I bought Wagner halogens today for my black GP. I'm not surprised to see that even a company with such a good reputation for quality sells me seal beams that had a boat ride to Canada. Oh well, I guess it's to be expected. Anyway, I'm looking forward to some good lighting if they are like the ones I had years ago.
China? Weren't they just made in Canada not long go?
Add a set of relays Carl, then you'll be able to find your way home out there at night!
Sure they'll be whiter than old yellow T3's, but you'll get at least 25% better light out of them if you can give them the current they need. I know, I had the Halogens on both systems on my 67. And they are incredible now on both high and low beam. As good or better than a new car now.
It's a dead easy upgrade.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Yeah, good point, I've read lots about doing that but never thought about it for this car. We'll see how it is stock but as you say, easy to do any time.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I ran those on my 66 Grande when I did the big Winnipeg trip a while back . i was really happy with the night visibility but as I age I'd be happy to get even more. How do you do the relay installation or was it on a previous thread?
I don't think there's been a thread here but I would think a guy would just use the feed wire from the dimmer switch for the respective beam to power a relay that has a live feed to it from the horn relay which is right there with the headlamp wiring, conveniently.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I put the same ones in the Lemans when I put it together and they work great! I did have trouble fitting the plug on the back and had to make a small incision on the plastic so it stayed connected.....no relays in mine.
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John
1972 Pontiac Lemans (daughter's car) 2005 Pontiac Grand Am 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Either from the east or from across the Rio Grande.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Are these the chinese ones from Wagner that are now steel back with the lens glued on with white silicone?
i bought a new set resently and that is the crap they are producing now. Any GE ones are still the good glass blown one piece design.
Yes, steel back on these. I was wondering about that too.
I figured I'd give them a try. If they don't fit right or work well, it will be just another thing to blast the sales rep for when I see him at a trade show in the spring that I always attend.
It seems like every year there's another company or two that cheaps out on their product and I get to tell the reps at the show that there product is crap
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Any GE ones are still the good glass blown one piece design.
Good to know ... the ones I want.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I don't think there's been a thread here but I would think a guy would just use the feed wire from the dimmer switch for the respective beam to power a relay that has a live feed to it from the horn relay which is right there with the headlamp wiring, conveniently.
Exactly Carl, Just pick out the 16 Gauge Tan (low beam) and Light Green (highbeam) wire from the forward harness.
Cut and add wires, routing from the feed (firewall) side of each cut Tan, Green, to the relay triggers (high/low beam).
From each relay output, run a wire to the lamp side of the original Tan/Green cut.
From each relay power supply point, run a heavy wire with inline fuse to the horn relay main Buss.
Run a heavy ground wire from each relay ground point to a good chassis ground pickup point.
The advantage to all of this is you are removing the light switch and dimmer from the higher current part of the lighting system. Both now just become trigger switches.
Also you remove at least 12' of old tired wire from that current loop. Essentially, you feed current to the lamps closer to the feed source (horn relay) and reduce the voltage drop.
There is a plenty of spots to conveniently mount or hide the relays up front, but closest to the horn relay is best.
Princess auto always has a good and cheap assortment of the Bosch Type relay available.
You'll be amazed at the difference.
The next best mod would be to go with a high output, internally regulated alternator, with voltage sensing at a new central PowerPoint. But that's for later!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
As above or.... you could also power all four headlights on High Beam (green lead to all bulbs)!
G
I have to look at my car but won't that already happen? From the factory, on high beam, there is already 4 lamps lit up. The high beam filament on the uppers, and the only filament present on the lowers?
I have to check my wiring harness but I thought that is how it would work.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
(lol) Maybe not the headlamps Mark, but you forgot one/three thing(s)... Tail, dash and park from '69 on lamps... I've done this many times on my old cars plus my '98 pickups, my '97-'03 Grand Prixs and the newer '99-'07 style trucks.. Works great..
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Saturday 14th of December 2013 02:48:42 PM
hhMMM..3 1972/3 Vintage Cibie quartz lights with one T-3 that came with the car..somehow, parked in the pits at Eagle Motorplex an even harder to replace cibie was broken overnight....(the other three are in the Cibie boxes, resting..)
(lol) Maybe not the headlamps Mark, but you forgot one/three thing(s)... Tail, dash and park from '69 on lamps... I've done this many times on my old cars plus my '98 pickups, my '97-'03 Grand Prixs and the newer '99-'07 style trucks.. Works great..
-- Edited by 67Poncho on Saturday 14th of December 2013 02:48:42 PM
Very true!
I suppose you'd have to run a wire from the output of the third relay to the headlamp switch, cut the original feed, and connect the new?
Too much work lol!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
