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In this Discussion
- Hudsonrules May 2012
- hudsontech June 2012
- Jon B May 2012
- Kdancy May 2012
- Ol racer May 2012
some '37 Terraplane questions
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Trying to get my '37 ready to drive. Someone rewired the headlights with 12 gauge wire, is it okay to stay that way or should I go to 14gauge, don't plan on using the lights much, but we never know. next question, can i use a wheel from a '41 Hudson as I have no spare? last question, any one have a couple beauty rings for the 16 inch wheels? I need them soon. Thanks in advance, Arnie in Nevada.
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Trying to get my '37 Terraplane ready to drive. Someone rewired the headlights with 12 gauge wire, is it okay to stay with 12 gauge or should I use 14 gauge, don't plan on using the lights much, but we never know. Next question, can I use a 16 inch wheel from a '41 Hudson as I have no spare/ Last question,Any one have a couple extra 16 inch beauty rings? If so let me know as I need a pair soon. Thanks in advance. Arnie in Nevada.
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Hi Arnie, I see no reason that heavier guage wire would not work. It carries a heavier load than the lighter guage. Was it wired with copper or steel core wire? I think the original was steel core. The copper is a better conductor.
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Arnie, eventually you may want to install a relay on your headlight system. Right now, the current has to run through miles of questionable wire and a couple of possibly old and corroded switches; the relay will send the juice directly to the lights. Plus, you should check your ground from the light socket back to the battery. Chances are you don't have a good circuit back. I soldered a separate wire to the socket body and ran it back (with the rest of the wires) to a place where I could simply bolt it to the frame. And, consider resilvering your reflector. I had mine done maybe 10 years ago for about $50 total, though it's certainly gone up in price since then. If you happen to find one of those NOS 50 watt bulbs (from back in the day), buy them -- or consider getting a pair of the new 6 volt halogen bulbs that fit right in your socket. With these improvements you can look forward to some surprisingly decent illumination.
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Good advice Jon B gave you. I run head light relays on all cars I do now whether 6 or 12 volt.
I also run extra grounds as a lot of problems can be traced back to ground issues. I had the reflectors re-silvered on the 37 I am working on, I think the cost was higher but it should make a very big difference. -
Regarding ground issues: At one time I had a 1969 Rambler station wagon. The alternator light started coming on, but the battery wasn't really discharging. Sometimes the light would be out, sometimes faintly on, other times bright. I checked everything - still had the problem. So I finally disconnected every electrical connection I could get to, including the little slide in connectors (these do come apart - you need a small thin screwdriver to depress the catch) and cleaned the surfaces. End of problem - corrosion was apparently the cause.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN
