Headlight Relay Conversion Info Wanted

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Alan H. Tast
Posts: 4214
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Omaha, NE

Headlight Relay Conversion Info Wanted

Post by Alan H. Tast »

Terry64HT wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:53 am I think adding relays to the headlight circuit should be done by everyone. There is no downside to it. In a lot of ways it's a safety upgrade and should be considered as such when judging. It can be done in such a way that it is almost impossible to detect (mine are hidden behind the washer bag), and at very little cost. I know there are kits out there, but in most cases the original light sockets are still ok, and all that is needed is a bit of wire and a couple of bosch-type relays.
Just my opinion
Terry
64HT
Adding relays to the headlight system so that they do not detract from the original appearance of the car is one of those kinds of articles I want to develop for the Scoop for single- and dual-headlight systems for all generations of 'Birds that weren't originally fitted with them. As several have commented, the original wiring in our cars is aged and has developed resistance due to corrosion, oxidation, etc., and electrical components like circuit breakers, whether they be internal to the headlight switch or external in the fuse panel, will fail over time and repeated use due to thermal fatigue. For people who performed relay conversions, please contact me with your experiences, photos, how-to hints, etc. in order to put one together. And, yes, discussion about adding relays is probably more appropriate for the 'modified' section of the Forum, but since the topic's come up I want to start gathering info for this.
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President,
Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"
1963 Hardtop & 1963 Sports Roadster
bigbrownpilot
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Jun 16, 2013 1:33 pm

Re: Headlight Relay Conversion Info Wanted

Post by bigbrownpilot »

Hello from BulletBird world. I elected to do with a Dapper Lighting harness for around $50. I didn't like the cheap $20 ones that were for sale on eBay, but I also couldn't see paying $150 for a Painless Products relay harness. It's really nice product and all the wiring is in a plastic sheath to protect it. The downside is that there is a LOT of length to the wiring to make it a universal fit, so unless you want to chop-and-splice, you have to be able to bunch it up and hide it all. Since I'm not worried about originality but still want to keep a clean look I was able to hide it all in braided wire loom. Can't get pictures right now, but I'm pleased with how it turned out on my "63. YMMV.
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