Date:         Wed, 24 Dec 2003 11:17:03 EST
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Square Headlight Uprgade? Round, Square, Lighting Relays . . .
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Some thoughts on Vanagon headlights:

1/ I converted to the SA configuration, but I would not do it again.
Instead, I would adapt 200 mm rectangular (nominally 5X7) Hella's to the stock
grille.  I saw this reported in the Limbo newsletter some years ago and the result
looked good even without the curved lens of the stock modular lights.  The
200mm Hella's can be found for about $80 including the bulbs.  Considering only
the cost of the necessary hardware this is the cheapest route to go.  My SA
conversion cost half of what most vendors charge only because I already had the
buckets and I get Hella's from a place with the best price around.

Don't be misled into thinking that the SA grille is simply slapped into
place.  In reality, there is no time saved mounting an SA grille compared to
fabricating the mounting pieces for rectangular lights because, done properly, the
SA grille requires the fabrication and accurate alignment of the three
attachment points which do not exist in the grille openings of US Vanagons.

Still, the SA combination is hands down better than the stock setup.  For
that matter, the round headlight grille prior to '86 with a set of 7" Hella's is
also mucho better.

2/ Save your money.  Simply installing higher wattage lamps is no solution.
The problem with the stock headlights has little to do with the intensity of
the light source but much to do with the optical characteristics of the lamp
and the resultant light pattern.  Ask any of the unfortunate soles who bought
those made in Pakistan H-4's from one of the list vendors about the
effectiveness of more watts.

3/ Although I was not compelled to use higher wattage lamps, I, too,
installed relays for the lighting load solely because I did not want to suffer, once
again, the inconvenience of a failed headlight switch.  The lighting "relay
kits" I have seen offered have one serious shortcoming: they leave the coil side
of the relay unfused.  I was fortunate enough to find a double relay block
with two attached fuse holders hiding in my mass of Vanagon junk (I think it was
from an '84) which allowed me to install the lighting relays with proper
fusing.

George