Headlights
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
I would like to do this too; much better light on the road. I just installed Sylvania SilverStar bulbs and now have improved lighting, but wiould still like to know if this is feasible or legal. Someone once posted that it was illegal in some states....? Hope you (we) get some good answers. :)
☠☣☢ Semper Ebrius ☢☣☠
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 83,301
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII Veteran
St. Jude's Donor '06
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
I don't think heat would be an issue, but you'd more than double your power draw. I don't know offhand how the lights are wired, but if everything comes in on one wire per side, you'll need to put in a thicker gauge.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 120,798
Likes: 11
From: Charlotte NC
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Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Headlights (Scissors)
Why would you want to do that? :confused: Get some PIAA fog lamps or a HID kit... Is there butter on that popcorn Grumpy?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
From: Pearland TX
Re: Headlights (barkingowl)
Necessity is the mother of invention...
Here in Seattle we are down to 8hrs of light, (all of which occur while i am at work), this combined with the overcast and constant drizzle makes for some pretty dark driving.
Right now i can't afford HID but hopefully Xmas will bring some high power Euro driving lights.
This mod "appears" easy and cheap and would double my light while in high beams.
Aggie_corvette
:cheers:
Here in Seattle we are down to 8hrs of light, (all of which occur while i am at work), this combined with the overcast and constant drizzle makes for some pretty dark driving.
Right now i can't afford HID but hopefully Xmas will bring some high power Euro driving lights.
This mod "appears" easy and cheap and would double my light while in high beams.
Aggie_corvette
:cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 0
From: Appalachian Mtns
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
Ernie at BPP had to explain this to me when I was wiring my non-popups: what you do is use a relay to switch the lows back in when the high-beam circuit is energized. I took power from the alternator, 'cause it was easier. The BPPs now run both sets of lights on bright.
:cheers:
:cheers:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,030
Likes: 0
From: My tolerance for stupidity is at an all time low.
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
There is a modual you can buy that will do this. It is targetted to the full size Chevy trucks, but I had on in another car and it worked great. I got mine at an auto parts store, but you can check with many of the huge vendors that do a lot of custom truck stuff (Trader's comes to mind). I paid less than $20.
The car I had it on was totaled, but I pulled it out and should still have it somewhere. I should try it to see how it works. However, I also want it to keep my PIAA fogs on and I'm not sure how I would get it to do that.
The car I had it on was totaled, but I pulled it out and should still have it somewhere. I should try it to see how it works. However, I also want it to keep my PIAA fogs on and I'm not sure how I would get it to do that.
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 16,636
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From: Redacted
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
I don't know about heat build up in the lamphouse - just don't know.
The other thing to consider is the relatively weak grounding of the Corvette in general and especially of the headlamps.
In each lamphouse, each hi and lo bulb are sharing a common ground wire, which runs to a thing called a "splice pack" (aka, a star connector) with a lot of other system's grounds and that is in turn bolted to a ground on the frame rail. You can see this on the top of the frame rail right behind each headlamp when you open the hood. The ground wire is not all that stout and there are people who've had symptoms of bad grounds from running overwattage bulbs.
If you are running stock lamps, you might be OK, but it was only designed to run one bulb at a time.
It might be simpler to just use any of the easily available name brand upgraded bulbs, like GE or Sylvania high output, or even the Silverstars. (which are highway legal bulbs with standard wattage and improved light outputs).
The other thing to consider is the relatively weak grounding of the Corvette in general and especially of the headlamps.
In each lamphouse, each hi and lo bulb are sharing a common ground wire, which runs to a thing called a "splice pack" (aka, a star connector) with a lot of other system's grounds and that is in turn bolted to a ground on the frame rail. You can see this on the top of the frame rail right behind each headlamp when you open the hood. The ground wire is not all that stout and there are people who've had symptoms of bad grounds from running overwattage bulbs.
If you are running stock lamps, you might be OK, but it was only designed to run one bulb at a time.
It might be simpler to just use any of the easily available name brand upgraded bulbs, like GE or Sylvania high output, or even the Silverstars. (which are highway legal bulbs with standard wattage and improved light outputs).
Pro
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 736
Likes: 0
From: Breese Illinois
Re: Headlights (aggie_corvette)
Aggie,
Check Daniel Stern lighting, they have some great diagrams on their website that shows exactly where to wire in an auxiliary switch to turn on all four lamps at the same time. It's the third diagram at the bottom of the page. Basically it just engages the low-beam relay when you have the high-beams on. http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/relays/relays.html
later,
[Modified by THRAP 42, 3:05 PM 12/13/2002]
Check Daniel Stern lighting, they have some great diagrams on their website that shows exactly where to wire in an auxiliary switch to turn on all four lamps at the same time. It's the third diagram at the bottom of the page. Basically it just engages the low-beam relay when you have the high-beams on. http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/relays/relays.html
later,
[Modified by THRAP 42, 3:05 PM 12/13/2002]