Technical LED headlights?

Presently using 7" standard halogen headlights. Wondering if it is worth while ( cost and any issues) to switch to the H4 or LED headlights?

 

All the LED headlights I've seen are butt ugly for putting on any hot rod. Not sure how they work as for seeing down the long dark roads late at night though but I haven't noticed the truckers going to them even though the truck trinket store has a big display of them (semi trucks) I ran Cibie H-4 lights with 55/100 bulbs for years and they seriously reach out on high beam. They aren't ugly either and look like regular seal beams .

 

I like H4s real well and Hella makes some without the flat lenses so they look more like a sealed beam. I don't know the part number so you'll have to dig a little to find them but they are available.

 

Thinking about going with the LED's myself, when you say UGLY are you talking about when lit or the look of the lens?

 

I like to run a curved glass glass reflector that accepts an H4 bulb, then add an HID kit to it. Make sure to get one that setup for high/low. I never use high on mine though. I only buy the ones with highs incase I forget. Otherwise when you flip it to high beam, they turn on completely. The ballasts take about 5 seconds to come back on. So you're blind for a about 10 seconds. If I ever do a set for someone else I'll use the marker light circuit as a relay trigger instead.

 

Hella...Halogen...002395301...Lens are a little flat but don't think really noticeable; haven't tried them yet...

 

I used H4s with OEM reflectors and lenses in my 35 Chevy and 7" H4s in my 46 Olds with domed glass lenses. Sourced them locally downunder. Still look like OEM bulb and sealed beams and perform well, but not as flash as late model OT cars. Personally not a fan of those LEDS, HID or flat lenses in early cars, just me.

 

a buddy recently bought a set of H4S from Speedway. Asked me to do the conversion for him when I wired the OT car for him. Knew I was in trouble when I opened the box and saw it was from the Hoffman group of companies! While they work and he is happy they were cheap looking and a piece of crap to use. The alignment tabs did not line up with the back plates and the cheap ass reflector is merely a joke.

 

I've tried Trucklite LED's and H4's. The LED was a narrow, but very white and bright pattern. They do look strange, and the lens is plastic. I prefer the H4, and have them in my AD truck now. Got mine from http://www.rallylights.com/

 

Have H4 lights but avoid night driving because there are stupid deer every where here that love to run in front of cars.

 

I bought a set with h4 bulbs from Speedway; didn't like the look, reflector or lnz, hooked them to a battery and boy did they emitt fairground quality...never put them on the car..I have Halogen [can't remember brand] and while they seem to work well as long as its just me on the road when on coming traffic is about it seems like I don't have them turned on..

 

I got Hellas in my Willys pickup ( jeep) and they are like daylight. But they are the older flat lenses. I got some illegal bulbs for them (at least in Missouri) yellow lows and white brights but I haven't put them in yet. Fro some reason in good old Missouri you can have any color (up to and including red and blue) headlights except yellow.

Thanks for the part number by the way.

 

Why am I not surprised you have illegal headlight bulbs......

 

Well I wouldn't have if they would change the law.

That ranks right up there with legalizing pot. They claim if they legalized pot it would lower the crime rate, well duh if pot was legal no one would get arrested for having it.

 

Beaner, ya clouding the issue with facts..Again..lol.

 

Heck,it's beano,whatta you expect? HRP

 

I will be converting my OT car to H4s soon, and plan on H4s if at all possible with the lights I have for my bobtail T project. So far, the only LEDs that I've like the looks of are too pricey for my budget.

 

I believe most of the LED headlights have plastic lens. I've seen a lot that are hazy and yellowing and heard a headlight vendor telling a customer that it was a problem with plastic lens headlights. Just like modern car headlight lens

 

I've had a set of Hella H-4's with both the standard 60/55w and 80/100w bulbs in my Safari for the last twenty years and think I replaced one bulb in the whole time. They were in another car I had before that as well. The lenses are still in great shape as are the reflectors and they will provide all the light you will need at night. If you use the 60/55w bulbs you don't have to do any re-wiring but if the 80/100w bulbs are used it is a good idea to run them through a relay(50 or 60 amp;I forget which)to avoid having issues with the circuit breaker on the headlamp switch.
If you are going to run halogens I would recommend either Hella or Cibie(if you can find them);cheap ones just don't cut it. Lucas used to make replaceable bulb headlamps but the ones I bought for my Mini Cooper(the old tri-bar style) didn't have halogen bulbs and were actually dimmer than the stock sealed beams.Those were 45/40w bulbs. They are currently mounted on my 57 Safari and if I ever getting it on the road I'll do a halogen conversion.

 

You might want to read this: http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/brighter-headlights.shtml

 

in my old international s model semi I ran Hella ECE ( european lense cut and approved ) headlights with the 4H 55W /85W capsules as the headlights were high up in the hood ( around 42") and basically was like driving with a candle with normal Dot filament lights , the ECEs are cut and focused different they throw more light down the road and in the ditch and have sharp cut off points , VS the DOT which lights up the trees and everything else . the lenses were flat not rounded like a DOT light . but not noticable unless you really looked at them . for filler lights I used Cibie clear Driving lights ( still have them ) with a 75w bulb in it , it really reached out down the road and didn't blind people with glare . Cibie was bought out and are like chicken teeth to find . for bulbs I use PIAA bulbs or Hellas as they focus the filaments

 

The research says that LED's seem to be better. But I don't like the look on an older car.

 

Beano- you disappoint me- I always thought you were a pretty smart fellow but you appear to expect
common sense from political idiots who cannot balance a budget.

 

LOL or even write a law for that matter.

 

i saw these in a catalog at work , they replace the 6014 7" sealed beams

only $300 EACH

i wonder how they would look in the King Bees on my `28 tudor?

http://www.optronicsinc.com/PRODUCTS/LEDLighting/LEDHeadLights/Products.aspx?SeriesID=620

 

Great article!

 

I used 08 wrangler . like the light and bubbles cover. Bolted right up to the original buckets on my shoebox

 

I used the Hella H-4s in my shubox. Controlled with a relay. I loved 'em, even tho they were the flat lens style.

 

Cibie for me, with Hella a distant second choice. Nothing with a plastic lens or any 'conversion' either. Yep, they're harder to find (and not cheap) but performance if properly installed is outstanding. Still my favorite lighting system, better than the 'latest/greatest' HID system in my OT '13 Mustang.

If you're in North America, get 'em here:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html

 

I don't know what the LED s in a car are like , but my friend and I both had the head lites in our Harley Davidsons and they were all but dismal for throwing light at night , you would swear you were driving a one lighted 74 Plymouth duster with a bad alternator and burnt out high beam after riding after dark a few times , the halogens were way better