Tom,
There is a good website that can explain in further detail about headlamp
upgrades at http://lighting.mbz.org Note the relay and front side marker
flash upgrades in the Tech section, and the Cibie' lamps mentioned below are
in the Products section.
The old SAE standard sealed beam headlamps that came as standard
equipment on our cars are just plain miserable. They give a small patch of
fuzzy, inefficiently diffused light. US government restriction was loosened
in the early 1980's to allow manufacturers to upgrade headlamp design. This
is when freeform lamps with replaceable bulbs became the norm.
The European standard, or E-Code, headlamp lens design allows for a wide
swath of undiffused light, as opposed to the fuzzy little patch of the SAE
US spec lens. There is a cut-out in the lens pattern that blocks light for
oncoming traffic, while still spreading the beam further to both left and
right. Hella, Bosch, and Cibie' are the likely brands you would find at an
import parts house that would have E-Code headlamp units. Typically, an
E-Code lamp will not be a sealed beam, meaning it has a replaceable bulb
which then allows for higher wattage bulbs. If higher wattage bulbs are
used, this can present problems in that you are sending more juice through
the headlamp switch that was designed for lower wattage use.
In the Tech section of the above link, there is a section on installing a
relay in the lighting circuit. Installing this relay minimizes the wattage
going through the headlamp switch which allows for higher wattage bulbs.
Installing a relay would be a benefit to any headlamp circuit even with
standard headlamps to increase the switch's lifespan.
Another way around the high wattage problem is to consider the Cibie' CSR
headlamps in the Products section in the above website. Cibie' has made a
technological advance in that instead of scoring the inside of the glass
lens to bend the light being reflected by the typical smooth silvered metal
reflector back of the lamp unit, they use a mostly smooth glass lens with a
precisely sculpted plastic reflector back. This plastic reflector back has
been scored to make greater use of the light being produced by the bulb,
allowing for a substantial gain in efficiency of light. In comparison with
some Hella E-Code lamps I have, these Cibie's produce an even lighting
whereas the Hella's are comparitively patchy in light distribution on the
road. These Cibie's also incorporate a 5W 'city light' that I use as a
daytime running lamp in both low beams.
I have replaced the old sealed beams on my '72 Newport Custom sedan with
these Cibie' CSR lamps. I have standard-ish wattage bulbs in them, and I
have them running through the above mentioned relay installed in the
headlamp circuit. The difference over the old sealed beams is literally
brilliant. I can see! The right side of the beam pattern is vastly improved,
throwing the light much further down and further out on the right hand
shoulder of the road. I have now lighted many a jogger/deer/pooch that would
have remained darkened. Driving safety is unquestionably improved. The light
cut-out on the left side of the beam sufficiently blocks the light for
oncoming traffic but allows for more light spread to the left side than a
SAE lens design. Correct aiming, as with any lamp, is needed and E-Codes are
able to be more precisely aimed than the old fuzzy SAE sealed beams.
Eric
'63 Crown Four-Door
'72 Newport Custom Sedan
From: Crestonave@xxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 20:21:53 EST
Subject: IML: Headlights
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How can I increase the headlight output on my 68 Imperial without risking
damage to the electrical system or blinding other drivers? Don't use the car
at
night a lot but when I do the headlights leave much to be desired. They are
yellowish and weak.
Tom
68 Imp Convert
60 NYer coupe
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