The headlights were o.k. on this car but we like the look of the Tri-Bar set up and are converting them for the extra light AND the appearance.
After removing the existing light we installed the Tri-Bar unit and adjusted it so that it was aligned properly with the other original to prevent losing the adjustment.
SUMMIT RACING had the lights we wanted at a very reasonable price. I have seen these type lights at a much higher price elsewhere. We have found them to be great.
We discovered that the rubber boot on the newer lights were a bit larger than the stock. So we had to enlarge the existing opening by about a quarter inch more.
Alex marked our headlight bell with red pencil then proceeded to remove the material to provide a good fit for the larger sized boot. Air tools make short work of it.
Grind some, check it, grind some more, check it again... We’ve found this to be the best method for getting the exact fit. Not binding, nor is it loose in the opening. Precise fit.
Alex has the fit he wants, now... he will “clean up” the edges so that no sharp edges or burrs could damage the rubber boot.
As the photos indicate, the fit is precise and the boot clears nicely without being forced into the new sized opening.
Alex “seats” the new Tri-Bar unit to the housing just to insure there is no possible future problem when we are installing everything back in place.
As you can see, rust has crept into the areas behind the headlights. After our burr removal we’ll do what we can to make them look better.
A round file works great for these edges. Some times a grinding wheel just won’t reach all of the areas being worked on.
Alex finishes off the inside edges with the air grinder and its now ready for our “paint booth”.
Just so we don’t make a mess, we have placed the bonnet on a piece of plywood drop and will give all areas a good coat of Black enamel paint.
We use a quick drying engine enamel to do these touch ups so we don’t have a long wait in between steps. Drying time is 15 minutes.
What a difference a little paint makes eh? Now that the piece is dry we can reinstall it onto the Comet again.
When the internals, springs, fasteners, etc. are removed it’s a good idea to align them “neatly” nearby so that the reinstall goes smoothly.
We discovered that a headlight ring was deteriorated in spots so a quick trip to Auto Zone was necessary for a replacement part.
We’ve reversed the Comet so we could check the headlight pattern on our overhead door and now we need a bit more light to see clearly.
Alex fits the new boot around our existing headlight plug and notices that it is somewhat corroded. So a cleanup with file and sandpaper was performed to insure good contact.
Now that the plug has been cleaned, we can proceed to install the new Tri-Bar unit and adjust the beam to align with the original light. This will do until we can get them aligned again.
It’s a bit awkward trying to reinstall the plug onto the new Tri Bar bulb and at this point you might want to enlist the aid of a friend to help hold the bulb while completing connections.
Plug connected ready to seat, Alex works the unit into position.
After Tri-Bar is installed, we are ready for our alignment.
Fits like the proverbial glove. A solid feel so nothing is binding.
The work shown on these pages are not a step by step plan for the conversion, but we feel it gives enough information to help if you decide to change over to Tri Bar headlights. I’ve seen many Comets and Mavericks with these lights installed so it’s nothing “new”.
 TRI-BAR LAMP |  Conventional Sealed Beam |
The photo above is a frontal shot of the car with the conversion completed. We think it improved the appearance of the car as well as providing additional illumination for night driving which is a “good thing”. I highly recommend it and as you can see it doesn’t take that long to complete the work. We completed this work in a few hours and were ready to roll. I would recommend that you take your time and be careful handling the lights themselves to avoid possible damage.