# Tail light bulbs



## Hemi 6.1 (May 25, 2014)

Hi guys. Think this will be an easy one. My car has 2 #1157 bulbs on either side of the tail lights and 1 #1156 bulb in the middle, of either side. The middle socket has 1 contact and the other 2 have dual contacts. I went to 2 part stores today and the ony bulb they show for the tail lights is the #1157. It doesn't look like the middle socket has been changed, but, with the #1156 bulb in there, it's more than twice as bright as the other 2. I put 2 #67 bulbs in and they all look the same, but, I was wondering what bulb is supposed to be in there. Thanks, Hemi.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

What year GTO is this for? The 1156 bulb is generally used for the backup lights. The 1156 is 32 candle power.

A true 1157 bulb is 3 candle power on the parking light element and on the signal and brake element it is 32 candle power. 

So the light in the middle as your driving at night if you have this behind a red lens will be 32 candle power (1156 bulb) and the end lights will be only 3 candle power (1157 bulb) until you step on the brake. That is why the middle section is so much brighter. Not sure what year car has a lighted middle section.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

The 1157 is a two element bulb. The 1156 is a single element bulb. Your combination tailight/brake lights typically use the 1157 while back up lights use the single element 1156. There may be a "brighter" offerings of the 1157 bulb (your #67?), but 1157 should be correct for your car along with the 1156 for the center back up lights.


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## Hemi 6.1 (May 25, 2014)

*1964*

My car is a 64. It seems kinda stange that they would have had a bulb in the middle that was sooo much brighter. My 2 brothers and I had a 64, back in the day, of course, back then we weren't thinking about tail light brightness.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

I think your asking about the license plate light in relation to your tail lights. The 64 GTO came with 1155 bulb for the license plate light (4 candle power). The 67 bulb you mention was used in 65 GTO and later. It really is the same bulb as the 1155 from what I remember, both are 4 candle power.

So you had a 32 candle power bulb in you license plate light and it was over powering your 3 candle power light in your marker tail lights. The 67 or 1155 bulb should fix that problem.


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## Hemi 6.1 (May 25, 2014)

Morning guys. I guess I wasn't clear on my question, I'll try again. On a 64 GTO were all 6 tail light sockets the same(dual contact)? I checked with Car Quest and O'reilly and all they show for the tail lights is a #1157. If that's true, my middle sockets were changed to a single contact socket - why I have no idea. If the car came new with a single contact socket in the middle, it probably also had a #1155 bulb in it. I now have 2 #1157 and 1 #67, in the middle socket. They were out of #1155 bulbs at the time. Sylvania rates the #67 & #1155 at 8 watts and the #1157 at 8.3 watts, so the all appear the same. With the #1156(26.9 watts) in the middle socket, it looked like the brake lights were screwed up, or something. Thanks


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I have no experience with '64's, but plenty with '65-'67 GTO's. All of the tail lamps are 1157 dual contact, dual element. I suspect someone changed the sockets on you. Very common, as these often went bad.


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## Hemi 6.1 (May 25, 2014)

Thanks again.


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