We recently converted a 1982 Chevrolet C20 pickup truck into a service vehicle, creating the ultimate roadside service rig in order to assist any and all fellow hot-rodders that might run into car trouble while participating in the hugely popular Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. In addition to using a host of Holleyโs swap products to replace the worn-out old small block with a refreshed LS (stay tuned for that article), we wanted to upgrade all of the lighting on the truck with LED lighting where we could, including swapping out the dimming halogen headlights with a set of Holley RetroBright units to bring the front lights up to todayโs standards, as well as using a set of Bright Earth work lights to light up the area behind the truck on nighttime stops.
This 1982 C20 came from the factory with 5โx7โ rectangular headlights, but RetroBright has sizing options to fit most applications with 5.75" round, 7" round, and 4"x6" rectangular headlight housings. They're available in 3000 Kelvin and 5700 Kelvin color temperatures depending on whether you're looking for that classic lighting hue or want an even brighter, more modern look. And if your vehicle feels more at home across the pond, we also offer headlights with yellow lenses for that European flair.
If you want the lighting performance of LED headlights, but want to retain the classic look of a traditional sealed beam, the Holley RetroBright line is the perfect choice for your ride. We selected the "Modern White" 5700K color to provide us with the brightest possible light when weโre out on a rescue mission in our service truck. Holley RetroBright headlights come in three color tones (Classic White, Modern White, and Euro Yellow) and are available in most of the common sizes (5.75-inch Round, 7-inch Round, 4-inch x 6-inch Rectangular, and 5-inch x 7-Inch Rectangular).
Holley RetroBrights are equipped with a UV-treated polycarbonate lens that won't shatter and is 10x stronger than glass or standard plastic. They also provide over twice the light output of halogens to keep you and your classic safe while driving at night.
Follow along as we show you what it takes to easily upgrade the lighting on a Square body pickup with this plug-and-play swap.
Start by removing the four screws holding the headlight bezel into place, from the factory these have a T10 Torx head, but ours were swapped for Phillips head screws at some point in the truckโs past.
Pull down and out to remove the headlight bezels and set them to the side, along with the hardware.
Next, remove the four Phillips head screws holding the retaining ring to the headlight bucket.
The headlight retaining ring screws are often fairly corroded, so take care not to strip them or damage the retaining ring itself as it will be reused when installing the RetroBright lights.
Next, simply unplug the stock headlight from the truckโs factory wiring being careful not to damage the wiring. Comparing the old halogen to the new RetroBright housing, you can see how it will fit directly into the headlight bucket on these trucks.
The new headlights come with a pigtail already attached that will plug directly into the stock wiring on the vehicle. Simply plug in the connector making sure to seat it firmly into place.
Now place the headlight retaining ring around the new headlight and simply slide the entire housing into the headlight bucket, making sure it is seated squarely to prevent damage to the headlight or retaining ring.
Install the four Phillips head screws that hold the retaining ring to the headlight bucket and tighten it evenly until it is firmly seated in place.
Once the headlight is in place you can simply reinstall the headlight bezel back on the truck and replace the four screws that hold it in place.
Now that we have the headlights brought up to a much more acceptable level of brightness for todayโs standards, we needed to add some lights to the rear of the service bed so we would be able to see when weโre working out of the truck at night. For this, we chose a pair of Bright Earth LED Work Lights, also available from Holley. These flood lights provide 726 lumens of light despite their compact size and they only draw 0.3 amps of power, making them perfect for anyone looking for simple and effective lighting on the outside of their vehicle, whether that be a truck, side-by-side/UTV, or even construction and agricultural equipment.
The Bright Earth LED Work Light comes with everything you need to mount it to your vehicle including stainless steel hardware and a weatherproof pigtail for wiring it into your vehicleโs electrical system.
Once you have found a suitable location to mount your light you will need to drill a 5/16โ hole to attach the mounting bracket. We chose to mount ours just below the hole for the old reverse lights on our service bed because that will allow us to tuck the wiring out of the way.
Using the supplied stainless 5/16โ bolt, attach the mounting bracket utilizing the hole you just drilled.
Hold the mounting bracket at the desired level using a 1/2-inch wrench and tighten the nyloc lock nut on the backside using a deep-well 1/2-inch socket.
If you are using a hole to run the wiring through it will need to be rather large. This is a 1-inch diameter hole and itโs just about perfect for this pigtail to fit through. Be sure to add a grommet to the wire if you are running it through something that could possibly cut or damage the wire.
Using the supplied waterproof pigtail or one of the complete harnessed that you can purchase on Holleyโs website (p/n WH1L-BEL). Wire the switch into your vehicles' electrical system, making sure that everything is safely routed.
Next, simply slide the work light into the mounting bracket and use the supplied stainless Allen key bolt and nut to secure it into place. Using a 5mm Allen wrench and a 10mm wrench tighten the bolt. Be sure to aim the light in the desired direction before fully tightening.
Now you can run your harness to the front of your vehicle and attach it to a fused power source and chassis ground. Install a switch in your desired location to control your new work lights. We mounted ours just next to the headlight switch on the dash to keep all of our lighting controls in one place.
Now youโre ready to enjoy being able to see what youโre doing at night while working around your vehicle. Just two of these one the rear of our service truck lights up the area around the vehicle quite well.
These lights are small, yet mighty. They provide quite a bit of light, despite their compact size. They are the perfect addition to the rear of this truck for when weโre on the job late at night.
