During the 2009 National Corvette Caravan, on the fourth day of the trip, though northeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, we followed a C5 with LED taillights for a while. It was a cold, gray day and one thing both my Wife, the Fairest Sandra the Red, and I noted, was how conspicuous the car's brake lights were through the gloom and occasional drizzle.
On the fifth day, at a Caravan reform stop at the Kentucky Downs horse racing track north of Nashville, we ran into the guy who owned the car and asked him where he got his rear light conversion kit. He told us it was from Zip Products, so when got home, we rang-up David Walker's guys at Zip and ordered one of item X-993, "97-'04 LED Taillight Kit".
The conversion is so easy to install even a CAC product reviewer can do it. Each C5 taillight assembly is held into the rear fascia by two screws. You remove the stock light, twist the light socket to separate it from the light body, then remove the bulb from the socket. Inside each Zip Products LED light unit, is a wire connector which you push into the existing socket. Then, insert the socket into the Zip light body and twist to lock it in place. Finally, install the light into the fascia with the two screws you took out. Repeat that four times and you're done.
Visually, the difference in our C5's brake lights, both in intensity and conspicuity was dramatic, so, with the Zip Products conversion, not only to the LEDs have that high-tech look, but we gain in safety as well. As for the cost? Well...If Zip's LED light conversion saves us from being rear ended by a cell-phone-talking, slow-reacting, distracted driver just one time; it's worth every penny.
For more information: Zip Products, 8067 Fast Lane, Mechanicsville VA 23111
800.962.9632 www.zip-corvette.com.
Rating: 10