70 Swinger Rally Dash Lights Dim

So I just replaced all my dash lights with new sockets and LED bulbs, (PCB has been replaced as well) and its still not very bright, it seems those blue diffusers really tend to block the light. Has anyone tried removing them or modifying them to get more light on the gauges? I know one member here who ran a LED strip around the cluster which looked pretty cool, but any other fixes/mods for dim lights?