High Performance Headlights

Driving a high performance car at night can be exhilarating, but also risky. It is too easy to “out drive” your OEM sealed beam headlights. Even halogen replacement headlights limit the distance that you can illuminate the road ahead. In this article we are going to explore the different options and discuss what alternatives make sense and why they are more beneficial.

For instance, the C3 Corvette came with four sealed beam, tungsten filament incandescent headlamps in what is known as a 4-headlight arrangement. This design was introduced in 1958. This arrangement consisted of two lamps dedicated to the low beam setting, with two for high beam where all four are illuminated on high beam setting only.

When this concept was introduced it was a vast improvement over the older earlier vintage two head light arrangement with each lamp containing two filaments, one for low beam one for high beam. These are called “sealed beam” because the lamp and lens are all one unit. From a spectral viewpoint the light they cast is yellowish because of the temperature of the filament when in operation.

The next development was the introduction of tungsten halogen headlamps in 1983. The light they emit is yellow-white. The use of inert gas like iodine or bromine inside the lamp instead of a vacuum helped in three significant ways:

  • Eliminates darkening caused by the tungsten in the filament plating the inside of the bulb.
  • Increases light intensity because the filament operates at a higher temperature but uses the same amount of current as a non-halogen bulb.
  • The filament is regenerated during the halogen cycle which allows the tungsten to replace back on to the filament.

There is another version of halogen lamps called Xenon halogen headlights. These headlamps are filled with Xenon gas and produce a distinctive blue hue when illuminated. They generally last longer, and have higher light output at a given current. Do not confuse these with Xenon HID lamps which run on AC current and require special electronics circuitry and a ballast to operate.

One major factor in making any lamp brighter is current. Because of the limitation of the standard wiring on older vehicles, just changing bulbs will not significantly affect brightness – and your ability to see at night – as much as you would hope. This is because the wire size used in the OEM harness is designed for the old standard tungsten filaments and therefore limits the current because of the voltage drop which can be supplied to the headlamps. A reduction of as much as1.3 volts can reduce headlight output by 30%! In addition all of this is routed through the headlight switch on the dash designed for the older lamps instead of a heavy duty relay which most modern lighting systems consist of.

If you want to improve your night vision behind the wheel and see a greater distance down those dark roadways while moving along at a good pace then something needs to be done to improve the view beyond just switching to halogen bulbs. Fortunately there is a method to get this accomplished. This system requires a heavy 12 gauge harness and 30 amp relay system with a huge 8 gauge wire supplying current directly from the alternator. This setup accomplishes several things:

  • More current to the headlamps than is possible with a stock harness. (It is possible actually melt the wires and harness connectors if you just stick really bright bulbs in a stock harness.)
  • Drastically lower the current through the dash mounted headlight switch.

If this is not enough we will consider super bright Xenon lamps to give the most light available to fit in the original mounting locations. You will be astonished with what these blue white search lights will do on a dark road. For safety and high performance, upgrading to the heavy-duty harness and Xenon lamps will greatly enhance your ability to see where you are driving especially on a dark, moonless night.

You can modify your harness for the larger current load or send your harness to Simmons BOSS CREATIONS so we can make a suitable replacement. The installation is simple and can be accomplished in an hour or so with ordinary hand tools, and no hacking or splicing into your OEM wiring. The system can all be returned to stock if you choose to do so. The replacement harness will use the original colors, terminals and connectors making it difficult to detect the upgrade. Once you have driven an improved lighting system you will never go back to the yellow “candles in the wind” of the OEM headlights.


This article is the intellectual property of Simmons BOSS CREATIONS. Any reuse of the contents must include the following attribution:

Marcus Simmons, ASE Certified
Simmons BOSS CREATIONS
Phone: (248) 461-6977
Email: ceo@simmonsbosscreations.com
http://www.simmonsbosscreations.com