Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

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mrdibbles
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Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by mrdibbles » November 19th, 2011, 6:14 pm

Hey Guys-
I've been wanting to add a set of yellow headlights to my Barstow but I've been slow to find a set (at a reasonable price). They've gotten real hard to come by and the best I've done is to find a seller, of reproduction units, who needs $90-$100 a pair.

I priced out the JDM paint, which has to be imported from Japan, but at $30 a can I opted for the cheaper route of using Krylon Yellow Stained Glass Color paint (must be bought from a Hobby/Craft store).

Anyway I think the results look pretty damn good and at 1/3 the cost of the reproduction or NOS units it sure seemed like a decent way to scratch my itch for yellow headlights :wink:
Regards,
Matt-

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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by WC Matt » November 19th, 2011, 7:40 pm

That does look nice.
Matt

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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by raymond » November 19th, 2011, 10:57 pm

Will it stand up to the heat of the bulbs or to bug impacts :?:
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by mrdibbles » November 20th, 2011, 12:06 am

raymond wrote:Will it stand up to the heat of the bulbs or to bug impacts :?:
Hey Raymond-
Well it isn't like I've tested it but the reproduction bulbs are yellow because of an applied coating. The glass itself (on the reproduced bulbs) isn't yellow. Most likely the NOS bulbs are also not yellow glass but rather are also coated. I'm pretty sure these will live up to the heat which doesn't seem too excessive and at the speeds my Mutt travels I'm not too worried about damaging bug strikes. The Krylon paint I used is rated as an outdoor product... other than that I suppose time will tell.
Regards,
Matt-
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by cstaup » November 20th, 2011, 12:51 pm

Not to sound ignorant, (but I am) about yellow lights. I know in the 80s and earlier, yellow headlights were law in some places, France. What are the pros and/or cons of yellow lights. I know that they would cut through fog and mist, but other than that they would seem a bit darker that white lights. Please skool me. BTW Looks great Mr. D.
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by mrdibbles » November 20th, 2011, 2:47 pm

Hey cstaup-
You know I thought the lights would look yellow at night but actually the light they throw off looks pretty much the same as the white lights. I mean not exactly the same but by no means is the beam super yellow. I'm sure they're better for fog-like conditions and I'm sure they're less effective than white in most conditions but the reality is I seldom drive at night. I mostly like the way they look.

As far as legality goes they're probably not within code. That said I've passed every Texas State Annual Inspection I've had (with the yellow lights) and never has a word been said about them.

Texas seems pretty lenient. I don't run license plates, I've run around with yellow headlights for years, my windshield is almost always down, and I've run around town with an M60 mounted. All of that and I've never been pulled over... probably lucky :mrgreen:
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by raymond » November 20th, 2011, 4:45 pm

Yellow headlights have always been Mr.D's copyrighted trademark look 8) :lol:
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by Horst » November 20th, 2011, 4:55 pm

A little hard to see from this angle, but the way it worked for the French was using yellow bulbs. The H4 bulbs used in my Jeep have a separate yellow glass around the clear bulb.

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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by mrdibbles » November 20th, 2011, 6:42 pm

raymond wrote:Yellow headlights have always been Mr.D's copyrighted trademark look 8) :lol:
I like to think so too Raymond but there are clearly others who do the same. It's a love or hate thing... my good buddy here always says "friends don't let friends drive Jeeps with yellow headlights". So... I deal with that at every turn around these parts.
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by SEABEE62 » November 20th, 2011, 7:26 pm

What States would allow yellow lights for nighttime driving ??? Even if they fit the era the mutt represents ? I've changed them out for white when I travel early evening for night driving....are they as efficient ? I've never tried myself.....Yellow does look great !!! Seabee
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by Mark » November 21st, 2011, 3:59 pm

I think the headlights look great. Now I finally found the krylon paint #9024 yellow, at least that's what the can says.(I spent a good couple of hours looking for the paint, 1st went to hobbytown,donovan's,all the places that sold krylon paint, regular paint stores, and they didn't have it so finally went to hobby lobby and they had it.So I hope it turns out good(I don't know how to rough up the glass so the paint sticks better,emery paper?)
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by mrdibbles » November 21st, 2011, 9:27 pm

The paint is made to stick to glass. I would not rough it up. Any roughing is likely to show once the paint dries. Just clean the glass real good and fire away. The paint will go on opaque but within about a half hour it'll already be more or less transparent. Let it sit over night before touching. The thicker you lay it down the darker the color.

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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by Mark » November 21st, 2011, 11:09 pm

thanks for the info
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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by Emmett » November 23rd, 2011, 1:59 pm

Very nice!
I have been wanting yellow headlights for my M38. I am not sure if the lights would be correct for a '73 A2 or not, but if they would be I will do the same thing...Time to go out shopping at a hobby store.
Great thread and thanks for that info! :mrgreen:

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Re: Yellow Headlights - On the cheap

Unread post by Sgt. Schultz » May 2nd, 2017, 7:20 am

Hi
I have looked for yellow headlight for some time. And at last i got a pair. But it was not yellow but amber :-( And it bursted after 10 sekunds :-(( Even that is was 28 voltage lamps. Therefore i have decided to paint a pair of white instead. But it seem to be impossible to import KRYLON spray paint from US to EU. Does anyone know a glass paint product similar to Krylon you can get in EU.

Have a nice spring

Regards
Morten

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