I got some JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2 headlights for the truck.  They are a direct replacement of the sealed beam.  2 amp low beam, 3 amp high beam ~28w and 42w.  DOT and SAE.  If you had told me that I could have simple plug and play headlights, that rival those which come on new, high end cars, I would have thought you were joking.  However, they exist.  Technology is awesome.

These pictures show that they are clearly better than the Sylvania halogen sealed beams I had, but they still do not do these lights justice.

I'm not particularly fond of the modern look of the lights on the truck, However, the added safety of being able to see much more in front of me makes the aesthetic acceptable.  These lights are available with a chrome or black bezel.  I went with chrome since it does look more like a traditional lens, at a glance, than black.  Black might look pretty good on darker colored vehicles.

Halogen left, LED Right
Low beam top, high beam bottom







Low beam:



High beam:





Lawrenceville, GA

Thanks for posting that Charlie. I'm not sure I could live with those on the 'bird, and I don't drive it that much at night. But I've got a couple OT cars with pop up lights or doors. Even though they're pricey, that's the solution. Wait till you're closing in on cataract replacements due to age. No such thing as too much light for me now. No rewiring, relays, etc. can't beat it.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Maybe as the technology continues to develop, a classic looking version will become available.

Another option, for those wanting the classic look with more modern lighting, is to use H4 conversions, such as Hella Vision Plus, but use an LED H4 bulb.

Something I forgot is for the JW Speaker lights, they are thicker where the retaining ring goes to hold the light in place. About a 1/8" spacer (or stack of washers) for each of the 3 screws will help to ensure that you do not distort or put excess stress on that ring.



Lawrenceville, GA

wow - 500 bucks - you better get better light for the price.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Huge difference and they supposedly last longer, which cuts down on the total cost - we'll see about that, though.  I haven't had an LED flashlight last much more than a year, even when USA made.   Hopefully it's not the same with headlights.

I became aware of https://vintagecarleds.com today.  They use H4 housings with LED H4 replacement bulbs and are priced much less.





Lawrenceville, GA

Thanks Charlie. When I figure the time and cost of relays and new wiring to them, the look and price of those units come more into line. Good H4 housings, like Hella or Cibie aren't cheap to begin with.

I had several daily drivers with 60/100 watt H4's, relays, heavy wiring, etc. Illegal as hell then. Both Marchal and Cibie housings. On a clear night on long straight back roads, they'd show a reflective stop sign from over half a mile. It was the last 6 of 30 miles on my way home and dairy country. If there was a cow out there, I really wanted to see it.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Yep, the really good H4 bulbs can cost over $100ea, so a top notch H4 setup can get get to be $400-$500 quite easily and be a much more involved install.

Edit:  It looks like H4 bulbs are much cheaper since I last checked, about $50.00ea for high end ones, so $300-$400 for a top notch H4 install.


Lawrenceville, GA

Hello, I had cataract surgery about 6 years ago. It was one of the best things that I have done. I went in for surgery once for each eye about 6 months apart. There was no pain and 4 hours later I had 20-20 vision. Super easy and super great. Insurance covered most of it. If you can afford it go for the latest high definition lenses.

Where did you buy them at Charlie?

Ron Tron

Amazon


Lawrenceville, GA