Who drives much at night?

[lloyd3]

My dash lights are getting pretty dim and I've just discovered that my headlights need aligned (they are noticeably less powerful than the modern stuff as well). My neighborhood is chock-full of mule deer and I really don't see as good as I used to at night. Long story short, my 11-year old wants to take it to his new Boy Scout Troop meeting tonight. I get it, and I don't blame him. It was, after all, unseasonably warm again here today so conditions aren't bad.....but, I'm not taking it. Maybe later in the Spring when it isn't pitch black at 5:30.

Am I being a wuss?

[polywideblock]

  not at all were all getting older and as you get older  the eyes just don't see in dim light anymore  

                                                i'v got a couple of these head light/relay  conversion but haven't fitted them yet , everything you need is in the "kit"  brighter headlights means being able to extend the cruise    

                                  http://www.ebay.com/itm/231080420400?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[JB400]

Not at all.  I quit driving one particular route due to the fact deer were in the area, even though I had drove this particular route 10's of thousands of times with no incident.  20+ bloodsplatters in a 5 mile stretch of road is quite a bit.

[Dino]

No, you're just being smart.   

I know you're trying to keep the car as stock as possible, but a very easily performed mod, that can be removed later if needed, is to do the headlight relay upgrade.  It's one of the best mods you can do.  I'm a fan of as stock as possible as well, but upgrading the cluster bulbs with LEDs is a no brainer; it looks awesome and no picture ever does it justice.  It also looks like that's how it's supposed to look, nice and bright.

So:
Headlight relay mod
Align headlights
Led upgrade
Eye exam followed by glasses, contacts, or laser surgery.   

Some claim they can see better at night with yellow lenses, cheap enough to find out.   

[XH29N0G]

No, just careful.  While I understand your 11 y.o. and also your desire to take the car, I wouldn't. 

I did the dash with LEDs like Dino recommends and at some time will do headlights.  The dash makes a huge difference. 

[toocheaptosmoke]

Dino is right on with the relays.    I'm planning on wiring mine up so I can run all 4 lights at the same time.  Compared to plastic lens housings on my "newer" trucks I actually think the old sealed beam halogens throw more light.    

[TUFCAT]

I have bad nighttime vision so I don't like to drive at night.  

The only upside is....the "babes" at the bar are totally stunning!    ........

That is, until the ugly lights come on.  

Poor kitty.  

[lloyd3]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. I really don't mind night driving in the modern stuff. It can be easily replaced and the lighting is way better.  Disc brakes and modern suspensions are fairly helpful in avoiding trouble as well.  Lots of things have changed in the last 47-years.

TUFCAT: one thing that probably hasn't changed over the years is the reason for low-light conditions in bars.

[fy469rtse]

yep , time to upgrade, Dinos right
theres a lot of threads on here covering this stuff
have done my other cars , relayed , h4 headlights , everything else is now converted to Led's
got caught out a long way from home , had to go in the dark in heavy traffic, no problem ,
i could see them and every thing in the path of my lights, up graded tailights , indicators,more importantly they knew what i was doing, intending 

[TUFCAT]

up graded tailights , indicators, more importantly they knew what i was doing,

I agree.    The brighter the better!

Our cars need to be seen at night, so help make your car as visible as possible.

[JR]

Funny, I've been thinking about this same subject recently.

I've pretty much decided no more night driving in my Charger either. Mainly due to the cost of replacement front end parts if I were to hit a deer or something. I don't want to know how much a clean 70 grille is now.

The second reason is vintage lighting is crap. I've done the headlamp relay upgrade which means  I have full voltage to the headlamps now, but the old sealed beams don't put out much.
The relay upgrade took me from the equivalent of 4 fireflies affixed to my car then, to 4 dim candles now. Its still terrible light output.

This is just pure speculation on my part, but i wonder if the recessed headlamps on a 2nd gen cause light output to be blocked/not as effective?

Most cars have the headlamps right on the front corner of the vehicle, so light can travel to the side somewhat, and forward. I've noticed the lights on my 70 have a good 6 inches or so shielding the light in every direction, so now I'm wondering how much light is being blocked. Sort of like blinders on a horse.

I wish I knew someone with an equivalent year Coronet/Sattelite I could compare it to. Just purely out of curiosity

I also put in two fog lamps behind the grille, Blade style, years ago, which help some. Not great, but they do help.

So in summary, no I don't drive it at night if possible.

[myk]

I prefer to drive at night.  I hate being around people as it is; when they're behind the wheels of their cars they're even more unbearable.

Are you being a wuss?  I'd say you're just being silly.  Why deny yourself the opportunity to spend quality time bonding with your loved ones behind the wheel of your Charger?  Upgrade your systems and allow you, your family and your Charger the chance to enjoy being together whenever, wherever and however you feel like it...

[Bob T]

yep , time to upgrade, Dinos right
theres a lot of threads on here covering this stuff
have done my other cars , relayed , h4 headlights , everything else is now converted to Led's
got caught out a long way from home , had to go in the dark in heavy traffic, no problem ,
i could see them and every thing in the path of my lights, up graded tailights , indicators,more importantly they knew what i was doing, intending 

Its one of the first things I do to any old Dodge or Chrysler that I've brought, I think its a necessary spend, done it on 4 cars already. Performance car requires performance lights.
Plus the fact of the wiring is usually so crusty and messed with, taking load off the loom and routing it through relays helps the whole package live a bit longer too.

[Ghoste]

While I'm not a big fan of oncoming traffic with the bright white flamethrowers blasting me in the face, I'm an even lesser fan of someone driving in conditions where they don't feel safe.  Some things are driver paranoia (self induced panic over things that MIGHT happen like dark clouds turning into tornados)(or sharknados if you are near salt water) but things like deer and not being able to see at night are hardly paranoia.  Couple it with not being able to enjoy your car and its time for a headlight upgrade.

[fy469rtse]

As discussed on threads on here,
Rear window brake light , modern drivers are conditioned to look for these, it's one of the first things you see when your in traffic,
My 69 had terrible dim tailights, now housing is chrome plated for light reflection, led's
Great , bright, very bright when brakes are applied,
Front turn signals over here in Australia aren't allowed to be amber, only turn signals ,
I put switch backs in,
Google them , great  day time running lights , flash amber when indicators on , and revert back when off

[Sublime/Sixpack]

lloyd3, you're not being a wuss, (or silly). Listen to your instincts, protect that Charger.

[bull]

I don't know if you're a wuss or not but there are definitely different risks involved in driving at night. That said, I have driven my 68 at night on several occasions and haven't had any problems. My dash lights are dim too but I really don't worry about it. Some things I like about it is less traffic and a lack of distractions. Since most people can't tell what kind of car it is they don't wave and yell and stop in the middle of intersections to make comments and ask you questions. And of course there are fewer cars out on the road so by default there should be a decreased risk of tangling with a texting Prius geek.

[Ghoste]

And of course there is also a big difference in the various locales whether it be night or day.

[TPR]

When I first got my Charger, the instrument panel lights were not functioning. It took me around six months to fix it as it was not high on my list of priorities.
After it was fixed, I took it out on a few night runs and I really enjoy it.
Less a**holes on the road, cooler temps, and wildlife is not a problem in my area.
Oh, and my headlights are more than adequate.

If you don't have the confidence to take it out at night due to the reasons you mentioned, then don't do it.
It's a pity, but it's not worth taking risks with these machines.
TPR

[Ghoste]

Nice photo too btw. 

[Dino]

Funny, I've been thinking about this same subject recently.

I've pretty much decided no more night driving in my Charger either. Mainly due to the cost of replacement front end parts if I were to hit a deer or something. I don't want to know how much a clean 70 grille is now.

The second reason is vintage lighting is crap. I've done the headlamp relay upgrade which means  I have full voltage to the headlamps now, but the old sealed beams don't put out much.
The relay upgrade took me from the equivalent of 4 fireflies affixed to my car then, to 4 dim candles now. Its still terrible light output.

This is just pure speculation on my part, but i wonder if the recessed headlamps on a 2nd gen cause light output to be blocked/not as effective?

Most cars have the headlamps right on the front corner of the vehicle, so light can travel to the side somewhat, and forward. I've noticed the lights on my 70 have a good 6 inches or so shielding the light in every direction, so now I'm wondering how much light is being blocked. Sort of like blinders on a horse.

I wish I knew someone with an equivalent year Coronet/Sattelite I could compare it to. Just purely out of curiosity

I also put in two fog lamps behind the grille, Blade style, years ago, which help some. Not great, but they do help.

So in summary, no I don't drive it at night if possible.

Are you running the stock sealed beams?  I upgraded to halogens and that improved it by a few hundred percent.

[moparnation74]

I prefer to drive at night as well.  My dash lights are bright and the same for the front headlights.  They are the standard bulbs.  I have never had a problem driving it at night. 

[Back N Black]

Funny, I've been thinking about this same subject recently.

I've pretty much decided no more night driving in my Charger either. Mainly due to the cost of replacement front end parts if I were to hit a deer or something. I don't want to know how much a clean 70 grille is now.

The second reason is vintage lighting is crap. I've done the headlamp relay upgrade which means  I have full voltage to the headlamps now, but the old sealed beams don't put out much.
The relay upgrade took me from the equivalent of 4 fireflies affixed to my car then, to 4 dim candles now. Its still terrible light output.

This is just pure speculation on my part, but i wonder if the recessed headlamps on a 2nd gen cause light output to be blocked/not as effective?

Most cars have the headlamps right on the front corner of the vehicle, so light can travel to the side somewhat, and forward. I've noticed the lights on my 70 have a good 6 inches or so shielding the light in every direction, so now I'm wondering how much light is being blocked. Sort of like blinders on a horse.

I wish I knew someone with an equivalent year Coronet/Sattelite I could compare it to. Just purely out of curiosity

I also put in two fog lamps behind the grille, Blade style, years ago, which help some. Not great, but they do help.

So in summary, no I don't drive it at night if possible.

Are you running the stock sealed beams?  I upgraded to halogens and that improved it by a few hundred percent.

What halogens did you use for the upgrade?

[Dino]

Funny, I've been thinking about this same subject recently.

I've pretty much decided no more night driving in my Charger either. Mainly due to the cost of replacement front end parts if I were to hit a deer or something. I don't want to know how much a clean 70 grille is now.

The second reason is vintage lighting is crap. I've done the headlamp relay upgrade which means  I have full voltage to the headlamps now, but the old sealed beams don't put out much.
The relay upgrade took me from the equivalent of 4 fireflies affixed to my car then, to 4 dim candles now. Its still terrible light output.

This is just pure speculation on my part, but i wonder if the recessed headlamps on a 2nd gen cause light output to be blocked/not as effective?

Most cars have the headlamps right on the front corner of the vehicle, so light can travel to the side somewhat, and forward. I've noticed the lights on my 70 have a good 6 inches or so shielding the light in every direction, so now I'm wondering how much light is being blocked. Sort of like blinders on a horse.

I wish I knew someone with an equivalent year Coronet/Sattelite I could compare it to. Just purely out of curiosity

I also put in two fog lamps behind the grille, Blade style, years ago, which help some. Not great, but they do help.

So in summary, no I don't drive it at night if possible.

Are you running the stock sealed beams?  I upgraded to halogens and that improved it by a few hundred percent.

What halogens did you use for the upgrade?

I don't remember the brand but I got them at Car quest so maybe it's a house brand?  They were around $5 each and made a world of difference.

[Troy]

Pretty much the only time I get to drive my Classics are to cruise-ins so the trip home is almost always at night. The Mach 1 has atrocious headlights but I don't really have a problem with any of the Mopars. My Challenger has the relay mod so that's nice. I have been upgrading the lights on my trucks to H4 housings and bulbs and the difference is staggering. I have a feeling I'll be doing all the cars as well.

Troy

[JR]

Yes Dino, I still have stock sealed beams. Complete and udder crap.

I thought about upgrading further but the stress of risking 70 front end panels has made me give up the thought of driving at night. We have alot of deer down here and the thought of busting my mint grille on one really stresses me out.

It would still be wise to continue upgrading them, though. For safety.

[Kern Dog]

When I was single, I drove a lot at night. I had a 76 Camaro set up for cornering and night time was better because fewer people were on the road.

[lloyd3]

When I was single (more than 30 years ago now) I lived for nighttime activities. These cars were great for any and all of them. They were way-more than just great.  The area of my youth went from semi-rural small towns and cities, to very rural in fairly short order. Roads were mostly 2-lane blacktop that went to dirt the minute you got off of the beaten path. There weren't a lot of streetlights. Traffic jams were almost unheard of and folks drove fairly soberly (both literally and figuratively).  I now reside on the perimeter of (if not within) a large and seemingly ever growing metropolis.  Instead of two lanes, I deal with mostly four. There is lots of traffic and fairly aggressive drivers are the norm.  At night, that traffic includes lots of amped-up little twits in crappy little plastic cars that drive like there is no tomorrow. For many that may very well be true, because in Colorado now, many of them are impaired on both alcohol and weed.  Not a good mix with old cars and grumpy, middle-aged drivers, so I venture out very sparingly after dark in my old relic.  On warm, midweek summer nights I might hit the drive-in for a cone or a malt, or even a nice little meal somewhere nearby, on a side street with a good view of the car.  I'm not cruzing chicks anymore, and the street wars now go on without me.