replacement headlights

Anybody got any ideas on where to look for replacement headlights besides the regular catalogues? Does anyone have feelings about seriously upgrading headlights given the advances in headlight technology? Everyone's thoughts would be a help.

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Mark Isaak
'74 Targa

I have a 73 911 targa and have upgraded to h5 h-lamps I put white bulbs in them and also ran wires to hook up daytime running lights. At night I get much brighter lights but seem to have people flash me because they think I have my brights on. I have correctly aligned my beams twice but I may have put too high a wattage bulb in. So overall I recommend the upgrade but be aware there are a couple of choices on bulbs Brian

Where did you get them?

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Mark Isaak
'74 Targa

As I understand it, the US-street-legal version of the Porsche upgrade is the H5 lights. The non-US-legal version are the H4 lights, which are cheaper -- and the sort of thing that no one ever gets pulled over for anyway. The H5s have one extra thingy to block some of the light from oncoming cars, I'm told.

But for earlier cars, there are two shapes the upgrade takes. The more popular is the $200-250+ route, which involves the slimmer Euro headlight ring, and the protruding glass piece poking out from it liek a buggy eye. The simpler (and less than half-the-cost) way is the light-only change, which preserves the US-size-and-shape headlight rings, but puts brighter H4 bulbs and clearer glass inside them.

I have the US rings with the brighter (H4) lights, and have been happy with them. I also have the even brighter-than-bright 100 watt bulbs for them, with special relays to avoid frying my light switch, but I haven't taken the time to put all that extra stuff in yet. The 55w bulbs I do have are a huge improvement on the old H1 lights, and I haven't provoked headlight flashes from other drivers or the curiosity of the local police.

However, I do agonize about which set-up looks better. I go back and forth, and am considering buying the European-look rims. If I decide to do this, I may be selling a slightly-used set of H4s that conform to the stock US look of the pre-87 911.

On top of all this, there are also some wacky varities that are in vogue now -- Xenon and such. They're the ones you see on the road that look like they're a slightly different 'color' of white.

More is explained in:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/Forum3/HTML/003135.html

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 10-03-2000).]

In fact, does anyone know where a pair of these can be had for less than $200?



I'm agonizin'.

Jack -- I don't think I've ever (recently) seen the Bosch H4's for less than $225/pr. $249/pr is a more typical "good" price. I bought mine from Pelican, FWIW.
Chris C.

I stuffed Bosch H-1's in the fron of my old car, use 100w highs and 70w lows. All four bulbs can be adjusted independantly. So I dropped the lows down alittle so I don't get "flashed" by folks thinking I have my high beams on. I live rural and use the high beams most of the time. In fact I bought a relay kit from a guy on Rennlist and I am going to set it up so I can have all four bulbs burning on high beam. This will work with the Bosch H-1 headlights you just have to wire it correctly. I am going to put a switch in the middle so I can turn this option on and off.

Randy Jones
1971 911