Preparation for Desert Trip VI

[K20chevy]

here is a pic of what the light bar looks like covered up....

[DirtyLarry]

That bumper looks great! Very beefy! Nice work on that. The projector headlights are certainly different.

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

That bumper looks great! Very beefy! Nice work on that. The projector headlights are certainly different.

thank you! The bumper acutally is a modified GMTC (GM Truck Center) Bumper. It kind of looks similar to the Warn, only stronger. Powder coated satin black, it really comes close!

The headlights went in because I wanted more light. Sealed beams suck, then I did what you did, clear glass ones, way better but still dimm. Then I said, I need something bright, street legal and working ok without blinding oncoming traffic. Hella makes the best lights hands down, so I sourced these as true factory Bi-Xenon (HID) headlights with perfect cut off and spread. What an improvement that was!! Well worth all the rewiring and reworking the radiator support. But since they are so bright and on trucks in general it is so stupid, when you load the truck the lights shine everywhere but where they should, I did what is mandatory in GErmany on any headlight... a leveling system. Although for halogen, a manual one is sufficient, on HIDs you legaly have to have an automatic leveling system. That is what mine now has, an adaptive load leveling headlight system. When you accelerate or load the truck, the lights adjust down to not blind oncoming traffic and to shine where you need the light, when you hit the brakes really hard, the lights adjust up, so you can still see where you are going.

Sure, a lot of work and not cheap, but the performance makes more than up for it!

Low beam:



High beam:



Now they do make LED headlights though as replacements for the 7" headlights, they are very nice and bright too, not as good as my setup but about the 3rd of the cost too!

[DirtyLarry]

I wondered if that was a GMTC bumper. I really like their design, very classic looking. Those headlights look like they really light up the night! The hardest thing is getting used to the looks of them. They almost look like a wine bottle sticking out through the center of an old baby moon hubcap. Kind of odd looking.

The clear lights with the LMC relay kit really made a difference on mine but I don’t drive much at night. By night fall we are sitting around the campfire drinking adult beverages

[K20chevy]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

I wondered if that was a GMTC bumper. I really like their design, very classic looking. Those headlights look like they really light up the night! The hardest thing is getting used to the looks of them. They almost look like a wine bottle sticking out through the center of an old baby moon hubcap. Kind of odd looking.

The clear lights with the LMC relay kit really made a difference on mine but I don’t drive much at night. By night fall we are sitting around the campfire drinking adult beverages

I ordered the bumper with different pull points so I could use D-ring shackles plus I think these look better. The design of the bumper is great, the only downfall is it didn´t come fully welded on the bottom side (or inside) of the top plates. So I had to fully weld it to keep moisture out between the plates. I also added the fog light openings and some tabs for the light bar and had it powder coated semi gloss black.

Trust me, it took me a while to get used to the look of the lights, but seeing the truck like that for 4 years now, I got used to it and it looks "normal2 to me now. Still thinking on airbrushing the stainless around the projector to look like the sealed beams...
the light output is well worth the little downfall in looks though.

The goal of my truck is to keep looking as classic/period correct as possible, but still get all new tech under the sheet metal. Drivetrain is all newer stuff, suspension will get reworked.. but as hidden as possible...

Sure, if you don´t drive much at night, then you might not need too much extra light. If you ever decide to go to an LED Headlight, truck lite and j.w.speaker make direct replacement ones.

I do a lot of night driving, at least 50% of the use of the truck is at night, therefore I need some good lighting, especially when the sun sets in the middle of nowhere in Maine, it is pitch black! Plus hitting a moose at night wouldn´t be fun either...

It would look much better if I had the NOS grille in the truck on these pics, but I was missing a few screws and never bothered.

I really like your truck too! it´s like the "shorter" brother of mine!

I like your new xenon fender flares. I´m still debating on putting some on or not....

Sitting by the camp fire at night is a great (and maybe cheaper) alternative to the light setup I have!