Least expensive way to bright headlights?

[Northcoast300h]

As some of you know, bought my Hurst for $1000 in 2003 sitting over 10yrs in a junkyard and have been slowly restoring it ever since. Front headlights don't look too dim looking at them, but if I'm on a street without street lights, then its difficult to see the road. When I turn on the highbeam, they work, but no difference in brightness. My alternator's output is good, battery is good. I think the old wiring might be the problem or maybe the switch is corroded since water dripped down behind the dash for years.

I'm willing to replace wiring if possible or rewire somehow directly from the battery but I'd like to keep the OEM headlights if possible. I like the old soft white look. Any tips or help is appreciated.

 

[darth_linux]

Headlight relay add/update?

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

I got good results (good, not great) by going with "OEM" halogen replacements. I then carefully adjusted them per the FSM using a parking garage wall and masking tape to make the necessary marks. I also replaced the headlight and high-beam switches, inspected and cleaned all connections, etc.

When I say "good", I mean "much better than it was and I can see the road at night".

Also, have a look at this thread: 1970 Cjhrysler 300 Headlights - Change to Halogen


From the FSM:

 

[Boydsdodge]

Relay option, also clean every power and ground connection in the harness to your lighting system. Do all the electrical connections while your at it, it will only help. Small wire brush, vinegar and salt mix soak, scrub and rinse with contact cleaner, then apply some corrosion preventer like dielectric grease. I'll use some Fluid Film on my connections after clean up.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Relay option, also clean every power and ground connection in the harness to your lighting system. Do all the electrical connections while your at it, it will only help. Small wire brush, vinegar and salt mix soak, scrub and rinse with contact cleaner, then apply some corrosion preventer like dielectric grease. I'll use some Fluid Film on my connections after clean up.

Absolutely good advice. I did exactly the same with every connection in my car. Despite @Big_John 's misgivings on the use, I pack every connection with dielectric grease because that's what it's made for, just like Noalox is used on aluminum house wiring at the fuse panel. The grease doesn't improve a good, clean connection but it does KEEP it corrosion-free for the next 50 years.

Dielectric grease is available everywhere. Depot, auto chains, Amazon....

Oh....and the firewall bulkhead connections are probably the worst problem spot. An annoying hour or two cleaning those big connectors is time well spent.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Clean connections, do the Putco headlight relay conversion as noted here (your car will thank you as it's safer all around - read the entire thread), install halogen bulbs, and aim properly. Aiming properly is the key.

 

[Big_John]

As some of you know, bought my Hurst for $1000 in 2003 sitting over 10yrs in a junkyard and have been slowly restoring it ever since. Front headlights don't look too dim looking at them, but if I'm on a street without street lights, then its difficult to see the road. When I turn on the highbeam, they work, but no difference in brightness. My alternator's output is good, battery is good. I think the old wiring might be the problem or maybe the switch is corroded since water dripped down behind the dash for years.

I'm willing to replace wiring if possible or rewire somehow directly from the battery but I'd like to keep the OEM headlights if possible. I like the old soft white look. Any tips or help is appreciated.

Keep in mind that if you go to a relay system, the headlight doors need to be addressed. The way the original switch/headlight door relay works is to use the filament in the bulb as ground. This is actually a pretty nice idea, if a bulb was bad with a burnt out filament, the doors won't close.

Adding headlight relays means that existing door relay won't work correctly unless you change that relay and some wiring. I've done it Headlight Relays with Hidden Headlights

Bottom line is the "off the shelf" headlight relays aren't going to let the headlight doors work.

 

[CBODY67]

Headlight brightness is worthless (although it looks good) WITHOUT proper aim AND very possibly some replaceable bulb E-Code lights. As SEV-Marchal, Cibie, or others with the Euro beam pattern. Initially, they look good, but you have to get used to the sharp upper beam cut-off with the flare to the rh side of the road to help illuminate overhead road signs. The lights have a replaceable H4 halogen bulb of the same wattage as normal sealed beam lights, so no issues with any wiring issues.

Many people in the USA feel better with illuminating the roadway about 40' in front of the front bumper, BUT that does NOTHING for 1000' down the road at night at 65mph! THAT is the difference between the E-Codes and the old USA specs. This is where the USA beams, even the later-production halogen lights, and the Cibie (et al) E-code lights differ bigtime. On the back of the Cibie boxes, it has a graphic of their beam patter, comparing it to the USA pattern, using the 55W bulbs they come with. NO real comparison with illumination going to up to 1300ft down the road. Which should be plenty of safety margin for 70mph night driving (60mph = 88ft/second). Same light amount, just putting it in different places, where it is really needed.

With the much sharper upper cut-off, it is possisble to aim the lights higher, vertically, without causing problems or getting into the mirrors (inside or outside) of cars in front of you.

Check www.danielsternlighting.com for E-code headlights and the conversion to relay-fed headlights.

Until you get used to driving with E-code headlights, you really don't know what you are missing, from my observations. I "converted" back in the later 1970s on one of my then-newer cars and never ever considered going back to USA-code lights!

CBODY67

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Keep in mind that if you go to a relay system, the headlight doors need to be addressed. The way the original switch/headlight door relay works is to use the filament in the bulb as ground. This is actually a pretty nice idea, if a bulb was bad with a burnt out filament, the doors won't close.

Adding headlight relays means that existing door relay won't work correctly unless you change that relay and some wiring. I've done it Headlight Relays with Hidden Headlights

Bottom line is the "off the shelf" headlight relays aren't going to let the headlight doors work.

Thanks John, I didn't remember that the OP's car has hideaway headlights.

So, @Northcoast300h this is most definitely the best way to deal with this - and @Big_John is someone I would trust implicitely to give you the best advice on how to do this upgrade. @cbarge is the other - he wrote the post I linked above. So it's a combination of both essentially. Do it, you won't regret it, and AIM those headlights afterwards!

 

[halifaxhops]

@crackedback

 

[cbarge]

I have the old school Hoppy headlight alignment kit...
I did @sixpkrt award winning NYer, and did all my C's at home. Works great and makes a huge difference!
Especially when the cars were torn apart during a resto and the headlights are out of whack.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I have the old school Hoppy headlight alignment kit...
I did @sixpkrt award winning NYer, and did all my C's at home. Works great and makes a huge difference!
Especially when the cars were torn apart during a resto and the headlights are out of whack.

View attachment 669588

View attachment 669594

View attachment 669595

I want a Hoppy HP1003B, HOP1003B headlight alignment kit.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

LOTS on eBay.

 

[Gerald Morris]

LOTS on eBay.

There are a few on eBay. Prices vary over a wide range. Very tempting to get one, though I've done well with a block wall, black tape, tape measures and carefully following instructions printed on my 50+ yr old Westinghouse 4001 boxes.... Good electrical wiring, contacts et al make an impressive difference, to be sure.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I think I will seriously look into getting a kit. Nice to offer clients after doing a job for them.

 

[65sporty]

Relay option, also clean every power and ground connection in the harness to your lighting system. Do all the electrical connections while your at it, it will only help. Small wire brush, vinegar and salt mix soak, scrub and rinse with contact cleaner, then apply some corrosion preventer like dielectric grease. I'll use some Fluid Film on my connections after clean up.
View attachment 669524View attachment 669525View attachment 669526View attachment 669527View attachment 669528

That cleaned up great

 

[Boydsdodge]

That cleaned up great

I use the 10% cleaning vinegar.

 

[Northcoast300h]

I didn't realize I'd get so many good posts. Thanks for all the help. I'll post the difference once I get into it. I took a quick pic. I'll clean them as you guys said but I don't think it looks too bad for 54yrs old.

Doesn't Halogen consume much more power? I'm not sure my 54 year old wiring can handle it.

I think my headlights are the originals. How do I find out if they are... and are they dim just due to their age?

Thanks!!

 

[ynst]

One of the dirtiest headlight plugs I've ever seen. No wonder the lights are dim. It looks like they're full of over-spray.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Yes, the halogens do use more power, so I would NOT use the halogen bulbs unless the relay conversion described above is in place.