47-55.1 Black headlights

[skip99]

Have any pics of black headlights , with or without halos and turn signals, ?

Are leds worth the extra money ?

[dsraven]

personally, I think LED's are worth the money. white light instead of pale orange light. makes things brighter/crisper/sharper.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by dsraven

personally, I think LED's are worth the money. white light instead of pale orange light. makes things brighter/crisper/sharper.

Being a professional driver with over 4 million miles of nighttime driving experience with every type of lighting system imaginable, I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this subject.

Brighter headlights don't mean better visibility. Lighting the road in front of you brighter is much like being in a brightly-lit room and trying to see outside into the dark night. A brightly illuminated road surface actually makes one's pupils constrict, limiting night vision. Yes, it may be brighter, but no, you can't see better. I've driven trucks where guys raved about their new driving lights, only to find that the road surface was so bright that I couldn't see anything beyond the light pattern - kinda like standing next to a campfire and trying to see into the dark woods.

Brighter headlamps are nothing new; we've always had the technology to make brighter lights. It's just that nowadays people seem to have lost the common sense to realize that brighter lights cause severe vision problems for oncoming drivers. Too many people install the latest high-tech lighting systems, then never bother to get them properly aimed. I've seen motorists followed off freeway exits and their new expensive lights smashed out by irate drivers.

Whiter lights are also an illusion that persists from the old days of automotive generators which made the lights brighter/whiter when you revved the engine. Kelvin-rating (the scale of lamps from yellow to blue) is nothing more than a color distinction. If whiter light were better, they wouldn't make freeway street lamps yellow/orange sodium bulbs.

[Steeveedee]

Our city is replacing the sodium lamps with LEDs for the street lights. It's true that the human eye responds best close to the sodium lamp color, but the real reason was because they are cheaper to run than the old mercury lamps. The LEDs are white, though, giving a more natural color to things.

I put the relay kit from LMC on my truck to brighten the headlights up, but they don't seem to shine any brighter than what brand new lights may have looked like.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Being a professional driver with over 4 million miles of nighttime driving experience with every type of lighting system imaginable, I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this subject.

Brighter headlights don't mean better visibility. Lighting the road in front of you brighter is much like being in a brightly-lit room and trying to see outside into the dark night. A brightly illuminated road surface actually makes one's pupils constrict, limiting night vision. Yes, it may be brighter, but no, you can't see better. I've driven trucks where guys raved about their new driving lights, only to find that the road surface was so bright that I couldn't see anything beyond the light pattern - kinda like standing next to a campfire and trying to see into the dark woods.

Brighter headlamps are nothing new; we've always had the technology to make brighter lights. It's just that nowadays people seem to have lost the common sense to realize that brighter lights cause severe vision problems for oncoming drivers. Too many people install the latest high-tech lighting systems, then never bother to get them properly aimed. I've seen motorists followed off freeway exits and their new expensive lights smashed out by irate drivers.

Whiter lights are also an illusion that persists from the old days of automotive generators which made the lights brighter/whiter when you revved the engine. Kelvin-rating (the scale of lamps from yellow to blue) is nothing more than a color distinction. If whiter light were better, they wouldn't make freeway street lamps yellow/orange sodium bulbs.

Good stuff!

Brian

[51 3600]

Back in the day a good friend of mine mounted a pair of aircraft landing lights on the front of his new ‘67 Mustang. If he was unsure of the road ahead, he’d flip them on briefly to light up the night. (He needed to at the speeds he drove.) Woe be the oncoming driver who neglected to dim his lights. Probably thought he was being beamed up by some alien spacecraft.

[1project2many]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Being a professional driver with over 4 million miles of nighttime driving experience with every type of lighting system imaginable, I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this subject.

Brighter headlights don't mean better visibility. Lighting the road in front of you brighter is much like being in a brightly-lit room and trying to see outside into the dark night. A brightly illuminated road surface actually makes one's pupils constrict, limiting night vision. Yes, it may be brighter, but no, you can't see better. I've driven trucks where guys raved about their new driving lights, only to find that the road surface was so bright that I couldn't see anything beyond the light pattern - kinda like standing next to a campfire and trying to see into the dark woods.

Brighter headlamps are nothing new; we've always had the technology to make brighter lights. It's just that nowadays people seem to have lost the common sense to realize that brighter lights cause severe vision problems for oncoming drivers. Too many people install the latest high-tech lighting systems, then never bother to get them properly aimed. I've seen motorists followed off freeway exits and their new expensive lights smashed out by irate drivers.

Whiter lights are also an illusion that persists from the old days of automotive generators which made the lights brighter/whiter when you revved the engine. Kelvin-rating (the scale of lamps from yellow to blue) is nothing more than a color distinction. If whiter light were better, they wouldn't make freeway street lamps yellow/orange sodium bulbs.

Thank you! I've been telling people this for years. Lights that focus a brighter spot further down the road can help. Putting more light in the area directly in front of you is like using brighter lights in the fog or snow. It's almost impossible to drive when folks with too much or too bright lighting are heading toward me. And when the lights aren't adjusted correctly it's even worse.

This forum always cracks me up. Someone wants to see pics of black headlights and get an opinion about the investment in LEDs, then people comment telling the OP that they are ugly and old trucks should not have modern(arguably much safer) technology. Pretty sure that's not what he asked.

Here's the thing: Most aftermarket LED "headlights" don't provide a correct pattern of light that's usable for the driver. Instead they provide a lot of light in front of the driver's face. The reflection created makes it harder to identify objects in the distance. So while the technology itself may be safer, the implementation is not. Wagner is invested real money in designing LED headlights. Wagner lights are substantially more than the $55.00 specials found on Ebay. They provide a great pattern with a nice, distinct cutoff. There are several other brands that do well and have DOT certification.

[mr48chev]

I think they are too freaking ugly to put on any AD or TF no matter how they light up the road. Real trucks need real headlights.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I think they are too freaking ugly to put on any AD or TF no matter how they light up the road. Real trucks need real headlights.

Yep, you are a brother from a different mother. LOLOLOL


Brian

[ChevyRacefan]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I think they are too freaking ugly to put on any AD or TF no matter how they light up the road. Real trucks need real headlights.

Agreed, The led into the older headlight all seem to look like an alien.
Now if they made them and they looked like a regular head light , I would gladly up date to them.
Our newer vehicle with led headlights it nice to drive at night.
Was odd at first driving it, as there was a sharp line where the light is bright and then drops off fast. Like from road to 5 feet up was one brightness, then within a foot or less higher, almost no light. (lo beam) and they still blind oncoming vehicles.

[jweb]

I have seen a few people use the headlights meant for newer Jeep’s. Like the type made by JW speaker. https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/j...ad-headlights/

If you are just looking for a brighter headlight, you can use the Cibie brand that use a modern bulb. You would also want to add a relay to get the best results. https://www.amazon.com/Cibie-082440-.../dp/B008DQV88Q

Depends on which style goes with the theme of your build.

[joedoh]

I always liked how these looked. the cross is really prominent in photos, but not so much when in person. it lets the black darken the reflector and doesnt hurt the light output.




https://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Golf-Mk1...-/331988909007

[layinrocker65]

I’m currently looking for LED headlights for my 53. The issue I’m having is that from what I have put on other trucks like my 74, the lens sticks out a bit further than the standard headlights. It wasn’t an issue on trucks with headlights that are set back into the grills but with AD trucks having the headlights being the furthers point out, I do t want it sticking any more pst the bezel than stock. I really like the look of the light output of the LEDs and the significantly less draw it has for the light performance. No extra relays needed.

[28TudorAZ]

Originally Posted by layinrocker65

I’m currently looking for LED headlights for my 53. The issue I’m having is that from what I have put on other trucks like my 74, the lens sticks out a bit further than the standard headlights. It wasn’t an issue on trucks with headlights that are set back into the grills but with AD trucks having the headlights being the furthers point out, I do t want it sticking any more pst the bezel than stock. I really like the look of the light output of the LEDs and the significantly less draw it has for the light performance. No extra relays needed.

These will work. These are on my 52. https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Round-H4-...AAAOSwY3VejP0G Then you just buy the H4 LED's.

[mr48chev]

The best light I got at night on my truck was with Ciibie H-4 lights with 55/100 bulbs in them. Properly adjusted they put out a good usable light on low beam and reached down the road on high far enough that you couldn't outrun them at 100+. It was also usable light and not the light that was too bright that Miriclepieco mentioned. The cars and trucks here in Washington are terrible for having out of adjustment lights that go everywhere but where they should. When I lived in Texas we had to have state inspections every year and they checked the aim on your headlights and that was usually how the mechanic inspecting the car made a couple of bucks when they adjusted the lights. You didn't have cars coming at you with cockeyed lights though.

Still no matter how well something might work I don't want it on my AD or my 71 if it is just flat ugly.

[G&R's57GMC]

Back in the day my buddy installed air craft landing lights in place of the high beams on his 70 Challenger.
The drivers side beam mounted so the light pattern was horizontal and the passenger side vertical .
Worked great on lonely Hwy 95 in Nevada he could see a mile down the road .

Of Course totally illegal, But used in the right situation they are safe addition .

[28TudorAZ]

I run the white LED lights for headlights. I really like them at night. They don't seem too bright to me. I think its more of a personal preference. Everyone does not have the same vision.

[layinrocker65]

This forum always cracks me up. Someone wants to see pics of black headlights and get an opinion about the investment in LEDs, then people comment telling the OP that they are ugly and old trucks should not have modern(arguably much safer) technology. Pretty sure that's not what he asked.



Dapper Lighting www.dapperlighting.com makes stock looking lights and blacked out lights. They are more expensive but American Made and have options for all of their lighting options. They are out of Novato CA.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by layinrocker65

This forum always cracks me up. Someone wants to see pics of black headlights and get an opinion about the investment in LEDs, then people comment telling the OP that they are ugly and old trucks should not have modern(arguably much safer) technology. Pretty sure that's not what he asked.



Dapper Lighting www.dapperlighting.com makes stock looking lights and blacked out lights. They are more expensive but American Made and have options for all of their lighting options. They are out of Novato CA.

It's like we are in a garage drinking a beer, we are going to toss out ideas, that's what friends do.

Brian

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

It's like we are in a garage drinking a beer, we are going to toss out ideas, that's what friends do.

Brian

^^^It's the entire purpose of enthusiast forums in my opinion. I say we're "friends that have never met". If you lived down the block or around the corner, sooner or later one of us would stop by to say, "Nice truck!" and the conversation and possibly friendship would begin.

Yeah, we'd likely argue about politics or something else eventually but the common enjoyment of the trucks and cars in general would bring us back.

[mr48chev]

KC daylighters mounted on the splash apron where you would normally mount fog lights did the same as aircraft landing lights. Doing that depends a lot on the roads you normally drive at night. If you run over the pass to the south of me you need some good headlights at night. If you go over Chinook pass on highway 410 in Washington at night in the summer you want good lights as there are a lot of elk and deer on the road at certain times of the year and quite often the traffic is light at night as most drivers want to see the scenery going over it.

On the roads around here there are a high number of people who wander around at night in dark clothes. You need good lights to see them and pick them out on the side of the road and they often walk down the middle of the road at night.

Going from the road along the river up to the community where Hogfarm lives is a challange in the day time and I can just imagine running that road at night. Roads in that area have bends so tight you can see your own taillights.

[captn6]

your truck your decision get what you like not what everyone else will built mine the way I wanted it some like what I have done some say it's ok just make it yours

[skip99]

Originally Posted by captn6

your truck your decision get what you like not what everyone else will built mine the way I wanted it some like what I have done some say it's ok just make it yours

I have absolutly mades this truck mine, or my wifes, lol....everything is hand made....looked at thousands of pics, hated everything, only actually saw 2 pics of trucks with black lights though, so finally decided on having a set built ...black chrome, projectors, and wiring amber halos for turn ...different, looks great and one of a kind...for now...

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by skip99

I have absolutly mades this truck mine, or my wifes, lol....

my wife has a sayin'. everything of mine is her's and everything of her's is her's
yes mam

[mr48chev]

Back in the early 70's when I was just out of the Army, just married and living in Texas you had to have your car inspected every year. The way most inspectors made a little bit of money off the inspection was to adjust the headlights so they were correctly aimed and install a new set of wiper blades. At that time the mechanic made about a dollar actually doing the inspection. The good was that you seldom met anyone on the road with cockeyed headlights. I don't know if MiraclepieCo Runs or ran up 97 to Yakima and past my house but around here headlights are out of kilter more often than they are aimed right and lifted 4x4 trucks always have them aimed to hit you right in the eyes or aimed off up in the brush on the side of the road. That has a lot to do with how well you can see at night with any rig.