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Date:         Wed, 21 Jan 2004 15:17:09 EST
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: which type of headlight upgrade would you recommend and why?
Comments: To: andrew_gies@CANGENE.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Andrew,

These are the reasons I installed a SA grille listed in some manner of hierarchy from most to least:

1/ I became determined not to suffer the stock lighting anymore.

2/ A group purchase brought the price of the conversion within the amount I would want to spend for it.

3/ I already had a pair of 7" headlight buckets which also factored into the amount I was willing to spend.

4/ I was able to get Hella 7" lamps at a fair price, once again, an element of the total cost.

5/ The main headlamps are a standard industry size which is in stock everywhere.

6/ I like the idea of a truly parabolic reflector, the physics of which was worked out centuries ago with no considerations for what the stylists wanted it to look like.

These are my thoughts in hindsight:

1/ The constuction of the SA grille appears to be far less robust than the grille which I removed. I can only hope that the formulation of the material from which it is made is tougher and highly UV resistant.

2/ In order to install the SA grille as was intended, at least on an US van, the mountings for three captive spring fasteners have to be fabricated and secured to the grille opening. While I imagine that most go without these, I have to think that it is not the best thing to do considering the flimsy nature of the SA grille.

3/ Unfortunately, the SA inner hi-beam lamps are application specific in that they have integral mounting lugs instead of using a bucket with a retaining ring. Should I need to replace an inner hi-beam lamp, I am again stuck with something which will be hard to find.

I am more than satisfied with the amount of lighting the SA setup provides, but, in hindsight, I would have taken a more direct path to improving the lighting; I would install quality, standard 200mm (nominally 5X7) H-4's in the stock grille which is by far the cheapest solution to the problem at hand. This would require adapting buckets from another car or else fabricating a suitable adjustable mounting, but, I sense that you are a resourceful enough fellow to make a good job of it.

As I have said before, one man's approach to installing 200mm H-4's was reported in the Limbo newsletter some years ago. Although I would not think that you need it, perhaps this article is archived by someone.

George


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