Modern technological advancements are great and all, but sometimes, they just seem out of place. Nowhere is that more evident than when somebody tries to incorporate something ultra contemporary on a very old vehicle, especially when it's immediately noticeable from the exterior. Of course, there are numerous exceptions, most depending on what style you prefer, but for the most part, anything that really distracts from the vehicle's true form rather than complement should seriously be reconsidered.
Let's take for example the "infamous" modern car headlight transplant-while there have indeed been some quite successful surgeries, more often than not, they simply look like new car headlights on an antique vehicle. Between the varying makes of automobiles, there are definitely candidates more suitable than others to even be considered for such an alteration, but from a purely aesthetic aspect, why mess with the original design element? If you want modern, then retrofit accordingly.
When it comes to pre-war trucks, one of the main physical attractions next to the grille is the Art Deco bullet headlights. Unlike their modern predecessors with sealed-beam bulbs, updating in the past typically meant sacrificing one of its unique charms-the fluted lens. On top of that, re-silvering reflectors isn't cheap, either, so even if you were able to incorporate a 12V-type bulb, you may not really notice the difference in illumination with dull reflectors. There is one other option, however, one that will provide your truck with the high-intensity glow of a halogen light without anyone really knowing-unless of course they help you with the conversion.
Chevs of the 40's not only has a complete halogen conversion kit, but replacement Tilt Ray style headlamp lenses, trim rings, seals, and pretty much anything you could possibly need to modernize those old pre-sealed beam-era antiquities hangin' off to each side of your truck's grille-if they've even made it there in the first place (mine were still hung from the rafters in the garage!). Along with the aforementioned conversion, a Juliano's turn signal kit will also be used for the set of '39 units that will undergo the halogen upgrade-but the kit itself can be modified to incorporate turn signals (using the park lights), so purchasing a separate setup is not required, unless of course that's the look you're after.
Despite that they'd already been converted to sealed beam years ago, headlights like these '39 Chevys were meant to have fluted glass lenses. In order to accommodate that, along with having the benefits of a halogen lamp, look no further than Chevs of the 40's for all the conversion components.
To better facilitate the conversion, which wasn't designed specifically for the early Chevy headlamps in the first place, it's probably best to use the original reflectors as a means to mount the new ones. If you no longer have them or your lights were converted to sealed beam at one point like these, try scrounging up a set of used ones (don't waste your money on a good set-they're not cheap!). Fortunately, Bowtie Bits was able to unearth a usable pair of '39 reflectors-but you could easily incorporate ones from other years/models. Even with this minor modification on top of the additional turn signal installation, the entire halogen upgrade shouldn't take more than a couple hours, tops. No matter what, though, the results will definitely bring new "light" to your project!
