Hella 450 Driving Lights - Page 2

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Looks good, just wait'll dark! Expect people to flash you if you leave them on. They are spectacular for nighttime country roads, though.

Wil Ferch · 05:35 PM

Look also at Cibie Airport model 35's...similar size to Hella 450's..

Fellow with pseudonym "JAX", IIRC...was very helpfull getting me a set for a good price. JAX posts here.

sample--> Head light took a rock

I like the 35's because of their black housings, all metal construction.

When done ( with either the Hellas or Cibies) ...protect them with heavy gauge clear vinyl. That way you're always "ready" and don't have to take off those goofy opaque covers.

Wil

quattrorunner · quattrorunner's Garage

Here is mine with them.

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Good advice, Wil. I already have a rock hole through my passenger side Hella. I might look at the Cibie's when I replace.

charleskieffner · 05-30-2006, 03:27 AM

just a note re" your hellas............hella has CLEAR COVERS for many of their lights avail. just snap on and go. hard to find but worth every penny in saved headaches replacing lens. got mine at dezert rat off road here in phx. i went with 550's and am going w/RUF spoiler. thanks for the relay diagram.

mthomas58 · 02:41 AM

Zoanas, thanks for blazing the trail on this - the factory fogs are indeed dismal. I picked up a pair of Hella 450's on eBay for $26.00 and completed the install yesterday. Very nice complement to the so so factory headlights (H5s I think in 1987). While improved with the recent addition of the Sucro relay kit and SilverStar 9004's more is needed. (H4's not in the budget right now).

Still working on my alignment. Right now, they are aimed well below the headlights (probably too low). UPDATE: Just figured out that mine are the "fog light" version not the "driving light" version of the 450's.....so the light pattern will be low - and they are street legal (not that that matters)

I retrofitted the factory mounting brackets to the back of the Hella housings using 1/4" nuts as spacers to bring them out a little and used nylocks vs rivets so I can adjust further if necessary. Looks like you mounted yours with the cutoff up. I left the 1/4" hole open (that you get after cutting off the plastic mount) and mounted it down to function as a drain as the factory housings also have a drain hole.

Will post some pics later

Thanks again!

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

i did the same with my car. i just couldn't figure out how to rid the shaking while driving at night. it goes a long in the dark. any suggestion? please advise. thanks.

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

I haven't had any shakng problem at all, but that may be due to the modification I did to use the stock mounting bracket. I had to cut off the Hella molded bracket on the back of the housing and rivet the stock bracket to it. Then I just mounted them the way the stock fogs mount. There was enough slop in the mounting that alignment wasn't a problem. These lights are actually designed to be used much higher off the ground, so they will always seem too low, but they really are sufficient for my night commute. I've managed to avoid several varmints that I otherwise would have scraped off my valance.

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

thanks, zoanas. i think i'll do that. get the bracket.

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

anyway, it's really hard to read your post. my eyes kept going to the left of your post. interesting, it's quite hynoptic.

mthomas58 · 06:01 AM

OK, here are some follow-up pics. Took a couple in the dark with no flash showing difference with driving lights off and on....the pics are much darker than real life but do show the relative difference.

Low Beams

Low Beams + Hella Fog Lights

Drain hole exposed

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

did u guys intall it on bumper or valance? thanks.

Wil Ferch · 02-27-2007, 06:01 AM

ros:

Ahh.... simply back up on this thread..and look at Zoanas' pics posted on 2-21-04 at 7:52. Quite clearly it's mounted on the valance "rib" in the foglight hole.

- Wil

mthomas58 · 02-27-2007, 06:04 AM

Here is the pic Wil is referring to:

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

hi, wil. thanks. yeah, i kinda saw that but i didn't have a stock. so, where do i put it.

hook682 · 02-27-2007, 06:21 AM

Mine just installed over the winter.

Wil Ferch · 06:42 AM

550's are bigger than 450's...FWIW, and the under-bumper mounting can be done if there is no valance hole. It will tend to stick "forward" a bit more as shown by hook's photo.

However, if desired...you can also mount them more toward the centerline near the front plate....might be nice.

- Wil

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

yup, i did the same thing. i thought there's a better mounting place. thanks.

ros74911 · ros74911's Garage

ooops. not that one. but this one. thanks.

mthomas58 · 08-03-2007, 11:01 AM

Well, after living with my Hella 450 fogs for several months I've decided that they're really not that much more functional than the factory fogs. So, I ordered replacement 450 driving light lenses (a/k/a "flamethrowers") and they arrived today!

I won't be able to run them all the time like I do the fogs but I can't wait to swap them out and see the light!!!!

Who knows, I might even swap back and forth just for the hell of it.

BTW, repl lenses are avail for $29/ea if you crack one.