'68 headlight conversion

[Donald T]

Hi All,

I've got the original headlights on my '68 (standard large rim). With my high beams on no one even blinks at me as the lights are anemic compared with today's high intensity lights. I can't see much at night and would like to convert to something that provides much better lighting but still looks correct for the car. I'm researching various solutions but am not sure which way to go as lighting has undergone so many changes recently.

Any advice on a path to take would be appreciated. Many thanks for your input and experience along with advice on installation.

[rztmartini]

Relay kit + H4 conversion. Really inexpensive and will greatly improve light output.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Our host sells the conversion and relay kits for your "sugar scoop" lights. Don't forget to order new seals for the lenses/rims. Reusing the used ones will cause leaks and ruin your light cases.

Replacing is a quite simple DIY job, but pay attention to the orientation and position of the clamps.

Otto

[Donald T]

Thanks for these mods to my current set up and I may go that route as a cost effective improvement. I should have made it clear that I am also considering the H4 style housing and see a number of offerings for those and was wondering if anyone had made the change and what it entails. I tend to like the look of those lights over my current set up.

[Jaems]

Hella makes a H4 off road light that replaces the seal beams.

Hella was the lighting of choice for the Porsche factory until 74. They then switched to Bosch.

My 66 still has the original Euro Hella. It used a bulb instead of the seal beams. They now make a H4 bulb that will fit it.

The H1 was original only to the 68 911S. The rest used, in the US, the seal beam with the sugar scoop, for the rest of the world the Hella bulb. For 69 only the 912 still used the seal beam and sugar scoop head lamps.

This is a head light from my '65/'66. A H4 unit with lens behind clear Hella-glass - more or less period correct.



In oter words: you can assemble what you like.

Otto

[Donald T]

I ultimately decided to save some $$$ and buy the H4 replacement lenses from our host. At least I'll be able to see the road critters at night. Thanks for the input you guys!

Congrats! I hope they will bring you what you expect from them. Lots of light!

Take care when mounting the units. Look at the alignment of the mounting lip in the top of the light housing in the fender. Also the angle of the lower lip in the housing, where the mounting screw fits, is quite critical. If you don't have aperfect fit the lamp unit can easily drop from the housing... And don't forget to order the reay kit and a new seal between lamp unit and housing.

Otto

[Jaems]

This is a head light from my '65/'66. A H4 unit with lens behind clear Hella-glass

That would be period correct for a US 912. A Euro correct would look like this one and use these bulbs.









I replaced the bulb with a new H4 bulb.

[Kaizer]

With the price of vintage parts going up and up, I pulled my OEM Euro H1's off (for now) and installed the sugar scoops.

Since I drive my '68 on the wooded twisties here around the rural areas of Seattle, I installed projectors with a 6k temperature HID kit so I can see and be seen - Much safer IMO for a driven car.

That soft glow in the first pic is the amber daytime running light inside the headlamp.

*all of this is strictly bolt on and easily reversible.

[Puma]

In keeping with the topic of this thread, I'd like to keep the look of my swb lights (the flat lens style) but I want updated lighting so I can see AND the fluted lenses. Is this possible?

Note: my buckets are the sealed type. My car is euro but for some reason it has the US style.

[Jaems]

Puma:

The car was required to change to the US style seal beam headlight. When it was brought in the the States. Unless it was own by a by a foreign national or came in much later as a gray car.

However, you may find them available with the 356 or Volkswagen groups. They also used them. Or maybe Otto knows of a source in Europe that have them. They were made by Hella.

You will also have to get, besides the fluted glass, the reflexter that holds the bulb. It replaces the seal beam. The Euro did come with a different part, that held the reflexer with a small bulb to run in conjunction with the parking lights. However, the US one should work, just won't have the parking/running light bulb. This bulb was required in some countries due their laws required only parking/running light in city limits, no headlights, at night. France required a yellow lens headlight.

[Puma]

Originally Posted by Jaems

Puma:

The car was required to change to the US style seal beam headlight. When it was brought in the the States. Unless it was own by a by a foreign national or came in much later as a gray car.

However, you may find them available with the 356 or Volkswagen groups. They also used them. Or maybe Otto knows of a source in Europe that have them. They were made by Hella.

You will also have to get, besides the fluted glass, the reflexter that holds the bulb. It replaces the seal beam. The Euro did come with a different part, that held the reflexer with a small bulb to run in conjunction with the parking lights. However, the US one should work, just won't have the parking/running light bulb. This bulb was required in some countries due their laws required only parking/running light in city limits, no headlights, at night. France required a yellow lens headlight.

Thanks Jaems!

I'll start the hunt for the reflectors. I already found the proper fluted lens. For anyone else interested the part number is 901-631-111-00 for the fluted lens.

Jaems, Puma,

My red 912 came with the clear lenses. I liked that "original" US look, it also had the red tail/signal lights, and decided to look for the H4 inserts with the parking light. As Jaems suggested, they were/are available for VW beetle and bus, including the parking light (fitting in reflector).

Perhaps the best solution to fullfill you wish is to find a set of (used) headlights with small chrome rims. The rims should be in good condition, because they are unique for Porsche. The reflector and lenses can be replaced for types you like. As I said before, you can combine almost anything you like.

You cannot use the complete VW beetle (or 356) head light unit to start with, because the hole for the mounting screw in the chrome ring differs from the Porsche one. The beetle uses a lip with hole for the installation and Porsche has a hole in the chrome ring. So you need a light housing with the small chrome Porsche rim, replace the lens by a clear one and put a H4 reflector with correct lens in the unit. For my red 912 (small chrome rim, clear lens and sealed beam unit) I only had to replace the sealed beam unit by a replacement H4 unit.

I guess the direct H4 replacement units will also be available in the US. Of course I'm always willing to help with ordering parts from the Netherlands or Germany, but realize that shipping, VAT and import taxes will almost double the price. One thing, is it allowed to have lights with the European light pattern? If not, you need to find reflectors (with parking light) and lenses with the correct pattern in the US. The clear front lens fits both, VW beetle/bus and Porsche headlight units.

Take a look on webshops with VW beetle/bus parts or give them a call for advise regarding the correct type and quality.

Otto


- Sorry for my somewhat chaotic reply!

[Jaems]

The police never stop me with the Euro headlights or said anything about them.

Maybe the Bosh H4 rims will work with the Hella lens. The Bosch H4 was not available until the 74 model year.

Personally, I like the Euro Hella headlight setup with the Euro turn signals/parking lights . The head light is much brighter than shinning through two pieces of glass. The H4 bulb made it even brighter.

That's why we live on different sides from the ocean. I wanted to keep it as it was delivered to the US. I also kept the smaller heat exchangers, inadequate for our colder climate. Well, I don't drive it in the dark, not in rain and only during bright sunny days ....

Yes, the Bosch rims can be used with the Hella lens - also same seals and mounting hardware.

As you know, every two years we have to pass MOT (called APK) here, with some idiot rules. My brown '68 almost failed to pass the check because of a burned blue high beam control light. So driving with "exotic" lights is not allowed.

If I'm right the H4 was already available a bit earlier, but that could be availability as an option. The H1, introduced in the late sixties, was more or less standard untill then. It was already a huge improvement, compared to the bulbs in the early models.

Otto

[Jaems]

The H1 became available for the 68 911S. However, for the US versions only the Sugar Scoop type was available to 83. The rest of the world used the H1. The H4 became available in 73. In 74 the Sugar Scoop for US spec. (83 painted rims) was still standard through 87. When the US spec cars got the H5 head lights. The H1 and H4 were never legal for the US spec car. However, a lot a owners put the Euro H1 and H4 on their cars.

[69porsche]

Audette Collection: The 911 Light Resource | Concours Restoration of Porsche SWB 911 Headlamps, BOSCH H1's & H4's + LED Headlights

[Fixer]

This entire assembly for the early VW Beetle - Bus [mid '50s through '67] is available through many VW parts suppliers for about $45.

$45 gets you all that you see here; bucket with hole for parking lights, adjuster screws, rings etc..

Looks like the lens could be flipped 180 to look correct on an early Porsche. I have not tried this, just wanted to add the the convo..

As I already mentioned, the relatively cheap VW units are NOT suitable for our P-cars. The ring differs from the Porsche version, which is more flat, and the VW version has a lip for the mounting screw. The position of the VW screw is positioned lower than for Porsche needed so the hole in the lip does no align with the hole in the Porsche lamp bucket.

The parking light in the depicted unit is rather big. The parking light fiting should be part of the reflector and is a small fitting.

The lens could be used ...

Otto