Converting to UK spec

[dpetteng]

So, I lived in Philly but moved back to the UK 3 years ago and I brought a 356 and 1971 911 with me. I have been driving the 356 but the 911 was a future restoration project.

Recently, my storage availability for the 911 has changed and I thought "why don't I get it running and drive it"

I drove the car in the US but before I left I took off the carbs to have them rebuilt in the US.

So my restorer is going to recommission the engine but I know I need to convert the lights to UK spec before I get my UK MOT.

Does anyone have any advice for conversion of the headlights and rear lights? They seem pretty expensive. I also know the US headlights are more upright than the classic european sloped models?

Looking for advice

[darrin]

you should be able to easily find 7" right hand drive (RHD) halogen headlights that would be drop-in replacements for the sugar scoop sealed beam headlights fitted to a us spec Left hand drive car (LHD) -- these move the cutoffs to the other side of the car to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. The sugar scoops were a US DOT regulatory requirement as (if I recall correctly) our regulators were concerned that non-sealed beam headlights (like the $$$ sloped ones fitted to ROW 911s) could get dirty and not illuminate as well. Drop in RHD headlights should be pretty cheap locally as they were used by dozens (hundreds) of different car/truck models.

Unclear what specific changes would be needed for taillights, as I believe the red taillights were a US requirement (yellow side lights should only be on front of car) and that the British authorities wouldn't care about the red taillights you have.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by dpetteng

So my restorer is going to recommission the engine but I know I need to convert the lights to UK spec before I get my UK MOT.

Does anyone have any advice for conversion of the headlights and rear lights? They seem pretty expensive. I also know the US headlights are more upright than the classic european sloped models?

Looking for advice

For cars with US sealed beam units; just throw them away. Use a good-quality - eg Bosch, Hella or Cibie - H4 reflectors with the appropriate traffic pattern, fit them straight into the US sugar-scoops in place of the sealed beam unit.

For Bosch H4 euro headlights, buy a set of lenses of the correct pattern. Or mask off the little window that focuses the beam to the "wrong" side with black electrical tape and a craft knife/scalpel - which also makes it easy to convert for driving on the continent.

If you've got H1s, you're going to need to source the correct-pattern lenses. Or mask off the focused area of the lens.


Strictly speaking, you're not supposed to show a steady yellow light to the front; disabling US front running light(s) falls foul of the "if a light is fitted, it must work" rule. You could blank these off entirely or convert to clear lenses. My MOT tester wasn't concerned.

Use Euro lenses for the rear - and AFAIK it'd be 100% correct to just remove the side-marker bulb that lives under the little reflector (yeh, I know; apparently its OK for a light not to work if the factory did it). Although your MOT tester probably won't be too concerned about US lenses/red indicators at the rear, so you could probably get away with leaving those. I left the rear markers showing yellow through Euro lenses; no-one cared.

Don't need indicator side-repeaters, rear seat belts, 3rd stop light or a rear fog for a '71, in case you were wondering.

They will need to enter "date of manufacture" into the computer - and they want a "real" date. I just said to use the 1st of the month that the VIN tag said it was made in.

[Coastr]

You can buy just the RHD lenses for proper H4 lights, don't have to buy the whole thing.

You can find clear front lenses for the front lights, to remove the yellow lights to the front.

I know the h4 conversion is going to cost you 700 pounds or so - my suggestion is to just bite the bullet if you're going to do it. It will be worth it just so you don't have to endure the endless comments about the sugar scoop lights. And they look a trillion times better - just how Porsche intended.

[dpetteng]

Thanks for the advice all. I will just get the proper sloping H4's for the front. They are damn expensive!.

So what I haven't looked at is the front amber lights. These are running lights so on constantly and not direction indicators (flashing)?

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by dpetteng

They are damn expensive!.

Talk to the MOT people first. European cars often just have a bit of tape stuck on each headlight to stop it shining at oncoming traffic.

If you do want to buy correct lenses I think Pelican Parts stock RHD lenses too. If not the main Porsche place in the UK has reasonable prices for them.

[dpetteng]

Thanks Bill, I am going to ultimately restore this car so I may as well bite the bullet and buy the correct lights now. Still trying to work out the running light difference between US and UK spec

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by dpetteng

Thanks for the advice all. I will just get the proper sloping H4's for the front. They are damn expensive!.

Heh. I thought H4's were expensive when I bought a set 10 years to replace the next-to-useless H5's. They've not got any cheaper since...

Originally Posted by dpetteng

So what I haven't looked at is the front amber lights. These are running lights so on constantly and not direction indicators (flashing)?

Yes, US front running lights. In the UK, you're not supposed to have a yellow front position lamp.

The front position lamps on any vehicle may emit white or amber light in the US, Canada, Mexico, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and much of the Middle East; elsewhere in the world only motorcycles may have amber front position lamps; all other vehicles must have white ones.[10][21][26][27] Colloquial city light terminology for front position lamps[28] derives from the practice, formerly adhered to in cities like Moscow, London and Paris, of driving at night in built-up areas using these low-intensity lights rather than headlamps.[29]

That's what the law says. In practice, if your MOT guy doesn't quibble, it's unlikely to ever be mentioned by anyone else - pretty common at one time for old US cars in the UK to never get converted from yellow front markers and red flasher/indicators at the rear.

Did RoW longhoods have clear lenses?

[SilverWT]

Hi,

You have to have amber direction indicator lamps, front and rear, in the UK to get through an MOT test in your car. Here is a quote from the official MOT manual...

"Direction indicators must be amber.
Vehicles first used before 1 September 1965 may have white front indicators and red rear indicators, if the direction indicators are combined with stop lamps or combined with front or rear position lamps.
Vehicles first used before 1 April 1986 don’t need to have hazard warning devices."

The whole manual can be found here...

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/Section-4-Lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment.html#section_4.1

But, rather than wade through the whole thing get over to DDK were many others have been through the process of getting early 911 imported from the US through the UK tests and registration...

DDK-Online

Mark

[Flojo]

If you Need Support in the UK contact via instagram:

Simon from pf911interiors
or
Matthew & Dale from Pigs_will_fly

[MFAFF]

I’d suggest you talk to a local trusted MOT place (your engine restorer might know one) to establish what you need to pass the inspection. A 1971 911 does not need an MOT to be road legal any longer.

You might need one to gain a UK registration in the first instance.

Check that through before you invest. However I’d budget for the following:

1) New RHD lensed headlights... taped up LHD ones are not a good scheme and would fail an MOT these days.
2) Amber lenses for front indicators/ white lenses for running lights.
3) Amber lenses for rear indicators.

There has however been a change in the diligence of the Police in checking cars for legality. So anything that seems out of place or could give a reason for the local Police to stop you is perhaps undesirable, unless you like talking to the Police.

At the risk of offending Pelican I’d suggest talking to the crew on the DDK web forum to get a much clearer picture.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by MFAFF

taped up LHD ones are not a good scheme and would fail an MOT these days.

The correct lights/lenses are the best way to go.

From "MOT inspection manual for class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles (from 20 May 2018)":

section 4.1.2 Headlamp alignment
You must inspect all dipped beam headlamps fitted.
The type of headlamp will determine whether the aim must be checked on dipped or main beam (see Diagrams 1, 2 and 3).
A flat top or other alternative headlamp dipped beam pattern is acceptable as long as all of the beam upper edge, including any ‘peak’ is contained within the appropriate tolerance band.
It's acceptable for masks or converter kits to be fitted to right hand dip headlamps to temporarily alter the lamp for use in the UK by removing the beam ‘kick-up’ to the right.

(emphasis mine).

[dpetteng]

Thanks all!