H4 Headlight upgrade, from sugar scoops

[porwolf]

On my US '79SC transformation from sugar scoops I also connected the 2 Watt small bulbs on the bottom of the H4's. Those are wired by the factory to be used as "parking lights" not "city lights". These cars are not wired for driving with "city lights" other than the reguar low beam lights. Running cars in Europe with only the very dim "parking lights" is illegal.

Here ared a couple of more links on the Porsche "parking lights":

City lights

Euro H4 question

Q: H4 Upgrade on a 1987 911

Upgrading To H4 - What To Do With "City Light"?

And here a couple of pictures of my H4 wiring:





Hope it's not too much information.

[Scott S]

Awesome. Looks so much better - love it!

I did mine last winter too - I lucked out and found a set of guards red trim rings in the classifieds as well. Made a massive difference in both light and looks. Kinda like the car had lasik surgery... ha!








Great looking car Craig.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by porwolf

Nice job, Craig. I did the same a few months ago and could not believe the improvement of the light output, even with regular 60/55 Watt bulbs.

You must have started with sealed beams, then.



He started with H4's (sugar scoops) and ended with H4's (Euro)...

No change at all in light.

His only change was cosmetic.

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by tcar

You must have started with sealed beams, then.



He started with H4's (sugar scoops) and ended with H4's (Euro)...

No change at all in light.

His only change was cosmetic.

True, my headlights were originally sealed beam sugar scoops. Very poor light output indeed, even with halogen bulbs.

[bugstrider]

Great looking upgrade!!!

PM sent

Cheers Trevor

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by tcar

You must have started with sealed beams, then.
He started with H4's (sugar scoops) and ended with H4's (Euro)...

No change at all in light.

His only change was cosmetic.

Although the light output was (or would be the same, as I had 55/60 watt Hella sealed beam H4s), the ability to aim them was vastly inferior to the Euro Bosch H4s.

In fact, for me to have adequate reach with my lows, my old high beams were too high.

I'd say it was a little more than cosmetic, although that is a big plus! The picture with one sugar scoop, and one Euro H4, looks like my car was punched in the eye! lol ....or that the scoops look like me before my first cup of espresso, and the H4 Euros are me after a double shot!

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by bugstrider

Great looking upgrade!!!

PM sent

Cheers Trevor

Hi Trevor, thanks! Here's the list of parts I got from our host:

Bosch H4 Euros: part #911-631-113-02-M422 Here's THE LINK

Now I also have the high power headlamp relay
Part #141-951-253-B-M206

So that I can run the 80/100 bulbs, part #31425-M97 LINK

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by Scott S

Awesome. Looks so much better - love it!

I did mine last winter too - I lucked out and found a set of guards red trim rings in the classifieds as well. Made a massive difference in both light and looks. Kinda like the car had lasik surgery... ha!



Great looking car Craig.

Thanks Scott! ...how did you install your pop out rear windows?!

[Darkly-Noon]

Looks great! I did the same to my SC last year - the Euro H4's just looks so right. Did you aim them yourself?

cheers
John

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by Darkly-Noon

Looks great! I did the same to my SC last year - the Euro H4's just looks so right. Did you aim them yourself?

cheers
John

Thanks! Yeah it really changes the overall look. Somehow it makes the car look more modern and more classic at the same time.

I did a rough aim on a concrete wall in a parking garage, but I need to really check it with a measuring tape and then some back road night testing.

[bugstrider]

Thanks Craig,

Saw the PM and the post on your thread. Great job!!!!

Cheers Trev


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[James Brown]

don't forget the headlight relay kit, get it from pelican FOR PORSCHE: JWST911HLPR, JWS T91 1HL PR - READY TO SHIP - (JWEST 911 HEADLIGHT RELAY KIT)

[Darkly-Noon]

Originally Posted by Craig_D

Thanks! Yeah it really changes the overall look. Somehow it makes the car look more modern and more classic at the same time.

I did a rough aim on a concrete wall in a parking garage, but I need to really check it with a measuring tape and then some back road night testing.

I tried aiming them myself as well, using the back-away-from-the-wall method, but had a hard time finding a flat enough surface. Most outdoor parking lots are sloped for water drainage, but maybe an underground parking garage might be flatter. I'll have to try that this spring...

[redridge]

I wonder if you shoot this with a quality clear coat, the colors would match fairly close.

[gekellogg]

Originally Posted by James Brown

don't forget the headlight relay kit, get it from pelican FOR PORSCHE: JWST911HLPR, JWS T91 1HL PR - READY TO SHIP - (JWEST 911 HEADLIGHT RELAY KIT)

Just ordered a European H4 headlight kit for my 1970 911 to replace the US sealed beams. Any idea if a relay kit is necessary?

[Scott S]

Originally Posted by Craig_D

Thanks Scott! ...how did you install your pop out rear windows?!

Hi Craig -
They came that way from the good doctor - my car is a 77.

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by gekellogg

Just ordered a European H4 headlight kit for my 1970 911 to replace the US sealed beams. Any idea if a relay kit is necessary?

I personally think it is very necessary, even if you aren't upgrading, because as it is from the factory, the power is run through the steering column stalk. This means that the full power for the lights has to make its way through extra wiring, to the stalk and through that switch, which can often/eventually fail and leave you with no headlights, or highbeams.

Just doing the relay kit ensures that the most power possible is going to your headlights, and that there is no stress on your stalk switch.

I highly recommend adding the relays, to anyone who doesn't have them.

[SilberUrS6]

I guess I'm the only one left that prefers sugar scoops.

[Craig_D]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

I guess I'm the only one left that prefers sugar scoops.

Ha! Well, I was on the fence for quite a while. I thought the flat lenses looked like the Jaguar style lights the hot-rodders install, which I thought was cool.

The problem was that I couldn't aim the light properly, and after driving my Infiniti FX35 or my wife's GTI, both with factory HID lights, I realized that I wasn't doing myself any favors by holding out.

The light from the H4s is aimed better and allows me to see better with just the lows, so I'm glad I did it from at least a performance perspective. Aesthetically, I like both, but for much different reasons.

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by gekellogg

Just ordered a European H4 headlight kit for my 1970 911 to replace the US sealed beams. Any idea if a relay kit is necessary?

With the relay kit installed the light output should be better because there is much less of a voltage drop along all the standard wiring. A lower voltage at the light bulbs means a dimmer and more yellowish light. The light bulbs are very sensitive to small reduction in input voltage.