Looking for a few opinions from you guys..... Building my 29 model a sedan and going fenderless, was thinking of running these instead of original lights on car, could they be cool or just overkill? Click on the link http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1980690&d=1373863594
Trippe lights are very cool in my opinion. The bubble balancer on top just adds to it. I own one, been looking for a reasonably priced match for years. Yes, trippe lights are very unique. Do you have the large or small trippe....junior or senior?
They LOOK okay. How bright are they? Sometimes, you don't know if something's going to work, until you install it.
The ones I have must be around 8" - 8.25" they look to be about a .25" less or close across the lense to the original 29 headlights that I still have on the car, I'm not real familiar with the measurements for the junior or senior sizes, but I saw them and thought they just are a little different then the originals and had kind of a "cool factor" to them I thought.
I'd be a bit worried about the light pattern if you plan on using them as headlights. The Trippe "Speed Lights" as I recall them, had a fairly narrow, more or less "pencil beam". Replacing the single-beam bulbs with normal halogen or other standard, two-beam high/lo headlight bulbs won't change the pattern and give you an effective and useful low beam. Also, putting a dual beam bulb in a in a lamp with a lens and reflector designed for a set pattern with single bean bulb changes the focal point and can create some weird unwanted light scatter that can cause problems too. You can try it and see how it works, but my guess is that if you do much night driving, you (and probably other, oncoming drivers, too) won't be happy with the results. If you do it, let us know how it works. Mart3406 ============
Thank you for that info about the lights and the pencil beam it throws, as I said I'm a little unfamiliar with them in general. My plan was mostly a looks thing with them and planned on more "daylight" driving......but you bring up some valid points cause a gut should never say never! Thanks mart..
But Trippe "Speed-lights" do look so, so cool! I'd say give it a try, but be prepared to go to some conventional, actual dedicated headlights. if it doesn't work out too well. One person you might want to contact, is a guy named Daniel Stern. ( www.danielsternlighting.com ) He can be a bit anal at times, in that he's an absolute lighting zealot and perfectionist, but he's definitely an expert and he know his stuff. Mart3406 ================ <cite></cite><cite> </cite>
All the info and the link are a big help!! It's nice to have some info from people that their stuff, I saw the lights at a swap meet and just had a great look and thought I would try and give them a try.
I had a set of Tripp lights on my 1932 Hupmobile years ago. They were more for looks then for light. The reflectors are plated with silver and need to be polished every so often. I believe they only had like a 32 candle power bulb in them. Not to say that you couldn't re bulb them with modern halogen or LED's and make them work.