Topic: 1964 1/2 mustang: Halogen headlights?

[thetvirus]

1964.5 mustang: I want to upgrade from incandescent headlights to halogens so I can actually see more than 5 feet in front of the mustang, the question is do they work with the stock wiring?  I was looking at slyvania, the normal halogen are 40 watts lowbeam and 60 watts highbeam, or they also have the brighter silverstar which are 55 watts low and 65 watts high, would either of these work fine with stock wiring?  Thanks.

[66GTKFB]

From all that I have read, the wiring will handle the additional current of Halogen lights, but the circuit breaker in the headlight switch will not. If you are really going to do this, insert a heavy duty 12v relay, one that can handle at least 15 amps, in the headlight circuit.
Jim 

[Soaring]

Solution:  Don't drive at night.     Seriously though, I would strip out that old 45 year old wiring and put in new wire from the switch to the headlights.  Like Jim said, make sure you include a better relay in the system.  Good luck with the upgrade, and let us know how it turns out. 

[Joe AZ 2 PA]

Solution:  Don't drive at night.     Seriously though, I would strip out that old 45 year old wiring and put in new wire from the switch to the headlights.  Like Jim said, make sure you include a better relay in the system.  Good luck with the upgrade, and let us know how it turns out.

My vote gose with these guys. Better to upgrade everything from the start. Worst case, fires are not pretty or easy to put out under a dash. . . . 

[Topless_Horse]

If you simply change out the existing 55 Watt lamps with 55 Watt halogens, there is no change in current through the harness (a 55W lamp draws 55W - about 5 amps - no matter what the gas fill) but you will get more light output from the halogen lamp.  If, however, you increase the lamp wattage to something more than 55 Watts, you will need to make the upgrade to the relays

[Soaring]

I replaced my old headlight bulbs with 55 halogens and noticed very little difference in the brightness.