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Original equipment bulbs on most pre-'72 cars was as follows:
1034: dual-filament park/turn and brake tail. Clear bulb for use with red rear or amber front lens.
1034A or 1034NA: dual-filament park/turn. Amber bulb for use with clear front lens.
1141 or 1073: single-filament bulb. Reversing/backup lights (and single-function—brake-only, turn-only—lights not frequently found on old Mopars).
In the early '70s, the 1034 was replaced by the 1157, the 1073/1141 by the 1156. These 1150-series bulbs put out the same amount of light, but draw slightly more current and last quite a bit longer. When changing from 1034s to 1157s, often it was (and is) necessary to replace the turn signal flasher, because the original would flash too fast if used with 1157s. Nowtimes, it's difficult to find a flasher calibrated for 1034s.
So, what to use for upgrade bulbs? Well first, here's what NOT to use: 2057s! People sometimes assume that because it's a higher number, it's a brighter bulb. No. The difference between 1157 and 2057 is in the "minor" (dim parking or tail) filament. On the 2057, the dim filament produces 2 candlepower. On the 1157, the dim filament produces 3 candlepower. The difference doesn't sound like much, but it's very large as a percentage. Both 1157 and 2057 produce 32 candlepower from the bright (brake or turn) filament.
Though they are spendy, the best bulb you can use in place of 1157 is called P3496. It draws the same amount of current as 1157, but is much more efficient. It produces 43 candlepower on the bright (brake or turn) filament, and 3.5 candlepower on the dim (tail or parking) filament. It also has a nickel-plated base that is much more corrosion resistant than the plain brass base of an 1157.
The best replacement for 1156, 1141 and 1073 in all applications *except* reversing/backup lights is P3497. It produces 45 candlepower. (Yes, the 6 and the 7 in P3496 and P3497 are reversed from the 6 and the 7 in 1156 and 1157 relative to how many filaments the bulb has. This is not a typo.) The P3496 and P3497 bulbs have a life span about double that of an 1157.
The best bulb for use in backup/reverse lights is a P796. It is a 35W halogen bulb that produces 62 candlepower, or about double the light of an 1156 and about triple the light of an 1141. The extra wattage is minor (35W vs. 28W, the wires and lenses will not notice or care) and the filament is in the right place. Neither of these compliments can be said of those 50W halogen backup bulbs you see in the parts stores! 50W is wayy too much current draw (100% overload!) for the stock wiring and switch, they produce way too much heat for safety near plastic lenses, and the filament's in the wrong place so the reflector doesn't work correctly with them. The P796s work great, and you finally get to see where you're going when backing at night.
Amber bulbs are a special case. The amber coating "steals" some of the light, so the output is lower. The bright filament inside an 1157A or 1157NA produces 32 candlepower, but what comes through the amber coating is 24 candlepower. Unfortunately, there's no amber equivalent of P3496 for use in park/turn lights that have clear lenses. The next best thing is 2357A or 2357NA, which draws the same current as an 1157 and produces 30 candlepower despite the amber coating. 2357NA (or 2357A), as well as their non-amber 2357 counterparts, are considerably less expensive than P3496, but they lack P3496's anti-corrosion nickel-plated base, and they also lack P3496's Krypton gas fill, so they tend to blacken sooner than other bulbs if used in "bright" mode for prolonged periods (e.g. using a 2357 in brake lamp service). The 2357NA or 2357A works fine in front park/turn service because turn signal service is short and intermittent, which limits bulb blackening and makes overall bulb life acceptable.
Be careful when buying any of these bulbs. A lot of the major parts outlets are switching from name-brand bulbs worth buying to 3rd-world crapola not worth its blister pack. One company makes quality 3496s and 3497s, for example, that is Stanley. GE and Sylvania usually supply Stanley-made 3400-series bulbs (read the bulb base) but both marketers have been flirting with Chinese look al ikes lately.
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