FW: {Chrysler 300} Lighting and wiring 65-68 Chrysler

From: Dan Plotkin [mailto:dplotkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2022 10:04 AM
To: 'Ronald Klinczar' <rjklinczar@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: {Chrysler 300} Lighting and wiring 65-68 Chrysler

Ron-

LED headlamps are as far as I know expensive and sometimes difficult to fit. I would avoid that and install a relay kit. Madd Electric specializes in improving wiring and charging systems on GM cars but they make a headlight relay kit that can be used on any American car.

This will let you use modern incandescent lamps (Halogen) without overloading the conductors. You will find it here: http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/rly-1.shtml

Danny Plotkin

From: Ronald Klinczar [mailto:rjklinczar@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2022 6:11 AM
To: Dan Plotkin <dplotkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: {Chrysler 300} Lighting and wiring 65-68 Chrysler

Dan,

I am sorry I am coming in late to this. Great comment. Do you know if there are LED bulbs which I understand normally use less current to operate? I have issues with night vision (cataracts replaced) and would love to get brighter lights with less current draw.

Ron Klinczar

'65 Chrysler 300 in Ice Blue

On Mon, Sep 19, 2022 at 11:00 AM Dan Plotkin <dplotkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

With the chatter on brighter headlamps comes my warning about slab side (65-68) 300 models and similar. These use a fuse block made out of a material just short of flammable. On my 68 the circuit overheated when I re-lamped the federally mandated 1968 side marker lights. It took two years for me to find the burned 18 gauge wire feeding the parking, tail and stop lamps along with the 4 side marker lamps. It was buried under a few other wires so I never saw it while by-passing the AC circuit which had previously burned out its block connections over 54 years. Before I found this I had replaced light switches 3 times as the failure behaved as such…but I was wrong.

During the same period with intermittent parking, tail & stop lamps was headlamps going out and coming back. This seemed related but was not. The bulkhead connectors had munged up. A red herring.

The wiring on these cars at the fuse block is not great, with too small a gauge. So before you add more load to these already woefully under-wired circuits check your wiring and add the relays if the lamps will draw appreciably more current.

(See attached photos)

Danny Plotkin

Daniel D. Plotkin
Licensed in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY
360 Bloomfield Avenue
Suite 208
Windsor, CT 06095
Office: 860-683-9000
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Fax: 860-683-1600
www.northeastretail.com

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