Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Opinion On Headlamps (Read 1819 times) previous topic - next topic

Opinion On Headlamps

Everyone here knows I am restoring my Tbird. Recently I gutted the headlamps to replace the rusty buckets. When I removed the headlamps they were so old that the glass lens seperated from the back of the glass sealed beam units.

I am thinking of replacing them with aftermarket clear lens units with the replacable halogen bulbs.

Here are the ones I am considering:

Black projector lamps with city lights

Chrome projector lamps with city lights

Chrome lamps with white halo ring

What do you all think?

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #1 –
Cheap projector headlamps typically don't give you a good beam. Of those, I'd get the standard chrome projectors and use some bulbs that don't block all but the blue spectrum (bulbs with a blue coating - light output turns to heat instead). I tried black with my HID retrofit and it looked horrible. I didn't think even making the marker lights in black would look decent after seeing that mockup.


1988 Thunderbird Sport

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Seek;291782
Cheap projector headlamps typically don't give you a good beam. Of those, I'd get the standard chrome projectors and use some bulbs that don't block all but the blue spectrum (bulbs with a blue coating - light output turns to heat instead). I tried black with my HID retrofit and it looked horrible. I didn't think even making the marker lights in black would look decent after seeing that mockup.

 


Thanks for your input! I have definitely decided against black projectors so I will be looking at conventional clear lamps with the city lights or halo surround.

I really do like the look of the chrome projectors but if the light beam output and pattern is not good then I don't want them.

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #3 –
Projectors are great when they work as you can get much more even light distribution without throwing a lot up above the cutoff as glare. They ARE better than reflector type but you just need to find a good product, including one whose housing lenses won't cloud up due to poor plastics being used. There are a ton of newer reflector designs in sealed beam headlights that work much better than what was originally put on cars (they use the reflector to distribute light better than fluted lenses).
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Seek;291788
Projectors are great when they work as you can get much more even light distribution without throwing a lot up above the cutoff as glare. They ARE better than reflector type but you just need to find a good product, including one whose housing lenses won't cloud up due to poor plastics being used. There are a ton of newer reflector designs in sealed beam headlights that work much better than what was originally put on cars (they use the reflector to distribute light better than fluted lenses).


Most of the ones I have found have a glass outer lens over a plastic housing, so that is a plus. I guess I better continue research trying to find the best ones.

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #5 –
on a 4 eyes it wont look nearly as bad (black that is)  Its a matter of choice for you

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #6 –
Quote from: DamonSlowpokeBaumann;291817
on a 4 eyes it wont look nearly as bad (black that is) Its a matter of choice for you
X2
I was gonna say something about not having all that clear plastic with reflectors behind it on either side of the black lenses like the 87/88's have.  Having a 4-eye with no other lamps near by is an advantage for customizing.  The real beauty is that LOTS of different cars used the same sealed beams our 4-eyes did, which makes aftermarket headlamp availability a non-issue.  If the car is black, I think a 4-eye with those would look pretty sharp, actually.  As for performance, dunno.  Never had anything with projector beams on it.  Even my '09 Chev Impala (company car, actually) has standard reflectors on it. 
 
Now, put those black ones behind some clear protectors that are made to fit right, and that would be sharper than a $2 tack.
:birdsmily:
(X2) '86 Thunderbird, 3.8L CFI, C5 Tranny
 
'92 F-150, 5.0L EFI (SD), M5OD Tranny, 3.08 Dif
 
'70 VW Beetle, 1780cc, twin Solex 43's.

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #7 –
I made my decision and it was a silver 1969 Mustang with a 1970 nose on the cover of a Mustang magazine at work that helped me decide. That Mustang swapped out standard sealed beams for crystal clear round units and it looked so sweet, fresh and updated.

I decided the black projector lamps look too ricey and I was more concerned with proper light output.

So I bought two sets (they come in pairs) of clear chrome lamps with glass lenses and purchased them. The even come with the 9003 H4 bulbs which we all know by themselves are at least $40. Regular headlamps would have been at least that much and sealed beam Silverstars would have been about $80 for four.

The lamps also come with blue city lights but I will swap those out for legal color amber bulbs and wire them to the parking lamp circuit. Why not use clear bulbs? I just want to be different I suppose.

Now I am trying to figure out the best configuration to wire these up. All four lamps are identical except they are specific left and right due to the placement of the city lights. So I have to decide do I want to wire them so that both inner and outer lamps come on with high beams or just wire the inner lamps for high beams. The inner lamps will not be connected for low beam for sure, just the outer lamps.

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Seek;291782
Cheap projector headlamps typically don't give you a good beam. Of those, I'd get the standard chrome projectors and use some bulbs that don't block all but the blue spectrum (bulbs with a blue coating - light output turns to heat instead). I tried black with my HID retrofit and it looked horrible. I didn't think even making the marker lights in black would look decent after seeing that mockup.

 


I agree the black projectors don't look good on your Bird. It's just not a balanced look. It's as if someone removed the regular lenses and fitted small projectors in there which look lost. It has to do with the scale I suppose. Now if someone made clear lens versions of the stock lamps that would look good. However with the age of the cars, there is certainly no demand for them.

I always loved the headlamps of the 1996-97 Birds and Cats! I love the entire front end so much that when I had my 1989 Tbird I put a 1996-97 style nose on it!  I was really happy with that. Like a fool, I traded the car on a 1999 Mustang I didn't like nearly as much.

Looking back now, I could have been really happy with a good 1996-97 Thunderbird instead of buying a 2008 Mustang. Don't get me wrong the new Mustang is a great car but I have done all that I feel like doing with it. I just feel it's more of an acomplishment to take something older, fix it the way I want and having it feel as good as having a new car.

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #9 –
Ok well you guys have lost me mainly, Ive been trying to figure out where to buy good bright but also good looking lights for my 88 Tbird and i dont really want some like Seek's mostly because its a white car, can i get some URL's of where the best places are to buy these headlights? or is there a way to open the stock headlight housings?

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #10 –
My lenses are vacuum formed polycarbonate. My projectors are from an Acura TL. The housing is fiberglass and pinted silver. Works great but I'll be redoing them with quad projectors up front (2xTL, 2xTSC) when I have some space to build some again. The clear lenses themselves are easy to do but the fluting is needed with the stock projector setup.

I've seen similar to the above headlights on a coworkers truck years ago - they worked great.
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Seek;291877
My lenses are vacuum formed polycarbonate. My projects are from an Acura TL. The housing is fiberglass and pinted silver. Works great but I'll be redoing them with quad projectors up front (2xTL, 2xTSC) when I have some space to build some again. The clear lenses themselves are easy to do but the fluting is needed with the stock projector setup.

I've seen similar to the above headlights on a coworkers truck years ago - they worked great.



Your project got me thinking about doing some for the SHO.

If you dont mind me asking what did it run you? Mine should be a little easier as there are only 3 corners but i dont know.
1986 Cougar LS

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #12 –
Parts were much more expensive years ago as it was like $300 just for the projects, $250 for used ballasts/igniters/bulbs, and a lot of time with small expenses like non hardening clay, fiberglass supplies, sanding tools, paint, etc. Then there was the cost of the lenses but 4 eyed cars can get away with clear lenses from other vehicles so the thread starter would have an advantage if he was able to get a project to to fit.

Now, all the parts are half price or lower.
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Seek;292001
Parts were much more expensive years ago as it was like $300 just for the projects, $250 for used ballasts/igniters/bulbs, and a lot of time with small expenses like non hardening clay, fiberglass supplies, sanding tools, paint, etc. Then there was the cost of the lenses but 4 eyed cars can get away with clear lenses from other vehicles so the thread starter would have an advantage if he was able to get a project to to fit.

Now, all the parts are half price or lower.


Was wondering more about prices on getting the lenses formed
1986 Cougar LS

Opinion On Headlamps

Reply #14 –
I don't have room to do it myself right now but there are people who will for ~$150 if you send them a mold to form it over. You should be able to fill in a stock lens and have it formed over, just a hair larger than stock. If there is any fluting, filling it in will help the forming lay down more uniformly - else you'll see vertical lines in the lens from the heating of the underside being uneven.
1988 Thunderbird Sport