Upgraded 7' headlights

[Billy Hunt]

I'm currently running an MGB with HIDs (naughty etc etc I know) and the beam pattern isn't brilliant.
Are there any viable alternatives to the standard head lamps that people have used?

MOSS sell some 'Crystal' lamps but I'm not sure how good they actually are

[na]

I had to look up HID

been posting on MG BBS about lights - I put
I swapped from sealed beam to (flat faced) Lucas Halogen and found them to be a good improvement'

and Onno from Netherlands put -
'I did think about switching to the special H4 reflectors and blueish bulbs until I read a test by the dutch RAC comparing all kinds of bulbs and head lamps.
It is in paper and only dutch but the conclusion was :
More wats works
Blue whiteish tint is useles and gives more reflections on wet roads
Gas discharge lamps gave only a slight improvement but again on a wet road give more reflections'

I don't think you need 7 foot headlights

[Skyedriver]

Have up graded the min lights to 100W bulbs & Cibie units but TBH i hardly noticed the difference, but that might have been the condensation on the inside of the windscreen
Back in the 80's I had a pair of Super Oscars bolted to the front of my MGB and that seemed to work.....

[cptsideways]

The Crystal lights are a revelation over the standard gloworms.

[AJAX50]

One of the best upgrades is to put much heavier wiring on the supply to the bulbs using a relay to protect the switch.
On my Healey I found this gave as good if not better light on 60watt bulbs compared to 100watt with standard wiring.

[na]

AJAX50 said:

One of the best upgrades is to put much heavier wiring on the supply to the bulbs using a relay to protect the switch.
On my Healey I found this gave as good if not better light on 60watt bulbs compared to 100watt with standard wiring.

if your wiring and switches are old and worn this is a great idea, I've not had to do it (yet) and my lights are bright

[SWH]

A decent halogen upgrade kit so you get a good beam pattern, normal wattage, but run them on a new fused circuit via a relay switched by the original headlight circuit... makes the world of difference

ETA: as suggested above in fact

[Dave Dax builder]

H7s with PIAA platinum bulbs are quite a decent improvement I have found.

[Billy Hunt]

Maybe I should have been clearer, I'm more interested in actual head lamp units themselves (like the crystal ones) or other upgraded headlight units (not bulbs).

I'm more than happy with the HIDs and am not looking to remove them

Thanks for the advice so far though, may be useful for future projects

[marshalla]

Billy Hunt said:

Maybe I should have been clearer, I'm more interested in actual head lamp units themselves (like the crystal ones) or other upgraded headlight units (not bulbs).

I'm more than happy with the HIDs and am not looking to remove them

Thanks for the advice so far though, may be useful for future projects

I swapped from standard 7" to some Wipac "Crystal" units on my Excel a few months ago - they're far better than "lensed" units IMHO. Much sharper beam pattern and more light thrown forwards (and not just because the old ones were corroding either). Recommended.

Details here : http://www.lotusexcel.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&...

Edited by marshalla on Monday 21st November 21:41

[onomatopoeia]

Cibie Biodes, if you can find a set. Most of the ones that are left have been fitted to Mk1 Escrote "works replicas".

[na]

from another thread, forum and site -

'I decided to go with the Cibie and Osram Nightbreaker Plus bulbs, which I have ordered from Demon Tweaks in UK'