]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

The flasher is on a clip on the right side of the steering column under the dash. It is easy to get to.

If you wired up the sequential correctly, it should not be possible for two lights to come on at the same time, unless the sequencer module is somehow defective. Try taking the module that you know works and put it on the side in question.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[tarps3]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Alexander,

thanks for the flasher location.
I checked the wiring again last night and think I have it correct.
The flasher magically worked again.

Things started flashing correctly until i turned on my parking lights and tried the turn signals.

When the parking lights are on, the signal flashes very quickly and dimly. I'm going to replace the flasher because I still think it's defective.

Also, when I have the parking lights on and hit the brakes, the thing sequences once like it's suposed to, but only the middle and outside brake lights stay on - the inside lights go out (by the way, they are very dim and even when the brake lights go on, you can't see them very well).
Any other suggestions?
I'm going to replace that flasher today and see if that helps - maybe that's my problem.

thanks again for the advice.

Casey

[Guest]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Casey, it looks like you have similar problems with sequential tail light kit as I have found.
In the first days I used the STS-1 modules they seem to work fairly OK, but later the problem starts. I found the STS-1 modules unstable and unreliable. Therefore I have removed them temporarily. Perhaps it has something to do with the flasher. Let us know how it works with a new flasher. Hope it will work. Good Luck!

[tarps3]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Here's how I fixed my sequential tail light set-up.

I replaced the old thermal flasher with a new heavy-duty electronic one - man what a differnece!
The lights flash very strongly and are timed correctly.

With regard to the bulb brightness and the brake lights going out, I figured out that one as well.

The old sockets weren't making good contact with the openings in the waffle plates. I turned on the blinker and crouched down behind the trunk and found that once I rotated the socket slightly and held my mouth just right, the brake light/blinker would come on. So, the parking lights and the brake lights worked properly.

I took out the sockets and lightly sanded all the metal surfaces and it seemed to help a lot. Also,there is a plastic ring behind the metal flange and if this if smashed or damaged, it won't let the metal stay in contact with the waffle plate. I had a new universal push-in type socket that made full contact and worked much better.

I drove the car yesterday and it worked great and looked really cool with those sequential tail lights - got a lot of comments!

Casey
'60 hardtop

[Guest]

RE: Sequential Tail Lights on a 1960 Thunderbird

Glad to hear that you find the solution. I shall replace my flasher immediately and se how it works. The flasher I’m thinking of is a 552 heavy duty flasher for up to six (32 c.p.)lamps.

B T W, while surfing the internet I found an another type of Sequential Tail Signal System at
http://www.foxthundercats.com/sequential/sequential.htm.

[Guest]

Sequential Light problem

bought a 59 with 60 tailights.The last owner install a mid 60's unit that didn't work when I got it.He did alot of amature wiring and color codes were not continuse in the system.
Got the turn and running lights working the problem is when I hook up the brakes the lights stop blinking and go to brake all on.
In the signal switch in the steering colum does the switch transfer brake signal from right to left an vise versa?
colum wiring color code doesn't match diagram.
Or is this a relay problem?
thanks

[Alexander]

The signal switch under the steering wheel controls the signalling and which brake light stays on, when you are signalling. The wires from the signal switch come out from the bottom of the column under the dash.