Chimaera Headlight

[trefor]

My driver's side headlight has been cracked by a stone and needs replacing - looking at it the unit looks like it should come from another car - should I got to a TVR stealer for mine, or source from somewhere else.

Also, how hard are they to fit? (1995 'proper grille' model). I can see that some masticing in place will be required - but what about the alignment?

I also noticed that I'm running 80/100 bulbs - I've always thought my lights were quite good, while everyone else seems to moan about them ... (I assume 55/80 is the standard fitment).

Any hints grately received.

T/.

[manek]

Sorry to hear that Trefor. Can't offer practical experience except to say that the healight unit looks pretty standard and that I too switched to 100/80w bulbs and it does make a difference. I was mildly and pleasantly surprised too to find that the wiring could handle the extra current...

[Shuggie]

Trefor, I recently had the driver's side lens shatter - on the way to the Motorshow (Doh!). Put it into the local TVR stealer, cost me £100.11 (parts only £19.20 plus VAT!). They did a good job and so they should have, advised to take it easy for about 12 hrs after to ensure the glue hardens.

Anyone know of anywhere with labour at less than £55 per hr around Surrey/Hants?

[tvrheart]

I had to take my headlamp glass off a few weeks ago as the beam deflector had came off inside the unit. This is how I did it in brief:

Remove inspection hatch in front wheel arch, undo wing nuts holding light fairing in place, remove fairing carefully as it is also mastic'ed in various places. This will now expose the glass, use a sharp blade to cut the mastic which is all that holds the glass in place at this stage (or remainder of glass in your case perhaps - could use masking tape to prevent shattering over bodywork).
In the Haynes tradition, refitting is a reversel of removal, be sure to clear all the old mastic off so that the new stuff will stick. Also, where the headlamp glass has vertical lines on, make sure these will be vertical when the job is finished (I learnt the had way and forgot to take into account the fact that the car was part-jacked up at an angle, doh!) and don't use to much mastic otherwise it will be visible inside the unit. Refit the fairing, it is not too hard to line up with a certain amount of jiggling. Make sure you use plenty of sealant, dum dum in my case to prevent leaks.

Have to say before I did this I was very tempted to take it to a dealer/specialist and let them have a go, but now I've done it I can say it was not hard at all and very satisfying as I know a little more about the car. And several weeks on all the fibreglass rash has dissappeared too.

I also learnt that I was running with the brighter bulbs - thought my lights were rather good! As for parts, Zertec or anyone who does these light conversions could supply you with a lense for peanuts.

Hope this helps,

Chris

[incorrigible]

Trefor,

I've changed my lights for Zertec ones, as a result I've got a spare headlamp glass you can have. If you can get down to Sussex I can even stick it on for you

Ben

[MatthewYo]

Hi,

I just picked up my 98S Chimaera 450 on Saturday. Which I'm absolutely loving. Unfortunately the 1st day I have my car a stone has gone through the headlamp lens.
So I'm after a bit of advice. The guy who owned the car last bought the Zertec headlight conversion, but never actually got it done, so I got it free when I bought the car. My question is how much does it cost to get the conversion fitted and blended etc, considering I have all the parts and lamps, and who are the best people to get this done in the SW London / Surrey area. Also how long will the car be off the road having this conversion?

Depending on the feedback. I might be after your head lamp lens Ben

Thanks,

Matt.


>> Edited by MatthewYo on Monday 18th November 10:22

[incorrigible]

Matt, check out my profile for pictures of my car after and during the light conversion, or come to the Royal Oak on the 8th and see it in the flesh

I did the conversion myself, I can talk you through it (or give you the other headlamp lense) if you want

Welcome to PH by the way

[MatthewYo]

Ben,

Tha light conversion looks the nuts. I think you have swayed me. How did you do that yourself, it looks like a great finish. Do you have your own bodyshop at home or something!

Matt.

PS. Where about's in Sussex are you, just in case I need the lens as a stop gap?

[incorrigible]

MatthewYo said:Do you have your own bodyshop at home or something

You don't have to get to much of the car to do the conversion, the chim is the first glass car I've done any serious work on (click on the link in current cars) and managed it in a "bit bigger than single" garage, you have to take a pretty deep breath before you make the first cut though

I'm in Horsham BTW, come on the run to the Royal Oak (on the 8th) If you need the glass before then, mail me through my profile first come first served (trefor wants one too)

[trefor]

Thanks for the feedback chaps. I'm travelling on business this week, so I won't get around to fiddling until the weekend.

I might take you up on the offer of the lens Incorrible - I'm in South Bucks though. Let me call a few places and see I can get one local for sensible money - otherwise I'll drop you a line.

I wonder if all Chimaera had 80/100 bulbs now 3 of us have found these installed?

T/.

[david beer]

I would doubt they would be fitted as standard as they are not for road use! Philips Vision Plus are legal and give 50% more light.

[MatthewYo]

Ben,

Sent you a private mail about the lens. You've done an incredible job on your Chim in your slightly larger than average garage

Let me know about the lens,

Many thanks,

Matt.

[trefor]

david beer said: I would doubt they would be fitted as standard as they are not for road use!

Really? 80w/100w (or is it 100/80?) - are they too bright on dipped then? (Guessing the law says 55w or something like that?).

T/.

[pete]

The euro regs say 55W for dipped and 60W for main, for incandescent lamps. That's for H4 bulbs anyway. Bulbs without an E mark are technically illegal for road use, and you could fail an MOT for it or be ordered to change them by plod.

However, Tivs have such abysmal headlamp reflectors that it's very unlikely you'll be pulled! Lucas, Prince of Darkness, anyone?

I've been through a similar malarkey with my Griff headlamps. I originally ran 55W bulbs, which looked like flickering candles. Upgrading to 100W bulbs made things better, then re-wiring with heavier gauge cable made things better still with a few more volts to each lamp. Up until this point I'd never had any problems with overheating the wiring, but the bulbs were running under-voltage with the standard loom.

Since then I've been blowing a pair of 100W bulbs every 3000 miles, which is a royal PITA. Overheating is the suspected culprit, so I've just switched back to 55W Philips Vision Plus bulbs. The bizarre result is that now my lights are just as bright as with the Halfords 100W bulbs, but a fair bit whiter, and should last longer.

I can only presume the Halfords 100W bulbs are of ropey quality...

Pete

[david beer]

I have Philips and i have to say they are better than 100w jobbies. As an experiment i fitted one to see if i could see any difference, nope. I have also rewired.