What type of bulb for tail lights?

[MaximRecoil]

I'm talking about the two single-filament bulbs (1969 Charger).

When I turned the parking lights on, the bulb on the right was brighter than the one on the left, even though the bulbs looked the same (different numbers though). I swapped the two bulbs around, and then the one on the left was brighter than the one on the right. So I found a bulb in the garage that matched the number of the brighter of the two bulbs, and tried it in place of the dimmer bulb, and then both lights were bright.

However, the bright bulbs are significantly brighter than the other 4 parking light bulbs. They are about a brake light level of brightness. The dimmer bulb was the same brightness as the other 4 parking lights, and significantly less bright than brake lights. I'm guessing that the dimmer bulb is the type that is supposed to be in there; is that correct?  

[Nacho-RT74]

1157

5 watts the parking, 21 watts the brake

[A383Wing]

I'm running 1157 in all 6 in mine...I changed out the inner bulb on each side to a double style so all 6 light up when brakes applied

the inner single filament bulb is hard to find....that's why I did it..plus I think it looks better when all are lit up

[MaximRecoil]

1157

5 watts the parking, 21 watts the brake

I'm running 1157 in all 6 in mine...I changed out the inner bulb on each side to a double style so all 6 light up when brakes applied

the inner single filament bulb is hard to find....that's why I did it..plus I think it looks better when all are lit up

Well, the 1157 is a double filament bulb, and is what is in the 4 outer sockets. However, in order to use an 1157 in the two inner sockets, I'd have to rewire it (as well as change the sockets). I'd rather not do that.

I just need to know if the single filament bulbs are supposed to be dim like parking lights or bright like brake lights. I assume they are supposed to be dim like parking lights since they are not brake lights. The dim one that was in there was a 1095 (the bright one was an 1156), and I assume that 1095 is what it supposed to be in there. Additionally, according to this, they are no longer made:

This #1095 bulb has a BA15s base. It is the same size and shape as a common #1156 bulb, but while the 1156 has a single bright 27-watt, 32cp filament, this 1095 has a single dim 7½-watt, 4cp filament. It's used in applications such as the 1965 and 1966 Dodge Dart inner tail lamps, and there is no other bulb that works correctly in applications calling for a #1095. These bulbs are no longer manufactured, so supply is limited to stocks on hand. Listed price gets you a 10-pack of the bulbs.

Link

And here is a thread about it (it is talking about a 1970 Charger, but I'd guess that a 1969 would be the same way).

I suppose you could also wire a resistor inline with an 1156 to reduce the brightness of it to 1095 level, or even a variable resistor (which would work like a dimmer knob).

[Nacho-RT74]

the inner bulb is the same my Parents Mercedes uses on some locations... will find the American PN but eropean is 32CP or something like that...

[A383Wing]

the inner bulb is supposed to be dim like the parking lights

it don't take all that long of time to wire in a couple of 1157 sockets to the inner lights...like what, 15 minutes?

like I said, I think it looks better with all 6 lit up anyway.....user preference

[MaximRecoil]

the inner bulb is supposed to be dim like the parking lights

it don't take all that long of time to wire in a couple of 1157 sockets to the inner lights...like what, 15 minutes?

like I said, I think it looks better with all 6 lit up anyway.....user preference

It isn't the time it takes that matters to me; it is that I'd rather not hack the original wiring if I don't have to. I also like the idea of things working the way they were originally designed to work. I ordered some 1095 bulbs so I'm all set.

By the way, has anyone here ever heard of a blinking bulb; i.e., a bulb that blinks when hooked directly to current (nothing in between to periodically interrupt the current to make it blink)?

My left blinker indicator on the instrument cluster wasn't working, and I found that the bulb and socket for it had broken off the wire long ago, and was nowhere to be found. So I went up into the junkyard and cut the bulb, socket, and several inches of the wires from an old International school bus' blinker indicator. I tested it directly on my car battery, and the bulb (which looked like a normal bulb) lit up solidly for about 5 seconds and then started blinking. The parts store was closed, and I wanted to get the dash back in, so I swapped the school bus' bulb with the normal bulb that was behind the red "brake system" lens in my Charger. Now when my E-brake is on, I have a "fancy" blinking "brake system" light. Apparently that old International school bus didn't use a relay or anything to make the blinker indicator blink. It just sent steady current to the bulb and the bulb itself took care of the blinking duties (though I don't know how such a bulb works).

Edit: I found out how it works:

Blinking Christmas Lights

There are two different techniques that are used to create blinking lights. One is crude and the other is sophisticated.

The crude method involves the installation of a special blinker bulb at any position in the strand. A typical blinker bulb is shown here:



The extra piece of metal at the top is a bi-metallic strip (see How Thermometers Work for details on bi-metallic strips). The current runs from the strip to the post to light the filament. When the filament gets hot, it causes the strip to bend, breaking the current and extinguishing the bulb. As the strip cools, it bends back, reconnects the post and re-lights the filament so the cycle repeats. Whenever this blinker bulb is not lit, the rest of the strand is not getting power, so the entire strand blinks in unison. Obviously, these bulbs don't have a shunt (if they did, the rest of the strand would not blink), so when the blinker bulb burns out, the rest of the strand will not light until the blinker bulb is replaced.

Link

The filament arrangement in that blinking bulb from the bus did indeed look like the one in that Christmas light. The bi-metallic strip that responds to heat explains why it lights steady for about 5 seconds before starting to blink.

[A383Wing]

yup...I got a bunch of them #57 blinky bulbs...kinda hard to find in stores...it works like a flasher...has a bi-metal strip inside...look at it close and you will see it in there

the blinky bulbs was pretty much standard in earlier Mopars...we had a 65 Fury that worked like that

I also like the idea of things working the way they were originally designed to work.

blinky bulb was not designed to be in the Chargers

[MaximRecoil]

yup...I got a bunch of them #57 blinky bulbs...kinda hard to find in stores...it works like a flasher...has a bi-metal strip inside...look at it close and you will see it in there

the blinky bulbs was pretty much standard in earlier Mopars...we had a 65 Fury that worked like that

I also like the idea of things working the way they were originally designed to work.

blinky bulb was not designed to be in the Chargers

No, but apparently parts stores are designed to be closed when I need a bulb. In any event, it is a plug-in thing (no wire hacking necessary), and also very minor (you can go years, or maybe forever, without seeing the brake system lens light up in an automatic).

[Plumcrazy]

Just use a #97 bulb for the single filament bulb.  

The only difference from the #1095 bulb is the size of the globe.

[MaximRecoil]

Just use a #97 bulb for the single filament bulb.  

The only difference from the #1095 bulb is the size of the globe.

That's a good idea. It looks like they are the same candlepower (4 MSCP). I already ordered six 1095 bulbs (to have some spares), but this is good to know. Thanks.

[maxwellwedge]

http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/facts/chart_pic_001?full=1

[1969chargerrtse]

I'm running 1157 in all 6 in mine...I changed out the inner bulb on each side to a double style so all 6 light up when brakes applied

the inner single filament bulb is hard to find....that's why I did it..plus I think it looks better when all are lit up

I run 3 1157 bulbs on each side also. But what I did was put a small piece of electrical tape on the bright filament solder point on that inner bulb. This way all 3 are the same brightness and when I hit the brakes the 4 correct ones go bright. Looks original and I use all 1157's.
I used to have all 6 light up also but I knew it wasn't the correct look so I changed it to the way I just described.  
You can see at the end of this old video of my car all 6 1157's go bright.  That bugged me so I taped off the bright filament part on the 2 inner bulbs.

http://youtu.be/p7UzIzFRiyU

[MaximRecoil]

I'm running 1157 in all 6 in mine...I changed out the inner bulb on each side to a double style so all 6 light up when brakes applied

the inner single filament bulb is hard to find....that's why I did it..plus I think it looks better when all are lit up

I run 3 1157 bulbs on each side also. But what I did was put a small piece of electrical tape on the bright filament solder point on that inner bulb. This way all 3 are the same brightness and when I hit the brakes the 4 correct ones go bright. Looks original and I use all 1157's.
I used to have all 6 light up also but I knew it wasn't the correct look so I changed it to the way I just described.  
You can see at the end of this old video of my car all 6 1157's go bright.  That bugged me so I taped off the bright filament part on the 2 inner bulbs.

http://youtu.be/p7UzIzFRiyU

I assume you changed the 2 single filament sockets to dual filament sockets. I'd rather not do that if I don't have to.

BTW, I can confirm that #97 bulbs work well as a substitute for #1095 bulbs. I have some 1095s coming in the mail, but based on Plumcrazy's post, I picked up a couple of 97s from the parts store today (and as expected, they had never heard of 1095s) and put them in there. They are about the same brightness as a 1095 and the dim filament of an 1157.

[1969chargerrtse]

I'm running 1157 in all 6 in mine...I changed out the inner bulb on each side to a double style so all 6 light up when brakes applied

the inner single filament bulb is hard to find....that's why I did it..plus I think it looks better when all are lit up

I run 3 1157 bulbs on each side also. But what I did was put a small piece of electrical tape on the bright filament solder point on that inner bulb. This way all 3 are the same brightness and when I hit the brakes the 4 correct ones go bright. Looks original and I use all 1157's.
I used to have all 6 light up also but I knew it wasn't the correct look so I changed it to the way I just described.  
You can see at the end of this old video of my car all 6 1157's go bright.  That bugged me so I taped off the bright filament part on the 2 inner bulbs.

http://youtu.be/p7UzIzFRiyU

I assume you changed the 2 single filament sockets to dual filament sockets. I'd rather not do that if I don't have to.

BTW, I can confirm that #97 bulbs work well as a substitute for #1095 bulbs. I have some 1095s coming in the mail, but based on Plumcrazy's post, I picked up a couple of 97s from the parts store today (and as expected, they had never heard of 1095s) and put them in there. They are about the same brightness as a 1095 and the dim filament of an 1157.

You know, great point.  I didn't think of that?  Someone rewired them to a 1157 socket and that's why I did what I did.  Never really thought about originally It wouldn't be the way it is.  Good point. 97 bulb sounds best.