Uprated headlamp bulbs
Discussion
I use 100/80W in the headlights of my red rally car and I've just moved to the 'blue' Xenon bulbs. Not sure if I like the blueish tinge, though, and I may go back to 100/80 white Xenon. You can buy these from Demon Tweaks on-line mail order. Don't worry about the legality on the road, I've never had any problem with the really powerful bulbs and it would be difficult for the old bill to sus it out.
However, I have partially melted the connectors which go into the back of the bulb and the cure seems to be to run the power leads directly into the bulb and into the earth using spade terminals rather than going into the 3 connector 'block'. This worked well, although with that sort of headlight power you must use a relay for both mainbeam and dip (i.e. 2 relays). If you don't you'll burn out the dipswitch and/or headlamp switch.
In my black Enduro rally car, where standard bulbs are required by the regs, I use a 60/55W headlamp bulb in white Xenon. However, the best solution is to up-grade the basic headlamp units as well as the bulbs.
I tried the 'Wipac Quadoptic' lenses and found them the most useless lights ever, even worse than the old Lucas sealed beams, and even with 100W bulbs. I threw them away after trying to remove the metal reflector piece, which made no difference at all.
The best I've used are the Cibie, but the Hella H4 units on my red car are almost as good, especially with the 100W bulbs.
With 100W heads and 8" Cibie Super Oscar spotlights (100w single filament bulbs) it don't 'arf put some light down the road. It does have a 67 amp alternator, by the way.
I hope this information is of some use.
Peter
However, I have partially melted the connectors which go into the back of the bulb and the cure seems to be to run the power leads directly into the bulb and into the earth using spade terminals rather than going into the 3 connector 'block'. This worked well, although with that sort of headlight power you must use a relay for both mainbeam and dip (i.e. 2 relays). If you don't you'll burn out the dipswitch and/or headlamp switch.
In my black Enduro rally car, where standard bulbs are required by the regs, I use a 60/55W headlamp bulb in white Xenon. However, the best solution is to up-grade the basic headlamp units as well as the bulbs.
I tried the 'Wipac Quadoptic' lenses and found them the most useless lights ever, even worse than the old Lucas sealed beams, and even with 100W bulbs. I threw them away after trying to remove the metal reflector piece, which made no difference at all.
The best I've used are the Cibie, but the Hella H4 units on my red car are almost as good, especially with the 100W bulbs.
With 100W heads and 8" Cibie Super Oscar spotlights (100w single filament bulbs) it don't 'arf put some light down the road. It does have a 67 amp alternator, by the way.
I hope this information is of some use.
Peter
Bets standard wattage are probably white xenon 60/55W in Cibie headlamp units. It always seems that the headlamp units are more critical than the actual bulbs and, as I said earlier, the Wipac Quadoptic headlights are pretty hopeless in terms of putting light down the road.
Best spotlights are possible Cibie Oscar or Super-Oscar with 55W H1 white xenon bulbs.
Best spotlights are possible Cibie Oscar or Super-Oscar with 55W H1 white xenon bulbs.
cooperman said:
I tried the 'Wipac Quadoptic' lenses and found them the most useless lights ever, even worse than the old Lucas sealed beams, and even with 100W bulbs.
I heard other people with the same opinion on them. However, I wonder if the design of these has changed, or perhaps they are being knocked out for pennies by a Chinese company somewhere. I put a set of Quadoptics on my first mini and they were orders of magnitude better than the old sealed beams. Not as good as the Bosch ones on my brothers mini though (almost totaly flat lenses, did make it look a bit odd).
RickApple said:
RickApple said:
It is VERY grim up north - fortunately i escape in october!
To ?
University hopefully, provided i get the grades to get into oxford [aab] - cant take my car though!
rickapple - cone is just feeling threatend that you might be trying to steal his unofficial crown of 'pistonsheads most holidays abroad in a year'
also. my opinion of quadoptics is different to most peoples. i think they are a fine good looking lamp. remember that they only cost 30 quid a pair!!!. i sell about 100 odd sets a year and have never had them come back under warrenty as faulty. sure if you want cibees - go and pay the price for them!!. if you want to try a truley set of rubbish headlamps id recomend some angle eyes - plastic backed, non - emarked junk!!!. they are terrible, you'd be better of with a pair of bbike lamps from halfords!!
I agree with the guru, pound for pound the Quadoptics are good value and infinately better than the sealed beams. Ok, they aren't the best in the world compared to others........ but they are pretty well made, and fit the car unlike the "cheap and cheerful" rubbish sold at some Mini-shows.
The best 7" lamps I've used were original Lucas ones, as fitted to my father's MG. With 100/80 bulbs they were great.
Lotus fitted Cibie's on the Eclat and Excel, not great lamps for a 140mph car but they were stuck with 7" lamps to retain the shape of the car.
In terms of bulbs the PIAA bulbs are very expensive IMHO. I've got Phillips Vision Plus bulbs at the moment. Osram SilverStars are supposed to be even better. Both are available on-line from Powerbulbs.co.uk for about £20 a pair.
The best 7" lamps I've used were original Lucas ones, as fitted to my father's MG. With 100/80 bulbs they were great.
Lotus fitted Cibie's on the Eclat and Excel, not great lamps for a 140mph car but they were stuck with 7" lamps to retain the shape of the car.
In terms of bulbs the PIAA bulbs are very expensive IMHO. I've got Phillips Vision Plus bulbs at the moment. Osram SilverStars are supposed to be even better. Both are available on-line from Powerbulbs.co.uk for about £20 a pair.
Maybe it's me, but when I put Quodoptics on my 'red' car, the 1293 Historic rally Car, and fitted 100W bulbs, the main beam was next to useless. True they chucked out a lot of light, but that light didn't seem to be directoed down the road properly. So I took one unit out and removed the metal reflector gizmo in front of the bul. It made things neither better nor worse. So I took them out and fitted the Hella units (those with the flat lenses) from my 'black' car. The result was remarkable and very effective.
In the black car I fitted a set of Cibie units for which i paid around m£50 the pair. They are even better than the Hellas.
The interesting thing, however, is that before fitting the Quodoptics I was using some very cheap units branded 'Autopal - Made in India' They were great and I only changed them because the reflectors were going a bit yellow.
For the little extra the Cibies are well worth the money and combined with Cibie Super Oscar Driving Lights are just fantastic.
In the black car I fitted a set of Cibie units for which i paid around m£50 the pair. They are even better than the Hellas.
The interesting thing, however, is that before fitting the Quodoptics I was using some very cheap units branded 'Autopal - Made in India' They were great and I only changed them because the reflectors were going a bit yellow.
For the little extra the Cibies are well worth the money and combined with Cibie Super Oscar Driving Lights are just fantastic.
RickApple said:
Its the autopals ive got on now actually! They are pretty tacky but i'm going to leave them on for a while methinks!
So long as the reflectors haven't gone all yellow, if you put 100/80 white xenon bulbs in you won't get a better headlight.
Are the Autopal units still available, does anyone know? They also look very similar to the Lucas Continental units which were always good, maybe they're Indian copies.
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