Refurb headlights or buy new
 

As I continue digging through electrical problems, I took apart the "sealed beam" headlights that someone installed on my Tudor. Partly because they're the wrong thing, partly because the light switch wasn't turning them on, partly because the engine compartment end of the wires was a rat's nest.


https://danzbb.com/images/fordbarn/headlight.jpg

Isn't that lovely.


I want to fix this right, so I went to a couple of the parts suppliers and priced out the correct wiring, sockets, reflectors, lenses and so forth. The total is pretty close (within about 20%) of the cost of just buying a set of reproduction buckets with all the guts.


These black-painted buckets aren't actually correct for the car, I don't believe. I could probably get a set of originals off eBay, but all those currently listed look like they're going to need significant work to get into shape. And with eBay you're often buying someone else's unresolved problems...In any case, I was wondering if anyone had opinions about current repro headlights before I buy a set.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Personally I would go with new.



Paul in CT

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

You post indicates you have more than one electrical problem. It is far better to restore original parts than to use reproductions in my opinion. In your case, I suspect that your Model A needs a total electrical system restoration, so I recommend that you replace the all of wiring harnesses, especially the main lighting harness.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

sell the old set for 75. and buy new..............

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Good advice, Bob. I didn't mention it, but this is part of my wiring harness replacement project. Untangling the mess has been interesting... in the ancient Chinese curse sense.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Dan, you could if you aren't already, replace the wiring harness, available at the normal suppliers. You might be able to get your headlights and buckets from Sullivan's Garage. https://www.sullivansgarage.com/

https://www.sullivansgarage.com/

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

FWIW: I was having issues with the flat-headed stock-style wires and plastic inserts meeting properly with the (obviously) repro socket in the buckets. I removed the guts of the sockets and installed banana plugs on the harness wires and the socket wires, and use the push-in connectors on the wires. No trouble since. The harness wires are color coded, but the socket wires aren’t. I put a wrap of colored electricians tape to keep them straight.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Hi Dan;
I restored my early 1928 tudor. I purchased a pair of new headlights with fluted lenses from obsoleteandclassicautoparts.com. Look in their online catalogue on page 83. You can also phone them and they will assemble what you need.
Dave Charette

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Don’t know what year your Model A is, but before you drop everything to buy new, you should know that reproduction lights have been in scarce supply since Covid. Then, you also need to know that while the new buckets are very nice, the weak links are the internal wiring & sockets and hardware that holds the new assemblies together. So, in my estimation, if your buckets are sound, you’ll get away a lot cheaper to “bite the bullet”, do some research, buy the best quality wiring & socket sets available and learn how to put them together properly. You’ll be ahead of the game. Shiny new buckets don’t account for internal parts that can only be maintained with lots of cursing.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

I concur. To me the weak links seem to be the repro A-13075-?? Head Lamp Sockets - contacts in the wrong places, metal too thin, metal not springy enough to hold in place, diameter of the sockets either too small for the headlamp or too big for the conduit ferrules (or both).

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Thanks for that--Unfortunately, the buckets were gutted when whoever-it-was hacked them to install the "sealed beam" lamps. I have the buckets, the trim ring, and that's it--I don't have sockets, lenses, wiring, or any of the "guts" so I'm going to need new innards whatever I do about the exterior parts.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Mine had halogen lights with a cobbled up harness that had turn signal wiring that was never hooked up. I bought the new Snyders reflectors (sockets etc) and Logo Lite LEDs (old style) along with their turn signal kit. I also got a new wire harness but I haven't put it in yet (winter project).

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...d=976424&cat=0

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

The new LED globes don't use the reflectors so no point buying new ones.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

I would call Bert's in Denver and see what they could offer you for good A parts.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

New or restore is a personal choice. But aren't we all lucky that new is an option for our Model A's.

Regarding the sockets: I have never had good luck with the sockets for the headlights. In my car I have the banana plugs that Jay Jay talked about in Post #7. From the outside the sockets look original.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

You still need the reflectors to mount the sockets in. They just don't need to be reflective.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

My 2 cents worth, I have 2 A's, both have logo lights. The 28 has new reflectors, the 30 doesn't, mainly for the reason listed above. When you look at them from the front the 28 looks much better just because it doesn't have dingy reflectors.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Many years ago, when new reflectors were not available, I used some self adhesive reflective tape on my headlights. It worked OK and looked OK. Maybe the reflective duct tape would work.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

This is the only place where that chrome in a spray can works.The good LED's don't use the reflector,except as a holder,but the reflector does show through the lense.That stuff does rub off in your hands,so it doesn't work well elsewhere,but in that protected environment it is just fine.

Re: Refurb headlights or buy new
 

Keith and nkaminar, those are good ideas! I may have to try them on my car!