Hey there,

The lights on my '61 Bonneville aren't the brightest, & I have been thinking about upgrading them.

My questions are...is it worth upgrading them whilst still running a generator (rather than an alternator)? If so, does anyone have any recommendations or experience with sourcing some (I'm in Australia FYI)?

Thanks in advance 🙏

5 hours ago, Bonne61 said:

Hey there,

The lights on my '61 Bonneville aren't the brightest, & I have been thinking about upgrading them.

My questions are...is it worth upgrading them whilst still running a generator (rather than an alternator)? If so, does anyone have any recommendations or experience with sourcing some (I'm in Australia FYI)?

Thanks in advance 🙏

12 volts is 12 volts. So these for your classic Pontiac are as good as you can get. They are not the original Cibie headlights that once existed, but that company has been gone for quite a while. These lights use a quartz halogen bulb, but what makes the light real work is the cut of the lens. They are a brighter light because of the halogen bulb, but the lens actually directs the light in a rectangular pattern. Meaning that the top of the light beam that would intrude into the face of an oncoming driver is cutoff! When you drive on a dark road you will actually be able to see the cutoff pattern as a day & night difference. You will also notice that the width of the beam is wider to the none road side. Allowing you to see that area better. It will also light up the road further down the road. 

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html

lighting is a function of physics! When applied correctly it can make the same lumens appear to be on a whole different level. Most people don’t even understand the physics of a parabolic light fixture & your headlight is a parabolic light. So it can be transformed into a very efficient light source.

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by Last Indian

Paul , first check what your state allows for your age car !

i found some cibie lights for my  59 caddy and   Fitted led bulbs to them 

only to be told when I went for my warrant of fitness that they are illegal in my car as they never came from the factory with  them 

That’s nz rules for ya 

so I just swapped out the bulbs for halogen … they work ok 

way better than  the sealed beam lights 

So check before you buy any thing , but my recommendation is get some led bulbs !

they are the brightest !!! 

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by 64 kiwi boni

Here is a pic of the cibies I was lucky enough to find on our local trademe.

 

And here are the led I used . They are certainly the best but these where over $100 each 

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by 64 kiwi boni

I have stink seam beam ones in my Bonnie 

till i can find some more cibie !!!

i see Cibie  are still made but where too buy from ??????

https://valeoservice.cld.bz/valeo-CIBIE-brochure/10-11/

Edited November 19, 20223 yr by 64 kiwi boni

I had the good fortune of find a company called Octane Lighting. They have replacement high and low beams for the 60s and 70s model cars. I was able to replace my stock T3s with their replacements, it was literally plug and play replacements. It was about $200 US. I posted about it in my thread for Lucy. They ship via Amazon too.

 

https://www.octanelighting.com/

 

So you have some choices.