Skip to main content
Topic: New Diamond Head Lights for the '83 (Read 9907 times) previous topic - next topic

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

I was a little work but I think the outcome was well worth the effort.  I found several vendors of this type of head light but these were the ones I chose due to the quality.

                           

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #1
I like em
Fox-less at the moment

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #2
Yeah, I was concerned about how they would look when they arrived at the house but after the install I am sold.  I mocked them up before I cut anything so I could make up my mind before hand.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #3
What's the brand?  Where did you get them?
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #4
how did you hook up the high beams???
1986 T-bird
347 stroker motor
185 AFR Heads
TrickFlow cam 224/232-542/563
Victor Jr. intake CNC ported
Quickfuel Holley 800 cfm
Hooker 1-3/4 long tubes
Custom built AOD
B&M 3000 stall
8.8 w/4.30 gears
UPR K-member,A-Arms,and coil-overs
UPR upper/lower control arms
Strange shocks/struts
26x10x15 M/T slicks
11.48@119.27
(coming soon Tremec 3550)
The Finished Product
http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/03grinnie/T-bird/

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #5
http://www.racinglab.com/redicutsebeh.html

Here is the deal on how I wired them up. They come with a high/low beam bulb in each assembly. I inquired if they had bulbs that would fit them with just the high beam but they do not. I removed the high beam socket off of the inner head lamp wiring and installed a high/low beam light socket off of the outer head lamp wiring. One of the guys simply cut the high beam tab off the bulb and went that route. My thinking is why ruin a good bulb? If I ever blow a low beam out in the middle of nowhere I can easily swap the two bulbs on one side of the car and get my low beam back. Almost like carrying two spare bulbs all the time.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #6
The harness I used to upgrade to a relay setup will work awesome with these...no modifications required.  The low beam connector has only the wires to activate low beam, and vice versa for the high beam.  I was wary at first because it's an ebay harness...but once I got it in hand it's pretty well built for under $50.

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #7
Me likey!!  Kind of wish I had a 4-eye right about now.

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #8
I am running these straight of the factory harness for now and swapping the head light sockets took about a minute.  I only did the driver side as I used the passenger side socket to complete this setup.  I am waiting on hcor to send me a couple more of the high/low sockets to finish the passenger side.  If a relay is needed due to the draw being to high for the headlight switch to handle I can wire those in myself.  I did this same thing on my Coupe and the Bosch relays are only a couple bucks each.

I think these will look awesome with the TC front bumper cover and the Marchal fogs.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #9
Well, I went home this weekend to finish up the headlight install and get the exhaust all back in the car and the only thing I got accomplished was the headlights.  hcor came through (thanks again!) and delivered on the two headlight sockets I was needing.  I ran into a wiring pinout problem with regards to the stock pinout versus what the H4 bulbs need.  If you are looking at the back of the bulb with the two pins on the left and right the other pin should be on the bottom.  The left is the ground, the right is the high beam, and the bottom is the low beam.  Once I got that straightened out they worked fine but all of the power is going through the headlamp switch and the multifunction switch.  I decided to install three Bosch 30A relays and just use the power from the multi-switch as the trigger for the relays.  Since there are two bulbs on each side for high beam I used one relay per pair and then one relay for the low beams.

I fabbed up a little bracket and mounted it to the core support on the passenger side of the car.  I took several photos in case anyone wanted a idea for a good location for something like this:

           

I tested it all out with the headlights just plugged in and it worked like a champ.  Finished up the install and here are the results.  I still have to aim them but I think it will knock the white off a wall.

       

Anyhow, that is behind me so I can get on to the important stuff like getting the car running...

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #10
Man, those sure do look sharp. I'm going to have to remember this thread whenever I decide to change those out. That's a great looking bird to just be sitting on a lift! get on it!
1983 Tbird with '03 Split Port V6 motor swap done! Headers, dual exhaust, 500CFM Edelbrock, 3G upgrade, Electric fan. 3.73 Gears and an FRPP Limited Slip. Five lug complete! 5-Speed conversion complete! Standalone Fuel Injection in progress...

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #11
How is the beam pattern on those?  I used the autopal Ecode light's in my 86, and they give a nice even pattern with a nice cutoff.

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #12
With the car on the lift in the shop the pattern looked good but the wall was only 15 feet from the front of the car so that is not really a good test.  I still have to aim the lights as they are all over the place due to me taking the entire assembly apart.  I will post up some shots of the beam pattern when I get them adjusted in the next couple of months.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #13
so do the low beams stay on low or do  they switch to high if so how did you loop them together???
1986 T-bird
347 stroker motor
185 AFR Heads
TrickFlow cam 224/232-542/563
Victor Jr. intake CNC ported
Quickfuel Holley 800 cfm
Hooker 1-3/4 long tubes
Custom built AOD
B&M 3000 stall
8.8 w/4.30 gears
UPR K-member,A-Arms,and coil-overs
UPR upper/lower control arms
Strange shocks/struts
26x10x15 M/T slicks
11.48@119.27
(coming soon Tremec 3550)
The Finished Product
http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/03grinnie/T-bird/

New Diamond Head Lights for the '83

Reply #14
When the low beams are on only the outer head lights come on. When the high beams are on all four head lights are on and they are all on high beam. I am out of town right now but when I get home I will knock out a wiring diagram and post it.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp