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Corvettes$25
Bubble lights install on my '81

FroDaddy
Senior
Member

589 posts [100%]
Green Cove Springs
FL

$25 Bubble lights
install on my '81

8:32
AM 6/1/2002

The purpose of the bubble lights is to make
your brake lights more visible plus they cosmetically look
modern. They are more visible by design and you are to wire
all four rear lights to come on when braking. You will lose
your reverse lights unless you can come up with a solution.

You need the bubble lights (I got mine from http://www.riksvet.com/), a heavy duty
flasher, something to use as a gasket that you can make a
template from, drill, and your original lights.

Here are a few pix before the install. Notice my gross
pitted taillight. Both of my outer taillights were like this,
the inners were fine.

The bubble lights will be installed right on top of your
original taillights by drilling holes in the originals. You
will need to make some type of gasket so water can't get in
between this. RTV will work, but you will only be able to
replace your taillights from underneath the bumper. This is
because the bubble lens will cover the original screws, and
the RTV won't let you get back to where you can remove the
original lens anymore. I don't recommend this since you won't
be able to uninstall the lens without some major surgery.

A better idea is to make a gasket from rubber, foam, or
gasket material. We used a roll of gasket material for ours
since the local automotive store didn't have any rubber gasket
rolls. Remove a lens and housing, place face down on the
gasket material, and make your template. We used a dime as a
guide for the original mounting holes. Once you have one
gasket, duplicate this one 3 more times.

Now you will need to remove all of your original lenses to
modify them. Use the bubble lens as a template to drill
mounting holes into your original tallights. (The instructions
with the bubble lens tells you what drill bit size to use and
what size screws to use.) You do this by placing the bubble
lens on top of the original lens and drilling holes where the
bubble lens would screw into the original lens. Take a look at
the picture below, and I will explain why and how I cut out
the center portion.

The original setup has the out-most lights used as a turn
signal and brake light. The inner-most lights are used as
reverse/backup lights only. Since the inners are going to be
rewired to be brake lights, the white center is going to shine
brighter than the outer lens. Since my out-most lens were
pitted, I used a rotozip bit and a dremel tool to cut the
center out of them. You can cut the centers out of the reverse
lens if you want to, but it doesn't make them any brighter
since they are clear already. (Plus, I've already tested them
to make sure.)

Now that you've drilled holes in all 4 of your taillight
lenses to mount the bubble lights, you're ready to mount them
on your vette. First, install the original lens and housing.
Get your gasket that you made, place it on the back of the
bubble lens, and hold it in place by putting the screws
through the bubble lens mounting holes. Line up the screws to
the original lens and evenly screw them on. Repeat 3 times and
take a picture! They look awesome!

Now for the wiring. First, install the heavy duty flasher
in your fuse panel. In my '81, it was the lower right flasher.
I didn't scan the wiring diagram for the rear light's wiring,
but I'll try to explain it. Each of the out-most lights have
three wires: one for ground, one for a flasher, and one for
brake. The left-inner light has a ground, a power lead, and a
feeder wire. I'm not sure how the right-inner is wired
exactly, but it has two wires: One coming from the left-inner
feeder wire, and another for power maybe? It doesn't really
matter since you're going to be rewiring the inner lights.

What you'll want to do is piggy-back the inner light with
the outer light that's next to it. We had to play around with
the volt meter to find out which wires were the correct ones.
It helps if you have two people so that one person can tap the
brakes and operate the turn signals. First you'll need to cut
the feeder wire that's going between the inner-most lights. By
doing this, the left and right sides can be wired seperately.
Also the inner lights will be grounded by the outer-light
ground, since you'll be splicing the brake and blinker lights
together.

Take the wire you just cut from the inner-light and splice
it onto either the outer-most brake or turn signal. Use the
other wire to splice into the brake or blinker. Test it out,
and wire the other side the same way. This is really up to you
to find which wire goes where, so that's why I couldn't
provide more details.

That should be it! The install is time consuming, but to me
it was the best $25 that I've spent so far. Here are some
final pictures of the bubble lights and their brightness.
Notice they appear orange in the picture, but I assure you
they are bright red in person! Everyone I've showed them to so
far says it updated the car to look like how the newer car's
taillights appear. Enjoy!

_______

'81 Vette: The 61st
born at Bowling Green : Flywheel Est 470 ft/lbs @
4500rpm

ylose
Senior
Member

1170 posts [100%]
East Troy WI

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

8:42
AM 6/1/2002

nice job...nice write up too !
_______

1978 L-48 Custom Corvette Coupe full RPM package

estimated over 400HP/400TQ via desktop
dyno

Click Here <----> Home Page, Pictures
and Specs <-----> Click
Here

Fevre
Senior
Member

1097
posts [100%]
Ann Arbor MI

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

8:51
AM 6/1/2002

I like mine too. I like the originals a little
better but for $25 I thought I would give em a try. Lucky me,
mine are a direct fit and came with gaskets. I have not
decided if I am going to rewire the inner lights. But if I do
I now have directions.

Thanks FroDaddy you're the hippest!
_______

73 ragtop, temporary
350, 4 spd, MSD 6A, ProBillet Dist, Holley 4150 600 with vac
sec, Aluminum Trick Flow 23 dgr heads (waiting in the wings),
Weiand Stealth intake, 3.70 rear, Two Boxers (1 male & 1
female) and no money

Stephen DeFazio
Senior Member

1037 posts [100%]
Jamison PA

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

10:23
AM 6/1/2002

The bubble lights rock they are
_______

1965 Custom pearl white

http://www.steves65customvette.homestead.com/main1.html

Armstrong
Senior
Member

327 posts [100%]
Savannah Ga

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

11:52
AM 6/1/2002

Thanx for the details. That has been saved and
will be a future mod. Great job!!!
_______

tworottiedogs
Senior
Member

329 posts [100%]
New Bern NC

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

12:10
PM 6/1/2002

I am convinced. I was wondering how it it would
look on a red car and you proved that it looks great. I am
going to order them right now for my '71.

Nice write-up.

_______

Mike

1971 454HO crate motor, 4 spd, 4.10 gears,
Predator Carb, Dr. Gas X pipe, Hedman Headers.... http://www.corvetteforum.net/c3/2rottiedogs/

pats406nitrovette
Senior Member

2287 posts [100%]
galloway,new jersey
outside atlantic city

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (tworottiedogs)

1:13
PM 6/1/2002

i like them too i did mine about 6 months ago
and love them..they look nice on yours too.
_______

1973 2002 electron blue midnight blue
interior.msd billet tach drive dist. msd6a,3.70,rpm airgap
intake,holley750,2 1/2 exuast flowmasters,125 shot
nos,sportsman2 heads..(building new short block)360
c.i.,hooker sidepipes,700r4 very soon.

Desertdawg
Senior
Member

1742 posts [100%]
The. only .Corvette. in.
.....Gila Bend, AZ.....

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (pats406nitrovette)

11:30
PM 6/1/2002

WOW great job...

You might want to put this in the reviwes section
http://www.corvetteforum.com/reviews/index.php

We need more people putting their projects there....

Sharky Guam
Senior
Member

1335 posts [100%]
Yigo GU

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (Desertdawg)

6:02
AM 6/2/2002

I've had my bubble lights since 1980 and love
them!
_______

Ed "Sharky"
Cruz
email: [email-masked]

69 Corvette 435hp 427 4spd Roadster
80 Corvette "Pro
Street" under construction
86 Corvette Coupe

td-machines
Junior
Member

13
posts [100%]
Lansdale PA

Re: $25 Bubble
lights install on my '81 (FroDaddy)

6:21
AM 6/2/2002

The guy I bought my 1970 from had the bubble on
it. I changed them back to original.

[Modified by td-machines, 9:28 AM
6/2/2002]

[Modified by td-machines, 9:29 AM
6/2/2002]

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