We all know that stock bug headlights aren't that great. I was just wondering if anyone had tried diamond headlights with H4 bulbs and if they were even able to get them to fit OK? I recall seeing that smeone was going to give it a go, but could not find that thread.
I've found these things cheap in the states and with the dollar the way it is now, they are VERY affordable.
see
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/59-79-Volkswagen-Beetle-Diamond-Round-Headlight-63_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4a9c398d2eQQitemZ320448597294QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesYes You can fit any 7 inch headlamp into a beetle..
I have always used Hella sealed QH bulbs in type 3s and beetles over the years...
it does mean a bit of fiddling and modifying.. to fit them..lol
Firstly You need a headlamp bracket like what was used in early fords and other cars. the stainless steel piece fits over the front of the headlamp and screws to the rear bucket piece with 3 screws...
You then need to attach the bracket[with headlamp inside]
to either the little brackets already in the VW headlamp buckets
or to the two very long screws in the VW headlamp rim..
it doesn't have to be anything fancy, as the headlamp rim will fit very tightly into the VW chromed rim..
I have used all sorts of methods but its too hard to explain..
lol.. maybe i should have taken photos... lol
but remember nothing is Impossible just a dam bit harder lol
any 7 inch round headlamp can be fitted to 68> beetles and
kombis..
I have always used Hella H4 headlamps, now I use semi sealed beams with Narva Plus 50 XENON headlamp bulbs...
and My beetle has excellent headlamps...
I don't normally use the spotlamps etc... lol
LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Did you have to beef up the wiring or can the standard wiring cope with the load?
i think i have what you are talking about, fitted into early beetle us spec headlight
was that the style you were talking about?
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
Hi guys, thanks for the feedback so far. I have now added an image to my original post so you can see the headlights I am talking about.
So it seem you can get them to fit, I just wonder now if they are cheap and nasty. But I guess for the price you could take a gamble.
Any thoughts?
cam070 wrote:Did you have to beef up the wiring or can the standard wiring cope with the load?
standard wiring is OK...
I have used the same legal wattage bulbs 50/60w H4 PLUS50
I don't recommend using the 100/80w bulbs without using heavier wires and relays.. and they are illegal ..
If Your beetle is an early one [sloping] Porsche 356 and VWs in the USA both had vertical upright 7 inch sealed beams as that was US Law..
cheers
LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Lights from the US are likely left hand drive so won't be any use in Oz as they dip the wrong way.
ive got a pair of them that i tried in my bug
they look a million dollars but jeez they throw off a shitty beam pattern
all i got was people bitching they dazzle on coming drivers too much
youll need an old 7" sealed beam mounting kit from soemthing to fit them
i ended up going back to my stock semi sealeds, mightnt look as flashy but work 100x better
hullby, there not lh/rh directional like stock lenses are
they both symmetirical design
Joel wrote:ive got a pair of them that i tried in my bug
they look a million dollars but jeez they throw off a shitty beam pattern
all i got was people bitching they dazzle on coming drivers too much
youll need an old 7" sealed beam mounting kit from soemthing to fit them
i ended up going back to my stock semi sealeds, mightnt look as flashy but work 100x better
hullby, there not lh/rh directional like stock lenses are
they both symmetirical design
So the diamond jobs aren't the go then.
I've also seen some projector headlights that take H4's, are these basically the same thing? To be honest smething doesn't sound quite right about them.
The 'diamond' or 'crystal' headlights are crap. Used some 7" jobbies in a Holden and they were so bad I actually threw them in the bin and put Narva H4 kit in. 100/90W globes with relays of course. The main thing is high/ low is not just the power, it is the actual height of the beam. If the low beam is not right, it will dazzle oncoming drivers. I am sure you dont like dazzling lights, so the best way is to not be one of them.
I would think that any good brand being Narva, Hella, Cibie will all be good quality and Australian Design Rules certification.
Ok , so looks like these will be the go when the time comes, the 7" jobbies,
http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/inserts, from these guys seems like a reasonable price
http://onlineauto.com.au/product.php?productid=17832I used the Narva ones in my purple bug. Work great!
Reub
hulbyw wrote:Lights from the US are likely left hand drive so won't be any use in Oz as they dip the wrong way.
actually,
all sealed beams from the usa.. rh or lh
don't have the sharp cutoff with low beam...
they are always too bright...
H4s with xenon 55/60 bulbs are the best....
still only use 55/60 watts but much brighter.....
Lee
ps: heard that the diamond lights aren't much good....
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Syncronicity that someone has just bumped this thread
I've only just put a set of those projector lights above in my bug
I'll put better info and pics of them in my readers thread to save hi-jacking this one but I'm pretty happy with them and I'm very fussy when it comes to lights
I Realy like these and i wish to have them on my bug in the future.
From Dylan
Joel wrote:Syncronicity that someone has just bumped this thread
I've only just put a set of those projector lights above in my bug
I'll put better info and pics of them in my readers thread to save hi-jacking this one but I'm pretty happy with them and I'm very fussy when it comes to lights
NEVER SEEN ANY LIGHTS LIKE THAT jOEL...
what brand are they??
they look very different to Me... lol
LEE
do they use a H4 bulb xenon or halogen??
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
DylanTheDubber wrote:I Realy like these and i wish to have them on my bug in the future.
From Dylan
they are the lights that look great Dylan...
NOT very Bright at Night.....??
LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Hi Lee, theyre a brand called Neo-lite and just use a standard p43t base H4 bulb - I hate lights that use the VW only p45t bases, so hard to get new bulbs from anywhere but a VW place
Although I do have a 6000k HID xenon kit sitting around I might try in them.
The only way to run a HID system that's safe for other motorists is to fit them to projector lights.
Pretty well all new cars now run projector headlights so I figured they were worth a try, I'd tried those crystal prism inserts like that orange bug above and they were a waste of money.
they look great and work fine if you have a car you never drive at night but I think the screen on my phone throws out a more focused beam.
And they were so cheaply made, all plastic, one cracked around the outside when I tightened down the retainer and another fractured when it copped a rock.
These new ones are thick glass lenses with metal reflectors like the originals
Low beam is a bit vanilla, an ok kidney shaped pattern but highbeam is where they really shine...literally
I reckon they have double the beam range of normal headlights, but i guess thats the effect magnifying glasses tend to have
They like those crystal prism ones don't directly fit an aussie vw, you need a sealed beam bucket mount from something, I've got old Lucas ones from a Morris Minor in mine
I also had to go back to my original plastic headlight rings, which are still chrome... yay more painting to do 🙄
the Brazillian metal ones i had didnt clear the mounts
Is this the bucket that you need to fit this type of reflector?
http://www.eisparts.com/141941041.html
Yup that's it
You'll also need the retainer rings as well, which doesnt look like they have
US had sealed beam lights from 67 on for some reason
they had there parker bulbs in the indicators too 🤪
How does that bucket attach to the car, is there any welding involved?
just sorting some pics of mine at the moment
but no welding involved, should be tabs to mount them in 68 on gaurds
**edit**
better late than never
theres some pics of the mounts in my thread here
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=68443&page=7#pid796325
