Sealed beam headlights for a 36 V8 Sedan.

S

Seabird

Junior Member
Am I able to fit sealed beam headlights to my car?
We were on a overnight run over the weekend and in the rain, I could hardly see where we were going with the standard lights.
The car has been converted to 12 volt.
thanks
Chris
 
Yes you can fit sealed beam lights into your original light housings. Back in the 50’s & 60’s there was a kit available to do that conversion. There are kits available now that convert your lights to Halogen lights.




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I run Quartz Halogen bulbs with the same APF base as original bulbs, so they are a direct replacement. So, they are available....
The later big trucks, I think around 40-41, ran sealed beams that mounted in buckets the same as your 36. So, yes, there is a conversion but dunno where you'd find it unless you find one of those trucks you can ransack for parts
 
After reading multiple negative posts on here and elsewhere about the Halogen conversions available, I would advise against purchasing them. Seems the focal distance of bulb to reflector is all wrong, which means the light is not focussed correctly. Easiest solution for you to initially try would be to source a couple of the bulbs I referred to; they will go directly into your original 36 reflector, and give good bright light that is focussed correctly.
I've run these things for the past 30 odd years in my 35
 
The current draw of QH bulbs is quite substantial; you'd be better off running an alternator
 
If i remember right the conversion for the sealed beam takes the 7" H4.
You need the chrome ring from a -38 ? that has the smaller opening.
Then add a LED bulb to it.
I have the bits and pieces down the shop i can try and put it togetter to check if i got it right...memory is far from perfect...
 
I was at Dennis Carpenter's NOS parts area while at Charlotte this week. They had a couple of the 40-41 truck factory seal beam buckets there among quite a few 36 head light buckets. The 40-41 truck buckets have the longer mounting bolt, like the 35 bucket. Ford made an adapter/spacer for the 35-37 series 1 1/2 ton trucks to allow the use of their regular pickup headlight bucket with the shorter truck headlight stands which may help with the different length of the mounting bolt on the 40/41 truck bucket than the 36 bucket uses but I have never tried it. The 40 truck bucket came with a wide headlight door similar to the 36 passenger bucket.
 
I plan on using seal Beam Bulbs in my 35 bu using a S.S. ring with I think 32 Lense spring wire clips to secure the Bulbs. Not sure where the S.S. Rings came from except probable some Swap meet.. kerk
 
Brian said:
The current draw of QH bulbs is quite substantial; you'd be better off running an alternator
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I have been running direct fit quartz halogen bulbs on the lower output model A generator for over 15 years, only charge battery by driving, no problems with dead battery, or generator reliability --(generator last rebuilt 45 years ago),
 
I converted the headlights on my '36 to sealed beams in the early '50's using an aftermarket conversion kit. In a couple of years the lighting system developed problems, mainly caused by the Ford switch.. I rewired the headlights utilizing a GM style of relay, a modern pull type switch on the dash and a dimmer switch located between the brake and clutch where the original starter switch had been.
The system worked great, had modern type adjusters built into the light adapters in lieu of having to use the Ford wrench to adjust the light bucket.
In '52-53 I took the Ford lights off of the car, adapted a pair of '40 Chevy headlight pods over the original fender mounts. I fitted the GM pods to the fenders so I could bolt them on in lieu of welding/leading which was normal at the time.
The Chevy headlights really looked great on the car. A close look at the pix in my Avatar will show the '40 Chevy headlights on my car. In the early '60's I decided to go back to a more stock look, took the Chevy pods off and installed '36 Ford headlights which I converted to sealed beam, used '35 Ford truck trim rings which fit perfectly utilizing the original Ford spring clip to attach the trim ring.
Good wiring, switch's and a relay in the system is the secrete to good lighting. I don't see much need in trying to reinvent the wheel..
Footnote,
I have driven my '36 over 94K during the sixty-six years (1952-2018) that I have owned it, throughout the eleven Western States in every type of weather and road conditions that I encountered. Never had a problem seeing the road, rain, snow or dark or dark of night.
 
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I retro'ed mine in my 36 with led bulbs after adding repro reflector kits w/turn signal bulbs, so far excellent BUT the key I am afraid is, finding quality led bulbs (all china!), good thing for me I drive my car very rarely and even better is hardly ever at night but they are super bright, IMHO


Youtube video ---> https://youtu.be/gZb51U1mTaU
 
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