I want to add a 5" Unity spotlight to my 39 Ford. It will be bumper mounted on the right side. I want to install the brightest flood light type bulb as I need it to light the road. Anyone have any experience with 5" floodlight bulbs? Like to know what you used. 50 watt seems to be normal size, but what does the beam look like. I saw specs in degrees up and down describing the beam coverage. I want to run just one light for now to see how it works. The 12v halogen bulbs with the stock reflector are not adequate. The stock bugeye original headlight lens distorts the light and does not send it down the road. Beam looks very round, high and wide. Lights up trees above very nicely.
the lens creates the flood or spot ability of the light, 100 w would be enough, can you take a photo of the beam on a wall with the car back 5 ish car lengths?
Are the bulbs you are using PAR 36 sealed beams (about 4.5") ? If you are looking for a spot light with lots of range, you should look for one described as "very narrow spot" or "pin spot". The wattage won't be a big number and the lense will be smooth with no facets. Theatrical pin spots are 35W & 6V (4515 par 36 bulb). These are super bright and shine way out there. The closest thing in 12V is probably these https://www.lightingsupply.com/indu...MIpvP19bPZ8AIVA8iUCR28MAMsEAQYBSABEgKYMPD_BwE The smaller the beam angle number, the tighter the spot. The 4515's (6v) are ~6 degree. look for a number like that. Don't worry so much about wattage on pin spots. I use the 6V in an old metal lantern with sealed battery. Kicks ass. You can feel the heat from the beam 6' away. Shines twice as far as any 1,000,000 candlepower Brinkman Q Beam anyhow. Mike
I had a post awhile ago about a similar issue with stock (model a in my case) head lights vs sealed beams. Sealed beams are the way to go IF you want a quality beam pattern to drive with at night. I hate to say it but you might want to go with some vintage conversion kits on your '39 to convert to a sealed beam headlight (like Electroline). Mike said it best about the flood vs beam spot light. If you get a flood light it's just that, a flood of light.
I checked the part number on the ones I use. GE4537. 13 Volt, 100 Watt. I have them in the hard rubber housings available from NAPA. They have a flat beam that is slightly wider than the road at about 1/8th mile. Excellent for high speed night driving/moonshining. It takes a number 10 wire to feed 2 of them at 12/14 volts. I have KC covers on them when not in use. They are probably illegal because of brightness. If you turn the covers 90 degrees the logo looks like a bird flying under a crescent moon. (useless trivia)
GE 45377 is an aircraft landing light bull / marine spot light bulb. That is about what is in the spot light on my boat. GE 4537 13V 100W Aircraft PAR46 Sealed Beam Lamp, Replacement Light Bulb (replacementlightbulbs.com) A few alternate numbers here. Amazon.com: GE 4537 (24742) Lamp Bulb Replacement: Office Products
Thanks for info on the landing light, GE4537. I want to just use one light and was wondering what pattern the beam has. A spot type beam will not suffice as it is too narrow. My problem is I love the bugeye lenses that my 39 Ford Std. has and want to keep them. How the original 6v. system lights lit up the road at all is a mystery to me. I have tried seal beams, halogen bulbs et al and the beam shining thru the original lenses does not project down the road. A flood type wide beam is what I need as an alternate light source.
I can tell you that at 5 car lengths the beam is a round circle shining into the trees with little light beyond the 100 ft. or so mark down the road. I have halogen bulbs, with relays, in the stock reflector in the stock housing.
Here's another way, depending how it will look I guess. Stock clear lenes with a sealed beam kit behind it, the key is to use sealed beams not halogens or any other kit.
1st, Let me state again: I have never seen a car's look improved with spotlites... Just my luck I bot a 1953 Chevy hardtop with lots of factory options, It has a spotlight on each side, and the spotlights have the rear view mirror embedded in the back, only way to adjust rear view mirror, ----- Adjust the spotlights. DARN !!! changing to 12 volt, any ideas for bulbs, for spot lights. The big holes thru the A pillar, almost prevent taking off spots /mirror without leaving big holes. Any creative thoughts?
Have we gotten away from a bumper mounted light on the right side ? I have made a bracket to mount the spotlight into the original front license plate holder holes in the bumper bracket. I don't run a front plate. Puts the light below and inboard of the headlight. Very rural and very dark along most roads where I live and travel. Also have to confess to night vision getting suspect at 78 years. Just a little extra light along the curb side would work.
I have spot driving lights on my old Harley . They have a clear unfluted (?) lens . They are bright , but burn major amounts of current . I have two non HAMB friendly , LEDs mounted in Harley buckets on the Power Wagon . I dare say you can not look into them for any length of time . They use about 0 current and no heat generated .
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