Quote:
Originally Posted by dpetteng
So my restorer is going to recommission the engine but I know I need to convert the lights to UK spec before I get my UK MOT.
Does anyone have any advice for conversion of the headlights and rear lights? They seem pretty expensive. I also know the US headlights are more upright than the classic european sloped models?
Looking for advice
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For cars with US sealed beam units; just throw them away. Use a good-quality - eg Bosch, Hella or Cibie - H4 reflectors with the appropriate traffic pattern, fit them straight into the US sugar-scoops in place of the sealed beam unit.
For Bosch H4 euro headlights, buy a set of lenses of the correct pattern. Or mask off the little window that focuses the beam to the "wrong" side with black electrical tape and a craft knife/scalpel - which also makes it easy to convert for driving on the continent.
If you've got H1s, you're going to need to source the correct-pattern lenses. Or mask off the focused area of the lens.
Strictly speaking, you're not supposed to show a steady yellow light to the front; disabling US front running light(s) falls foul of the "if a light is fitted, it must work" rule. You could blank these off entirely or convert to clear lenses. My MOT tester wasn't concerned.
Use Euro lenses for the rear - and
AFAIK it'd be 100% correct to just remove the side-marker bulb that lives under the little reflector (yeh, I know; apparently its OK for a light not to work if the factory did it). Although your MOT tester probably won't be too concerned about US lenses/red indicators at the rear, so you could probably get away with leaving those. I left the rear markers showing yellow through Euro lenses; no-one cared.
Don't need indicator side-repeaters, rear seat belts, 3rd stop light or a rear fog for a '71, in case you were wondering.
They will need to enter "date of manufacture" into the computer - and they want a "real" date. I just said to use the 1st of the month that the VIN tag said it was made in.