Ive recommended your harness for the holley headlights too haha. They worked for my buddy who wasnt on mud
Headlight upgrade FJ60?
- Thread starter Beehanger
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Definitely heard that it works but I want to be careful what I promise, that’s all. They also work for mini trucks, MkI & MkII MR2s, and a couple other oddball applications. But they were specifically designed for the Koito kit in a 60.Ive recommended your harness for the holley headlights too haha. They worked for my buddy who wasnt on mud
I do have a prototype of a 24V version sitting here whenever @FJBen and I can connect. Will work for 70 Series. I think all 60s were 12V electrics even when they had a 24V starter, right?
(Sorry to pull you into the slums of the 60 forum Ben!)
I like the 60 series
. My 70 is 12v, all aussie spec 70 series are 12v, all Prados are 12v, some Canada are 12v then other countries are 24v when diesel. So you get a good mix of 12 and 24v, not sure if that makes a difference.
For the 70 Series I want to design the HBIM for 24V so that I have one product I can sling that satisfies all needs. The pinout is different on a 60 vs a 70 though, so they’re all going to be fairly similar.I like the 60 series
So you get a good mix of 12 and 24v, not sure if that makes a difference.
Thank you for this. I will put the links for the two I was looking at below.On my 1988 FJ62 I installed Vintage Car LED. I think they are brighter than Holley and are certainly cheaper. They do not require modifying the existing harness and vendor does quality products Lenses are Hella. I worked with the vendor to get it right the first time. Simple plug and play.
7" LED Headlight Kits | 5.75" LED Headlight Kits | LED Headlights
LED headlight kits for all US and international vehicles with 7 inch and 5.75 inch Round Headlights. See specific specs to ensure a perfect fit.vintagecarleds.com
The 7" round lights from Vintage Car LED with Hella have a similar price to the Holleys ($429 for the pair from Vintage Car and $431.90 for the pair from Holley)
The VC LEDs say 6000 Kelvin vs 5700 Kelvin for the Holley.
Still leaning towards the Holley because Cruiser Trash's HBIM is proven to work with them on a 60, but the VC LEDs look like a great option too, especially for plug and play functionality.
VC5000 ULTIMATE 7 INCH LED HEADLIGHT KIT - Vintage Car LEDs
Each kit includes: 2 assembled Glass H4 DOT spec 7" housings 2 LED bulbs.
vintagecarleds.com
If I can ever find some 3800-4200K LEDs with sort of plain looking glass lenses and a sharp cutoff, I’m in. I would love a minimum of 2500lm from each side and a quality harness. I’m not an unreasonable man to please, but that doesn’t exist.
Personally - for me - even 5000K doesn’t look right on a 60. Every single LED out there seems to be either a 2000K yellow fog lamp bulb or else “super mega extra bright blue-white!” which my eyes find pretty useless as far as visual data is concerned.
I love my Koitos, but also want to be kind to my alternator.
Personally - for me - even 5000K doesn’t look right on a 60. Every single LED out there seems to be either a 2000K yellow fog lamp bulb or else “super mega extra bright blue-white!” which my eyes find pretty useless as far as visual data is concerned.
I love my Koitos, but also want to be kind to my alternator.
I think Baja Designs hit the Kelvin just about right for best useful illumination (at least in the Squad Pros), but those would be a bit too white to look period in anything.
I tend to run H4 halogens in everything and am not afraid to transplant a stock alternator with higher output (I do not 'hot-rod' alternators). Most of the LED lights lack heaters and I don't want to be the guy with no headlights because they've got frozen over lenses. Then when I do need more light all three of my 4WD's have or will soon have (ordered, not yet arrived) a set of BD Squad Pro combo's that are carefully aimed. If I need more than that I'm off the pavement, and likely going faster than I should.
I tend to run H4 halogens in everything and am not afraid to transplant a stock alternator with higher output (I do not 'hot-rod' alternators). Most of the LED lights lack heaters and I don't want to be the guy with no headlights because they've got frozen over lenses. Then when I do need more light all three of my 4WD's have or will soon have (ordered, not yet arrived) a set of BD Squad Pro combo's that are carefully aimed. If I need more than that I'm off the pavement, and likely going faster than I should.
By the way I have been running VCL in my vintage mustang for over ten years. Never an issue, never an overheat and my old eyes like the white (not blue) lighting at night. I also have the matching VCL fog lamps. I have never had to upgrade wiring harness, alternator or the headlight housing. It all fits, it all works and is within my budget. I'm happy! I do like the white light over the sad yellow on vintage vehicles and the beam focus on the road is really good. Overall a good safety upgrade.Thank you for this. I will put the links for the two I was looking at below.
The 7" round lights from Vintage Car LED with Hella have a similar price to the Holleys ($429 for the pair from Vintage Car and $431.90 for the pair from Holley)
The VC LEDs say 6000 Kelvin vs 5700 Kelvin for the Holley.
Still leaning towards the Holley because Cruiser Trash's HBIM is proven to work with them on a 60, but the VC LEDs look like a great option too, especially for plug and play functionality.
VC5000 ULTIMATE 7 INCH LED HEADLIGHT KIT - Vintage Car LEDs
Each kit includes: 2 assembled Glass H4 DOT spec 7" housings 2 LED bulbs.
That’s probably my next step is shoehorning an 80 Series (3FE) alternator in there. I also have four 85w halogen PIAA driving lights up front, and running all 6 halogens bogs the system voltage down. Really, under 1500rpm I have to kill two of them. LED auxiliary lights to replace the PIAAs would be my move, but again … I want the look to be fitting. I’ve seen the BD stuff on other trucks and it’s is impressive, but I personally can’t get over the look of a robot-looking square pod on the front of my 60 haha.
That’s about 30-35 amps of current draw when they’re all on
I took my stock 60 alternator to a local old school shop and they put the guts of a 62 alternator inside - from 55A max output to 65A. The curve seems about the same though, so like all alternators they’re putting out a fraction of that at low rpm. The guy gave me a 10% smaller pulley but warned me it would cause the alternator to get hotter so I haven’t run it.
With enough black around them they tend to get a little lost visually, but I get it. I would be working out how hide them on the FJ60 if I still had it. FSB front jpg.
I put a CS144 GM alternator on my '84 22R. Before anyone gets too excited, it wasn't a bolt-on, I had to create the bracket and the tensioner for that. I forget which version I used, but I *think* it was the 105A version. I mostly did that because I couldn't buy an OEM external regulator that would last more than a year.
Did the MR2 alt swap on the 4rnnr. (60A to ~100A)
Did the E-250 large case 6G alt swap on the FSB (95A to 130A)
May not need to do anything to the LQ4 going into the Wagon as it 105A already, but optional equipment is a 145A.
I put a CS144 GM alternator on my '84 22R. Before anyone gets too excited, it wasn't a bolt-on, I had to create the bracket and the tensioner for that. I forget which version I used, but I *think* it was the 105A version. I mostly did that because I couldn't buy an OEM external regulator that would last more than a year.
Did the MR2 alt swap on the 4rnnr. (60A to ~100A)
Did the E-250 large case 6G alt swap on the FSB (95A to 130A)
May not need to do anything to the LQ4 going into the Wagon as it 105A already, but optional equipment is a 145A.
What we went with.
First I’ve heard of using an MR2 alt, how’s the curve on that? Good current capacity at lower rpms?
All that I can tell you about it is that it worked. The low current connector is a match for the plug in the OEM '88 V6 wire harness. The high current connection is obviously simple. Bolt it on, bash in the shield at the rear a little to gain enough movement to get the belt on it, and it works. I forget even where I came across the tech, but I bet you now know enough to be able to find out more.
Question for those with the Koito headlights:
Anyone use other "conversion" bulbs with them?
There are plenty of H4 HID and LED replacement options.
I've been running HIDs in my 80 Series for years and love it. Figure these replacements and a HID kit would be an inexpensive way for a big change that still looks stock.
I'm ordering a set of the Koitos as I figure this give a ton of flexibility with all of the bulb options these days.
Anyone use other "conversion" bulbs with them?
There are plenty of H4 HID and LED replacement options.
I've been running HIDs in my 80 Series for years and love it. Figure these replacements and a HID kit would be an inexpensive way for a big change that still looks stock.
I'm ordering a set of the Koitos as I figure this give a ton of flexibility with all of the bulb options these days.
I have the Koito and while they're definitely an improvement, I'd love for them to have a bit more oomph so, I'd be interested to hear your results if you stuff another bulb in them. See what I did there?
No experience, but what I've noticed and a friend has warned me about is that the LED emitters can't be in exactly the right spot and radiate light in the same way as an H4 bulb's elements. With the adjustable HIDs and LEDs I'd expect that you can tune them for best high beam or low beam performance, but not both. And because of how the light is broadcast the 'tune' of the lens/reflector to the light source will never be as good. Which is to say that glare is likely to result. Maybe not to the driver, more likely to on-coming traffic. This I do have experience with in being that on-coming driver.
I'd expect an HID bulb to work better in this regard than an LED because it is more like an element bulb than is the LED. Lights designed to use LED light sources have a considerably different reflector shape.
For decades I've run a 55/100 bulb in my H4's and have gotten normal life from them. Rare that I need more light in a low beams situation. When I do I've been using a pair of BD Squad Pros with the Combo lens as aux lighting. Two of those make the headlights redundant. Two trucks have had their wattages up-rated because of their stupid aero headlights not being as good of a light pattern as my Hella's, Bosch's, Cibie's and some off brand Polish made 7" round H4's from JCW.
I'd expect an HID bulb to work better in this regard than an LED because it is more like an element bulb than is the LED. Lights designed to use LED light sources have a considerably different reflector shape.
For decades I've run a 55/100 bulb in my H4's and have gotten normal life from them. Rare that I need more light in a low beams situation. When I do I've been using a pair of BD Squad Pros with the Combo lens as aux lighting. Two of those make the headlights redundant. Two trucks have had their wattages up-rated because of their stupid aero headlights not being as good of a light pattern as my Hella's, Bosch's, Cibie's and some off brand Polish made 7" round H4's from JCW.
Second the above - the reflectors ain’t gonna reflect the LEDs the right way. Good way to make oncoming traffic permanently hate you.
I like the Nightbreaker Laser bulbs from Osram. The Sylvanias that ship with the Koito kit are very decent, but the Osrams definitely edge them out in terms of brightness and clarity. Improving your overall electrical situation is very helpful too - an upsized body ground from the negative battery terminal and a larger alternator cable to the battery positive terminal.
I like the Nightbreaker Laser bulbs from Osram. The Sylvanias that ship with the Koito kit are very decent, but the Osrams definitely edge them out in terms of brightness and clarity. Improving your overall electrical situation is very helpful too - an upsized body ground from the negative battery terminal and a larger alternator cable to the battery positive terminal.
This was something I was considering.I have the Koito and while they're definitely an improvement, I'd love for them to have a bit more oomph so, I'd be interested to hear your results if you stuff another bulb in them. See what I did there?
I have the "Laser" bulbs and the "Nighbreaker 220" in my Amazon cart.
As far as the glare, I didn't take this seriously with my 80. My though was if the light source was in the same spot/location in the reflector, it should work the same.
About a month later I saw a vehicle with obvious "HID" lights and it was glaring something fierce, I was wondering what it was. When it passed me I saw it was an 80!
So I may be one of the "hated" with my 80, but I don't get flashed much at all.
Though these days even many of the factory HID or LED setups give bad glare in many situations (e.g. crowning a hill) so maybe we're all more used to it. Or maybe the HID kits are better now.
I suspect that there's enough "F-U" attitude in the densely populated areas in particular that we've become less likely to flash someone unless it's pretty bad.
The flip side is that I try to only use the Squad Pros on divided highways or where I can see on-coming a long ways out so that I can kill them before they get too close, but I have been surprised. Twice on the last trip I got surprised and as I'm reaching for the Taco's OEM aux light switch the on-coming doesn't flash, they leave their highs on. At which point I'm not sure that I care any more.
I don't think that the Fed stds for headlights in new designs are enforced like they used to be.
The flip side is that I try to only use the Squad Pros on divided highways or where I can see on-coming a long ways out so that I can kill them before they get too close, but I have been surprised. Twice on the last trip I got surprised and as I'm reaching for the Taco's OEM aux light switch the on-coming doesn't flash, they leave their highs on. At which point I'm not sure that I care any more.
I don't think that the Fed stds for headlights in new designs are enforced like they used to be.
Yeah I'm not sure I've ever heard of anyone getting a ticket for headlights. Heck I don;t even think you need to cover auxiliary lights anymore like you did years ago.
I like your idea of using supplemental (auxiliary) lights when needed and keeping the headlights reasonable.