Couple of headlight questions

[Rossco2010]

My headlights are hopeless which I think is due to totally corroded reflectors (they look like blackholes!) so that's the next job, but a couple of questions:
1) How much difference will new ones make?
2) How much of a b'stard is it to replace them?
3) Has anyone fitted any decent and reasonably discreet driving lights (not going for the 80's rally car look!)?

I'd like to make a serious upgrade to the lights, but don't want to do anything which will give me MOT / plod problems (e.g., HID aftermarkets), any other ideas? I'm hoping +100% bulbs and the reflectors will help.

Cheers

[walt762]

A popular upgrade is fitting Lupo headlights and I think there is a thread on here about how to do it, but not for the faint hearted.
A quick search for Lupo in the Chimaera forum threw up this thread with photos of the modified lights.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Goaty Bill]

I am less than a big fan of either the Lupo or closed in conversions myself.
To each their own of course

The original bulbs and reflectors were absolutely fine when new. In fact, almost embarrassingly bright IMO tbh. Many, many times I was flashed for having high beams on, when I didn't.

They certainly do degrade with age though, and I think mine are well passed it now too (again), even though they were changed about 6-7 years ago.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I've just had my reflectors replaced. They were moderately corroded: covered with little dots of rust all over. It has made a noticeable difference, especially on full beam. I didn't do it myself because it sounded like a pig of a job, with the risk of damaging the cowling surrounding the lights.

It makes the car look much better.

[Notsofastfrank]

I have relatively new headlamps, and thought the light output was a joke. I replaced the bulbs with Ring Xenon Max +100% and they give a worthwhile improvement for about £30.

[Goaty Bill]

Another thing; the lamps supplied as replacements by TVR parts suppliers have always been 80/100.

I think most cars with halogens fitted as standard take 55/60?

[Bassfiend]

Goaty Bill said:

Another thing; the lamps supplied as replacements by TVR parts suppliers have always been 80/100.

I think most cars with halogens fitted as standard take 55/60?

Aren't 80/100w H4's illegal for road use?

Phil

[Pozzy]

What's the consensus on things like these:

http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/store/slug/hid-headlamp-...

I know they say road legal in the blurb, so I'm guessing they should be OK?

[wilfandrowlf]

I recently looked at replacing my headlights complete (i.e. Lenses and reflectors) due to a crack in the glass and rusty reflectors and I couldn't believe how expensive they were! They are surely taking the P**s
These lights must have been used on something else surely???

I'm going down the Lupo route which I personally think look very smart and should be more robust too, in so far as they have plastic lenses and a more modern design of reflector. I bought a set from a breaker in very good order for £49.50 delivered.

Just need to pluck up the courage to take a hacksaw to the bodywork!!!

[hiltonig]

Pozzy said:

What's the consensus on things like these:

http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/store/slug/hid-headlamp-...

I know they say road legal in the blurb, so I'm guessing they should be OK?

Buy them of eBay , I bought the same kit for 40 quid shipped to the uk !!! And it's been fine

[nickb134]

Hi all
Recently did my headlights. I have a contact who works at Bosch in Germany and he tells me that the reflectors are no longer made by Bosch. I did find out that they were oe on Volvo F series trucks in the early nineties so i tried truck dealers and breakers to no avail. It seems that a certain well known dealer has bought all the stock hence the cost. if you do replace them keep the old ones as they can be resilvered.

[Bassfiend]

hiltonig said:

Pozzy said:

What's the consensus on things like these:

http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/store/slug/hid-headlamp-...

I know they say road legal in the blurb, so I'm guessing they should be OK?

Buy them of eBay , I bought the same kit for 40 quid shipped to the uk !!! And it's been fine

My understanding on this is that it is in no way legal to install HIDs into fittings that were never type certified for HID use. The beam pattern from an H4 bulb is quite specific and the HID replacements generally don't match up - and the police can issue you with a non endorsable offence for them whether they're properly aligned or not.

I asked an MOT tester a few months ago and he said that they should fail any use of HIDs in non HID fittings but that they often see HID ballasts fitted to cars but standard H4 bulbs in the lenses and it's just the owners refitting standard bulbs to get through the MOT and then swapping back afterwards.

Phil

[Simon says]

Bassfiend said:

hiltonig said:

Pozzy said:

What's the consensus on things like these:

http://www.tvrpower.co.uk/store/slug/hid-headlamp-...

I know they say road legal in the blurb, so I'm guessing they should be OK?

Buy them of eBay , I bought the same kit for 40 quid shipped to the uk !!! And it's been fine

My understanding on this is that it is in no way legal to install HIDs into fittings that were never type certified for HID use. The beam pattern from an H4 bulb is quite specific and the HID replacements generally don't match up - and the police can issue you with a non endorsable offence for them whether they're properly aligned or not.

I asked an MOT tester a few months ago and he said that they should fail any use of HIDs in non HID fittings but that they often see HID ballasts fitted to cars but standard H4 bulbs in the lenses and it's just the owners refitting standard bulbs to get through the MOT and then swapping back afterwards.

Phil

Usually fail because the beam pattern is st, the MOT guy next to my old workshop at to get a few owners to fit the H7/H4 bulbs back to get a sensible beam pattern again, I fitted new lens and reflectors around 4 year ago with some Bosch white light bulbs (standard wattage) and quite frankly cant see what all the fuss is about poor lights is all about, I live on rural unlit roads too Specsavers anyone

[ads]

Simon says said:

Usually fail because the beam pattern is st, the MOT guy next to my old workshop at to get a few owners to fit the H7/H4 bulbs back to get a sensible beam pattern again, I fitted new lens and reflectors around 4 year ago with some Bosch white light bulbs (standard wattage) and quite frankly cant see what all the fuss is about poor lights is all about, I live on rural unlit roads too Specsavers anyone

I agree, I have owned mine from 3 years old. My reflectors / lenses are all in good condition still, although a bit dusty, and I think they are good.
I think the problem is lighting technology on new cars has advanced a lot and so now most people are comparing them to new cars.

[AJV8]

Rossco2010 said:

Has anyone fitted any decent and reasonably discreet driving lights (not going for the 80's rally car look!)?

Rossco,

I'm doing my driving lights this weekend and am doing a bit of a change around. I've got some small oblong shaped ones and i'm taking out the original front indicators to mount them there. Have just got some clear side repeaters so will use the original side repeaters and mount those in a new grill under the lamps. Should do the trick i think !

I guess it depends whether you have a facelift model or not and whether you want to change the standard look or not. I can post pics on here once done if you'd like.

AJ

[Goaty Bill]

Bassfiend said:

Goaty Bill said:

Another thing; the lamps supplied as replacements by TVR parts suppliers have always been 80/100.

I think most cars with halogens fitted as standard take 55/60?

Aren't 80/100w H4's illegal for road use?

Phil

Apparently (but this is not guaranteed, not by me anyway) it was factory original.
I don't know how they got away with it.

But if you look on the TVR parts sites; that's what they are offering as standard replacements still.

[Bassfiend]

Simon says said:

Usually fail because the beam pattern is st, the MOT guy next to my old workshop at to get a few owners to fit the H7/H4 bulbs back to get a sensible beam pattern again, I fitted new lens and reflectors around 4 year ago with some Bosch white light bulbs (standard wattage) and quite frankly cant see what all the fuss is about poor lights is all about, I live on rural unlit roads too Specsavers anyone

Gotta say I just used some Halfords 55/60w H4 "Extreme Brilliance" bulbs in mine the other weekend and they seem great - much brighter than the ones that came out...

Having said that I do miss the Xenons that were fitted to my old RX-8.

Phil

[Rossco2010]

AJV8 said:

Rossco,

I'm doing my driving lights this weekend and am doing a bit of a change around. I've got some small oblong shaped ones and i'm taking out the original front indicators to mount them there. Have just got some clear side repeaters so will use the original side repeaters and mount those in a new grill under the lamps. Should do the trick i think !

I guess it depends whether you have a facelift model or not and whether you want to change the standard look or not. I can post pics on here once done if you'd like.

AJ

AJ,

If you could, that would be great. I think I can visualise what you're doing, but pictures would be great.

I'm not over fussed about keeping it looking bog stock, and yes I do have the facelift.

Cheers

RossCo