Light Options - Differences

[GotaT]

I have a 71 car and have seen many different light upgrades. H1 H4 ... and maybe others.. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES ?

[javadog]

H1- seperate bulbs and reflectors for high and low beams. Can be aimed independently of one another. Best lights available and expensive.

H4- two choices here. Drop-in replacements (cheapest option) for your sealed beams, or completely different light assemblies similar to an H1 in appearance. One bulb either way, aiming one beam affects the other.

JR

[GotaT]

What are the differences in appearance?

What I am looking for are the "Slant Back" style lights.. Are either the H1 or H4 Offered in this style lighting?

[dd74]

The slant style you're after are the H4s sold by our host, and not the H4s that drop into the sugar scoop-style light assemblies on the U.S. equipped 911.

The H1s are the same slant style as the H4s, yet are no longer made. Honestly, the cost of a very good pair of H1s is so high, I can't see their value unless you have a concourse car.

A trick I was once told was to get an H1 lens and adapt that to an H4 light so you have the look without the cost. However, I've never seen this done.

[RoninLB]

E-code vs DOT lens optics design.

Bosch H-4 vs Hella & Cibie H-4 shape design.

[GotaT]

So it seems most will opt for the H4 assemblies. Will my current wiring plug attach directly to the back of the light? Does It only utilizes one Single replaceable bulb and the will the housing bolt directly into my fender?

Anyone have a pic of the different lens Bosch VS Cibie?

[javadog]

Originally Posted by dd74

A trick I was once told was to get an H1 lens and adapt that to an H4 light so you have the look without the cost. However, I've never seen this done.

That won't work. The optics of the two lights are different. The reflectors and the lens work together to form the light beam.

It's not about "the look." It's about the light output. The light needs to be on the road, where you need it, not randomly lighting squirrels in trees, passing houses...

JR

[javadog]

Originally Posted by GotaT

What are the differences in appearance?

What I am looking for are the "Slant Back" style lights.. Are either the H1 or H4 Offered in this style lighting?

That's what both of them look like.

JR

[javadog]

Originally Posted by GotaT

So it seems most will opt for the H4 assemblies. Will my current wiring plug attach directly to the back of the light? Does It only utilizes one Single replaceable bulb and the will the housing bolt directly into my fender?

Anyone have a pic of the different lens Bosch VS Cibie?

Yes, yes and yes.

Try a search on this forum for pictures. There are lots of them.

JR

By the way, the H1 and H4 lights you are looking for are both made by Bosch. Hella makes the drop-in replacement for the standard US sealed beam light, to be installed in the stock US bucket. Cibie makes a lot of stuff but not the lights you seek.

[2Utes]

Daniel Stern Lighting has a few Marchal Ampilux housings left that use separate bulbs for high and low beam. They are a direct replacement for the standard 7 inch sealed beam lamp. I just finished installing these in my stock painted sugar scoop trim today. I am waiting for dark to do final beam aiming adjustments. They were about the same cost as the H4 upgrade so I went this route.
Don't forget to do the headlight relay upgrade to protect your dash switch and turn signal stalk from full lighting amperages. There are several versions of this to suit your taste. They are offered by our host Pelican Parts, Marcus Sucro and Daniel Stern to name a few.
In either case, you will be pleased with the improved lighting over stock.

[Canada Kev]

Yes, Daniel Stern has loads of information on automotive lighting, including why adapting HID is not so good.

Now, which light output is better/preferable, H! or H4?

-kevin

[tangerine911S]

Some pics would be great for this thread as I have never been able to nail down all the differences myself.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by syzygy

Yes, Daniel Stern has loads of information on automotive lighting, including why adapting HID is not so good.

Now, which light output is better/preferable, H! or H4?

-kevin

H1. See my post at the beginning of the thread.

JR

[javadog]

Originally Posted by tangerine911S

Some pics would be great for this thread as I have never been able to nail down all the differences myself.

Here's an H1.

[Canada Kev]

So, if the H1 is better than H4, why did the factory change? Was it simply a cost cutting measure?

I realize that having the ability to aim the high and low beams independently might be an asset, but how much better is the actual lighting pattern? The light distribution is determined mainly by the reflector and the lens fluting pattern. One might think that with the H4 being a more modern design, and possibly having learned something from other lighting efforts, it might be somewhat more comprehensive light.

Has anyone ever compared the H4 to the H1 side by side? Or at least on the same roads in similar conditions, with not much time between drives.

-kevin

[javadog]

Kevin,

An H4 is cheaper. Fewer parts.

The reason an H1 is better is that you can aim the both of the lights where you want them. With an H4, if you aim the low beam for maximum range, the high beam will be too high. If you aim the high beam for maximum range, the low beam will be too low. An H1 doesn't have this problem.

I have cars with H1 lights, cars with H4 lights and cars with the Hella drop in replacement H4 lights. The H1 is better, hands down. The other two aren't in the same ballpark.

JR

[RWebb]

I have compared the H4 to the H1 side by side - I had H4s on one car and H1s on the other (both 911s, a '73 and a '75) them and parked by the side of a little used road with reflective signs at various distances on nights with similar atmospheric conditions (clarity, fog, etc.). Sometimes I parked the cars at the same marked spot within a few minutes of each other. I evaluated how well I could see the signs at different distances, sometimes using binoculars to get a bigger view of the sign and area near it.

They are about the same UNLESS you adjust the bean differently on the H1s (see JR's comment just above). Such adjustment makes sense only on little used roads as you will bling all oncoming traffic.

The H1s are great for desert driving. I think they would be excellent for high speed runs across the plains, less so in the mountains on curves. Since you live in Edmonton they could be very worthwhile.

BUT, you could rig up some Xenon headlights at less cost. The extremely sharp cutoff could produce better performance overall.

Once we get some real high power LEDs, the H1s will fade into history. But I like mine.

[GotaT]

Thanks for all the input.. I will eventually find a set of H4's to install in my 71. I like the look of the slant style lighting unit coupled w/ better lighting.

Someone mentioned about adding a relay, what is this about and how/where do you go about doing it?

[gtc]

Can anyone comment on the beam patterns of the Cibie H4 versus the Bosch H4?

I've seen a comparison of Hella vs. Cibie, and the Cibie looks vastly superior to me, but I can't find any comparisons to Bosch.

Here's what I'm talking about. I stole these from a Bronco forum. You can go there for higher resolution graphs which show the colors better.
Cibie 7" H4:


Hella 7" H4:

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by javadog

By the way, the H1 and H4 lights you are looking for are both made by Bosch. Hella makes the drop-in replacement for the standard US sealed beam light, to be installed in the stock US bucket. Cibie makes a lot of stuff but not the lights you seek.

In the parts of the world not afflicted with sealed beams, I believe the H4 reflector units had exactly the same form factor as the sealed beam units. So the Cibie reflectors should directly replace an H4 sealed beam in the same way as the Hella units do.

Almost anything's an improvement over sealed beam (and the Bosch aren't bad at all), but Cibies rock.