Pre 84 Trucks 1st gen pickups

Anybody actually done the square to round headlight conversion?

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Old 04-16-2009, 06:06 AM
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83
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Yeah...I like them both but I agree there's something cool about the 82-83 grill. I'm sure, if you have the courage, you could figure out what needs to be cut or fabbed to make them work with each other. Can't be that hard.

Thanks everybody. I'm glad I finally did it.

Last edited by 83; 04-16-2009 at 06:08 AM.
Old 04-16-2009, 06:11 AM
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JB-weld lol
Old 04-16-2009, 06:29 AM
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Looking good round eye!
Old 04-16-2009, 06:40 AM
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Round headlights FTW!
Old 04-16-2009, 10:31 AM
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looks good!
Old 04-16-2009, 11:41 AM
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way way better!!!!!!!!!! good job
Old 04-17-2009, 08:52 AM
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Thanks a lot everyone. This summer: power steering (been sitting in my garage for two months, figure I'll wait for warm weather), hopefully paint the cab, take that ugly, too big topper off and cut it to fit the bed better, then paint it.

I want to paint the bed, even though I know the seam will rust through again, but I need to learn how to do body work/rust removal first before I work on it. I'm not going to worry too much about the bed-seam cancer rust, but I want to take all the rock-chip rusty spots off and paint over everything just to get it looking nicer. I know the seam will start to bubble up again soon, but I can handle that. I just want it to look overall a bit cleaner.
Old 04-17-2009, 09:34 PM
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looks good. i like the round much better, and was actually talking to my friend about changing his square (he has an 83) lights to rounds like mine, but he likes the square better.

FWIW, i have changed the headlights on my jeep from square to round!

Al
Old 04-18-2009, 06:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Al's Chop Shop
FWIW, i have changed the headlights on my jeep from square to round!

Al
Which one?

83 nice job on the conversion...round eyes seem to throw a better beam pattern IMO..
Old 04-18-2009, 09:11 AM
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looks good, now change your avatar pic haha.
Old 04-20-2009, 05:27 AM
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Thanks again. I haven't been out too much after dark, and now that it's getting towards summer I will be even less, so I won't notice a better light pattern for a while.

Yeah some people do like the square better, but it seems like most prefer the round.

I guess I do need to change my avatar!
Old 06-14-2009, 09:01 PM
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How did you convert them? Is there a kit? I've been looking to convert my 89 for a while. May be my next project
Old 06-15-2009, 05:32 AM
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No kit. I don't know what you'd have to do to get your '89 to fit them. The first gen trucks are all basically the same, the body lines and all that stayed the same, even though they switched from round headlights to square in '82. The grill is different and the headlight brackets are different, and the side lamp plugs are different, but otherwise everything is exactly the same. All I had to do was get the round set up from a 79-81 pickup and put them on my truck. There were holes that already lined up with the round headlight brackets, they just weren't threaded, so I had to find a way to get a bolt to thread in. Otherwise it's basically a direct swap, since the body is the same.
Old 07-23-2012, 08:03 PM
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Best of both worlds... Classic design on the latest 1st gen... Ideal...

So did the circular light/ grill end up mounting straight into the front end? or was there any roadblocks?

Wound be super sic looking if you used the chrome 83 grill w/ circular 79-81 headlights!!

Both look SIC !! i'd rather have the roundies tho < more of that classic sand dune look...

THANKS FOR POSTING!!
Old 07-23-2012, 08:49 PM
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threads 3 years old..
Old 07-23-2012, 08:52 PM
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Still sicness..
Old 07-26-2012, 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by cman1
threads 3 years old..
and his pictures still work, thanks for not moving those around. Think it does look meaner with the round.
Old 12-20-2012, 09:43 PM
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I have the conversion.
Old 01-05-2013, 09:38 PM
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Originally Posted by 83
No kit. I don't know what you'd have to do to get your '89 to fit them. The first gen trucks are all basically the same, the body lines and all that stayed the same, even though they switched from round headlights to square in '82. The grill is different and the headlight brackets are different, and the side lamp plugs are different, but otherwise everything is exactly the same. All I had to do was get the round set up from a 79-81 pickup and put them on my truck. There were holes that already lined up with the round headlight brackets, they just weren't threaded, so I had to find a way to get a bolt to thread in. Otherwise it's basically a direct swap, since the body is the same.
looks way sicker! I am in the process of converting my 82. I was wondering if you have close up pics of the mounting of the round cups? what holes are you using?
Old 01-06-2013, 07:38 AM
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I'll take some photos if I remember. It's really basic. You'd be able to figure it out, no problem. Get yourself the parts and see how it works. It's pretty obvious, once you're looking at it all. I will take some photos if I get around to it, though.


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