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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Indy to L.A. in 36 Ford

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Indy to L.A. in 36 Ford -- page: 1 2     36fordor 02-28-2014 @ 3:44 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 78 Joined: Oct 2009 Am seriously considering driving my 36 Ford Fordor from Indy area to L.A. avoiding Interstates & would welcome any comments or suggestions. No particular time constraints late summer or early fall. Car is an older frame off restoration, good condition with mechanical brakes & 6 volt. What options would I have to get more out of the headlamps? Have done this trip some years ago on what I could find of Route 66 on bike (as in HD). Thank you. This message was edited by 36fordor on 2-28-14 @ 3:46 AM TomO 02-28-2014 @ 9:41 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7264 Joined: Oct 2009 Make sure that you are getting at least 6 volts to the bulbs. Connect a volt meter between the Neg terminal of the battery to the bulb connection and turn on the lights. If you the meter reads more than .3 volts, you have excessive resistance in the circuit. Clean all connections, including the light switch and coat them with a light coat of Vaseline. Tom 1932BB 02-28-2014 @ 10:39 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 104 Joined: Oct 2009 Run a dedicated ground wire from the battery to each headlight, temporary or permanent, and see if it makes a difference in brightness. cliftford 02-28-2014 @ 4:47 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 If you have the 3 brush generator with a cutout on top, I'd check the output before you leave. If it is set for occasional short trips, it may be set too high for extended highway driving,you may want to set it at a lower rate. ford38v8 02-28-2014 @ 5:22 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2780 Joined: Oct 2009 All of the above, and a couple more tips: The stock headlight bulb is 32-32 cp. Hard to find, but get the optional 50-32 cp bulbs. Much brighter! Also, something often overlooked, remove your lenses and wash them with dishsoap. They are clean on the outside, but have many years worth of smog and road grime on the inside. Alan cliftford 02-28-2014 @ 5:59 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 One other thing: I'm assuming your car is in tip top condition. Even so I would carry a spare fuel pump. They have been kinown to fail at the most in-oppertune times, and nearly impossible to find, unless you are near a large city supereal 03-01-2014 @ 1:31 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 As for headlights, I installed a set of relays to provide a direct connection to the battery. It restored full brightness. The voltage drop from the switch thru the dimmer, alone, is much of the problem, as is the too small wiring. If anyone is interested, I'll post the full information. It doesn't require modification of the stock harness. If I was planning such a long distance trip, I'd also install a bright LED "third stoplight" bar. Usually, on long trips the biggest danger is from other drivers who don't appreciate the natural limitations of our old cars. joe b 03-01-2014 @ 2:27 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 389 Joined: Oct 2010 Super, what will work for a '41 Ford?. I ran ground wires and it helped some but lights are still dim. If it weren't for the edge striping on the roads I would not drive at night. I installed a third brake light per your suggestion some time back. I feel much more comfortable. Also, please post the info in this discussion as I have a friend that has a '36 that can surely use it. carcrazy 03-01-2014 @ 2:48 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1682 Joined: Oct 2009 In addition to carrying a spare fuel pump, I would also carry a spare distributor that has been set up on a machine with all new American made parts, a spare ignition condenser (capacitor), spare coil, and fan belt. While on the road keep an eye on the temperature gauge and stop as soon as you encounter extreme overheating. I have experienced thermostats that failed in the closed position. Also be sure to carry a fully functional spare tire and wheel assembly. Most of the problems that I have encountered on long trips in old Fords have been tire related. Of course a jack and the tools required to change the items listed should also be carried. supereal 03-01-2014 @ 2:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 OK, Joe. I'll dig it out. I used a pair of 6 volt starter solenoids as relays, as they can handle the load. Each solenoid is fed directly from the battery via a connection at the starter solenoid, and each is triggered by the original headlight wiring, allowing the original wiring to serve as the control, applying full voltage to the lamps. I always run good grounds to all lights, but the problem with headlights is that the loss, as pointed out earlier, is on the "hot" side. I have halogen headlights in my '47, and because of their current draw, were dimmer than the originals until I added the relays. Now, they are as bright as modern cars. The setup works on all years.

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