Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Refurbishing light-up Sunoco Sign

My girlfriend said we needed a new yard light so I went out and found a huge light-up Sunoco sign for the yard. I know that this sign is not very old but I always liked the look of a Sunoco sign, especially now since there will no longer be any Sunoco stations here in Ontario, Canada within a few months. I think it was made in the 1970's. It is lit with Mercury vapor bulbs x 4 (2 do the arrow and 2 larger wattage do the yellow part). Can anyone suggest what wattage the bulb pictured might be as there is nothing written on it and the ballasts label is long gone (?). The ballasts need replacement as well, as they are leaking oil and I need to figure out what to replace them with. Besides that it is decent shape - I am going to re-do the paint and mount it to an older octagonal pole in the yard. I do have all the sign pieces but is there any chance someone out there might have the red plastic lenses for the arrow ? Mine are broke up a bit. Thanks for reading!

You need new quick start ballasts and 320 super metal halide or like bulbs. You can get red translucent lexan plastic and cut the pieces you need for the arrows to insert. They are missing on the same side so they will match. Any sign company or lighting supply co will have the ballasts and bulbs.

REPLACING ALL THAT STUFF AIN'T GONNA BE CHEAP EITHER!

I BOUGHT SOME LIGHT UP SIGNS THAT COST 3-4X WHAT I PAID FOR THE SIGN JUST TO MAKE IT ALL NEW AGAIN. I'D SAY YOU HAVE A "BIG" PROJECT GOING ON THERE. NEVER SEEN THEM LIT UP THIS WAY....MOSTLY FLUORESCENT!

POST PICS AT DUSK WHEN YOU ARE DONE.

Thats a very cool yard light. Do you have neighbors close. I bet they love the idea of telling visitors to go to the Sonoco sign then skip a drive way and take the next right or left drive

Wow, that thing's no joke. It'll look great when it's done. I'm shocked the mercury vapor bulbs won't melt that plastic though. Have you thought about retrofitting with flourescent? Might be cheaper and less headache, plus a lot less energy sucked up. I don't know what your power rates are like up there, but down here 4X 350w bulbs would cost me about $1.30 a night just to light up.

Mh 320 are cheap to run as they are very efficent. Ballasts about 125 each

i would retrofit with neon or LED's.......both use little electricity & last for years

LED cheaper and not too expensive but don't give great transluscent illumination through plastics. Better with simple flourescent setup. very cheap also

That's going to look great. Can't wait to see it lit up after it's installed. Around my neighborhood the rednecks would use it for target practice. Probably won't find many rednecks that far north, fortunately.

We need a pic of it lit up