Another ZEP taillight mod!

[PittMav]

After reading through the forums and watching youtube videos I decided to do the first mod and ZEP my taillights.

Lessons Learned:
If you use a hairdryer to dry the lights out after rinsing, set it to cool as you may deform the bulb openings and give yourself a headache later. I thought it was safe to set mine to warm (not hot) and one of the openings deformed a little bit.

Use some distilled water to rinse, I have some water spots so I'll have to do this another day when I have the time.

Try and do it on a sunny day and you can just let them dry in the sun rather than use a hairdryer.

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[Manollo3]

Nice write up and thanks for the additional tips. Looks great. Does this mod take away from the brightness of the turn signal or brake light? Would not think so but wanted to be on the safe side.

 

[Carlitos_92]

Looks great. Now you need to work on that hitch hole.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/clean-up-area-around-the-trailer-hitch.19181/

 

[PittMav]

Not sure about the law in PA. But the manufacturer designs the tail lights to meet DOT requirements for visibility. That reflective coating in the housing is part of the design to meet those requirements. In my state if you are rear ended and have brake lights that no longer conform to the state and DOT requirements YOU are at fault for the accident. They tail lights are designed for function not to be pleasing to the DRIVER'S eyes.

People have mentioned that in past posts, I haven't noticed a huge difference standing next to it but I plan to use the ford solution of switching in the incandescent bulbs for LED's to bring it back up to code.

 

[PittMav]

Nice write up and thanks for the additional tips. Looks great. Does this mod take away from the brightness of the turn signal or brake light? Would not think so but wanted to be on the safe side.

People have said it does but I haven't noticed a huge difference. The bulbs can be replaced with LED's which are brighter and compensate for the lack of reflective housing.

 

[PittMav]

Looks great. Now you need to work on that hitch hole.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/clean-up-area-around-the-trailer-hitch.19181/

Already on the list! Planning to buy the factory back plate and cut to fit.

 

[PittMav]

In Va they have to be visible form 500 feet in daylight. Not sure how visible. Also we have state inspections and some inspectors will fail it for alterations, others ignore it. To test the effectiveness try it with a flashlight. Paint the reflector in it black and see if it light up an area as well. A LED may be brighter but it still won't project as much. With the number of totaled Mavericks I have read about from rear end collisions I want it as bright and visible as possible. Not criticizing your modification because it looks great. But when it comes to safety items I don't modify them. In 50 years of driving I have been in 1 accident, and I used to drive 40 to 50k a year, and that was at a stop light where I was rear ended because the woman driving the other car admitted she was looking at her phone not the road. So even strobe lights wouldn't have helped me

Yeah I intend to get some lasfit bulbs which are "5X brighter" but the safety reasons are why I avoided tinting vs this mod because it seemed like the safest way to achieve the same modification.

 

[Mavreezy]

After reading through the forums and watching youtube videos I decided to do the first mod and ZEP my taillights.

Lessons Learned:
If you use a hairdryer to dry the lights out after rinsing, set it to cool as you may deform the bulb openings and give yourself a headache later. I thought it was safe to set mine to warm (not hot) and one of the openings deformed a little bit.

Use some distilled water to rinse, I have some water spots so I'll have to do this another day when I have the time.

Try and do it on a sunny day and you can just let them dry in the sun rather than use a hairdryer.

They came out nice . I was contemplating on doing this mod as well, but I ended up ordering the factory smoked taillights from the Ford dealership. They were pretty expensive, but I love the way they look. I pulled the trigger when I was checking them out on a Lobo they had on the lot.

 

[PittMav]

They came out nice . I was contemplating on doing this mod as well, but I ended up ordering the factory smoked taillights from the Ford dealership. They were pretty expensive, but I love the way they look. I pulled the trigger when I was checking them out on a Lobo they had on the lot.

Nice! They look great too! Maybe Expensive but not nearly as expensive as the Lariat BAP Headlights!

 

[jcs]

I've been debating whether or not I do this on my truck. My main concern is that they will be dimmer. Could you post a picture with the brake lights on? Also, did you change the bulbs? Thanks!

 

[Mavreezy]

Nice! They look great too! Maybe Expensive but not nearly as expensive as the Lariat BAP Headlights!

Tell me about it. The Lariat BAP headlights are ridiculously expensive.

 

[PittMav]

I've been debating whether or not I do this on my truck. My main concern is that they will be dimmer. Could you post a picture with the brake lights on? Also, did you change the bulbs? Thanks!

I have not switched out the bulbs yet. I can try and get the wife to help me with some night time pix...of the truck

 

[jcs]

I have not switched out the bulbs yet. I can try and get the wife to help me with some night time pix...of the truck

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

 

[rk06382]

Yeah I intend to get some lasfit bulbs which are "5X brighter" but the safety reasons are why I avoided tinting vs this mod because it seemed like the safest way to achieve the same modification.

I purchased the LasFit for 2022-2025 Ford Maverick LED Bulbs Exterior Lights. A complete LED upgrade for my Maverick.

EDIT: I found out my 2025 Ford Maverick Lariat has LED Brake lights. LED Brake lights are standard on the 2025 Ford Maverick High series.

 

[Headcase650]

Nice! They look great too! Maybe Expensive but not nearly as expensive as the Lariat BAP Headlights!

The BAP tail lights are starting to show up on eBay for around $260 for a pair. By the time you buy the zep, distilled water, denatured alcohol, four red LED brake/signal, two white projector LEDs ... It's getting closer to be a wash.

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