much brighter head lights!

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/200mm.asp

http://www.breathlessperformance.com/products/253.asp

H6054C $92.88


these are supposed to fit and function in the C4 corvette and DOUBLE the light the headlights put out,(not legal in all areas sold for off road use)

http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_inf ... Lights.pdf

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... index.html

heres what one guy posted

"put a set of these bulbs in my C-4 and a set of PIAA Super Extreme 135/125 effect output bulbs (probably illegal) and now I am very happy"
 
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if any one reading this has found some replacement head lights or replacement head lite bulbs that significantly increased the cars ability to light up the roadway ID APPRECIATE HEARING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AND LIST A FEW PART NUMBERS, BRANDS USED ETC.
now most cars have reasonably effective head lights and there are usually state or local laws prohibiting the use of excessively bright lights , but there's also aftermarket auxiliary head lights that can be installed to supplement the original lighting that can be selected with a custom switch, or you can install a completely separate secondary system for off-road or at least off-public high way use! so if you have any experience along those lines Id like to hear about your successes and failures in installing and use of anything similar in the way of added lighting.
Id also point out that your ignition, spark, cooling fans, head lights and several other electric functions can be effected by the available amperage available and I've seen several cars run significantly better once a 160-210 amp, after market alternator and matching wiring was installed, the upgrade change allowing the car to have a noticeable increase in available current to run those extra accessories, because the stock alternator can be marginal, at supplying the required current for those additional components under some conditions

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...t-bulbs-and-similar-related-info-links.16406/


https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=20098
one option
headlight_wiring_diagram.gif


RELATED INFO

swapping to a 200 amp alternator will frequently improve the operation of both the cars ignition and electric cooling fans
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tff-8173nep/applications/year/1996

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7741&p=26393&hilit=headlights+corvette#p26393

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=9279&p=33456&hilit=alternator+corvette#p33456


viewtopic.php?f=70&t=6964&p=22890&hilit=corvette+alternator#p22890

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=3504&p=9220&hilit=relays#p9220

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=728&p=1025&hilit=relays#p1025

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3110&p=8302&hilit=relays#p8302
 
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I have Hella Headlights in my 87 C4 Grumpy.
I did not install. Prior owner must have.
I really like them .
High beams on at night provides excellent long distance lighting of 500-700 feet ahead.
Good light beam spread.
Confidence to drive 100 + in pitch black no moon light.

Sorry don't have part numbers. May have been discontinued.
They use modern Halogen H4 style replacement bulbs.
Lught reflector housings I think are 100 % Pure mirror Silver sprayed metal .
 
http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical ... ghts.shtml

http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical ... hts2.shtml

http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... elays.html
I learned decades ago to swap to a 140 amp-200 amp alternator,
as the stock 75-105 amp alternators on muscle cars and earlier corvettes are marginal at best/
if you shop carefully they can usually be found locally at some alternator re-builders for under $150
both my corvettes have 200 amp versions purchased NEW for under $250
while that may be over-kill to some I find the electric fans on the corvette and ignition and head lights work noticeably better


http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-alternator-140-amp-chrome-power-master-1969-1982.html
140ampa.jpg

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http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-4516-high-output-chevy-3-wire-alternator-140-amp-65-85.aspx
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Many thanks from M.A.D. to CHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE magazine’s Jeff Smith, for loaning us his really nice
’65 El Camino for this project.
BRIGHTER HEAD LIGHTS

Getting out of the DARK AGES!

It takes more than a powerful alternator, and more than changing to powerful replacement headlights, to get brighter headlights on these older cars and trucks.

mad1.jpg

The above photo was taken with High Beams ON, and the engine was running at highway cruise RPM. 14.1 volts measured at the Horn Relay was perfect. (It’s the main power distribution buss-bar in this electrical system.) But the headlights were only running at 11.5 volts!

The voltage drop to the headlights in the above measurements was typical, as the headlight system on many cars is under-wired

The headlights on our older cars and trucks are not very bright. They weren't when these cars were new. But when those cars were new, we didn't have anything better to compare our lights to. So the dim headlights were accepted as normal. Nowadays, many people replace the old headlight sealed beams with more modern HALOGEN replacements. It's true that the halogen's do not look yellow at low voltage, like the old sealed beams did. But the HALOGEN replacements also do not produce maximum illumination when operating at low voltage.

Thinking of popping in killer European H-4 headlights? Unless the "real problem" is fixed, those powerful replacements will only compound the built-in deficiency. That's true because they will draw more current, resulting with even greater voltage drop in the "under-wired" factory system.

Furthermore, Our American made cars and trucks have had automatic-reset circuit breakers built into the headlight switch for many years. And the circuit breaker is not rated for the greater current draw of those powerful H-4's.

Many owners of Ford cars and trucks, built in the '60's and '70's, especially with the four headlight systems, are familiar with the headlights flashing OFF and ON. (Like erratic Morse Code, after driving awhile on High Beams.) The problem occurred because the circuit breaker in the headlight switch was weak. Simply installing H-4's in most of our older cars and trucks will result with the same effect known to old Fords. (The circuit breakers in original factory headlight switches cannot handle the extra current draw of the more powerful headlights.)

HOW BAD IS THE EXISTING PERFORMANCE?

Lighting systems engineering data has it that if we drop the voltage delivered to a light by 10%, then illumination out-put is reduced by over 30%. Going from 14.0 volts down to 11.5 volts is a loss of nearly 18%! As we shall see in photos–No wonder those old cars and trucks have dim lights (when factory equipped). The goal with electrical systems is to keep voltage drops within a 2% loss.

If you're wondering how much the up-grade would help your favorite car or truck, it's really quite simple to do as we did and take measurements with a VOLTMETER. (The photo captions explain the voltage measurements recorded by these photos.)

If voltage measured at the back of the headlight, with High Beams ON, and engine running at highway cruise RPM, is less than 13.5 volts–Then this headlight/relay up-grade will be an improvement. Most factory built cars and trucks will not perform better than 12.0v - 12.8v range, and many will drop below 12.0v, even with perfect factory wiring.

TIP: The meter wires must be connected to the head light terminals with the car's wire harness connected to the headlight. Even with "two headlight" systems, the High Beams are higher in wattage (they draw more current), and so the system should be tested with High Beams ON.

In photos and captions, here are the before and after the test voltage measurements at key parts of the electrical system.

mad2.jpg

High Beams ON, Engine running at highway cruise RPM. (Photo taken indoors, evening, the hood was blocking overhead shop lights–so the powerful camera flash "strobe" froze the alternator fan as if it was still.) The Alternator system is working perfectly–that's definitely not the problem.

This car was previously up-graded to a GM DELCO, 63amp, model 10SI, built-in voltage regulator system. It is properly wired using M.A.D.'s part # ALT-1, Alternator Wiring Kit. The kit's new 8 gauge wire is routed from the alternator directly to the horn relay buss-bar.
Relays can be used as "remote control switches." It takes only a tiny amount of current to turn the relay ON. But when switched ON, the relay delivers power directly to the accessory. ("high gain" operation)

mad3.jpg

High Beams ON, plus heater fan ON medium speed, plus windshield wipers ON, Engine running at highway cruise RPM–barely over 11 volts at the dash!

WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE!

The more switches we turn ON, the lower the voltmeter shows. The dash-mounted voltmeter gives us the indication that the alternator is not able to keep up with system demands.

(3)But, we went back to the alternator, and to the battery, and to the horn relay buss-bar, (the "key check-points") and rechecked voltage levels. With the engine running at highway cruise RPM, lights, heater, and wipers ON, we had 14.1 to 14.3 volts at all the "key check-points" under the hood. (Which is perfect.)
We can install headlight relays next to the main power distribution buss-bar at the horn relay (where the old voltage regulator was).

The factory "front lighting system" wire harness is routed just above that area, in route to the headlights. We can cut and detour the factory High Beam wire and Low Beam wire to the relays, and now the factory system will only have to switch the relays ON, instead of directly powering-up those big headlights.

The headlights are up front, and the alternator is the source of electrical power; and the alternator is mounted at the front of the engine. It’s logical and sensible to mount RELAYS up front. Use existing wiring to switch the RELAYS ON, and then the relays will send full power to the lights. (And use of the relays takes headlight current load away from the dash wire harness, and so the ignition and entire electrical system will benefit too.)
mad4.jpg

Sometimes in attempt to learn, "Just who is telling the truth here?"–It's a good idea to get second and third opinions. Ha! It turns out that all three voltmeters gave us pretty close to the same story.

We got out another digital voltmeter, and connected two digital voltmeters to the stud terminals at the back of our dash mounted voltmeter, and ran the engine at highway cruise RPM, no lights or accessories ON.

The digital meter on the left is actually the most accurate of these three. It was by far the most expensive. A reputable company, which calibrates and certifies diagnostic equipment, has checked it. And its readings are always consistent with other "high-end," expensive meters. Also, when switched to 20v, it measures to the nearest 1/100th of a volt.

And, after this photo was taken, we did switch the lights ON, and the heater to medium, and found that all three voltmeters dropped back down to less than 12 volts. But yet, under the hood still showing 14 volts.

Well now, what we have going on here is "voltage drop," in the factory wiring, to the dash area. The wiring in the car was inspected, and found to be in perfect condition–the problem is with design, not with defective parts or wiring!
mad5.jpg


We even looked at the factory wiring diagrams, and found that the "battery live" buss-bar behind the fuse box was directly connected to the dash area "main feed wire."

So, we could read voltage at the dash area main feed wire, from the fuse box, and we did. High Beams ON, heater fan on medium, engine running at highway cruise RPM. We measured only 11.22 here, (still with over 14 volts under the hood). Yep! We definitely have voltage drop in the dash main power-up circuit. And the same wire powers-up the headlight switch!
This test was done after the relay up-grade, with High Beams ON, engine at idle RPM. 14.0 volts measured at the horn relay buss-bar. 13.96 volts measured at the back of the headlight. (Before the relays, we had only 11.5 volts at the headlight, with 14.1 at the Horn Relay, at highway cruise RPM.)
mad6.jpg

The term "buss-bar" means a "common" connection, where wires all connected to the same circuit can come and go.

"Junction block" is another term often used to describe this function.

The term "buss-bar" means a "common" connection, where wires all connected to the same circuit can come and go.

"Junction block" is another term often used to describe this function.
mad7.jpg

Relays can be used as "remote control switches." It takes only a tiny amount of current to turn the relay ON. But when switched ON, the relay delivers power directly to the accessory. ("high gain" operation)

We can install headlight relays next to the main power distribution buss-bar at the horn relay (where the old voltage regulator was).

The factory "front lighting system" wire harness is routed just above that area, in route to the headlights. We can cut and detour the factory High Beam wire and Low Beam wire to the relays, and now the factory system will only have to switch the relays ON, instead of directly powering-up those big headlights.

The headlights are up front, and the alternator is the source of electrical power; and the alternator is mounted at the front of the engine. It’s logical and sensible to mount RELAYS up front. Use existing wiring to switch the RELAYS ON, and then the relays will send full power to the lights. (And use of the relays takes headlight current load away from the dash wire harness, and so the ignition and entire electrical system will benefit too.)
mad8.jpg

On our project car, the alternator output wire is routed directly to this buss-bar. The dash area main power-up wire originates at this buss-bar. The battery charging wire is connected at this buss-bar. And, the voltage regulator takes "sensing voltage" reading here, and adjusts alternator output to maintain voltage level at this buss-bar (14.0v to 14.5v).
mad9.jpg


This test was done after the relay up-grade, with High Beams ON, engine at highway cruise RPM. (And it's a good thing our testing is finished, because the engine is warming up with so much "running in place.")

With the current load to support the headlights removed from the dash wiring and switches, we took away the voltage drop in the wiring to the dash area.

Now the dash mounted voltmeter will no longer "lie" to us when we switch the headlights ON. The ignition will not become weak. The dash lights will be brighter. And other accessories will be more powerful too.

The first time the car was driven at night, the improvement in the headlights was remarkable! Now the lights are very bright.

Everyone who has used our relay kits for the headlight system agrees that this is absolutely the best-for-the-money electrical up-grade. It adds reliability too, by removing current load from weak factory connections and switches. Considering the years of hassle free service, enjoyment, and safety, this is without a doubt the most sensible up-grade possible. It beats out expensive and often over-promoted luxuries like big sound systems, racing ignition systems, "high-end batteries," chrome alternators, and gadgets.

Overall, the headlight relay up-grade makes these old cars and trucks more useful and enjoyable to drive.

Two of our part # RLY-1 Relay Kits are required for the headlight system up-grade–ONE for LOW BEAMS, and ONE for HIGH BEAMS. (Even with "two headlight system" cars.)

And for people who would like to learn more about electricity, voltage drop, assembly craftsmanship, Fusible Link wires, and more, we offer the "tech is made simple" book. The book is easy reading, and it's filled with great photos of craftsmanship and wiring techniques. Fundamentals of electricity are explained through cartoon-like illustrations.
INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH

mad10.jpg

(The switch shown in the photo was removed from a FORD car. We ground off the rivet heads, punched out the rivets, and pried the cover from the switch, for a look inside.)

Call-out labels with arrows point to various parts of the two circuit breakers in a typical headlight switch, shown in the photo above.

A = Battery live "buss-bar," which also serves as mounting for the stationary contact points of the circuit breaker.

B & C = Circuit breaker contact points.

D & E = Resistance calibration notches in the movable arm part of the circuit breaker.

F & G = Movable arm, metal strip, part of the circuit breaker.
 
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87vette81big said:
I have Hella Headlights in my 87 C4 Grumpy.
I did not install. Prior owner must have.
I really like them .
High beams on at night provides excellent long distance lighting of 500-700 feet ahead.
Good light beam spread.
Confidence to drive 100 + in pitch black no moon light.

Sorry don't have part numbers. May have been discontinued.
They use modern Halogen H4 style replacement bulbs.
Lught reflector housings I think are 100 % Pure mirror Silver sprayed metal .

Give me a few hours (I have to find the Hella box) and I'll have those numbers Brian. I had a set on my C3 and I switched them out to install on my Jeep. I was getting flashing high-beams from others at night when I took the 'vette out. They certainly catch Deer eyes at night where they were invisible before.
 
Richard454 said:
Here's a step by step installation I put together-


Had a lot of questions...so I thought I'd "condense" all the info...



C3 Vacuum to Electric headlights


PREFACE

I'm not the first guy to do this conversion....but have looked at all the others -and feel this is the most cost effective-cleanest and least modification required of all the others out there.

History-

Killer Lights- using the mid 90's Firebird/Trans Am head light actuators was -I believe -the first real kit out there. Great idea-BUT requires a controller and the motors have plastic gears that should to be replaced.


Fast forward several years- several linear actuated kits were offered- but at around $1k-just too expensive in my book- there's a lot of other mods I would like to do w/ that kind of money.


The Mercury Cougar and Pontiac GTO guys started using the Ford Probe motors several years ago- ...Then a guy at another forum started a thread using the same motors. I though it was a great idea- but needed some refining. Using the stock Probe actuator arm - you had to cut up the headlight housing. The conversion also required a C4 headlight switch. I simplified & redesigned the actuator arm- using threaded rod-w/ a stock actuator rod end. I figured out several different ways to wire -not requiring a new headlight switch- but rather just a $5 relay.


Late one night last winter- I had a couple Ford Probe motors in my hand and was going to figure it out. I took some Simpson Post Caps (used for outdoor deck building) laying around in my basement...a jig saw -drill-and file- and I had a really cool set of troublefree FAST electric headlights.



Tools Needed


Typical wrenches/sockets/hand tools

Ruler/Tape measure

Drill and bits (unibit is a plus )

5/16 18 tap (can do w/o see text)

Grinder and/or Cutoff wheel

Wirestrippers/crimp

Optional-but helpful-
Vise/file/centerpunch


Getting started-

On the bench
TEST your motors- I got mine out of a junkyard- and had about an 20% DOA when I got them back home.

Probe Motors
I am referencing the wires BEFORE the connector- colors change left to right AFTER the connector - Simply hook the wire to a 12v battery (or jumpbox) WHITE w/ RED strip to positive- BLACK wire to groundNext- one at a time touch the YELLOW wire to the +12-should either hear a click or arm will turn 180º- then touch the RED wire to the +12 and arm will move 180º. If the motor didn't move when you touched the YELLOW wire- it should move when you touch it again...If not -recheckwiring -then the motor might be bad

Miata Motors
I am referencing the wires BEFORE the connector- colors change left to right AFTER the connector- Simply hook the wire to a 12v battery (or jumpbox) BROWN to positive- BLACK wire to ground- Next- one at a time touch the RED /YELLOW wire to the +12-should either hear a click or arm will turn 180º- then touch the RED/GREEN wire to the +12 and arm will move 180º. If the motor didn't move when you touched the RED/YELLOW wire- it should move when you touch it again...If not -recheck wiring -then the motor might be bad.

Preparing for installation-

Drilling out the arm-
Remove the arm from the motor- 14mm- might need to pry with a screwdriver since shaft has a spline. You will need to cut off or grind off the ball- I DO NOT recommend drilling it out because the actual "throw" of the Corvette headlight system is LESS then the Probe's or Miata's. I found that 1¼" center to center is what you need.
Drill out to fit a 1/4 20 bolt or you can drill and tap a counter head for a trick look.


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Heim joint-

A few options here-


A) Drill and tap to fit the course thread (5/16 18 ) on the OEM clevis pin.

B) Get a carb stud - one side is coarse thread the other is fine 5/16. Then just get a 5/16 18 coupler and connect it to the threaded rod.

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C)Use an OEM Clevis pin- used in the headlight assembly and it's already threaded to 5/16 18.

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D)Take apart the assembly- springs and replace the clevis pin w/ a heim joint (3/8 24) and attach both with 3/16 24 threaded rod

Threaded rod-


Depending on how you have assembled the heim joint- you will need about 6 3/8" center to center




On the Car

Pull the hood!!!
Either scribe around the bolts or drill a small hole in hinge/trough hood to help align when putting it back on. It's in the way- Can you do it w/o removing it? Let me know how it works out for you!!!


Removing the actuator-


There are several write ups on this- penetrating oil is your friend. You can also remove all those hoses and valves.


Mounting the Motor-


To the brackets You can either mount them 'inside' or 'outside'. Mounting them inside gives you a little bit more clearance in front of radiator.


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Put bolts through the base of the bracket first- then mount the motor to the bracket. If you are using a Miata motor- you will need to drill an additional hole- since only 2 out of 3 holes line up.

Bolting down the motor- I have shown for comparison the left and right motors and brackets. You can mount the left motor on the driver's side - and we'll call that on the inside- gives you more clearance. Or you can mount the right motor on the drivers side on the 'outside.' For additional support- you can use the lower motor bolt (one of the three) -drill a hole in the housing and attach a longer bolt-will get rid of any flex in the bracket. Removing the top two springs also seems to help in the flex issue. Remember this system was designed to hold the headlights in position if there was a vacuum variation (example WOT). The electric motor will act as a brake.

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Modding the Headlight Assembly

Come up a little more than ¼ inch of the opening-center up and drill a small hole. Can either upsize drill bits to ½" or use a unibit. The material (potmetal) is soft-easy to drill and can actually be broken w/ a pair of pliers. You can file the hole-and even make it look like it was always there by making look like the lower factory cutout.


Attaching Rod Linkage- Screw in the threaded rod attached to the heim joint. Open headlight by pulling down on the lower bracket-BE CAREFUL- this assembly like to pinch fingers. When it's in full upright position- turn the rod in till the arm is extended to it's full length- longest travel and the motor's spline lines up w/ the arm. Bolt it down at that point. Picture show headlight at full UP position



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Modding the Headlight Assembly Come up a little more than ¼ inch of the opening-center up and drill a small hole. Can either upsize drill bits to ½" or use a unibit. The material (potmetal) is soft-easy to drill and can actually be broken w/ a pair of pliers. You can file the hole-and even make it look like it was always there by making look like the lower factory cutout.

75c3654d4d459752d2c96ac8cea338f3





Put bolts through the base of the bracket first- then mount the motor to the bracket. If you are using a Miata motor- you will need to drill an additional hole- since only 2 out of 3 holes line up.




Manual test for clearance- Turn the red knob CLOCKWISE to lower the headlights. Look and listen for any binding- mainly checking for rod clearance. If needed you may have to remove some more material. Continue turning till the headlights are back up. now your are ready to go live!!!

Wiring the motors- This is where you have several options.



Lights come on with the headlights
1-Use the stock C3headlight switch- a relay and wire to the dimmer switch. OR

Can use a couple of diodes and wire directly off the headlight -no having to run wire to cabin to the dimmer switch

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2-Use the C4 headlight switch(no relay required) and wire directly to the light switch

Lights come on with the parking lights

Simply connect trigger wire to parking light and use a relay

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Service Switch
If running the C4 - add SPDT between the blue wire off the switch and the trigger wire for the motors.


Running the relay- wire a SPDT switch between the trigger wire -and a +12volt source to operate the headlights


Let me know what you think-

Richard
 
I did this mod, Grumpy. Well worth the time, cost, and effort. One less vacuum demand, one less possible vacuum leak for the C3s. Lights come up in sync, and fast. I highly recommend wiring in the over ride switch as well. I have a pdf file for the mounts with and without dimensions done up for the Ford Probe motors. Slightly enlarging the holes allows for mounting of the Miata motors as well.
 
Drawmain said:
I did this mod, Grumpy. Well worth the time, cost, and effort. One less vacuum demand, one less possible vacuum leak for the C3s. Lights come up in sync, and fast. I highly recommend wiring in the over ride switch as well. I have a pdf file for the mounts with and without dimensions done up for the Ford Probe motors. Slightly enlarging the holes allows for mounting of the Miata motors as well.


WHY NOT POST ANY RELATED INFO IT MAY BE VERY USEFUL, to other people reading thru this thread?
 
Anyone that wants the pdf file can PM me with their email address. If there is a way to upload it to the forum I'm more than willing to do that as well.
 
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... elays.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-UNIVERSAL-50A ... 6f&vxp=mtr

http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/alt-1.shtml

http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml

http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9237-alte ... -1986.aspx

http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9238-alte ... -1986.aspx

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I used to own a 1980 datsun 4x4 with a roll bar and 4 extra bright lights , mounted on the bar and two more on the bumper, I also had a much brighter off road racing head light installed on my 1985 corvette, inset into the grill where the front licence plate, is generally placed for several years, the area most people ignore or fail at involves supplying the necessary current VOLTAGE AND AMPS and use of the matching relays and wiring gauges,youll want to carefully calculate the amp draw and voltage required and use copper stranded wire with soldered connections to reduce electrical resistance, and youll obviously need to use switches and relays to direct the required current to the lights without damaging the car/truck original wiring, and of course that will mandate the alternator that supplies that current draw will have the capacity to supply the current at the lights full rated capacity while not draining the battery reserve.
I would suggest you invest in a 200 amp alternator, a high capacity batter at least 10 ga copper wire, and use of quality circuit breakers vs fuses and high quality high amp rated water proof , individual switches and relays for different lamp locations as it makes trouble shooting and repair issues much easier to isolate and test.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...current-flow-grounds-and-more.3504/#post-9219

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/much-brighter-head-lights.160/#post-39449

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/testing-an-alternator.3222/#post-8575

http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1402-off-road-lighting-shootout-brighter-nights/

http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1403-off-road-lighting-test-festival-of-leds/

https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/off-road-lights/

http://lightbarreport.com/

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-off-road-lights

https://www.kchilites.com/

https://top10perfect.com/best-off-road-driving-lights-reviews/
 
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http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/n ... /overview/
This review of GE Nighthawk LED headlights covers the 5x7-in size used on a C4. We tested the “Second Generation Nighthawk LED” released in the Fall of 2014, just before we began our test. The installation was straight forward requiring no wiring changes, modifications or fabrication work. The Nighthawk LEDs go right into the stock C4 headlight “buckets” using the stock hardware. Each has a pigtail wiring harness which connects to the stock headlight plugs, however, we had some difficulty when attaching the C4 headlight connectors to the Nighthawks. General Electric opted to use male spade connectors about .015-in. wider than original equipment. They go into the stock female connectors with only .004-in clearance–a very tight fit. More strength may be required to push the connectors together than most people will anticipate. We suggest letting the headlight hang free while you use fingers from both hands to squeeze the two connectors together. Once we got past that part, all we had to do was reinstall the headlight retaining rings and the headlight bezels. The installation took about 45 minutes.



Because light-emitting diodes require so little current to provide lots of lighting, a pair of Nighthawk LEDs in a C4 draw a little over 2-amps on low beam and about 6-amps on high beam. For comparison, factory sealed-beam lights or standard aftermarket H4, quartz-halogen bulbs pull about 10-amps and 130/100-watt H4 bulbs draw about 16-amps on low beam and 20 on high-beam. Nighthawk LED color temperature is 5600K whereas most quartz-halogens are down, around 3200. As a result, objects lit with Nighthawks will appear more like they look under daylight. LEDs are solid-state devices so they don’t have filaments which break and they don’t give off heat. Because the Nighthawk LED headlight was originally designed for long-haul trucking, it has a large margin of durability in passenger car use due to a diecast aluminum housing, metallic reflectors and encapsulated electronics which are resistant to moisture intrusion and corrosion. The lens is a polycarbonate material which is hard-coated to meet the abrasion requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FVMSS) 108. If polycarbonate headlights lenses are not made from proper materials, over a period of time, they turn a sort of frosted yellow. The polycarbonate lens of a Nighthawk LED headlight resists that frosty yellowing problem two ways. First, the formulation of polycarbonate used by GE resists “ultra-violate damage”–what causes the frosty yellow look and, secondly, the abrasion-resistant, hard coating further increases UV protection.



Our initial experience with Nighthawk LEDs installed in my ’95 was a short drive around the neighborhood on which we quickly determined we needed to re-aim the lights to get best results. A short session with the new lights shining on my garage door did the trick. Then, one moonless night, we headed to our “headlight testing area” a long stretch of four-lane highway in some nearby foothills and with no street lighting. We were amazed at the improvement from the Nighthawk LEDs and–that’s comparing them to aftermarket lights with 130/100-watt bulbs, a set-up which, in itself, was an improvement over the stock sealed-beams the car once had.



The GE folks has sent us some illumination pattern information (reproduced elsewhere in this review) and darn if the way the road was lit with the Nighthawk LEDs compared to how it was with the quartz-halogen lighting was very much like what the two light pattern charts predicted the difference would be.



We tested NightHawk LEDs at 80-100-mph and our subjective evaluation is that the lighting on high-beam is much better. The range was a little greater than the quartz-halogens we removed, but where there was significant improvement was between 300 and 650-feet ahead of the car. Illumination from Nighthawk LEDs was about twice as wide at those distances. The increase in the margin of safety you get from that is huge. At 80-mph, you’re covering about 120-ft a second. Having that extra lighting off to the sides that far out in front could mean the difference between seeing a critter getting ready to dart across the road far enough ahead for you to either evade the hazard or stop before it and not seeing it until just before you hit it.



We also tested low-beam operation along a stretch of freeway where there were no street lights. This can be a difficult challenge for night drivers. Since there are no street lights, you need good headlights to travel safely at 65-70-mph, but you have to keep them on low-beam so as not to “blind” oncoming traffic on the other side of the freeway. Typically, low-beam lights have an asymmetrical illumination pattern which is short-ranged on the left side to limit glare to oncoming drivers but longer-ranged on the right side to provide you with good lighting on your side of the road along with illuminating the right shoulder where it’s suggested drivers look when oncoming headlights “blinds” them. Under these conditions, we found the Nighthawk LED headlights to be exceptionally good performers because their low-beam reflectors are shaped to provide a hot spot of light ahead of the car and at right.



Once reason Nighthawk LEDs perform well is because, unlike stock sealed beams or even aftermarket “E-Code” quartz-halogen headlights, they don’t use the same reflector for both high- and low-beam lighting and, thus, don’t have any of the performance compromises that come with high- and low-beams sharing a reflector. A Nighthawk LED headlight has separate light sources and reflectors for high- and low-beam so they can be designed for better performance of each.



If there is a downside to the Nighthawk LEDs for C4s, some may think it’s their price. We’ve seen them for about about $290.00-each on Amazon. Considering, right now, you can buy Hella E-Code 5x7s for 50 bucks apiece, Nighthawk LEDs might seem too costly, but consider this: 1) life expectancy of a standard quartz-halogen H4 bulb is about 320 hours. Life-expectancy of high-wattage versions is even less. Service life for a Nighthawk LED headlight is 15,000 hours, 2) While European E-Code lights with H4 bulbs are better than stock for night driving, none are street legal in the U.S. and, if fitted with 130/100-watt bulbs, they are highly illegal. Conversely, when installed in the stock headlight mounts, Nighthawk LEDs meet U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 and are USDOT approved for on-highway use. They, also, meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, 3) HID conversions for C4s which actually work cost over $1000.00 so 4) 600 bucks for set is reasonable considering the safety margin and performance increase Nighthawk LEDs offer when driving a C4 at night.



Bottom line: two thumbs up for Nighthawk LED 5x7 headlights. They’re easy to install and the lighting improvement is substantial. We recommend them for any C4 owner who drives the car in a sporting manner at night or just wants an increased lighting safety margin.
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http://www.corvettehid.com/cart/index.p ... cts_id=257

check around for price and availability



IMAGE: 1. Voltage & Current Parameters of the relay in-scripted on the Case of the relay.

2. Voltage & Current Parameters of the relay in-scripted on the Case of the relay.

Most relays are available in different operating voltages like 5V, 6V, 12V, 24V, etc. If the required operating voltage is supplied to the relay, the relay is activated. The operating voltage of a relay is generally in DC.Small signal relays and low voltage power relays are usually in DC, but mains control relays and contactors quite frequently have AC coils.The rest of the terminals of a relay are used to connect either a AC(generally 50/60Hz) or DC circuit. The switching and contact pins of the relay have their respective Maximum voltage and current ratings/Parameters. These Parameters are generally in-scripted on the plastic or PVC case of the relay.On the contact ratings, they will frequently have something like 5A@250VAC / 10A@12VDC. These are the figures you have to be within. Having said that you can run a higher current than stamped on it if your voltage is lower, they aren't directionally proportional though and the datasheet for the relay should be consulted. If a relay is overloaded, it can burn out and damage the circuit or appliances connected to it. Be sure to choose a relay that can handle your voltage and current requirements to ensure the relay coil doesn't burn out and your circuit doesn't get damaged.

Choosing a Proper Relay Amperage
How to calculate for the Correct Relay


Relay Ratings and Limits
Relays often have two ratings: AC and DC. These rating indicate how much power can be switched through the relays. This does not necessarily tell you what the limits of the relay are. For instance, a 5 Amp relay rated at 125VAC can also switch 2.5 Amps at 250VAC. Similarly, a 5 Amp relay rated at 24VDC can switch 2.5 Amps at 48VDC, or even 10 Amps at 12VDC.
Volts x Amps = Watts - Never Exceed Watts!
An easy way to determine the limit of a relay is to multiply the rated Volts times the rated Amps. This will give you the total watts a relay can switch. Every relay will have two ratings: AC and DC. You should determine the AC watts and the DC watts, and never exceed these ratings.

Example Calculations
AC Volts x AC Amps = AC Watts
DC Volts x DC Amps = DC Watts
Example: A 5 Amp Relay is Rated at 250 Volts AC. 5 x 250 = 1,250 AC Watts Example: A 5 Amp Relay is Rated at 24 Volts DC.
5 x 24 = 120 DC Watts
If you are switching AC Devices, Make Sure the AC Watts of the Device you are Switching DOES NOT Exceed 1,250 when using a 5A Relay. If you are switching DC Devices, Make Sure the DC Watts of the Device you are Switching DOES NOT Exceed 120 when using a 5A Relay.
Resistive and Inductive Loads
Relays are often rated for switching resistive loads. Inductive loads can be very hard on the contacts of a relay. A resistive load is a device that stays electrically quiet when powered up, such as an incandescent light bulb. An inductive load typically has a violent startup voltage or amperage requirement, such as a motor or a transformer.
Startup and Runtime Loads
Inductive loads typically require 2-3 times the runtime voltage or amperage when power is first applied to the device. For instance, a motor rate at 5 Amps, 125 VAC will often require 10-15 amps just to get the shaft of the motor in motion. Once in motion, the the motor may consume no more than 5 amps. When driving these types of loads, choose a relay that exceeds the initial requirement of the motor. In this case, a 20-30 Amp relay should be used for best relay life.
theres little sense in even having a relay in a car that won,t operate at a minimum of 12 volts and at least 30 amps minimum,
but Id have to point out that matched sets of relays and pigtails are readily available in several amp ranges rather cheaply.
once you understand how they are designed to function testing or replacing one is no
challenge


https://www.amazon.com/ARTGEAR-Harness-Color-Labeled-Automotive-Motorcycle/dp/B078T3RC5T

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pco-5593pt/overview/

https://www.amazon.com/Fastronix-Weatherproof-Automotive-Relay-Socket/dp/B01CXA42XK

https://www.ebay.com/bhp/60-amp-relay

https://www.ebay.com/bhp/80-amp-relay

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...MIq4ObtvSz3wIVU57ACh0MfQn4EAQYAiABEgJsYfD_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F83159...&pd_rd_r=991c9f49-060a-11e9-bb5a-dff16524fffe


https://relaypros.com/choosing_proper_amperage.htm

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/relay-guide.html

https://www.instructables.com/id/All-You-Need-to-Know-About-Relays/


 
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If they only didn't cost so much. The price of $290 is for one light, but they do
have a coupon for $100 off. The total for two headlamps was $482, abit too rich
for my blood, but I sure would like to have them.

 
the quality and area of the lighting the head lamps provide may seem to be a rather minor issue, if your generally cruising along at 30-40 mph, but it becomes immensely more important as your speed increases as the reaction times and braking distances increase at a very rapid rate. yes you can hugely effect the effective braking distance with better tires improved suspension, and things like directing air flow to add down force to the car to enhance the suspension and tires grip on the pavement, and use of much more effective racing style disc brakes,can shorten the effective braking distance, but at higher speed your reaction time and the cars inertia , and the brakes ability to slow the car effectively or allow you to make instantaneous changes in direction tend to be factors you can,t control or do a great deal more to improve.
SEEING SOME TRASH, A CAR, OR AND ANIMAL, IN THE ROAD WAY A HUNDRED FEET FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT WITH BETTER HEAD LIGHTS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR POTENTIAL ABILITY TO AVOID A PROBLEM
ID also point out that at times the drivers skill makes a HUGE difference in the results, youll occasionally find that your presented with sudden issues where you have to make choices and thru experience youll know theres no way in hell, you can stop the car in the distance between you and the object, so actually driving the car and making it go in a different direction may be the key to not impacting with a sudden problem presented by an object in the roadway.
one of my friends (who I won,t name here) seems to have the instant ingrained , un changeable ,mandatory subconscious gut reaction of stomping on and holding the brakes firmly on the floor when confronted with any impending impact, rather than driving the car or truck, I know this from experience so we don,t allow him to drive on narrow ice covered roads in the mountains, even though speeds are frequently well below 30 mph at night, where we hunt, as we usually hunt during day light and make trips into local towns for supply's at night when we can,t hunt!. this is all too obvious when we go elk hunting , where your course of action is generally to slow the car but to steer around obstructions, stomping on the brakes on an ice covered road can cause the car or truck to loose directional control, while simply slowing the truck and steering can allow the trucks operator to go around some potential object in the road. MANY of you will be thinking of hundred MPH speeds and racing, but thats not the only case, where having good head lights is a huge benefit, and trust me when I assure you that even at 20-30mph on a narrow ice covered dirt road,on the Colorado mountains, stomping on the brakes can result in the truck going in a ditch or completely off the road, so keeping your eyes on the outer limits of the head light, illuminated road way at night even at low speed to see and anticipate well in advance any required changes in speed or direction is critical.


related info
http://www.csgnetwork.com/stopdistinfo.html

http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightc ... plica.html

http://www.corvettehid.com/cart/index.p ... cts_id=257

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=10061&p=39212&hilit=corvette+brakes#p39212

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=483&p=29161&hilit=corvette+brakes#p29161

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3547&p=15509&hilit=corvette+brakes#p15509

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=526&p=6093&hilit=corvette+brakes#p6093

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=13&p=3209&hilit=corvette+brakes#p3209

http://www.pozziracing.com/12_corvette_ ... n_fgen.htm

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The cost of LED has come down allot I find when I have used high end bulb they last only about a year each side dieing within a month. This happened recently
 
As many of us know, our stock Corvette lighting system is very underwhelming, and it can be downright dangerous to drive at night. Some of the benefits of HID over halogen are...

* Up to three times less wattage is used (HID = 35w, halogen = 55-100w)

* Up to four times more bright light produced (HID = 2400-3200lu, halogen = 800-1700lu)

* Up to ten times more intense light produced (HID = 202,500cd, halogen = 21,000cd)

* Up to six times longer lifespan (HID = 2500hr, halogen = 400hr)

* HID light contains less infrared and ultraviolet light, which fatigues the driver and surrounding motorists

* HID light illuminates the road with better contrast and more lifelike tones of color

* Halogen filaments naturally produce a color of 2300K to 4000K (2300K is yellowish, 4000K is whitish) Anything bluer requires the use of light-dimming color filters

* HID produces a natural color of 4100K to 6000K (4100K is daylight white, and 6000K is slightly bluish white) Anything bluer requires the use of light-dimming color filters

* HID lighting produces a wider and deeper beam pattern with razor sharp cut off lines

* HID has low lumen maintenance, meaning bulbs do not dim down as much towards the end of their lives

* HID has high flux properties, meaning light is very evenly distributed when installed properly

We are the first and only company that sells plug & play HID kits for the C4 that uses REAL projectors mounted inside the headlight bucket. We will not sell you HID bulbs for you to stick in your halogen headlights, because this is a dangerous practice and produces entirely too much glare for on-coming motorists, and is simply the wrong way to update your lights. Those kits can be found on eBay and are sold by the dozen.

Visit our site to learn more about the correct, safer way to update your Corvettes lighting system!:thumbsup:

Educate yourself about HID's

HID Headlight Systems

HID Fog Light Systems


Stock lighting on the left, Our HID upgrade kit on the right.
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