Holley RetroBright Headlights Review: Old School Vibe With New School Tech

• Old school headlights on classic cars feature dim incandescent bulbs with very low lighting while also drawing more power than modern bulbs.
• Holley RetroBright LED headlights provide modern tech with the period correct incandescent bulb look. Additionally, the LED bulbs reduce draw from the battery while vastly improving visibility on the road.

Introduction

For those who have been around for awhile, you already know about the Powershift Auto 1966 Chevelle. While the car has been modified extensively, there are still some shortcomings. OG headlights in a classic car have ZERO visibility, and the Chevelle was no exception. Fortunately, I had discovered a plug-and-play option through a well-known parts brand, Holley. In today’s article, we are reviewing Holley’s Retrobright LED headlights to find out if they’re worth the price tag.

Why The Holley RetroBright Headlights?

We chose the Holley RetroBright Headlights due to the advertised plug-and-play setup as well as the raving reviews from other sites and car forums. For this Chevelle, we felt maintaining the Classic White style lighting while being able to utilize LED performance was perfect. Additionally, the lights are D.O.T approved which is a huge plus!

Personally, I don’t care for the RGB style Halo LED lights or brighter-than-the-sun white when installed on classic cars. It can often feel out of place except for on the most extreme restomod style builds. For me, the classic Halogen/incandescent bulb look is iconic on an old school ride. Since Holley provides the option of the classic bulb color on the Holley RetroBright headlights, it was a no-brainer to pick these up.

A Modern LED Solution For Replacing Dim Headlights

Holley developed the Retrobright LED headlight with one goal in mind: Keep classic styling but enhance it with modern lighting performance. The Holley Retrobright LED Headlight is designed to plug right into your classic car. With options for Classic white, Modern White, and Yellow headlights, any aesthetic is achievable. Unfortunately, there is a downside for these lights.

With a $200+ price tag for a single headlight, getting a set of four lights can be a pain for the wallet. In comparison to the KC lights I bought for our Wrangler, I was hesitant on the price. The KC lights were essentially two for the price of one Holley RetroBright headlight. However, what I quickly discovered is the Holley light’s quality was much better.

For the Chevelle, I elected to only order two Holley Retrobright headlights to handle the low beams. This was decided so we can improve the default lighting system while we save up for the high beams. The headlights came to us fast and we got right to installation to see if the lights are worth the hype.

Installation

Surprisingly, the installation was as advertised. The Holley RetroBright headlights truly were plug-and-play for the Chevelle. If you own a car with an H4 style plug, you too will have the same result. However, if you do not have this style of plug, Holley includes an adapter where you can adjust it to work for your specific car. The only difficult part of this install was the annoying screws that have not been removed in years. Rust accumulation is always an issue when working on classic cars so have some WD-40 and elbow grease ready to go!

Overall, this was a simple process and if I did not have the hang ups with the hardware, I truly believe I could have installed the headlights under 30 minutes. When installing car parts, it is always appreciated when only basic hand tools are needed to finish a project!

Is The Performance Worth The Price?

In the photo above, you will see the low beam (left) and high beam (right) lights on. This photo was taken upon testing the Holley Retrobright Headlights. Immediately, I noticed how much brighter the light was than the old halogen light. The beam pattern is wide and does not have the weird cutoff most LED headlights have. Compared to the Diode Dynamics LED headlight bulbs I put in my Ford Focus ST, the Holley Retrobright LEDs were much higher quality.

It should be noted Holley nailed the color on the “Classic White” option! These lights will blend in perfectly and don’t scream aftermarket while out on the road. The housings are well constructed and are polycarbonate so no need to worry about shattered glass!

While the $200 price tag may be daunting, I have no buyer’s remorse whatsoever. There are always more affordable options, but I did not want to piece anything together. I wanted one complete package I could install and forget about it. The Holley Retrobright LED Headlights are that complete package.

Do We Recommend The Holley RetroBright Headlights?

Before you go and say it, no this is not a sponsored ad. This is a review truly from the heart and from my point of view. I love the lights and how well they fit the car. If you are a classic car owner and need to enhance your car’s lighting and looks, these are definitely worth every penny. My only wish is for Holley to shed a couple bucks off the price if you buy more than two lights so then I wouldn’t be shelling out $800. Despite this, you can definitely expect me to update this article when the high beams get replaced by two more Holley RetroBright LED headlights.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Other Bulb Color Options Are There?

The Holley RetroBright LED bulbs come with the option of a classic white (3000K), a modern white (5700K), or Yellow. Classic White is the option we chose for our Chevelle, whereas a modern white will be closer to what new factory cars are coming out with today.

2. What Headlight Size Options Do They Have?

Holley sells the RetroBright headlights in a 5.75″ round, a 7″ round, 4×6 rectangular, and a 5×7 rectangular. This will cover most headlights equipped on vintage pickups, sports cars, and off-road rigs.