I drove the 56 home from work last night and I noticed the headlights aren't very bright, more yellowish than white. Is that how it was back then, or should I be getting a brighter output than that?

 

Josh -

You might be used to the new halogen stuff. My 56 doesn't throw light all that far down the road and the light looks a bit yellow-ish. But mine are running off a 100 amp alternator, so that's probably as good as it's going to get.

You can upgrade to clear lens halogen or tri-bar halogen, (both of which are just swaps for the stock sealed beam), but those shouldn't be run thru the headlight switch like stock as they pull too much current. They should be run thru a relay using the stock switch to trip the relay. Hey, Dude, you could get the blue bulbs, look like a beemer coming down the road and blind everybody!!!

 

Standard issue sealed beams and even "halogen" sealed beams are pretty anemic compared to the newer separate bulb halogen lights used since the 80s. But you could still have a weak ground compounding the problem.
There are a number of companies that offer replacement housings that take the newer bulbs and even some that will convert to the new HID projector headlights.
The conversion housings for the separate bulb halogens range from all plastic reflectors and lenses to stainless reflectors with glass lenses and start at ~20.00 a set plus bulbs.
I wouldn't use the all plastic ones myself. The bulbs themselves are limited to 55W for highway use, so the fancy boxed $$$$ "tuner" bulbs do NOT put out any more light than the generic replacement bulbs at 1/3 or less the price, don't waste money on the package hype, just look for the wattage!
There are higher 75-100 watt "off road use only" bulbs available that will fit in the housings and give more light, but will also produce much more heat as well potentially melting a plastic housing or lens, besides being technically illegal for highway use.
The High Intensity Discharge (HID) projector headlights will produce the brightest light and have the characteristic blue/white color seen on luxury cars (the color of the light isn't what makes them brighter so putting in "blue" colored standard 55W bulbs is only fooling yourself and your wallet). This technology requires step-up transformers and special heat resistant housings and cost ~ 300.00 for the conversion kit.
As Randy indicated any of the separate bulb headlights will require rewiring and a relay added to keep from overheating the switch, the off road wattage bulbs will also require heavier wire and sockets designed for the higher current draw.

 

Has anyone done the relay thing in the tech pages on our old trucks? I know its been done again and again to 70s vehicles with pretty good success. They go from yellow to white by running directly off the alternator (from around 11+- volts to 14+-). We don't have alternators (some of us don't), so could we do something similar to our generators.

Here is an article (not our tech) thats done to a ch**y with pics.


http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...adlights.shtml

Our tech article don't have pics, but its the same stuff.

 

I wouldn't wire anything directly to an alternator or generator. It would likely give brighter lights, just not for long running unregulated to ground like that. Using a relay even with sealed beams will not hurt, and probably help the brightness by reducing voltage drop thru the old wires and switch. A SPST relay is nothing more than a remote switch.

 

Ok. Not good to wire direct. I am not familiar with generators at all. I will take a look at the wiring diagram in my manual, but since this thread is going......

Where would be a "safe" place to tie into the wiring to get the full 12 volts? At the voltage regulator? (Fused of course). As far as I know I don't even have a fuse panel.

 

Nope no fuse panel stock in 56. Best place would be right off the + terminal of the battery. run a 20A fused 10ga wire. I would also run dedicated ground wires to a good close frame ground. Also if you have a swapped engine make sure the builder installed a braided ground strap between the engine and the frame.

 

Nope...nothing swapped. Completely stock......y-block, 3 speed. No power steering, power brakes, nothing. Its a blast to drive though.

Ok..I just pretend they a set of off-road lights and wire to the battery. The headlight switch simply turns on the relay instead of a toggle switch. I think I got it now.

I will check out the wiring diagram this weekend. Its not a lot of fun coming home from work at 10-11 PM (or later) and not seeing the deer all over the road!

Thanks for the help (again).

 

If you aren't running Halogen sealed beam bulbs change them first. Should say Halogen imprinted on the lens. They are a direct swap available at any auto store.

 

I used to have a roommate who said "you know there's a song about your headlights...Candle In the Wind"

 

I had the same problem on my 54. It already had the halogen lights, but they were just too dim. I installed two relays (one for the low beams and one for the highs). It fixed the problem and I could see where I was going Jag

 

This is awesome. This thread was exactly my next question. I am new to driving this and there are bugs to be worked out. Thanks guys.

The "candle in the wind" is a good one!

 

Hey AX,
If you read the MAD article, he hooks the power source for the headlights to the "horn relay bus", which is where the internal regulator "sensing wire" for the 10SI alternator is also hooked. This provides the feedback for the internal regulator and is the ideal place to hook the large current drawing items. The benefit is you are hooked directly to the alternator (you get over 14 volts at the alternator output as opposed to 12 at the battery) and the load is "sensed" and fed back to the alternator to cause it to produce more amperage.

I've used this set-up a couple of times and it makes a noticeable difference with the old sealed beams. An upgrade to halogens is another step forward. I've got a set of 7" glass housings with H4 bulbs sitting in the cabinet waiting to be installed on my '56. It's a direct "plug-n-play" if the wiring is in good condition.

I don't think a generator system has an equivalent "sensing circuit." I think they can be adjusted to put out more voltage, but the lifespan or the regulator is shortened.
Good Luck!

 

Yes, that would be fine, I was concerned that someone would hook it right to the output term on the alt/gen. You can adjust the points on the old style regulators, but unless you have an accurate volt meter hooked up properly you could easily fry the generator.

 

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Hey guys, I put a set of these glass housings and H4 bulbs in my '53. The bulbs are 55/60 watt and the headlight switch is rated at 15 amps. I was told this would work without a relay, is that right? Does anybody know how to figure this watts/amps thing? I don't want to put in a relay if I don't need it..... P.S. the lights look super bright in the day time, haven't used them at night yet.