Reasonable Headlamp Wattage

[Guest]

I am trying to decide what wattage to use for my headlights. FYI if you bought Lucas headlights- I got mine from Tornado- the bulb they use is base style P45t (R2). These bulbs are VERY common in Europe, but only common in the US in motorcycles, ATVs, etc.

Anyway, I have found Wattages like 130/90, 100/90, 100/55 down to 45/40. A few are Xenon blue, but most are Halogen H4 bulbed. I don't want to glare anyone out with my low beams, but I am thinking that the low position of our headlights provide a little break in that regard. Am I rationalizing in thinking that 130/90 would be OK or should a considerate driver use something like a 100/55? I don't want blue for blues sake, but I do want as much seeing light as possible while not being dangerous to others or myself. I do have H4 based projector/driving lights and dichoric(sp) fog lamps with a real nice wide flat beam. I have also wired main lights to be able to burn low and high together.

 

[Bill Bayard]

Lynn,

You might want to check to see what's legal
in North Carolina. 100W is the limit in most states. You could always up the wattage after
the car is registered, if necessary.

Bill

 

[Guest]

Right your are Bill. I have the original 65/55 bulbs for all official business ;-)

Something else came to mind in reading Daniel Stern's http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/info/blue_bulbs/ report on glare and that is this whole business of right hand/left hand headlights. Since I bought my Lucas headlights from Tornado, are they right hand lenses??? How can I tell? Do I need to aim them farther left if they are?

 

[Bill Bayard]

Lynn,

Hopefully Tornado had the foresight to send you left hand drive bulbs, otherwise, they are useless. You will not be able to adjust them far enough to use, and inverting them won't work either, as you would have a great view 10 feet in front of your car at best. You should be able to find out the right or left from a Lucas dealer, with the part#.
Cross your fingers! Good luck!

Bill

[ April 16, 2002: Message edited by: Bill Bayard ]

 

[M.B]

Lynn !

You should probably be able to see it on the lense.
Bulbs are not making any differences..
Might even say LHD or RHD on the light !...
Otherwise check the lense/glass.
About in the middle of the glass you have a straight line across in a horizontal plane.
About 2/3 or 3/4 of the lenght approx.
The line breaks straight downwards to reach just on top of the lower corner(nearest the brak of line)
If this line goes towards the right looking towards the glass then it is for left hand driving.
If it goes downwards to the left looking on the glass, it is for right hand driving.

This is because(the line)you do not wish to get the light when driving as far up as to get straight in the eyes of the driver in the opposite lane, coming towards you.

The brake of line downwards is due to the fact that it should lighten up the dith side nearest your car..
For animals, people or what ever.
So you´ll get the best chance of seeing what ever when driving when dark or such...

Hope you´ll get my point altough my descriptions might not be to easy to "read" !!

Regards, Marco

 

[Jack Compton]

Lynn-With the driving and fog lamps you have, I would suggest starting wiht the 100/55 bulbs, and work from there. The main question is how much driving will you be doing at night, and at what speed. If your driving will be limited to freeway speeds or less, the 100/55's should be more than adequate, as it doesn't blind oncoming traffic, and you have the high-beams to fall back on when you need them. The key here is make sure the lights are aimed properly for you and the car. This can make a big difference in the performance of your lights.
Jack

 

[Guest]

Jack, thanks for the input. I was thinking along those very lines. Now I have a more serious concern: I have learned that the headlights received were indeed RHD lenses. We have been told that they have been used on LHD cars for a while with no problem. Also that the new type they are using, Lucas are no longer available to them, will go either way by changing the position of the bulb in the housing. Does this sound feasable to anyone? According to Marco, the bulbs would have no effect. I have emailed Daniel Stern, who is sort of a headlight guru, and I will post his response.
TIA- Lynn

 

[Bill Bayard]

Lynn,

My left hand drive headlights are Hella,

part# 1AD 003 305-001. Hella dealers in the

U.S. will not have a listing for them, but

should be able to special order them

directly from Hella. I believe that they are

100/65's. Good luck!


Bill

[ April 19, 2002: Message edited by: Bill Bayard ]

 

[Jack Compton]

Lynn-I do not believe the bulb will make any difference, and based on the housings I have seen, there is only one way for the bulb to go in the headlight anyway. I can see where light for RHD countries could become a problem for someone driving in a LHD country. You can test this by placing your car in front of a flat wall or garage door, making sure the surface leading to the wall or door is relatively flat. (This has to be done at night, by the way). Starting about 50' from the wall or door, turn on the headlights on low-beam, and slowly drive forward to the wall or door. You should be able to see the light pattern for each headlight develop on the surface. You can measure the kick-up to determine if it is slight or extreme. If it is more than 10-20 degrees, and the kick-up is on the side of oncoming traffic, I think you will have an issue. Better safe than sorry-try to exchange with someone from a country who needs the lenses you have. While you are doing this test, it is a great time to perform precise aiming of the headlights, with you in the car, of course.
Jack

 

[M.B]

Lynn !

Do you got the first "colour" book by John Allen ?
If so, have a look a p.62.
There´s a pic of a 2nd generation Marchal head light.
It is for LHD.
A line straight a cross the glass horizontally to keep the on coming traffic from getting the lights in their eyes.

And the additional almost diagonal line to keep the nearest ditch more lightened for visibilaty.
When going to a RHD country it´s the opposite
The diagonal line towards the othe corner(of the two in bottom of the light)
To lighten the "other" ditch as going on the other side of the road.
Obviously in a GT40 the light does not spread as much.
But think of them mounted at the very foremost position on a ordinary car.
LHD or RHD is nothing else than getting the on coming traffic out of light in their eyes as well as lightenen your nearest ditch for safety.
More visibility- the safer.
No on coming traffic at dark driving.
Then you switch on the second wire inside your bulb and you get an evenly spread light image.
As much up, as down and side way´s.
That´s what the bulb does.
you have two wires in side.
with different power and location so they´ll give different projections.
No traffic- turn on the pass lights
better lightning, longer more spread and you´ll see more/longer.
When you hit the flick switch you turn on both to get a increased effect for a short period of time.
Taking over, warning somebody, get something/somebody to react that you are coming or such etc...
I live in Sweden, and here it is all black in winter nights and hardly much dark at all during summer, day or night.
And when i´ve been visiting England(LHD)
I have to tape my headlights so my "ditch" spread of light does´nt catch the on coming traffics eye´s as in Sweden we also have RHD.

 

[Guest]

Well, fellows your are all spot on. With the help of Daniel Stern's guide to headlight codes, http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/info/lights/codes/ , I have determined that our headlights --there are at least two of us in this fix-- are made for England's RHD cars. I have verified this by putting my low beams on the darkened garage's door and the break lines are unmistankenly up into oncoming traffic here in the US. The Cibie/Marchand headlights are available for around $200 a pair from Daniel. Just don't buy them from Aardvark who is selling these "Orginial GT40" headlights for $600. Gunther will even throw in a pair of bulbs; what a guy, huh? They were the same price as Daniel's until people started showing an interest in "GT40" headlights.

My issue is that I have spent a great deal of time and trouble modifying and fitting the brackets that came with these Lucas lights for European Escorts (I believe) from Tornado. I say I believe because Ken Saunders says his are from a Fiesta. It seems the best solution is to find out what year model of Escort or Fiesta -both have side lights- these fit and try to find a French, Swedish or some LHD housing to fit my bracketry. I hit the Escort websites and asked for some help in figuring out the year range. Anyone here know??

I had to cut the upper, outside corner out of the stamped brackets that came with the housings. Then, of course, I had to brace and stiffen the brackets, then attach strut arms and brackets that bolt to the back of the light box in the wheel well. I also modified the adjusters to be able to adjust the lights from the back. I guess, I'll rip it all out and start over, if I have to. But, I'd rather just change the housings to get the right lenses. The housings Tornado is using now apparently have two detents for a P43t based bulb to allow adjustment. They should have a double arrow in the lower right hand corner of the lens like this <-->. This indicates use in RHD or LHD.

Thanks for the help thus far and keep your fingers crossed for us! --Lynn

 

[M.B]

Hello, !

Non of these have original lights for sale.
Looking at their web´s does´nt show that they even got the right housing..
If you want the original type of housing there might be some suorces.
Remember that theses are 123x233mm i.e 6"x9"
Otherwise they would look kind of silly, using smaller ones.
In my opinion, of course...
Lucas at least had some in some sort of similiar size.
Bosch, Hella at least has/had somewhat similiar in housing, altough not as deep.
Originals used Marchal´s..
Here´s a list of usable lights with correct housing...down the list, more expensier and also more correct, sort of..

Valeo... don´t have any further info..
Cibié LHD with or without parking lights
Cibié RHD with or without parking lights
Marchal with Cat on glass LHD With or without parking lights
Marchal with Cat on glass RHD With or without parking lights
Early types
Marchal with M-shield on glass
Marchal with M-shield on glass GT40 original´s with specific mounting brackets

The Cibié´s at least, also have their mounting brackets in three corners as the rest.
But the corner brackets might also be in different corners, so you now...