4 Headlight Conversion

[Ralph]

Has anyone retrofitted a 4-headlight system?

I've got my front end apart (again), the radiator out, grill and other local parts off, in the course of replacing the A/C condensor and filter/drier. So naturally I'm looking at those nice round cut-outs and pondering the function/appearance of putting in a "Rhino Chaser" grill and four round headlights, to look more like the original models:

Oo [!!!] oO

Really, really BRIGHT headlights... H1/H4 halogens... yeah!

I can see that it would be necessary to move the filter drier out of the way of the cut-out on the passenger side, and move the horn units from the cut-out on the driver side. But from that point it looks to be no more than a couple of appropriately sized headlamp buckets, and probably a bit of wiring to set them up as high beams.

[This message has been edited by Ralph (edited July 16, 2000).]

[jamchico]

I'm trying to set up that exact thing! I have replaced my grill with a "rhino" and I found smaller buckets at the local yard. I am having a problem finding and headlight bevels (the chrome outer ring) for either size. I think just about any round ring will work with the larger size, but I'm having touble with coming up with ideas for the smaller size. I have the metal covers for the smaller hole, but I just didn't like the look when I got them home. Do you know anything about headlight wiring loom called ARB H4? I saw a string where the guy praised it, but he never replied about price or where he got it.
Allen
69 wag

[Ralph]

Off-hand, I would look at late '60s to mid-'70s European cars for chrome rings to fit, since many of them had smaller round headlamps. Also, I think JC Whitney has some, but I'll have to look.

As for the wiring, every time I see an older BMW or VW I wonder if I couldn't just use the wiring harness out of them, or create my own using a wiring diagram out of a Haynes/Chilton manual.

Do you have any pictures of your progress? Just a few minutes ago I finished putting my grill back together, so I'm really thinking about this right now.

[ClarkGriswald]

Seems to me you could just run a wire from the hot terminal on the headlight switch(the one that energizes when the headlights are turned on. and use that power to trigger a relay that will handle the full power of the additional lights.. simple circuit.. I have been thinking bout doin this myself. Im thinking about making a second fusebox (or possibly a bank of self reseting circuit breakers) that can be fed with a heavy gauge wire right off of the positive battery lead. I will try to mount it on the inner fenderwell I think, and make it so I have a "HOT" point that I can tap into with whatever I want.. (like a positive buss rail with several holes and setscrews so you can hook in a couple of circuits). or a multi ciruit box with a single feed.. anyone ever do this? or does everyone just hack stuff togethor as they go? like add it when i need it?? of course the biggest consideration is the waterproof factor\roadworthieness.whatever I end up doin on mine.. it will be somehow made to be weatherproof.. . but back to the headlight thing. it should be real easy to add them to the existing headlight circuit.. the big powerwire from the battery (thru a relay) right to the new lights will give them the unrestricted voltage that they want.. and the small voltage needed to energize the relay should be easily provided by the stock headlight switch. (I wanted to have my headlight switch turn on the power to the stock lights the second set like you folks are adding, and the foglight\driving lights, and have three subcircuits with switches to turn each of the three on or off as I need them.. heheh sorry Im a big tinkerer\madscientist when it comes to electrical.. . but I am glad to help out on electrical info wherever I can.. hope this helps give ya some idea's

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88 Grand Wagoneer
D44's front\rear
AMC 360
TF 727
NP 229 (Funky)
Bone Stock (for now)
NO RUNNING BOARDS!

[ClarkGriswald]

Sorry forgot one thing.. if you use lights for your secondary add in's. that are HI and LOW beam.. youll need to have a double circuit. two identical one's one Hi one LOW they could both be on the same fuse\breaker just need to split after the protection and go into two relay's then two hot wires to the to filaments in the bulbs.. and the third wire as the ground.. snag some plugs for the lights from a junkyard or wherever.. My biggest question was where do you get the mounting hardware\adjusment's to mount those round lights? are they just like one's from some other jeep vehicle and you can utilize them in this application???

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88 Grand Wagoneer
D44's front\rear
AMC 360
TF 727
NP 229 (Funky)
Bone Stock (for now)
NO RUNNING BOARDS!

[Snakeyes_Tx]

Hey, the headlight buckets as I've been told for the outside round lights.. the buckets, cups, the rings, and the lights are ALL the same as a CJ. So I'd look into that first. As for the inner lights, I believe the round lights off an older Jaguar would work. Hell... have you guys ever looked at a Jag up close for a while? The Four round lights.. two inside ones are smaller.. the grille in the middle looks like a smaller rhino style... its such a coincidence! As for wiring the inner lights... DO IT THE EASY WAY! Just rig the outside lights for HIGH and LOW and rig the inner lights on your own wiring system with a switch in the dash.. that way you can do what I plan on doing.. having the highs on... my driving lights (blue-white) AND have my KC daylighters in the little holes! Imagine THAT!

[Ralph]

Excellent idea, Snakeyes. Does that mean you kept your Jeep after all? Good for you!

[JERRY88GW]

I would love to see a pic of this! <

[Ralph]

Since reading Snakeyes' post yesterday, I've been pondering the possiblity of getting an older Jag sedan (love the V12) and putting woodgrain trim on it. Maybe call it the "Jagoneer."

[ClarkGriswald]

Hmm.. I live in a mobile home.. mabye I will do the simulated woodgrain trim on my whole house hahhahahah.

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88 Grand Wagoneer
D44's front\rear
AMC 360
TF 727
NP 229 (Funky)
Bone Stock (for now)
NO RUNNING BOARDS!

[Ralph]

Clark, call it "Double Wideneer."

Okay, tonight I was looking at a '88 VW Rabbit with a perfect headlight set-up, except that there's still the problem of finding chrome rings. I even think the smaller lamps will be shallow enough that I won't have to remove the filter/drier from the small hole on the passenger side (the two horns behind the driver-side hold can be remounted anywhere).

Jerry88GW, take a look at the J300 DutchD is seling in the Classified Forum:

http://thunder.prohosting.com/~dutchd/j300photo.htm

That's the look original FSJ's had, and I'm interested in doing the same thing to my '88 Grand Wag.

[This message has been edited by Ralph (edited July 21, 2000).]

[JERRY88GW]

Wow!

That's a great look for our jeeps! It's very eye catching!

Let us know how you get it figured out, I'm interested.

Jerry

[porkchop]

I was looking at buying a '65 wag awhile back. It had the grill like the truck in the pic. I did notice that the other two inboard spots that everyone thinks are head lights are in fact just plates to cover up the holes. I do not know if it was just for that wag or if was standard. I just think that doing this will be on your own as far as wiring and mods. Let us all know how it goes.

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'67/'79 Wagoneer mix
Body of a 33 year old
Heart and legs of a 21 year old.
360,TH400,QT,D44's F&R
32X11.50's

"I regret that I have but only one paycheck to give to my Jeep."

[andy d]

i'd been thinkin along the same lines as this thread. just wonderin'; is there a repro of the Gladiator grill available? the rest of those parts,headlight fixtures and such could be sniped from a cj or a commando.up here in ne, where the only things saltier than the ocean,are the roads,glads are a distant memory,




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'88 gwag

[Ralph]

Even while we've been participating in this thread, I bid on a "Rhino Chaser" grill on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=383109776

The seller has already contacted me, and he's got to check on the shipping cost. I can't wait to get it, then go about checking around for prices on getting it re-chromed.

I think this was a steal (depending on the condition of the grill). The last one I saw sold for over $100.



[This message has been edited by Ralph (edited July 23, 2000).]