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I'm sure it's been covered before. I did a search but couldn't find anything. I'm trying to brighten up the headlights on my 38 coupe while retaining the original look. I have some 6V LED bulbs but I would have to cut up my reflectors to make them fit. Anyone have any ideas.

Often just resilvering the reflectors makes a dramatic difference. And make sure all the connections are clean and tight. Consider installing a relay to power them directly rather than through the headlight switch.

If you look through the literature you will find a service bulletin stating that old bulbs lose intensity and should be held against a piece of white paper next to a new bulb.

I have new bulbs and chrome insert reflectors but I want MORE

Chromium-plated reflectors are inferior to silver, poorer relective properties. There is a reason they were originally silver, not chrome.

I'll agree with that. Finely polished silver is blinding.

The last set of Solar headlights I did had good reflectors, new wiring, and good bulbs. Even through the original headlight switch the results were very good. A nice bright beam.

If all the parts are new except the switches, I would start tracing voltage drops through the system with the headlights on. There may be some bad connections as well as poor chassis grounds. If there is a problem with switching, relays can be added. I used 6 volt VW units.

There is all sorts of hype about a new super reflective paint, but those lenses might not work correctly.

However, the best results will never equal a new sealed beam system. Today everybody is in love with the HID, but they are not reliable and cost a fortune to replace. Today burned out lights are much more common than ever. My car has bulbs for which I am grateful. All this LED stuff is garbage. It breaks down like crazy because it is cheap merchandise.

You could also use a voltage booster to convert 6VDC to 12VDC just for the head lights. Assuming your wiring is in good shape and you have a verified good ground, by going to 12VDC you should be able to realize a large amp light bulb which will give you a brighter light.

If you replace a 2 amp 6 volt bulb with a 1 amp 12 volt bulb, the light (lumens) will be ~ the same. Therefore you need to try and get a 2 amp 12 volt bulb for more light. Most bulb will indicate watts and voltage but the math still works out the same.

Or just install good quality 6VDC LEDs

You could also install some auxiliary driving lights to augment the headlights. Kanter sells period correct looking lights in clear and amber lens. I had a pair with the clear lenses on my 115C convertible coupe and liked the added light and the look.

Might want to check the voltage at the headlights, if you get something other than what you have at the battery you should go searching.
A rusty nut replacement on the back of the voltage gauge in the dash, made all the deference in the world for mine
Cheap fix, spent hour looking
Good luck with her
W