Upgrade to headlights?

redleg · 02-06-2002, 02:08 AM

I saw these on Ebay and wondered if anybody had any experience with these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=601677086&r=0&t=0[/URL]
Are these going to work well, or should i just get the H-4s that the catalogs sell?

ribs · ribs's Garage

I really really like the "diamond" style lenses. That is one thing that always makes old cars look old: the headlight lenses. If the refraction from the beam is as good as with the cloudy style lenses, I would like to pick up a pair of these. The fake ID (HID look bulbs) are mostly crap though. I have only seen 1 pair that looked good, and weren't blue like most of them...I think they were PIAA superwhites, and were just very white, not yellowy tinged like most non HID lights. I would grab the lenses and get a nice pair of superwhites to throw in there.

redleg · 02-07-2002, 11:03 AM

I just bid on another one of his auctions for the same thing. It's a dutch auction, so I'll probably get it. I'll send a report when I have them installed. If anybody is interested, he is sell alot of these lights under different descriptions. Many of thenm are dutch auctions, so the chance that you can get one without getting into a bidding war is quite high. Just look at the sellers other auctions.

RaF944 · 02-07-2002, 12:16 PM

i bought some similar headlights for my 944 last year and they work great.

ribs · ribs's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by RaF944
i bought some similar headlights for my 944 last year and they work great.

So you bought the kind with the clear lenses and they work good? I am very interested in these lenses...I'll have to wait until I either get a job or my huge tax return this year to buy them though.

RaF944 · 02-07-2002, 05:13 PM

yeah i bought Xenon HID's for $39. It came with the housing the h4 bulbs, it was a conversion kit so I would have to buy a whole sealed lense anymore, just the bulbs

Its a lot brighter than my old cheepo depot headlights that I bought at Advance auto parts for $10
and I like the blueish look.

redleg · 02-08-2002, 05:12 AM

Raf944,

Are you using the H4 bulbs that came with it, or hve you upgraded? Also, did you have to do any electrical upgrades to use the higher wattage bulbs?

IceShark · 02-08-2002, 01:47 PM

I haven't actually seen one of those lenses in my hands, but have been told that they aren't very good as far as construction and beam pattern. But they are so cheap, guess it wouldn't hurt to experiment and compare to a first class Cibie or Hella Super. The poor construction will first show up when the lenses crack due to heat shock, especially if you overwatt the bulbs.

But because the 944's wiring is so poor you may never be able to get enough voltage down to the lights to make much of a heat difference. To tell how your wiring is, just put a voltmeter down on the lights under load. And with a high wattage bulb. If you are well under 13.5 volts you failed. And need to rewire, not put in higher wattage bulbs.

There are a couple threads over on Rennlist on this issue. I'm also trying to put together a group headlight upgrade, so sign up if you are interested. Hope Wayne doesn't think this is cross advertising as I'm not in the car parts biz and it is basically cost recovery and getting guys good lights.