My 51 DeSoto is about to become 12 Volt.

For the most part Im using a GM Harness that includes all the circuits I could ever use,

I can just pop in 12 volt halogen headlights and switch to 12 volt bulbs in the stop/turn lights.....but I have to wonder if I have an opportunity for better lighting.

I have a whole kit from Dan for the headlights.

What can I do for the stock front and rear turn/stop/park lights?

The stock lights are fully rebuildable and look like an easy platform to adapt something to.

Is LED stupid? I like them on our new trailer....

Is there a brighter incandecent/reflector solution?

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

That's a big day in any car's life. Have you sat it down and had the talk about responsibility and mature decisions?
Pick carefully; most of them are junk. You could even have (real/legitimate or phake/poopy) LED headlamps, if you want them. Spendy, though.
Do yourself (and the unkrunched status of your car's sheetmetal) a big favour; instead of using a 1034 or 1157 type of bulb, Use these for red dual-intensity (brake/tail) lamps. You'll need a non-load-sensitive turn signal flasher, which is okeh 'cause you need a 12v flasher anyhow. Use an Ideal/Tridon EL-12.

These recommendations are very specific; they are the only legitimate LED retrofit bulbs. There's a mountain of garbage on the market, too, so use only these specific LED bulbs.

(they come in a couple other varieties, too: these for single-intensity red lights instead of 1076/1141/1156, and these white ones for amber-lens turn signals and colourless-lens reversing/back-up lights instead of 1076/1141/1156, and these in white for later-model vehicles with a 921 or W16W bulb in the reversing lamps...so far no amber versions for clear-lens turn signals and no dual-intensity white version, and no versions for plastic wedge base bulbs in more recent cars).

You'll still have to make sure the reflectors and lenses are clean and up to snuff; if the reflectors are dingy, wipe 'em with alcohol or brake cleaner, stuff a wad of masking tape in the bulb hole, and shoot 'em with aluminum "chrome" spray paint.
There's no acceptable LED bulb for the front park/turn lamps. What are the lens dimensions?

You might also want to do this and (once you get the front park/turn setup sorted out) this.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

The current bulb holders are a quality item and will love the Rouge Reds.

The bulb holders are fastened to the inside of a die cast housing with no pretense of a reflector in sight. Can I just pirate some reflector that fits and scab it in behind the bulb?

The front lenses are clear 5x2 . They are a complex shape . The buckets are mounted on a giant DeSoto grille tooth. Im happy with the buckets and lenses ....the are the same as the rear in that no reflector is present.

I dont care that the front turn/park lights are clear.....what about the gendarmes? "It came that way so I guess its legal. " Is amber important?

It has occurred to me to mount a discreet amber auxiliary turn park light in the grille cavity.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

If no reflector, then the lenses probably have a "bull's eye" in the middle with concentric rings (called "Fresnel optics") around it. Very likely no reflector needed; the linked Philips LED bulbs have worked beautifully in every Fresnel-type brake light I've tried them in. Swap one side at a time (or, rather, put an LED on one side and a regular 1157 on the other side) and evaluate on the merits. If the LED side has a smaller lit area or has objectionable bright and dark spots, then re-evaluate. Otherwise go ahead and swap the other side!
Thanks for the pic link; I'd forgot how beauteous the '51 DeSoto front end is. Are you at all clever with, like, fabrication and modification and stuff? If so, and the space behind the grille bar lends itself, you could keep the lens, remove the bulb holder/reflector body, and sneak one of these (very specifically these) behind each lens, attached or affixed as you see fit. I've seen guys use water-clear epoxy and numerous other methods; the main thing is to have the LED unit "square" behind the lens. The lens optics don't materially interfere with the light output, and these particular LED units are extremely bright and durable.
First year for amber front turn signals was '63, by voluntary industry agreement (no Federal auto regs in US or Canada til '68). Reasons for amber: unlike white, it's possible to see the turn signal despite sunshine reflections in chrome during day, and despite nearby white headlamp at night. Amber's safer, but white's legally okeh on an old car.
Could do that, too. Linked one, for example. There are various brackets and chrome trim rings, etc.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Mr Speaker ...I have a supplementary question for the Minister of Lighting.

The third brake light idea is likely to be implemented. My rear window is limo tint and the package shelf is partly hidden by rear seat head rests.

I have seen license plate frames that incorporates a plate light and a 3rd brake light. Is there a quality version of that theme ?

The car in the pics is not mine....but its the same colour.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

....another question.....possibly sensitive....likely conterversial:

My tail lights have small round reflectors which look like they just pop out of the lenses. Whats a good brand of red reflectors?.....and what about blue.....(its hard to resist)

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Costchya two gligs.
Trace around the brake light unit and trim tint film away.
No, and even if there were it wouldn't do. The idea is for the 3rd brake light to be substantially higher up in the air than the left and right lamps.
Interesting. Can you show some close pics? And what's the diameter of these? Once I see what you're working with I can maybe recommend replacements as needed.
Will just be black/opaque with the red LED bulbs...and if you run incandescent bulbs, blue dots are a great way of increasing the chance of being hit from behind. Maybe you're not talking about blue-dot dinguses (dingii?) in the brake light lenses, but blue instead of red reflectors? Compyootah says naoooooooo...that's an even better way of trying to get rear-ended.
Geeze, why can't we have cars that look this nice these days?!

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Those are keen. Stimsonite is an old and famous name in retroreflectors (I guess that makes these retro-retroreflectors). I see Mitchell, the seller on that auction, still think their farts don't stink even after Frank Mitchell's dead 'n' gone.

Looking at a pic of the whole lens (this one) it strikes me a good way forward might be to remove the round retroreflector, obtain a couple of these in red, and trim to an arrowhead shape to cover the whole lower third of the lens (excluding the small amount of lens area below the lower divider bar that lights up with the bulb).

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.