The headlight reflectors focus the light in a concentrated beam. Painting the reflector with anything will diffuse the light, defeating the ability to produce a beam. It is true that chrome absorbs some of the light, whereas silver absorbs very little.
When restoring my '37 the previous owner had converted to sealed beam. I found some reflectors on Ebay and had a local silversmith polish and plate the reflectors. It was not cheap and most of the labor is in the polishing step. The silver plate is microns thin, and does not cover up imperfections. They work amazing well, along with a complete rebuild of the electric system they are as bright as 12 v sealed beam. Straight ahead they light up the road well, but when turning at night you realize the beam is narrow and you can't see much beyond the point of aim. Once completed do not touch the reflector surface with your dirty fingers. To clean the reflectors ask your wife for her silver polish (or better yet get your own).
I also found bulbs on Ebay, 2530 seem to work well. I learned 2531 are for Mopar vehicles with the bulbs oriented 90 degrees off, so don't buy odd numbers for your GM truck!
Last edited by Lightholder's Dad; 11/30/2024 7:59 PM.
