Any good lighting upgrade options?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 403
From: Nashville TN
St. Jude Donor '09
I installed a couple of 55W driving lights behind my grill for the same reason. My main issue was seeing when turning although my night vision has declined over the years. The lights have really helped light things up.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
From: Melville NY
Isn't it a sealed casing? I have plug and play HID's on my other cars and they work great, they are 4300K temp so they emit no blue tint what so ever, its pure white. I thought HID's would not be able to plug and play into a C3?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
On my '99 trans am with the sealed beams with very off the wall proportions, where you just couldn't seem to find aftermarket reflectors, I bastardized some HIR lights into sealed beam Sylvania housings. Ramped up the melted plastic driving light housings with their 26.5watt bulbs into metal housings running 55 (or was it 65) watt zenon bulbs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOSHI...QQcmdZViewItem
Here is another link to the complete 4 light Zenon replacement including harness running directly off the alternator;
http://www.vetteworksonline.com/cata...034fc6832c4122
They claim there is a lot of voltage drop over the stock harness and sell an upgraded harness for $200. I haven't taken a good look at the lighting or harness yet, but I am replacing bulbs with LEDs where feasible to ease the stress on what is actually a pretty primitive electrical system.
I do a lot of night driving on backroads; fast and dark. When I get to the lights on the list..... well, I like the option of seeing way down the road. Leaves on trees wilting..... small animals bursting into flame..... the paint on the bumper of the guy that cut me off slowly bubbling....
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
For the time being this is my lighting upgrade. They are not sealed and you can use newer bulbs either halogen or blue.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 945
Likes: 0
From: Ventura California
For the time being this is my lighting upgrade. They are not sealed and you can use newer bulbs either halogen or blue.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Incandescent bulbs don't age well. Replace with some version of a modern halogen bulb (cheapo sealed-beams, aftermarket H4/H1 units, etc.). If pure originality isn't a concern, install relays.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Halogen is a low-cost option.
Or he can add auxiliary lighting behind the grille as well. These are Hella 1500 Optilux. They serve as daytime running lights (DRLs) during the day.
Or he can add auxiliary lighting behind the grille as well. These are Hella 1500 Optilux. They serve as daytime running lights (DRLs) during the day.
Last edited by Paul L; Aug 22, 2007 at 07:31 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
For the time being this is my lighting upgrade. They are not sealed and you can use newer bulbs either halogen or blue.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
I also wired up the halos you see as failing light accents to only be used at dusk before the headlights are switched on.
I also gave them dedicated power from my equivalent of the alt's BAT terminal switched by a relay that's triggered by the original headlight power wire.
It's all only temporary until I get my body work going and install the fixed headlights.
Nice one, DB.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
I will second the suggestion to read through the MAD site. I simply rewired my headlights as they suggest and it made a world of difference. Check to see what kind voltage you get at the headlights with the engine running. If it's below 13.5V, improving your wiring will probably do what you need.
Ken
Ken
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
I will second the suggestion to read through the MAD site. I simply rewired my headlights as they suggest and it made a world of difference. Check to see what kind voltage you get at the headlights with the engine running. If it's below 13.5V, improving your wiring will probably do what you need.
Ken
Ken
I can go to really low beams just rolling the window up.
So for upgrading and rewiring, who makes the best most accurate wiring diagrams?
