see in the dark!

[pettybird]

while not TECHNICALLY wing-specific, these can save your nose!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VU7CFA/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_1


I ran across these at Amazon looking for a different set and couldn't believe how cheap these were.  You need to provide your own bulbs, and I'd recommend something like Silverstars. 

I own two sets of these in 7" for my Porsches, and the difference in light output and pattern is astounding.  search for "E code lights" or some such to see what I mean.  The front glass lenses are flat, and honestly the look a little weird in an exposed headlight system.  They work great in wing cars because you don't see them when they're down.  I bought two pairs, one for each 'bird.  This is the cheapest price I've ever seen on these housings. 

If you drive your car a lot, and you're not looking for date coded bulbs, you really aught to consider these mandatory. 

[XS29J8]

These bulbs (H-4) can be fit into old correct headlamps if you take a window cutter and cut a hole in back and insert the new bulb. I have done this for unobtainable original headlights on motorcycles like the Kawasaki Z1 for years and have messed a couple up but a little patience and a hot glue gun seems to help you can mess around and use the 2 wire connector or 3 wire with some experimentation, Great Find Doug!   

[hemigeno]

Word to the wise for any vintage car owner (not aero-exclusive):

I nearly burned my R/T to a crisp trying something similar.  Because I drove around alot at night, it seemed like a good idea to install halogen headlights.  They worked much better than incandescents, for sure.  One night while out on a long backroad cruise -- using the high beams a lot -- I pulled in to a gas station for a soda.  That's when I noticed smoke curling out from the dash panel around the headlight switch.  I quickly turned the headlights off, and the switch was really, really hot.  I waited about 20-30 minutes before trying to turn them back on (hey, it was dark outside and I needed to get home!), and they did not work.  It took almost an hour for the switch to cool off enough for the lights to come back on.  I went straight home and counted it a huge blessing that the car did not burn to the ground.

After sending the switch off to be rebuilt, I learned that original switches simply cannot handle the larger amperage draws of halogen bulbs.  If you have a reproduction wiring harness, the modern/upgraded wire insulation they use might be able to handle the heat without melting, but the wire size itself is probably still undersized for the amperage draw.  I would never try that with an original harness without making sure the insurance was paid up.

If you're going to make this upgrade (and it's not a bad one to think about for regularly-driven cars), just install a relay to power the headlamps, and only use the original headlamp switch to control the relay.  Here's a link to a thread which explains what needs to be done:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,168.0.html

Oh, and I'll move this to the electrical section but leave a link in Aero.

[FLG]

If you upgrade to relays you wont have to worry about your switch getting fried using upgraded lghts.

[Golden-Arm]

thats the best thing, is to use relays. besides putting almost no draw through the bulkhead connector, the lights will be even brighter, as you can run a heavy feeder, to the relays. even if you've done the bulkhead bypass deal, relays are still easier on the electrical system. 

[pettybird]

Word to the wise for any vintage car owner (not aero-exclusive):

I nearly burned my R/T to a crisp trying something similar.  Because I drove around alot at night, it seemed like a good idea to install halogen headlights.  They worked much better than incandescents, for sure.  One night while out on a long backroad cruise -- using the high beams a lot -- I pulled in to a gas station for a soda.  That's when I noticed smoke curling out from the dash panel around the headlight switch.  I quickly turned the headlights off, and the switch was really, really hot.  I waited about 20-30 minutes before trying to turn them back on (hey, it was dark outside and I needed to get home!), and they did not work.  It took almost an hour for the switch to cool off enough for the lights to come back on.  I went straight home and counted it a huge blessing that the car did not burn to the ground.

After sending the switch off to be rebuilt, I learned that original switches simply cannot handle the larger amperage draws of halogen bulbs.  If you have a reproduction wiring harness, the modern/upgraded wire insulation they use might be able to handle the heat without melting, but the wire size itself is probably still undersized for the amperage draw.  I would never try that with an original harness without making sure the insurance was paid up.

If you're going to make this upgrade (and it's not a bad one to think about for regularly-driven cars), just install a relay to power the headlamps, and only use the original headlamp switch to control the relay.  Here's a link to a thread which explains what needs to be done:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,168.0.html

Oh, and I'll move this to the electrical section but leave a link in Aero.

Thanks for sorting the link.  You have a choice of bulbs for these units, and unless you install relays and beef up your wiring, you should stick to the 55W low/60W high beam bulbs.  The current draw isn't any more than newer sealed beam halogens, and we've been running those since the early 80's.  I'll have to find out what wattage the current lights expect.

[pettybird]

Word to the wise for any vintage car owner (not aero-exclusive):

I nearly burned my R/T to a crisp trying something similar.  Because I drove around alot at night, it seemed like a good idea to install halogen headlights.  They worked much better than incandescents, for sure.  One night while out on a long backroad cruise -- using the high beams a lot -- I pulled in to a gas station for a soda.  That's when I noticed smoke curling out from the dash panel around the headlight switch.  I quickly turned the headlights off, and the switch was really, really hot.  I waited about 20-30 minutes before trying to turn them back on (hey, it was dark outside and I needed to get home!), and they did not work.  It took almost an hour for the switch to cool off enough for the lights to come back on.  I went straight home and counted it a huge blessing that the car did not burn to the ground.

After sending the switch off to be rebuilt, I learned that original switches simply cannot handle the larger amperage draws of halogen bulbs.  If you have a reproduction wiring harness, the modern/upgraded wire insulation they use might be able to handle the heat without melting, but the wire size itself is probably still undersized for the amperage draw.  I would never try that with an original harness without making sure the insurance was paid up.

If you're going to make this upgrade (and it's not a bad one to think about for regularly-driven cars), just install a relay to power the headlamps, and only use the original headlamp switch to control the relay.  Here's a link to a thread which explains what needs to be done:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,168.0.html

Oh, and I'll move this to the electrical section but leave a link in Aero.

Thanks for sorting the link.  You have a choice of bulbs for these units, and unless you install relays and beef up your wiring, you should stick to the 55W low/60W high beam bulbs.  Though I don't think the current draw is any more than newer sealed beam halogens we've been running those since the early 80's.  I'll have to find out what wattage the current lights expect.