I passed a gravel truck the other day and it spit chunks. It nailed the passenger side windshield (looney - sized bruise) .

Another rock cranked the driver side headlight. This is disappointing as I had finally got to where I want to be with headlight aiming. The headlight is a Wagner Halogen 8" glass round. They cost $12 at NAPA. I have been super happy with them. Great light ...easy to clean.....work well with the DRL module.

My wiring harness currently consists of 91 Roadmaster to 51 DeSoto headlight block. I cut the Roadmaster wires ....added ends and bolted them down to the Desoto . The wiring to the headlights is for 6v ...is in great condition . 12 volt headlights just plug in.



I have a full headlight kit fron Dan. Yep relays and fuse holders and all.

I leave for Mexico in a week and am paranoid about opening a can of worms now.

What if I just swap in Dans lights and bulbs.....but dont do the relays and harness grafts?

( keep in mind Im way happy with the $12 Wagners and I have 3 days to try the H4s before I leave....in the dark)

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

How many watts do the lamps you are replacing use?

My knowledge of math and electricity may be somewhat limited, but...

If you have 55 watt lamps on a 12 volt system, that is 4.58 amps (x2) or 9.16 amps flowing through the original wiring, fuse, and switch.

The more current (amps) you have flowing through the circuit, and the longer path through the small wire, the more heat you will create in the wiring.

Dan's lights in my '64 work great, by the way

The NAPA/Wagners are 60/35

I think your question answers mine.....

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Owich.
7", but who's counting?

Seriously, Wagner's sealed beams are so godawful, made on worn-out tooling that should've been scrapped years ago...same with Sylvania's sealed beams and most others currently available, that aiming them (or seeing safely with them) is largely an exercise in futility.
Subjectively, maybe. Objectively, no. The human visual system is a lousy judge of how well it's doing. It's not just you, it's everyone; we humans are just not well equipped to accurately evaluate how well or poorly we can see (or how well a headlamp works). Our subjective impressions tend to be very far out of line with objective, real measurements of how well we can (or can't) see.
You'll be fine. That 6v wiring is adequate to handle the H4s without complaint. They won't burn as brightly as they will once you install the relays, but you won't burn the car up (or burn it down) and your headlamps won't quit on you.

Also, the H4s are a lot easier to aim (use "VOL" specs described here)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

My previous aiming method was to adjust till the light was centred in the headlight ring. That also gave me "best" light on the highway ( I played around and ended at the same place)

As crude as this method and lighting system are they are still a lot more confidence inspiring than De's 2008 Honda ....or our 2001 Sub.

Im OK with thinking I can see,,,,its better than spending hours thinking you cant.

Ill try the VOL......the trick is the flat spot.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Well the install was easy!

I wasnt prepared for the different colour of the light....and the smokey look of the lenses. It looks bad.

There is quite a difference between DRL and lights on. Ill keep an eye out for heat on the DRL module .

We will go for a little spin tonight.....

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

White instead of brownish?
Smokey look...? They should look bright and shiny, like the pics in this article. If they're smokey, there's something wrong. If the lamps have been sitting around for awhile in a less-than-clean location, they might need cleaning.
Eek! This kind of technique, looking at how the headlamp sits relative to another part of the car, won't even get you in the same province as the hockey rink.
I don't agree. When you think you can see better than you actually can, that's unsafe...and it also means the odds are high you're spending hours throwing unsafe (or at least unfriendly) levels of glare at other drivers. Everything's best when the lamps are aimed the way they should be. Yes, it's a pain in the nuts to find a long enough flat space or (better) a shop with an optical headlamp aimer, but it pays big dividends.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

White instead of brownish.....but the lenses look cloudy.....like condensation....(its not)

They have been in boxes for years....

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Yup, you should clean 'em. If you're right smack out of time it'll keep, but you'll see (and look) better after you clean 'em. It'll take you about 10 minutes if you're working slowly. Work with one lamp at a time. Remove the bulbs. Fill the lamp about 1/2 full of warm-to-hot soft, distilled, or filtered water or vodka, then pour in a splash of Windex or Simple Green cleaner or a drop of good liquid dish detergent.

Cover the bulb hole with your (clean) thumb or palm. Vigourously shake/slosh/swirl the lamp to agitate the hot soapy water. Do
this over a sink, and hold on with both hands so the lamp doesn't slip
from your grip, fall and break. Then uncover the bulb hole, turn the lamp
bulb-hole-down, and swirl the lamp to cause the water to drain from it in
a circular fashion. Repeat this cleaning step, then rinse the lamp
repeatedly with warm-to-hot soft, distilled, or filtered water or vodka until all
traces of soapsuds are gone. Hold the lamp firmly with lens facing you and
shake/snap vertically to force out more loose water.

To dry the lamps, place them bulb hole towards the air blast of a forced-air heat register (with the furnace on) or lens-down in your clean kitchen oven, on the rack about 1/2 to 3/4 of the oven's height up from the lower element.
Close the oven door. Turn the oven to Bake/350 for 3 minutes, then turn
the oven off and leave the door closed. In about an hour, your lamps
should be thoroughly dry with minimal or no watter spotting -- any minor water spots remaining will be inconsequential to beam performance.

Then put the lamps in and they'll be all bright and shiny.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Now that I can handle. Even if its in a hotel room in Loreto....

Ill rock the "dead look" for a day or two.....

I think one of the reasons the 'Soto seems good at night is the ancient flat paint hood and flat and fairly upright glass.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

…and the not-very-bright instrument cluster lighting. Yup. Light transmission through glass ramps down pretty quick with increasing rake angle.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

........thankyou Dan.....

I dropped by the body shop....they confirmed my aiming ......which was essentially what the car came with in 51.

They have a big door with many marks.....measure the height/width of your lights ....select corresponding dots....

Logan said the lights looked "sick"....

.

I really like the low beam cutoff.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Y'welcome.
You'll like it even better when it's raining/foggy/snowing and you get to keep seeing ahead!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.