I drive a '59 beetle on 6volt, I drive with the highbeam on just si i can see. I was thinking is it possible to polish the headlight buckets with brasso? I know that would return some of the luster that they have lost in the last 44 years but how would it react to the heat of the light? Anyone had any experience with quartz 6v bulbs?

Any suggestions opinions please

Dont touch the chrome surface of the reflector, it is very thin and it will come off, rendering it usless, if they are still in good condition with no corrosion you can get them refinished, or you have to try and get new ones.
The halogen bulbs are a lot better, you can also hook up the wiring to come directly off the battery with a relay this will also help.
But if you want modern performance, you have to go twelve volt.
Rob......

Polishing should help, but dont be too abrasive with the brasso.

I remember a vehicle coming towards me years ago and with it's dim lights I thought 'Gee they must have their lights on parkers only'
Then the lights went even dimmer as the other driver dipped the beam.
The really sad thing was that what I thought was only parkers was actually HIGH BEAM :o
Oh Yeah it was a Beetle.

You can try polishing them, just use a old towel that will be course enought for it.

6Volyt halegon globes are impossible to find, but do work good if all you electrics are in top condition

You can try polishing them, just use a old towel that will be course enought for it.

6 Volt halaegon globes are impossible to find, but do work good if all you electrics are in top condition

44yo wiring & switches coupled with the 6V system can cause problems. If I were you, I would run a line from terminal 30 of your ign sw direct to your lights & then use a relay to operate the lights using your orig lighting wires to work the relays. This saves sending the current thru your old wires & switches.
Remember with 12V if you lose a volt or two, it only amounts to 10% loss. With the 6V it could be 30%.
There was a thread some way back on wiring spotlights which showed some diagrams. I am assuming you can stil buy 6V relays(?).

Good advice, geodon. Remember a 6V system will draw twice the current to make the same power, making the effect of any resistance that much worse. The wiring on a car this old usually has surface corrosion that extends a long way up the insulation, making a good connection rather difficult to obtain.

Yes, 6V relays are rather hard to come by these days. I suspect automotive relays of a suitable rating would be well nigh impossible to obtain, and my catalogues show that regular types are rather rare, too. A "Solid-State Relay" (the electronic equivalent) is rather simple, however, and I'll whip one up and post details if there is a demand.