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Date:         Wed, 24 Dec 2003 11:14:09 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: Square Headlight Uprgade? Round, Square, Lighting Relays . . .
Comments: To: THX0001@AOL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <182.24e019b6.2d1b15ff@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Doggone you, George!!!!

Just when I think I have all this lighting stuff sorted out in my mind enough to make a lighting upgrade, you come along with some new information that thows all my plans and expections out of kilter. Now I have to rethink what direction I want to go. LOL!

Ok, so here's a question, where do these 200 mm Hella's for $80 come from. Got any sources you can refer me (us) to?? I would be on those in a heartbeat.

And is there any other source you know of for those double fuse blocks to enable fusing the coil of the relay??

Although I have some round buckets and was about to go for the SA grille, if I could get the cheaper rectangular lights I really think I would rather stay with them, expecially give that I am interested in those fog lights that are rectangular that fit on the end of the lower grille. Rectangulars above and below look better to me than a mix of rounds and rectangulars.

Thanks,

Regards,

John Rodgers 88 GL Driver

George Goff wrote:

>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 > > >


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