Halogen Vs sealed beam headlights

Ive seen these lights on ebay that take comon halogen bulbs, as an alternative to using old 7" sealed beams. Wondering if anyone has any experience or input, do they look like cheap euro lights or do they seem pretty OEM?

They are for 12v systems

 

I'd like to know this also.

BTTT

BB

 

Anyone?

 

To go along with this, How many people have Burned up a Generator after converting to Halogen headlights?
The Wizzard

 

look like there are a bunch of different types....the ones that have the little projector type bulb in the center look like they'd be at home on an early Hondacar, the ones that look like a normal headlight, with a replaceable bulb inside, don't look so bad...but I think they cost more than just getting a normal halogen sealed beam headlight.

 

there are several types...globe changeover in your headlights is possible for a 50-60s car. some 4x4s use a round 7 in. sealed beam with halogen lamps in them.
Warning...
you need to run heavy wiring from the battery with a relay to power up otherwise you risk melting your old wiring...dont ask me how I know.

 

as far as the current draw for halogens with a generator issue goes; my buddy alex used the bob drake reflector kit for his '32 headlamps that utilizes a 9006 style bulb. he has a 59a generator converted to 12v that maybe puts out 30 amps. we used a gp/sorensen universal heavy duty headlamp relay mounted low on the firewall for as short of a wire run to the headlamps as possible. no problems so far in 4 years of driving it. a properly wired headlamp relay is essential for use with halogen headlamps in older vehicles. it takes all the strain out of the componentry.

 

CiBe and Hella are good brands with old style looking fluted lenses.

16 ga wire and two relays,

50-60 watt bulbs come standared, I've used 100 watt replace ments bulbs and can see like daylight.

Get ones that use H-4's. Common cheap bulbs. And they last a lonng time.

 

If you run halogen bulbs you should run headlight relays also otherwise you'll never notice the difference. Friend of mine told me I needed relayies in my 32 so I said, ok. Talk about night and day?

 

I run them in all my cars.
Hella's normally have a flat lens, that could work with some cars look.
I have a pair (with city light) in my 1963 C-10 grill.
I also have a set from an old XJ-6 (4 lamp system) in the Thunderbird.
Cibie's have convex a lens, there is also Lucas, Bosch, and there are Tri-Bar set from British Suppliers.
I have gotten a pair of No Name's, for $14 at a Vdub supplier. (cheaper than sealed beams)

I wish someone would repop the old "Lucas" flamethrowers like Bob K has.

They all will put out a huge amount of light, with a relay.
Don't try it with out. Even if your Gen/Alt can handle it, your switch/wires probably will not.

 

As was said, halogen is available both as a direct replacement (sealed beam) and a bulb and element.
However: "halogen" has nothing to do with current draw, wires blah.
The thing that will cause problems is the difference between the rated wattage (electrical use) of the halogen compared to the original bulb. Wattage has no direct connection with light - that depends on the construction of the bulb, which is why fluorescents are more efficient than incandescents for home use.
If the original 1956(?)-* 12 volt incandescent lamp was 35 watts (12.8 volts × 2.75 amps) and you replace it with a 50 watt halogen (3.9 amps), the individual wires have to handle another 1.15 amps each, the switch gets another 2.3 amps. If adding 2.3 amps sets your harness on fire there was already something very wrong with it.
The pre-1956(?) 6 volt cars converted to 12 volts have fewer problems, since all the wiring gauge is heavier, and running 12 volts through it requires nothing - the wire is more than you need.
The lamps that require big changes are HID, which is completely different and $$$.
If you run 2 × 100 watt halogens, you'll have the same problems for generator output and battery draw as running 2 × 100 incandescents or 200 watts of anything else (stereo amp, air conditioning). All of these really need a relay and big wiring. There is no such thing as too much wire - use 10 gauge for any distance with a big load on it.
Then how is a halogen different?
It produces more candlepower (lumens) of light per watt of electrical energy, and the light color is (supposedly) better - although there are different types (more yellow, more blue etc.).

 

I have a related question - we have the original headlight buckets for our '36 Diamond T that we want to make so we can use modern sealed beam bulbs - but if I look up conversion on jegs or summit, it gives me sealed beam to LED conversion bulbs. I am just wondering if there is a kit out there that is for the old 6v reflector buckets to convert them to modern sealed beam bulbs (weather it be LED or not). We have a 12 valve cummins 6BT in it and will be ordering a new wiring harness soon-ish.

 

The reflector type headlights were usually different for each make of car, and often for each year. There were aftermarket kits to convert them, available in the 40s-50s, but it's not likely you'll find one for that truck. If you do, it will be old stock. You can probably find a sort of universal conversion kit, also old stock...but it won't be at jegs or summit, it will likely be on ebay. and require some clever search terms and patience to find it.

 

You should call Ron Francis Wire Works, https://www.ronfrancis.com, (800) 292-1940 and see if any of their bulbs will work in your truck. I have his bulbs in my '32 Ford. Went right into the original sockets and work great. You might get lucky and be able to use one of their bulbs.

Charlie Stephens

 

If you do that, make sure the silver is in good condition on the reflector...if not, you'll want to get them resilvered.

 

I used the sealed beam halogens on my car... bright as heck, they really light up the road. Got them at Rock Auto for like $8.50 each.

 

Yeah, dislike that white, do they come in 'natural', yellow?

 

I bought new older style domed 7" units from Classic Bulbs that take QH bulbs. For all intents and purposes they look original as they don't have that flat late model look.

 

In a normal incandescent lamp, tungsten boils off the filament and condenses on the inside of the glass bulb. This reduces the light output. It basically forms a mirror on the inside of the bulb.

Halogen bulbs have a small amout of a halogen (iodine/bromine/etc) added to the argon gas inside the bulb.
In a halogen lamp, the that boiled off tungsten recombines back on the filament.

So all else being equal, (which they are for non-fad novelty lamps) halogen lamps of the same wattage as normal ones are only "brighter" because normal lamps get dimmer from the moment they are first used as the inside of the glass gets silvered with tungsten.

Bill

 

would I still need the conversion kit for this to go into my buckets?

The original reflectors are not in good shape unfortunately - the buckets themselves will need extensive work already. I have the original lenses, but I would prefer to just go sealed beam because those will be easy to find and replace if they got broken.

 

Another thing you can do is get the buckets from pretty much any car from the 40s-50s with single headlights, and adapt them yourself.

 

Hella and Cibi both sell a bulb with a domed lens, they are mire expensive that the flat lens bulbs. You can still buy Lucas Flamethrowers if you really want to make light and look trad. They are pricey but you get what you pay for.

I ran both seal beams and halogen lights and each one has its purpose. I liked halogen lights when I was running off road or even on road in mexico where you really need to watch your chit.

These days I have reverted back, I still drive too fast at night but I really like traveling with my entire world being what I can see in a little yellow pool of light. Safe? not on your life, but there is just something to be said for night cruising when your entire world in what is in that little yellow pool and the noises from the dark are alien things.

 

I ran Cibi lights in the 48 for a long time and they put out the best beam on low beam and shined further down the road on high beam than any other lights I have used in any rig.

On Ebay for the buck this guy sells some pretty decent H-4 7 inch lens that look right when you stand back an look at them. rimiinc one of his 7 inch light setups
230154579474
I've run about three sets in different rigs over the past few years. Where the hell did that red print come from.

 

These ones?



The red print means its a link.

 

I believe those are the ones PnB. Good for lighting up a mile of Southern Idaho freeway ahead of you with 100 watt high beam elements from the bike shop. At least in 1982 when this photo was taken.

They don't look funky either.

 

haha - good luck finding 40's or 50's buckets that look like these gems:


I didn't mention - I was hoping to be able to use sealed beam because I am hoping to get ones with the blinkers in the bulbs so we don't have to have separate blinkers on the fenders....

 

I mean the inner bucket that holds the sealed beam. They were pretty similar on most 40s-mid 50s cars, and can be adapted. Pics of the front of your headlight assemblies would help us help you figure out how to do what you want to do .

 

That's what I run and there's none better. What you're paying for is the optics, and conversions of 'vintage' lights that use the old lenses won't offer the same performance. Worse yet, because of the different output from the lamps, you can be a hazard to oncoming drivers because the old lenses don't 'spread' the light properly.

Cibie aren't easy to find, I get mine here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html

 

the opening is 6 7/8'' and the outside lip is 7 7/8'' (the buckets are 8'' on the outside) I will have to look to see if I have the chrome rings, I cannot recall.

 

go shopping here if you like buying new stuff, or at the swap meet, ebay, or junk yard if you're cheap like me

http://www.slclighting.com/shop/truck/headlights/sealed-beam-headlight-assembly-options