Cerbra headlamp pods - opinions?

[gixxer1000]

Folks, had a slight prang in the Cerb on Sunday (on my birthday no less ) - details here if anyone is interested:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=159134&f=10&h=0

The repair work will be an insurance job and includes a front-end re-spray. I am currently thinking about piggy-backing off the repair to have the headlamps pods blended into the front, as per the very latest Cerberas, but am not sure I actually prefer that look.

I am also aware that there are options as to which style of lights to go for.

Anyone who has been through this process, or perhaps considered and dismissed it, who can offer some thoughts/advice, would be most welcome. I'll have to pay £500 extra to have it done (£250 per side apparantly).

See my profile for how the car currently looks (before the damage that is!). It's a year 2000, 4.5 Lightweight.

cheers,
gixxer

[gazzab]

Thought your car was for sale?
I think it is easy - go blended! You have a light weight, it will look right.

[Phil Dicky]

Nice collection of toys you have there.

Although I don't have a Cerbera (one day) I perfere the look without the lights blended in, as yours was before the bump. Only my views for what its worth (not alot some might say)

Phil

[andy4200]

I've got the blended lights, S12, a bit like yours but without the indicator on the bottom.
Pic on my profile if you want a look.
I prefer the blended personally.

[gixxer1000]

gazzab said:

Thought your car was for sale? I think it is easy - go blended! You have a light weight, it will look right.

No, not for sale gazzab - although I have been getting itchy feet recently and did mention (perhaps a little tongue-in-cheek) that I would happily sell it in another PH thread.

gixxer

[richb]

Just out of interest, what do you Cerbera owners think of the similar conversion done on a Griffith? I thought I would ask you as i) Cerberas were also fitted with the standard 6" round glass headlamp so there is some similarity in the conversion although admittedly TVR modernised the lights on the Cerb which they never did to the Griff and ii) it gets too emotive when you ask on the Griff forum Rich...

[verminator]

[quote=richb]Just out of interest, what do you Cerbera owners think of the similar conversion done on a Griffith? I thought I would ask you as i) Cerberas were also fitted with the standard 6" round glass headlamp so there is some similarity in the conversion although admittedly TVR modernised the lights on the Cerb which they never did to the Griff and ii) it gets too emotive when you ask on the Griff forum Rich...

saw a siver griff at dream m. the other week.
had light conv. looked similar to a tus.
i thought it looked FANTASTIC. made the car
look very modern.

[satman]

I went for the blended look...IMO it looks a 'finished' job and not something of a compromise between the old style and new style lights...

My Cerb before with old style lights...



and after...much better!

[nervous]

hey gixxer, im not sure if this is appropriate, but if youre thinking of junking the non blended pods in favour of some new ones (and they didnae get smashed up by the prick driving backwards and blaming you for having the gall to drive on what was CLEARLY his road) ill happily buy them off you. might help offset some of the pain of having to pay for someone elses stupidity.

sorry if thats an out of order thing to ask, and doubley sorry to hear your p and j is kicked in.

best wishes,

n.

[gixxer1000]

nervous said:

hey gixxer, im not sure if this is appropriate, but if youre thinking of junking the non blended pods in favour of some new ones (and they didnae get smashed up by the prick driving backwards and blaming you for having the gall to drive on what was CLEARLY his road) ill happily buy them off you. might help offset some of the pain of having to pay for someone elses stupidity. sorry if thats an out of order thing to ask, and doubley sorry to hear your p and j is kicked in. best wishes, n.

No worries nervous, I'd happily sell them on to offset some of the excess I'll be couching up - if I go down the blended route. The damage was lower down so the pods themselves are fine.

Wouldn't the coachworks look to reuse the actual headlamps however, and thus all that would be left over would be the empty pod shells. That said, perhaps they are a sealed unit of sorts, and new headlamps would be required to fit into the new blended holes.

Does anyone know? Satman?

gixxer

[gixxer1000]

satman said:

I went for the blended look...IMO it looks a 'finished' job and not something of a compromise between the old style and new style lights...

Thanks for posting the pics Satman. I remember seeing them on a threat around the time you had them done and thinking .... NICE....

I'm definitely thinking about it, but am struggling a little knowing I'll already be couching up £500 excess, so do I really need to cough up a further £500 just to take away the minimal seal that connects my light pods to the wings at present.

gixxer

[nervous]

blimey, i have NO idea. guess it depends on what style you want blended in, or whether you wanna keep the original ones and blend those. im afraid im as lost as you are. feel free to mail me when you get a better idea of whats needed.

thanks again, best wishes,
n.

[satman]

gixxer1000 said:

Wouldn't the coachworks look to reuse the actual headlamps however, and thus all that would be left over would be the empty pod shells. That said, perhaps they are a sealed unit of sorts, and new headlamps would be required to fit into the new blended holes. Does anyone know? Satman? gixxer

If you are planning to go blended then Im sure the pods will need to be changed, but I may be wrong. When my lights were done, I had a choice of blended or non blended pods, and I think there is a slight difference to allow the fibreglass work to be carried out to the blended type. I dont see why your existing lamps shouldnt fit into blended pods, provided you go for the same style light set up...(there are afew styles to choose from...)...Im sure your bodyshop will be able to advise.
I used Ewelmes coachworks for mine...great guys and very easy to talk to....
My 3 threads showing the upgrade in step by step photo form, are in the FAQ's on this forum if you want to see the process again...just put your pointer on the "This Forum" tab at the top of the page, and then click on "FAQ's". The threads can be found there!

[Tyre Smoke]

Blended!

No offence, but I always think the non blended lights like yours look like a Halfords cheap conversion.

Smoooooooooth is the way to go!

[Rich25]

SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH definitely. Had mine done by Webbs in Bristol last year, make the car look years newer. I had a sp6 light change. The money saved is not in the pods on an insurance job, but on the respray which usually costs double what the lights do!

[jacko996]

I thought you needed complete new wings, but from looking how Satman had his done this is not the case.
Can you get the non blended pods blended in? Looks much better in my opinion.

[nervous]

hows it coming along gixxer? hope the P and J's getting fixed up bud

nerv.

[gixxer1000]

nervous said:

hows it coming along gixxer? hope the P and J's getting fixed up bud nerv.

Sorry for the delay in resonding. Just got back from hols.

My Cerb is now being repaired and I have decided to go for blending in the light pods at the same time. The cheap option (which I have gone for) is to have them simply blend in the existing pods, so there will be nothing for me to sell on I'm afraid.

I'll post some pics when the job is done.

Cheers,
gixxer