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OPERA LIGHTS

Started by nysdarkblue, October 28, 2017, 09:39:31 PM

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nysdarkblue

I have a 1990 Cadillac Brougham. I was recently told that when the car was brand new the opera lights actually were blue, not white as they are now. Inside the opera light was some kind of filament paper that made the light blue, and as time went on, the paper would ware out the making the light white. Can anyone confirm this? Thank you, Bill!
Bill Estes
1990 Cadillac Brougham
2008 Cadillac DTS
2015 SRX

D.Smith

#1
Yes and no.  No they weren't intentionally blue.   Modern opera lamps don't use bulbs like they did in the earlier ones.   They use EL tape inside that glows.    EL (electroluminescent) tape gives off a bluish glow when new due to their brightness.    Unfortunately ultra violet rays from the sun will degrade the EL material and reduce its intensity.  So they get dim over time.   Thus it appears almost ultra bright almost neon like when new with a bluish hue, then over the years the brightness fades to a faint glow and then they stop working.   Electroluminescent material (often abbreviated as EL) is a thin copper sheet or wire coated in a phosphor which glows when an alternating current is applied to it.   While in its natural state gives a bluish hue, different colored tints can be overlaid to make them appear many colors.

I had a Fifth Avenue with the electroluminescent opera lamps and one side was inop.  So I ordered EL strips to do a repair.   The new one was so bright I had to take apart the other one and replace it as well.     The result was stunning! 

Here are pics from the project.  In one you can see the original working one and how dim it was.

This technology was used on many Cadillacs, some Park Aves, Fifth Aves, Caprice LS Broughams,  Olds 98 Regencys to name a few.     

Here is a video showing you that they actually add a pink cover over the strip to make it appear more white than the natural blue.     https://youtu.be/RwRV_MUnOVM    So don't panic if you order white strips to rebuild your opera lamps and they send you pink tinted strips!   

James Landi

Somewhat of a "variation on the same theme."    The gradual fading of the EL tape was very "enlightening"  Pun intended. Somewhat of a "variation on the same theme."   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_window

nysdarkblue

Thank you for the response. I am pretty upon my car as far as detail. A friend of mine had it in blue, and before we had a Mexican stand off, I figured I would inquire. Thanks again.
Bill Estes
1990 Cadillac Brougham
2008 Cadillac DTS
2015 SRX