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Old 08-31-2016, 07:09 PM   #1
coupe1942
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Default Wiring to headlight buckets questions

The previous owner of my pickup had some really badly wired lights on the truck. The connectors were more electrical tape than much else. I have received a new wiring harness to replace the old one, but I have not installed it, yet. I will be replacing the old conduit tubes as they were spiraled apart and not salvageable in the condition they were in. I am not certain of the gauge of wire used to hook up the halogen lights, but it is definitely smaller than the original harness wires to the lights that was connected with the black electrical tape and some poorly done up wire connectors.

There are only two wires for the plugs inside of the headlight buckets and an additional wire that was grounded to the inside of each bucket. When i had the old wiring all hooked up before removing it, the lights only shone as a bright light as far as i could tell. No parking light to them. Just the one halogen bulb inside of each bucket.

Any rate, I am wanting to know what is the best type of wiring connecter to use when I hook it all back together? Are the black connectors sold at the vendor sites best to use here? If so, then I'd have to put bullet ends on the wiring harness leads to the lights, right? I am replacing all of the old conduit and rubber gaskets to the radiator shell and horn as I do this. I would like to be able to disconnect in the future and not have to cut wires if possible.

The truck is a "30, ccpu with a 12v electrical system. Not the best photos to post, but they may give you an idea as to what I am addressing. Any tips or suggestions on rigging this back to the replacement wiring harness the best way with the connectors?

Note, the red and green zip ties were not there originally, but I just used them at the time to mark the wires for my own reference as I replaced the wiring harness. I'll clip them off before finishing out everything.
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Last edited by coupe1942; 08-31-2016 at 07:20 PM.
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Old 08-31-2016, 09:07 PM   #2
Pilotdave
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

I've used the black bullet style connectors and had no issues with them. Yes, you would need to replace the brass connectors on the harness with the male bullet connectors. I can't tell from your photos whether the headlight buckets were two-bulb (headlight + parking light) or one-bulb (headlight only) style.
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Old 08-31-2016, 09:43 PM   #3
coupe1942
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

One bulb only, I believe.
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:03 AM   #4
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

There have been a lot of posts about headlight wiring,and the problems, 35 years ago I got rid of the repro parts, put in rewired originals, original connecters, ----havn't needed to touch it since then----although I did put in quartz halogen bulbs later

In most cases proper restoration eliminates the need for modifications
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:33 AM   #5
Mitch//pa
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

The last harness I used was from Brattons with the repo headlight pigtails and wire plugs.. No wiring modifications were needed, fit was fine
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:56 AM   #6
barnstuf
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

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Unless your 1930 pickup has been modified with cowl parking lamps installed, it would have three wires going to each headlamp. (high beam, low beam, parking light).
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Old 09-01-2016, 11:39 AM   #7
coupe1942
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Default Re: Wiring to headlight buckets questions

I have to admit that this wiring situation is all new to me, as I have never had to dig into my previous headlight and wiring in any of the past Model A's I have owned. These were the wires leading into the bucket from the old loom though.
The plastic plugs inside the buckets had only two wires hooked up that I marked with zip ties in the first photo posted in my original thread.

Look at the first photo and you will see that the plastic plug has only three wires there. They are each marked with colored zip ties that show the red and the green ones leading to the old wire harness and a black one that is the ground wire to the bucket. The other wire was taped off and dangling, but not hooked up to anything on that plastic plug.

Here is the original wire loom photo of wires that fed into the bucket.
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