headlight conversion

[pmessling]

Roughly speaking how much is the head light conversion, parts etc, looks better with it smoothed in but as an alternate to have them just colour coded and in place

[tur8o]

i did a little bit of looking in to this last week as the front of my car is getting very close to needing a repaint (stone chipped to death). the fibreglass pods are around £90 for the pair unpainted, the pods and all the lights and fittings etc are around £480 a pair and to have them supplied, fitted (blended) and a full front end respray is quoted at £1650 not sure if thats plus vat. these prices were all from the one place tho. think it was sp performance or silverstone something anyway. parts are also for sale on ebay but i think its the same company. im still not sure if i prefer the old style lights tho?

[Killer Rhubarb]

go grab the couple sets on ebay at the mo! thats if they are still there

[gruffalo]

IMHO the original light with the HiD bulbs look best, keeps the car original looking but you can actually see at night

[pmessling]

Would definitely have to if it hasn't been done already is to upgrade the lights, currently have xenon lights on my ZT and they are excellent at night especially down dark country lanes.

[Gazzab]

If you stick with the old style lights and fit a HID with the sliding bit to allow full beam then you'll have a great set up.
If you convert the car then I think it takes away from the originality plus you end up with either
a) Separate HID for dipped and full. With the full having a delay when flashing etc
or
b)HID for dipped and horrid yellow Halogen for full.

[mikeinsheffield]

Gazzab said:

If you stick with the old style lights and fit a HID with the sliding bit to allow full beam then you'll have a great set up.
If you convert the car then I think it takes away from the originality plus you end up with either
a) Separate HID for dipped and full. With the full having a delay when flashing etc
or
b)HID for dipped and horrid yellow Halogen for full.

Oi! That's me that is (option b)

You can't go for separate "projector" HiD for full beam, as there is a couple of seconds delay in getting up to "full candles" - however the HiD conversion for the main / dipped beam is the difference between night and day - the standard "projector" headlights are about as useful as holding a BIC lighter in front of the car - the HiD makes it fully possible to "make good progress" at night.

[Gazzab]

mikeinsheffield said:

Gazzab said:

If you stick with the old style lights and fit a HID with the sliding bit to allow full beam then you'll have a great set up.
If you convert the car then I think it takes away from the originality plus you end up with either
a) Separate HID for dipped and full. With the full having a delay when flashing etc
or
b)HID for dipped and horrid yellow Halogen for full.

Oi! That's me that is (option b)

You can't go for separate "projector" HiD for full beam, as there is a couple of seconds delay in getting up to "full candles" - however the HiD conversion for the main / dipped beam is the difference between night and day - the standard "projector" headlights are about as useful as holding a BIC lighter in front of the car - the HiD makes it fully possible to "make good progress" at night.

Option b is me as well. Interstingly TVR offered HID on Tuscans as full beam only AFAIK.
I think many owners have got HID for dipped and full. I might give it a try.

[drive2tractors]

Did TVR offer the upgrade as an option at some point?

[Gazzab]

I think so....

The headlights changed a couple of times
First were the 'mg' style
Then these were replaced with Tuscan style but in pods
Then finally they were faired in.

I beleive that during the latter styles they offered HID as an expensive option - am not sure if this was for dipped or full. I suspect the latter so as to avoid legal issues?

[redbullrsc]

head light conversions vary in price. you are looking between £1400-£1700 as a rough guide We charge 1500 plus vat. Thats including paint and materials. not including spectraflair colours as these are very expensive.

rob

[verminator]

I agree with Gazzab, keep it original, they are becoming rearer buy the year. Am i correct in saying that TVR did not offer different lights as an optional extra. Did these blended in lights only come about because people liked the Tuscan lights and after market companys offered them? Imho this sort of info should be clarified for the future when in 20yrs time people might want to restore a cerb. And to do that correctly they would or should put the car back to original spec. Love the look of the blended lights, but love originality even more.

[Gazzab]

verminator said:

I agree with Gazzab, keep it original, they are becoming rearer buy the year. Am i correct in saying that TVR did not offer different lights as an optional extra. Did these blended in lights only come about because people liked the Tuscan lights and after market companys offered them? Imho this sort of info should be clarified for the future when in 20yrs time people might want to restore a cerb. And to do that correctly they would or should put the car back to original spec. Love the look of the blended lights, but love originality even more.

I wont get extra nerdy and explain every lights to year to cerb model combo but in essence the last cerbs came blended, the first light weights came with 'pod tuscan' and the original cerbs with 'mg' style.

[Mr Completely]

I had a quote of 1200 sovs to have my front chips removed and my current (Double-pods) to be smoothed in.

There are a thousand opinions but I think this tends to be worth most of ém....

Edited by Mr Completely on Thursday 22 July 18:32

[JensenA]

Yup! The one on the right

[Malam]

JensenA said:

Yup! The one on the right

+1 Never been a fan of the Halfords conversion.

[.Mark]

Now I'm not one to put down others choices and each to their own and fair play and all that. I may even be biased, but for me the original set up is best, I like the large lights it gives the car a bit of - not sure how to put it - classic/stance/aggression?

I think the faired in lights make it too round, the Cerbera is a superbly flowing design and I like the way the original lights give it an edge. Plus my 18" Racelines have a square-ish profile so perhaps that enhances it more?

Having said all that, if someone chucked me the keys to a late 4.5LW with spiders I'd grin like a nutter and buy them a pint

[VPower]

Gazzab said:

I wont get extra nerdy and explain every lights to year to cerb model combo but in essence the last cerbs came blended, the first light weights came with 'pod tuscan' and the original cerbs with 'mg' style.

So does that mean all three combinations are "ORIGINAL TVR STYLES"???

Therefore no argument about originality, just opinion as to which looks better??

[Brummmie]

Those VW Lupo headlight conversions are my fave, look original, but err.. modern.

[.Mark]

VPower said:

Gazzab said:

I wont get extra nerdy and explain every lights to year to cerb model combo but in essence the last cerbs came blended, the first light weights came with 'pod tuscan' and the original cerbs with 'mg' style.

So does that mean all three combinations are "ORIGINAL TVR STYLES"???

Therefore no argument about originality, just opinion as to which looks better??