H1's vs. H4's--whats the diff?

[maxnine11]

speaking of H-4s...is the black paintable ring available as a seperate part anywhere?? i don't see it in the pelican catalog. I just received a 'supposedly' new set and one had been dropped hard enough to put the black ring out of round in a couple of places, and bend one adjusting screw. Anyone know a source for these, or have one for sale??? max

[thabaer]

Originally posted by ruf-porsche
H1 are found on european cars, while H4 are found are cars that want that european look.

Too many yuppie encounters this week ? Almost sounds like an insult.


H4 are found on original european cars, good units and very nice to have when they weren't snagged off of your car when it was brought across the pond. The H1 would seem to offer more flexibility in choosing bulb power, but it seems there is a large variety in ratings of the single bulb parts. I know mine have the standard angled beam pattern and I never need the highs unless I'm being really bad at midnight

Now, are the newer ones with the aiming nipples also labeled H4 ?

[SilverPoly]

Thank You Charlie. There is nothing wrong with H4s. I love the look and quality. They sell them here at Pelican. Nuff said.

[CamB]

Yeah, to be honest I don't see the fuss with H1s. In due course I will change the H1s (in ok but not great condition) on my '69 to H4s. They are left hand drive and dip the wrong way for NZ roads (they have been on the car, in New Zealand for 25 years!).

It is pretty hard to tell the difference between H1s and H4s from 20ft away and 99.99% of the general public don't care and are probably incapable of telling from 2 ft away.

But everybody loves those H1s.

[pkfrdh]

Performance Products has them listed in their catalog at $130.00 per pair...does not say it is available separately.

Tweeks has reproduction pairs w/ screws for $99.00 ...again not separately.

I have an original outermost Black painted (fair paint...no dents) H-1 trim ring available as a single for $65 + shp. It is not a reproduction. It was on an orig. H-1 headlight I sold as parts and is left over if I should need a spare trim ring.

Joe in Santa Barbara, CA

jglsbca@juno.com

[maxnine11]

Joe, I should have been more clear. It is a 'inner' ring for the H-4 I'm after (the one with the holes for the adjuster screws) but, I'm looking for a painted/paintable one, not a chrome one. I just put an ad in the parts section. It would be the blue ring in this illustration, not the red one. max

[pkfrdh]

The outer ring is the paintable ring...only one hole in it at the bottom. The other ring is the inner ring that is the chrome ring with multiple holes.

I have the outer paintable ring that is designed to cover a chrome ring or be used separately without the inner chrome ring.

Your description of what you need is not consistent with the application ...unless you think the inner rings were available as "paintable". They came stock as chrome...you will have to prep. a chrome ring if you want to paint it body color. They were not available as primer only. You can have them blasted and painted.

JGL

[maxnine11]

Joe, the H-4s are now available with either a chrome or black primered inner ring. here is the page from the pelican catalog. and here is a picture from the pelican catalog: and here is my new damaged headlight: max

[pkfrdh]

The ring does not look very badly damaged...it is soft, flexible steel that can be caoxed back into shape. It is worth a try and I bet you can get it back to its orig. look by using the good one as a guide. Try it...just do it.

JGL


PS : I am looking for a good used set of H-4's. If I can't find them used, what is the best price the new ones are available for?

[maxnine11]

it is hard to tell from the picture Joe, but it is worse than it looks.Bent far enough that there is a kink near the lens, and took a hard enough hit to bend one adjusting screw; and a dent from the inside-out from bending against a retainer spring. I bought them as 'new' , which they are. except someone dropped one. the seller will give me a refund, but i will first try to get another ring. Pelican has the H-4s for about $130 each-chrome/no bulb; about $145 each-black/with bulb. There is a fellow from Winnipeg, Canada that occasionally has new ones advertised on Rennlist. About $225 a pair plus shipping(around $25 he says). I have a very nice set (with chrome rings) that fellow pelicanite sold me. But when I stumbled onto the new ones with the paintable rings....well, seemed like a good idea at the time max

[pkfrdh]

E-mail me directly for more info on the other set you have...

jglsbca@juno.com

Joe

[Dbelleperc]

Originally posted by redducati750
your gonna have an interesting facial tan line as well

My baseball coach has the Oakley's and he has a nice racoon tan.

[Superman]

There is an alternative to the expensive H1 and H4 setups. Direct replacement H4 lamps are available, and I expect Pelican carries them. Actually, there are two. One is an actual DOT H4 direct replacement lamp made by Hella for something in the heighborhood of $55 each. The other is an 'off road' direct-replacement H4, which I use. They are one-piece so breakage means replacement. The DOT ones have "DOT" molded into the glass, and three distinctive glass nipples on the face of the lens.

All H1 and H4 systems make the crescent or kidney-shaped low beam pattern except possibly the direct-replacement DOT H4s. I'm using 55/100 bulbs and it's daytime at night. A nice thing about the direct-replacement lamps is that the original look is retained. The bug-eyed look is amusing, but stock recessed lighting looks like turbines or something. My cosmetic inner rings are painted black as the factory should have done. The headlights appear small, as though they're 5.5 or six inches, instead of seven and the look is nice. Anyway, that's an option.

[maxnine11]

thanks Sam, I will continue searching for a used ring. Is it difficult to change?? or do all of those retainer springs go in easily? max

[CamB]

[Joeaksa]

SWBSAM,

Could you pls slow down on the photos? Not everyone in the world has cable or DSL and your cluttering up the threads with pictures when everyone else types is taking forever to download.

JoeA

[redducati750]

ass-cuse me

[redducati750]

put your photoshop to some use and edit out that bikni top!

[redducati750]

who wants to see pictures of my X naked?

[redducati750]