Thread: Quick headlight question

Tweet

Has anyone used these headlights with built in LED turn signals? I believe the brand is TPI Tech. A stock '35 coupe headlight is 7" correct?

http://www.yogisinc.com/Detail.cfm/-...30/product.htm

I have used them on my last two builds. they are high priced but they are bright and well built.

Unless your '35 buckets have a sealed beam conversion kit in them they are not setup for a standard 7" based headlight.

bruce lee - good feedback...thanks

Bob - I am not sure what all a sealed beam conversion entails...could you elaborate a bit? Does it have to do with the wiring? That should be taken care of with the new harness.

Okay, I don't have exactly the right hardware on hand to show you what yours might look like, but this should do it. The first is a '41 commercial headlamp assy that resembles the '35 but came from the factory with seal beams. The part to note here is the retainer ring that clamps around the circumfrance of the bulb to hold it in. The stainless bezel goes over this to hide it. The second pic is a backside shot of the internal "bucket" that holds the bulb, notice the notches that match up with the "tits" (highly technical term) on the back of the bulb to ensure proper clocking. If you've got seal beams this would be inside the light housing to seat the bulb in, it may look somewhat different, but function the same. These are normally made to fasten to the face flange of the light housing.

ok maybe this wasn't such a 'quick headlight question' . my buckets are definately not set up for sealed beam.

Bob- I did some searching and found a post you made 4 years ago..

"I'm going to reply as if you have stock '39 assemblies, don't know you well enough to know if you know that they are or not. The '39 was not a sealed beam set-up, so you can't just drop in a sealed beam bulb, even the new ones with the built in signal. However, Vintique makes a halogen conversion kit that has a signal bulb adapted to the reflector unit. All the major parts suppliers e.g. C.W. Moss (in your back yard), Yogi's, Speedway, Parr, and so on, are dealers for Vintique so you can get them just about anywhere vintage Ford parts are sold. Here's a link that shows the kit, it's the last item on the page; http://www.cwmoss.com/accesscat/15.htm "

On that link they have a halogen conversion kit. This would use the stock 35 parts for halogen lighting, correct? That would be fine except then I still don't have turn signals. The quartz halogen reflector kits below the conversion kit do not say if they are sealed beam (just that they fit any make or model car ). Would this work in place of the $175 kit or will I still have the same sealed beam problem. I like the idea of the LED turn signals too because the tail lights are LED...this kit is bulbs. Is there a sealed beam conversion kit or do I just have to scrounge parts? Thanks!

If you take that CW Moss link again, you'll see the third option "....halogen reflector kit" offers both ways; just head light or head light with signal. These are pretty much direct replacements for your existing reflectors and come with retainer clips and three prong pigtails if they're like the ones I put in the coupe. For the signal function they have a hole drilled in the reflector (toward the bottom if I remember correctly) that will hold a second socket with amber bulb, don't think they're LED though.

I don't have a ready reference to link, but someone also makes a turn signal add on kit that consists of a bracket that mounts under the H4 bulb base that has a socket and wiring that enables you to add signals to the basic halogen setup. I suspect most hot rod part suppliers would have access to that kit too.

They don't seem to be LED Bob, but that would be fine by me. The only reason I went with LED in the back is so no one runs into me . They are much cheaper and will go directly into my buckets. What is the difference/advantage/disadvantage to sealed beam though?

FYI, I used a kit with a standard bulb (not LED), and it wasn't bright enough to see when the headlights were on. Just my experience.

I heard that compliant in my search Jack. Any solution or do you just deal with it? Turn the headlights off at night when you're turning?

Originally Posted by 35fordcoupe

What is the difference/advantage/disadvantage to sealed beam though?

The sealed beam head light was widely adopted by the automotive industry in 1940. The older design, multi piece (separate lense, reflector, bulb) head light suffered from contamination from dirt and moisture. The lense would become obscured on the inside, the bulb dirty, and the reflector would deteriorate, all reducing the ability of the bulb to light effectively. The sealed beam cured all that, and the 7" bulb became standard for all new auto production. In the latter '50's when quad headlights became a styling feature a smaller size was adopted as well.

Originally Posted by 35fordcoupe

I heard that compliant in my search Jack. Any solution or do you just deal with it? Turn the headlights off at night when you're turning?

I installed halogen headlights and separate turn signals, then I threw the kit away. I know people have made this work, but it wasn't worth the effort to me once the first kit didn't work.

Ok so a sealed beam headlight sounds better in all ways, but on a weekend driver in nice weather maybe it wouldn't matter so much. Yogis has a pair of halogen standard headlights with a seperate kit that allows for turn signals to be put inside the reflector, but it has a little surround that goes over the amber bulb inside the reflector. It looks tacky from what I can tell. I wonder though if the CW Moss kit would look the same. I guess the amber would have to be seperated from the headlight when they're both on. The other thing that caught my attention was that they listed a '35 as having 8" headlights. Are they 7" or 8"? I will not be able to measure for a while.

That's discouraging Jack, but maybe I will have to look around at how people are mounting seperate turn signals.

So there is no kit produced with everything to convert a bucket for sealed beam?

Here's one source;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1935-...item439f5d8ea6

Yeah, 8" is about what a 35/6 light housing measures.

Does that kit just drop into the stock bucket. It doesn't seem like a big problem, but I'm curious why I would have to resort to a 70 year old kit. An internet search doesn't seem to come up with anything of relevance.

If the 35 and 36 measures 8" then it doesn't seem like the 7" kit with LED turn signals would work anyway. Am I right? Sorry for all the questions..