• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Snow Trac -- Need Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

What headlamps for the Snow Trac?

  • Find a restoration company to polish & re-silver the existing units

    Votes: 5 41.7%
  • Buy new Hella brand to keep the correct brand, but loose the dual bulb function

    Votes: 1 8.3%
  • Buy PIAA dual bulb units, keep the original functionality but loose the correct brand

    Votes: 3 25.0%
  • Buy cheap stuff, the Snow Trac is a toy anyway

    Votes: 3 25.0%

  • Total voters
    12

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm posting this in the tractor section because these headlamps are for my Snow Trac, but the lights I'm considering are really automotive units.

I've been trying, in vain, to locate new reflectors for the original Snow Trac headlamps. The whole headlamp assembly is actually not in bad shape, but the internal reflectors are corroded so badly that they are useless. I can't find any internal reflectors. I've been searching for whole replacement units that would be correct to the Snow Trac (originals are dual bulb units from Hella).

Hella no longer makes a round dual bulb headlamp. I could get a regular Hella and stick with the correct brand, but loose the dual bulb utility.

PIAA makes a dual bulb headlamp that would actually be a dramatic improvement to the current set up but externally would look similar. But they are very expensive (list price roughly $450/pair but available on ebay for about $300).

I could probably find simple black headlamps (with relays, wiring, etc) of no-name brands for $69 give or take, but then I would loose the dual bulb utility.

So what he heck do I do?
  • Stay with the correct brand but loose dual bulb utility
  • Switch to PIAA to get the correct dual bulb utility
  • Screw the high price brands and buy cheap
  • Go to a classic car specialist, find someone to re-silver the original reflectors at probably the same (ourtrageous) price as the superior modern units.
 

DAP

New member
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Well ... how much of a purist r ya Bob.

First, get a price on resilvering the original lamps. Use this as your baseline price to drive up or down from, cause its the BEST thing to do, not necessarily the cheapest.

Next, if its ridiculously priced (resilvering) ... I would do whatever made ya happiest. A dual bulb route is a good idea. I have some WARN off road lights on my pickup. I layed down 450 clams for these lamps. Dual beams with their own harness that take 90/130 watt bulbs. I can light up the eastern seaboard with em. They are now 5 years old and still at the job.

Nothing wrong with adding some auxilliary lighting to the top of the craft at a later date too.;)
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

DAP said:
Nothing wrong with adding some auxilliary lighting to the top of the craft at a later date too.;)


There is an optional spotlight that was an added available option for the units. It was a roof mounted manually adjustable unit. Near as I can tell it was the same type are used on police cars. I was thinking of adding one of the spotlights in when I take it all apart again after the winter season.

I'd also like to add a roof rack. Those are very common additions and I've seen them on factory brochures so it must have been a factory option? I'd probably just work on making one myself and do it as close to original as I could do. If more light is needed, I could mount it to the rack without modifying the original unit.
 

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

If you want / need a roof mounted spotlight, let me know. I have lots of experiance with spotlights on my emergency vehicles. I believe that I have a roof mounted unit in the cellar.
If you want to get the old reflectors repaired, they MUST be resilvered. Don't let anyone talk you into chrome plating. It won't work as well, but it will look pretty.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Junk, where would I go to get someone to re-silver the existing units?

As for the roof mount unit in your cellar, can you dig it out, check the condition and give me a price? Posting a photo would be good too. I'm presuming it is 12-volt?
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

B_Skurka said:
Junk, where would I go to get someone to re-silver the existing units?

Re-silver? Do you mean re-chrome?
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Those military surplus aircraft landing lights would be nice...
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

B_Skurka said:
As for the roof mount unit in your cellar, can you dig it out, check the condition and give me a price? Posting a photo would be good too. I'm presuming it is 12-volt?

Bob, if it is a manual roof top light just change the bulb. We used to put aircraft landing lights in ours. I think the regular 6" was 50,000 candlepower and the aircraft bulb was 200,000.

Unity Manufacturing in Chicago is the place to get spotlights.

Jim
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Junkman gave me a phone call earlier today and told me about QUAL KROME based in Erie, PA and suggested they might be able to re-silver the reflectors for me. So I did a google search and found several people who were happy with the service they got from Qual Krome, but I could not seem to locate either an address or a phone number for Qual Krome.

Does anyone have contact information for this company?


Big Dog said:
Re-silver? Do you mean re-chrome?

Greg, no actually he & I both mean to re-silver them. The reflective surface is of a mirror or a light is not typcially chromed. It is usually some sort of silver-nickle stuff that is actually more reflective than chrome. I don't know the actual makeup of it, but its not chrome.
 
Last edited:

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Ask and you shall recieve.........http://www.qualkrom.com/ His name is Bob and he knows me as Dusty the Corvair Man from long ago. Now I am just a plain old Dirty Junkman
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Well I finally made my decision. It was based largely on a combination of 3 factors. Safety. Practicality. Collectability.

Safety, in the winter, especially off road, dictates powerful lights.
Practicality dictates a light that offers Hi/Low beams in the snow, it also favors new equipment.
Collectability is virtually non-existant with Snow Cats in general, although some folks do collect old Tucker brand units. Generally people who own these things use them as work equipment or toys, so installing non-stock lights will not destroy the value of the Snow Trac. On the other hand, I will pack them up in a box, just in case....


Here are the lights I just ordered: http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/525.html
 

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

You should have checked with Buy25 our resident lighting expert. He would have given you the most information as to how to get the brightest and best light for the least amount of money. Spending more doesn't always equate to a better product. You should see the improvement of what he did with the lights on his BX. Read more here..........
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Well no disrespect to the members of this forum, but I'm a member of a Snow Cat Equipment forum and have been kicking around the lighting idea on that forum as well. I'm the only Snow Trac owner over there (at least that I know of) but the overwhelming consensus by those guys was hi/low is necessary at a bare minimum (which I also feel and will probably add a pair of PIAA fog lamps that I took off another vehicle and have been saving for some future use) in addition to the hi/low beam functionality of the new PIAA lights that should arrive sometime next week. Most also recommend a flashing dome light or light bar on top, but I don't know that I will go that far.

I did find some strobe units that I was seriously considering swapping into the existing tail light holes (they will fit perfectly and are self contained so they just wire in the existing wiring).
 

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Re: Need some Headlamps: PIAA? HELLA? Cheapo brand?

Here is a warning light with a built in "horn"......
 

Attachments

  • sb25.jpg
    sb25.jpg
    32.2 KB · Views: 461

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Junk, on a slightly more serious note, do they still make rotating dome lights like they made in the 70's? It might be a nice addition to mount one of those up on top of the Snow Trac if I could find one that looks like it came from the correct time/era. It would be nice if there were modern components inside.
 

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
I have some period correct (1970's) NOS ones in the garage. Do you want a two or four bulb unit? I think that there is even a 2 bulb split lens one out there ..... amber/red... I still think that a siren is the proper warning sound that you need. Let me know and I will dig through the boxes. Junk......
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Damn Damn Damn.

Just a few days after ordering the brand new PIAA lights I found a guy in England who has BRAND NEW ORIGINAL OLD STOCK lights for my Snow Trac.

Anyone want to buy a new set of PIAA lights?

I'm still waiting for a price for the NOS Snow Trac lights, but I'm thinking that is what I will eventually end up installing. Maybe Mith can bring them over here to me?
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
bczoom said:
Which did you get? Got a link to a site that has specs?

PIAA 525 series lights. This is the link to the factory site. The ones I have coming in are the 5251 series. Mfg List $457.00, I paid just under $300 including shipping.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Bob,

I just measured and they will fit nicely on the front grill guard of the RTV. Dargo - you need more lights on your RTV? I already have 7 forward facing lights so I'll procrastinate and let others take first dibs on them.
B_Skurka said:
Mfg List $457.00, I paid just under $300 including shipping.
To be precise, you paid $290.95 :whistle: ;)
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
bczoom said:
Bob,

To be precise, you paid $290.95

To be honest, I don't know, I'd have to check the PayPal invoice, but that sounds about right.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Its a deal that is still in progress. He's Dave from England. He's digging around trying to find exactly what I need. You already trade email with him!!!

In fact, he just joined this forum! He registered as: dwc959
 
Last edited:

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well just an update, I'm still waiting to hear about getting the new-old-stock headlamps or at least the inside of them. So for now I am just making due. I've kept the PIAA headlamps and may end up using those out of necessity, instead of mounting them on the roof rack. (he found some rear lights in his stock, but is still looking for front lights)
 
Top