Lower main beam light units

[Harvy500]

The two main beam light units left and right of the number plate on the my Griffith are not only very cloudy but one is a different make/design from the other.
I've found a brand new pair of Hella 5-3/4" units for a sensible price.
Are these a major issue to swap over?

[phillpot]

No.

[Harvy500]

Mission accomplished!

[TR4man]

I seem to remember that the most difficult part was putting on those rubber bands!

[Griff22]

Previously had similar issues with mine.
Replaced with lamps from Racetech £65 each, they are a direct fit without requiring any modifications. As said hardest part is fitting the rubber bands.
When you have your lamps out lubricate the screw threads with WD40 silicone before refitting to ease adjustment.

[Harvy500]

TR4man said:

I seem to remember that the most difficult part was putting on those rubber bands!

I found a relatively easy way ......
Remove the whole unit by undoing the 3 wing nuts in the back.
Peel off gently the rubber band. Clean up said band and housing.
WITHOUT the new light unit in place, stretch the band over the housing and push it as far back as the locating bolt treads will allow.
Put the new light unit in, seat it in place then slide the rubber band forward to go over the light.
First unit swap over took me best part of 45 minutes and a lot of grrrr's and ffs's!
Once I'd worked out how to do it, 2nd one (passenger side) took less the 5 minutes.

[Colin RedGriff]

I put some helicopter tape (clear) over the lenses of mine to protect them from flying stones.

[Harvy500]

Harvy500 said:

I found a relatively easy way ......
Remove the whole unit by undoing the 3 wing nuts in the back.
Peel off gently the rubber band. Clean up said band and housing.
WITHOUT the new light unit in place, stretch the band over the housing and push it as far back as the locating bolt treads will allow.
Put the new light unit in, seat it in place then slide the rubber band forward to go over the light.
First unit swap over took me best part of 45 minutes and a lot of grrrr's and ffs's!
Once I'd worked out how to do it, 2nd one (passenger side) took less the 5 minutes.

I got 2 brand new direct fit Hella units. £85 the pair delivered next day. 2 new H1 nightbreaker bulbs installed.
Next mission when I can be bothered is to add relays directly to 12v source power to feed the bulbs properly.

[Harvy500]

Colin RedGriff said:

I put some helicopter tape (clear) over the lenses of mine to protect them from flying stones.

Helicopter tape?

[8Speed]

Harvy500 said:

Colin RedGriff said:

I put some helicopter tape (clear) over the lenses of mine to protect them from flying stones.

Helicopter tape?

Tape used to stick onto leading edges of rotor blades to prevent erosion of the leading edge. Thick transparent tape.
My lights have perspex covers fitted which protects them.

[LucyP]

Harvy500 said:

I got 2 brand new direct fit Hella units. £85 the pair delivered next day. 2 new H1 nightbreaker bulbs installed.
Next mission when I can be bothered is to add relays directly to 12v source power to feed the bulbs properly.

Surely your next mission is to remove those chavtastic number plates, and put on some normal ones with the standard legal font.

[Harvy500]

It's my car. You don't have to like it. Not the first time you have been criticising others. Get a life.

Edited by Harvy500 on Thursday 7th March 11:25

[Harvy500]

And, last week the car passed its MOT. Legal enough for that whether you like it or not.
Do I detect jealousy? Lol.

[8Speed]

Harvy500 said:

And, last week the car passed its MOT. Legal enough for that whether you like it or not.
Do I detect jealousy? Lol.

Don't worry about Lucy - he/she/its a wind-up merchant.
(Probably thinks Trump is a genius)!

[sixor8]

The glass was cracked all the way across one of my original OE Cibies.

So I flogged the good one on eBay and used the proceeds to get 2 x 5.75" sealed beams from Bowers for £29, making £20 profit on the deal.

I did have to cut the locating tangs off the replacements, and yes, the trickiest bit is the rubber band surround.

[Harvy500]

8Speed said:

Don't worry about Lucy - he/she/its a wind-up merchant.
(Probably thinks Trump is a genius)!

Lol.

[Classic Chim]

Ignore the pest.
So am I right in thinking your headlights only do low beam and these lower lights do high beam.

Having never owned a Griff I always thought the lower lights were like extra driving lights aka rally cars

[Harvy500]

Classic Chim said:

Ignore the pest.
So am I right in thinking your headlights only do low beam and these lower lights do high beam.

Having never owned a Griff I always thought the lower lights were like extra driving lights aka rally cars

You are correct. Lower lights are main beam or flash someone. The other upper lights are for regular night driving.

[Classic Chim]

Harvy500 said:

You are correct. Lower lights are main beam or flash someone. The other upper lights are for regular night driving.

Very cool. Thanks for the info. I’ve driven Griffs and a great one with throttle bodies and close to 400 hp but never at night.
Well I never

[Loubaruch]

Classic Chim said:

Very cool. Thanks for the info. I’ve driven Griffs and a great one with throttle bodies and close to 400 hp but never at night.
Well I never

Alun you are most fortunate! The standard Griffith Dipped headlights are diabolical bordering on the dangerous, I have installed LED bulbs that give some improvement. We all know that they are a potential MOT failure ( Cue Pest) so I change back for the test. I would sooner risk being caught with illegal lights rather than hit something, I am careful that the LEDs do not cause dazzle, and as I have never been flashed assume they do not.