yachtflame Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I’ve searched the forum a bit but don’t find a thread regarding the use of LED headlight bulbs. I have a 1930 LaSalle and find the regular bulbs to be a bit dim. A few years ago I purchased a set of Halogen bulbs with “regulators” and installed them in another set of newly plated reflectors but never got around to swapping them out on the car. Now I’m wondering if they will draw too much current and over hear the wiring. Plus I’m wondering if that technology has been passed by with LED bulbs. Has anyone here tried LED bulbs for headlights? I see them advertised but haven’t seen them discussed here to any great extent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I am curious to get some LED headlights also for my 55 merc 6 volt........i did change the tailights to LED as i had several comments on how dim they were.....one by the police .......and they work great with a wide range of voltage.......and i am running with a 8 volt battery.....[oh god ....here we go again with the 8 volt battery thing again ugh ] 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f.f.jones Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I have been thinking about putting brighter headlights on my '68 Buick (5" round quads). Halogen, LED, or just run with the high beams on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sftamx1 Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I've converted both of my Terraplanes to LED headlamp bulbs, with great results both for the generator/ battery and visibility. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41 Su8 Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I converted to 6 volt LED headlights and tail lights on my '53 Ford and am quite pleased. Lights are much brighter and don't tax the generator. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 (edited) For you Trippe Light haters out there, I installed LED bulbs in the Trippe's for night driving. Also replaced all other bulbs with LED bulbs. Very little draw on the 3-brush generator system. This way I was able to keep the rare and expensive 3 filament headlight bulbs on the 32 Cadillac. Edited October 23, 2023 by Alex D. (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 The early Dodge Brother cars the manual suggests to have the lights on during long (high speed?) trips to help in over charging the battery. I do endorse putting a brake light on these cars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Bennett Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 (edited) The 1923 Dodge Roadster is a 12 volt system, and it was no problem to change the positive ground to a negative ground. And, replacing a lights, including the headlights and newly added tail-brake and turn bulbs was well worth the money. But, the Willys Knight is a six volt, also positive ground, and, while converting the running lights to LED’s was worthwhile, converting the headlights was a real waste. Remember that the LED’s are polarity sensitive and they let you know if they are being installed in a positive ground car by simply refusing to work. http://www.classicautobulbs.com/automotive-light-bulbs/antique-vintage/vintage_antique_collector_car_incandescent_bulbs.htm http://www.classicautobulbs.com/automotive-light-bulbs/antique-vintage/6volt_led_bulbs.htm Jack Edited October 24, 2023 by Jack Bennett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon37 Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 I've had a set of LED lamps in my '37 Terraplane for 3 or 4 years now: headlights, tail / stop / turn signals, and dash lights. Six volt, positive ground. All seem to work very well, and the lamp bases fit the original sockets perfectly. I've been fairly happy with them. However, when I hit the dimmer switch the high beams do not "project" out in front of the car, they simply make a larger radius of light (when driving under a canopy of trees, the high beams merely illuminate the underside of the branches above me). Also, one or two of the tiny LEDs within in the headlight lamp, seem to blink on and off. (Not the whole lamp, just a tiny portion of it). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 I like LED bulbs EXCEPT in the headlights. I had them in my '35 Lincoln headlights but as Jon37 says they throw a lot of light, just not where you want it. I did not feel that they were an improvement over the incandescent bulbs, which I reinstalled. Yes, the incandescent bulbs take more power, but the quality of light is vastly superior. The LEDs don't focus very well for some reason and the light gets scattered in all directions instead of on the road in front of you. More light, less illumination if that makes sense. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 I know that this won't be a popular view point but I'll offer it up anyway. The added brightness for tail lights and turn signals is great for other drivers, however, at some point, there is the reality that with age your night vision deteriorates. Even with my daily drivers (2018 and 2022 model years) I recognize that my night vision is not near the same as it used to be and I'll only be 55 in a month. I spent 30 years doing shift work, driving in all conditions and my former co-workers recognize the same issue in themselves. I hate to tell you, but the issue isn't so much at the front of the car as it is behind the steering wheel. Just my 2 cents, and here in Canada we don't have pennies so that rounds down to zero so take it for what it's worth. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 LEDs in my new Ram. Like Matt says, more light, just not in front of you. So, useless. I absolutely hate being the oncoming vehicle after all the complaining I have done since these things came into being. I kinda figured that they might have been outlawed by now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sftamx1 Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 The modern SUVs and Big RAM style Trucks (they sit much higher up than my regular car) are the worst offenders of casting blinding light in your eyes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 I am guilty of that,I have a new ram 3500 dually diesel......and they are crazy bright ....last night i maybe had 4 people flash high beams at me ........and i had low beams on .........a lot of people drive with fog lights on with low beams .......so other drivers know they are on low beam.........as fog lights go off with high beams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 I found some LED headlight replacements for 6V positive ground 7" headlights used in 40s and 50s cars but you have to use their lens assembly with the bulb for it to focus right. I have heard good reports, cost about $200/pair by the time you get the whole assembly shipped. Thought about it but decided I haven't driven one of my old cars after dark in over 10 years and not sure I will in the future and decided to pass. Made by LEDLight.com, not an endorsement since I haven't used them myself. Not sure if they were the same brand as these but one of our Crosley Club members has LED replacements with lenses on his Crosley and they definitely don't looks stock even when off, but put out a lot more light than stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 18 hours ago, arcticbuicks said: new ram 3500 dually diesel......and they are crazy bright Mine has an auto dimming feature. Living out in the country I use that option often, They throw that random light referred to above and get confused by the reflective road signs. So, the speed signs, curve signs and the likes will often dim the headlights. But the way the beams work the light directly in front of me doesn't change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeAnna Fleming Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) I actually put LED bulbs in my old truck a few months ago. I was a bit worried at first because, you know, it's an old vehicle and I didn't want to mess up the wiring or anything. But the old bulbs were so dim, driving at night felt kinda risky. So, I bought these LED bulbs online, and it turned out to be a pretty easy swap. Didn't need any fancy stuff, they just fit right in where the old bulbs were. The difference was huge, especially on darker roads. They're way brighter and don't use as much power, which is great for an old electrical system like in my truck. I learned a lot about LEDs from this site, https://leds.to/. They had good info that helped me choose the right bulbs. Might be worth checking out for your LaSalle. Edited January 22 by DeAnna Fleming (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) I can drive around my 41 Cadillac with high beams on and hardly anybody ever blinks at me. (literally nobody) this new generation of LED headlights outshines and out glares my sealed beams. Edited January 19 by mrspeedyt (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) when I run out of sealed beams i will then consider modern technology sealed beams replacements. Even though I drive a lot at night, I try not to overdrive my headlights. so usually I'm the slow guy. I do however want to upgrade my tail lights and brake lights to appear correct but much brighter. especially the brake lights. also, I'm going to install a mechanical brake light switch to supplement in parallel the original hydraulic brake light switch. I want those brake lights on just as soon as I start moving that brake pedal the slightest. Edited January 19 by mrspeedyt (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramair Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Mrspeedyt brings up a interesting point on when your brake light activates, I encourage anyone with a 1930 through 1950 car or pickup with hydraulic brakes to press on their brake pedal and have a helper look at when your brakes come on. You might be surprised how many times you have come to a stop and your brake lights may not be illuminating . I found out on my 1936 GMC restoration, when I rebuilt my hydraulic brakes the brake light switch was leaking so I bought a reproduction . I believe that these reproduction switches do not activate except under much higher hydraulic pressure. I would have to apply around 25 pounds of pressure on pedal, so when slowing down the vehicle with light application of brakes was not warning the distracted driver behind you. The solution for me was in finding a OEM switch in a original GM box, now the brakes come on with 5 pounds on the pedal, 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 5 hours ago, mrspeedyt said: I do however want to upgrade my tail lights and brake lights to appear correct but much brighter. especially the brake lights. This is what I plan on doing to my cars. I want to leave the original type bulbs in the headlights as long as possible but I want my brake and tail lights to be as bright as possible. From what I remember, the factory specs for the tail light was a 3 CP bulb, that is far too dim for today's roads. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodge28 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Yesterdays cars were made to run on yesterday traffic conditions. If you want to drive those cars in todays traffic conditions it is necessary to modify to keep up. No 2 ways about it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I think it was discussed here that the Harly Davidson pressure switch activated at the least pressure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joao46 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 There are red LEDs that are good for the brake light only sockets, they flash 3-4 times before staying on. Sure, annoying for the guy behind you but they sure see it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramair Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Jack M, I remember reading about the Harley switch, I was going to order one when I lucked out and found a original. I am assuming that the new switches being sold in the aftermarket must work fine on modern vehicles with more pressure. it is good to know that there are options if you can’t find original 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I bought LED for my 30 Cadillac tail lights as I have in the past have had folks comment about the original not being very bright. I have Just put them in so will have to wait till spring to see if it makes others happy. I have Quarts in the headlights and happy with that but they do draw more power. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz Dodge 4 Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 It looks like you blokes are very lucky ! I do a lot of night time country driving on second rate roads, so fitted LEDs into my early 90s Nissan Patrol, and they are "great", light up the road really well, and they are also outright "illegal", If I get inspected I will be ordered to remove them before proceeding. I recon they would be just the shot on a faster classic if you are "allowed" to use them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) 14 hours ago, ramair said: Mrspeedyt brings up a interesting point on when your brake light activates, I encourage anyone with a 1930 through 1950 car or pickup with hydraulic brakes to press on their brake pedal and have a helper look at when your brakes come on. You might be surprised how many times you have come to a stop and your brake lights may not be illuminating . I found out on my 1936 GMC restoration, when I rebuilt my hydraulic brakes the brake light switch was leaking so I bought a reproduction . I believe that these reproduction switches do not activate except under much higher hydraulic pressure. I would have to apply around 25 pounds of pressure on pedal, so when slowing down the vehicle with light application of brakes was not warning the distracted driver behind you. The solution for me was in finding a OEM switch in a original GM box, now the brakes come on with 5 pounds on the pedal, Newer production aftermarket switches in some of the common aftermarket brands have an "L" suffix on the part number and are rated to come on at a lower pressure than the originals ever did. Whether they are absolute junk or not is a separate issue. I don't know. 9 hours ago, ramair said: Jack M, I remember reading about the Harley switch, I was going to order one when I lucked out and found a original. I am assuming that the new switches being sold in the aftermarket must work fine on modern vehicles with more pressure. it is good to know that there are options if you can’t find original The main claim to fame I remember about the Harley switch is that it can withstand DOT 5 brake fluid. Too much pressure needed to activate has always been the bugaboo in these pressure switches. Well, that and leaking. Glad you got one that works right. Edited January 20 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 19 hours ago, Joao46 said: There are red LEDs that are good for the brake light only sockets, they flash 3-4 times before staying on. Sure, annoying for the guy behind you but they sure see it. Talking to a friend and telling me that the reason for LED tail light bulbs having a delay is because of the flasher needing heavier voltage to operate as normal. He says to switch to a lighter duty flasher if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 No editorial comment but there is a pretty large movement by some to ban LED headlights in modern cars. Just an FYI. There is a non-profit working on this as their feeling it is more dangerous as the light can be blinding to some. I can certainly see that in rural areas with no street lights etc. it could be something positive. I also have felt the blinding effects of some cars. I just deal with it. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 I am pretty sure that MD has taken headlight aiming off of the car inspection because its impossible to aim LED's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Virginia outlawed blue LED headlights in 2023, along with HID and Xenon headlights. Whether it's enforced I can't tell, because I sure see a lot of super bright headlights when I'm traveling at night. Add in jerks who won't dim lights or who set dimming in auto and don't know how to/won't override or disable it and it's really bothersome. A big problem, as I see it, is that modern headlights rely solely on the lights' reflector housing to focus light. Sealed beams used the lens to refract, focus and direct light for best output without blinding other drivers. I think an LED lamp in a pod with a properly designed refractive lens could probably be aimed same as a sealed beam. My Hoppy headlight aimers have adapters for use on aero headlights, so they CAN be aimed, provided the manufacturer made any provisions to do so. Should make no difference whether halogen or LED bulbs. Some of the blame for blinding headlights has to fall on stylists too. You have to ask what they're thinking in their efforts to make vehicles look aggressive. Goes back to artists sometimes have no concept of physics. I'm old enough to remember when Hella, Cibie, Marchal and other European lighting was illegal in the US, for much the same reasons we've discussed here. And those were 1) nowhere near as bright as what's out there now, and 2) actually had refractive lenses to diffuse and aim the light. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 For those of us who contend with snow and freezing rain one big issue with LED headlights is the lack of heat generated by them - the slush and spray that used to melt off the lights no longer does, or at least not in the same way. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz Dodge 4 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 (edited) 6 hours ago, rocketraider said: Virginia outlawed blue LED headlights in 2023, along with HID and Xenon headlights. Whether it's enforced I can't tell, because I sure see a lot of super bright headlights when I'm traveling at night. A big problem, as I see it, is that modern headlights rely solely on the lights' reflector housing to focus light. Sealed beams used the lens to refract, focus and direct light for best output without blinding other drivers. I think an LED lamp in a pod with a properly designed refractive lens could probably be aimed same as a sealed beam. Some of the blame for blinding headlights has to fall on stylists too. You have to ask what they're thinking in their efforts to make vehicles look aggressive. Goes back to artists sometimes have no concept of physics. Here Here "rocketraider" !! My wife drives a late model Hyundai with just "Halogen" lights, and there is almost no adjustment available because of the way the designer and stylist had decreed the car "must" look. Its been an anoyance to me ever since we bought the car, but as almost all her driving is done in well lit town streets it's not really a problem. A friend of mine fitted the highest powered "HID" conversions he could get into his Toyota Landcruiser for driving on the outback roads he travels on frequently, and after a couple of months he took them out because even on low beam the truckies up North with usually about 5 large driving lights were flashing him because his lights were too bright. He put lower powered HIDs in and it is fine now. I have mid power HID driving (spottys) on the Nissan and they are fine but if you are going to use LEDs on your classics I would advise not to go overboard on the power, even the lower power HIDs and LEDs are quite bright. Edited January 21 by Oz Dodge 4 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 12 hours ago, 3macboys said: For those of us who contend with snow and freezing rain one big issue with LED headlights is the lack of heat generated by them - the slush and spray that used to melt off the lights no longer does, or at least not in the same way. That's why some European countries required headlight wipers. The old non sealed beam headlights didn't produce much heat either. Back in the early sixties, as a teenager running around in my Model A Ford in the snow, it would get darker and darker causing me to stop and clean off the snow build up on the headlights. Now some of the new cars have heated washer fluid to clean off the headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 almost all the newer cars around here are LED headlights and are not frozen over.......and sure do not have wipers on them........its -29 today ......i am going to have to try throwing some snow maybe with water on my truck lights and see if it melts off i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 1 hour ago, arcticbuicks said: almost all the newer cars around here are LED headlights and are not frozen over.......and sure do not have wipers on them........its -29 today ......i am going to have to try throwing some snow maybe with water on my truck lights and see if it melts off i think I bet none of your headlight are flat glass or set in the body either. The new headlights benefit from air currents that allow the snow to blow off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFitz Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 When the problem of a new brake light pressure switch only coming on with high foot pressure started a couple of decades ago, I made a test rig with a pressure gauge to test the new pressure switches against a good original I had from the early' '30s. Yes, the new ones are much higher, as in 110 - 120 psi - more than double the 40-50 psi the original needed to make contact. That equates to having to do hard stopping to get the taillight to come on. Still looking for a reliable source of a true low-pressure switch. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 22 minutes ago, PFitz said: Still looking for a reliable source of a true low-pressure switch. Ever try an original prewar mechanical brake switch? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joao46 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 40 minutes ago, PFitz said: When the problem of a new brake light pressure switch only coming on with high foot pressure started a couple of decades ago, I made a test rig with a pressure gauge to test the new pressure switches against a good original I had from the early' '30s. Yes, the new ones are much higher, as in 110 - 120 psi - more than double the 40-50 psi the original needed to make contact. That equates to having to do hard stopping to get the taillight to come on. Still looking for a reliable source of a true low-pressure switch. Paul Are you sure? I just looked up a switch from painless wiring and they claim a range of 51-120 psi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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