1935 Chevy Car headlight reflectors, copper or .....?

[jmlcolorado]

I have a set of 1935 Chevy Sedan headlights.
I am going to retrofit projector housings in the reflector bowls but they are not steel.
They look to be copper or brass. Anyone know for sure what material
It is?
I'm planning on extending the rear of the reflector into the buckets a bit in order to fit the projector housing, by soldering more Cooper/brass tubing to the existing reflector bowl.

 

[bob w]

Generally they are brass with silver plating.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Yep plated brass. Out of curiousity, why all the trouble for projectors?

 

[jmlcolorado]

Yep plated brass. Out of curiousity, why all the trouble for projectors?

Mostly because I can't leave well enough alone.
But the theory is i want to keep the look of the old school headlights, but have a better, more useable light for country driving.
The silver on the reflectors isn't in that great of shape and I need good light for night driving in the boonies.

I want to keep the glass lenses, which I know will distort the projector beam a bit. And I'm not really willing to add accessory lights because I feel like they are all too modern looking.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Trust me, I know all about not leaving well enough alone. Haha.

If the reflector are your concern, why not swap in some Model A reflectors? They are the same size and available repop. As a matter of fact, Mac's offers a complete halogen conversion kit complete with new reflectors, and they also have one that locates turn signal bulbs inside the light housing as well if that's your fancy. Pretty cheap kits for what you get...

Kit - http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_model_a/model-a-ford-quartz-halogen-reflector-kit-12-volt-steel-flash-coated-chrome.html

Kit w/ signals - http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_model_a/model-a-ford-headlight-turn-signal-adapter-kit-12-volt-amber-complete-quartz-halogen-conversion.html

 

[jmlcolorado]

Trust me, I know all about not leaving well enough alone. Haha.

If the reflector are your concern, why not swap in some Model A reflectors? They are the same size and available repop. As a matter of fact, Mac's offers a complete halogen conversion kit complete with new reflectors, and they also have one that locates turn signal bulbs inside the light housing as well if that's your fancy. Pretty cheap kits for what you get...

Kit - http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_model_a/model-a-ford-quartz-halogen-reflector-kit-12-volt-steel-flash-coated-chrome.html

Kit w/ signals - http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_model_a/model-a-ford-headlight-turn-signal-adapter-kit-12-volt-amber-complete-quartz-halogen-conversion.html

Arghhhh!
Your a day too late!
Well, a few days.
I ordered up the projector housings and got them in the mail today. I already added signals/parking lights in the reflectors this weekend too

I had no idea those would be the same size! If I had known that, I probably would have gone that route.
Ugh.

Oh well, I guess you guys get to see what projectors look like behind original glass.

Ps. Here's the picture from last night with parking light temporally wired up. Signal flashes too which is kinda neat.

 

[jmlcolorado]

Going to post this here and in my build thread, just for those who are following.

Got the projectors today.
So here we go.

These are Bi-xenon projectors, tho I'll be using halogen bulbs in them. H1 bulbs to be exact.
Those who aren't familiar with bi projectors, they use a single filament bulb, and when you flip on the high beams, a small shield flips up.
The sheild is what creates the cutoff to aid in blinding passing cars.
You can see this feature work on projectors when you are approaching a car, typically one up a hill slightly, and their ungodly bright lights make you want to stab your eyeballs out with a sword. And about the moment to can't take it anymore, and you reach for the high beam switch on your car to tell the moron he's not the only one on the road, BAM! Their lights go dim.
Usually this isn't them realizing that you pay taxes too, that's the transition from below their beam cutoff, to above it. It's usually a pretty sharp line.

I opted to use these just because it's easier to make high beams work with one bulb.





I had to drill a 7/8" hole to mount the projector.



I installed it temporally in the houseing and found I was about 3/8" shy of being able to install the original glass and ring.
I was planning on buying some brass tube and plate and tig brazing the extension on, but with only 1/2", I figured I could work with that.

I ended up drilling the hole out to 1 1/2" to let the back of the housing project slightly out of the reflector.
Then made a 1/2" thick spacer to mount the projector.








All buttoned up, here is the result. This is one headlight. Drivers side isn't started yet.
Low beam (note the cutoff).


High beam (with cutoff sheild removed.)


I'm stuck a bit now as the overall girth of the projector housing has blocked a lot of the amber park/turn lighting. However, the pattern in the original glass makes for a nice wide bright illumination. Here's a quick video.

I think I'll add another bulb holder on the bottom of the reflector for an additional park/turn light.
It's VERY easy to see with the headlights on, and don't thing visiability will be any issue at all.
https://youtu.be/UoH7kLRvXNc

 

[jmlcolorado]

So about the High/low selection now.
So, as normal, I have 1 wire for low beam. One for High beam.
The bulb is one filament. So, naturally, I hook up low beam power to the bulb. Easy right?

Now, the high beam in the headlight is just a small solenoid that flips up the cutoff sheild. It needs positive and negative.
If I hook the high beam to this solenoid, and press the selector on the floor, the sheild opens, and bulbs turns off, because the high beam is on.

Is there an easy way to setup power sowhen I hit the high beam, power is supplied to both high and low at the same time? But no power to highbeam wire when low is active?
I know a diaode could accomplish this, but I've never wired one in before. And I know I'd have to modify the switch internals somehow.

 

[Bamamav]

Easy. Just hook the bulb to have power all the time the dash switch is on, then hook the dimmer switch to the sheild only. Dash switch controls bulb, dimmer switch controls hi low sheild.

 

[jmlcolorado]

Easy. Just hook the bulb to have power all the time the dash switch is on, then hook the dimmer switch to the sheild only. Dash switch controls bulb, dimmer switch controls hi low sheild.

Dang! Why didn't I think of that! Simple simple.
Must have stayed up to late last night trying to think about this
Thanks for showing me the light Bama!

 

[Bamamav]

You're welcome! Sometimes even a blind squirrel gets a nut.
Been there, done that when I couldn't see a solution that was right in front of me, so don't feel like you're the only one it happens to.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Yes sir....

I have been that blind squirrel before...LOL..