Hot Rod Forum banner

1939 Plymouth Headlight upgrade/modifications?

6K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  crdnblu 
#1 ·
The headlights for the 1939 Plymouth were a one-year only style with conventional non-sealed beam construction. The light they cast, even with halogen bulbs is poor at best.


The builder put halogen sealed-beam lamps inside the reflector-lens assembly and due to dispersion from two lenses, the lighting was horrible.

I restored the original headlights and even sourced halogen bulbs for the sockets, but the results were not good. The reflectors could stand to be re-silvered, but I doubt that would help much.

I had a brief conversation with an old MOPAR fan who told me that the currently available bulbs would not ever work well with this reflector because the bulbs Chrysler used, while have an identical socket, were 180 degrees different and the focal point was off and it would not produce a suitable beam pattern.


What I'm looking for is someone who can convert the reflectors to accept a modern, powerful lamp at the correct geometry. Is anyone aware of someone who could do this modification or am I on my own?
 
See less See more
2
#4 ·
As above; it may not be a total cure, but it will be an improvement. A good article with the whys & hows, plus diagrams:

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

That's one of the first things I did as well as adding a dedicated ground circuit. There is no significant voltage drop measured at the bulb itself. That part of the system is operating optimally.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top