Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:54:35 -0800
Reply-To: BenT Syncro <syncro@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: BenT Syncro <syncro@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Rectangular headlights... low & high-beam units same shape?
In-Reply-To: <f700b5ac0811051257h5d8e89fejcabacdab935ebba3@mail.gmail.com>
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On Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 12:57 PM, Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@gmail.com>wrote:
> I have seen images of replacement rectangular headlight kits, and
> these seem to show separate high and low-beam units which are the same
> size and shape.
Andrew, those are aftermarket kits by Projektzwo (and clones by other
makers).
> However looking at images of vans, the inner lights seem to be
> narrower than the outers (no, I have never looked closely at a
> rectangular-light van... it's not as if they're thick on the ground in
> Calgary). If this is so, what ARE the inner lights for? Are the outers
> hi/lo?
The inner beams are for highbeams only and are identical to ones found on
rectangular headlight models in Europe.
The outers are unique to the T3 and came in two different flavors. The North
American spec T3's got ones with poor
reflector design. The European spec H4's (also called e-codes) are virtually
identical in shape except for the reflectors.
They also only accept the NA spec headlight bulbs vs. the e-codes which
accept any H4 bulb. If you will pardon the
pun, the difference between the NA spec (DOT) headlights vs. the e-codes are
like night and day. With DOT lights,
you can actually see a shadow of your vehicle in y9our headlight pattern on
the ground when another vehicle with
regular lights get behind you. The H4's are just fine not to mention offers
a larger array of available bulbs wattages.
Be sure to check legality of use in your locality. They are technically
illegal in the US though enforcement is nearly
nonexistent. They look like the DOT lights afterall.
> I'm thinking now that rectangular lights look better than South
> African round ones... but sourcing a set of "semisealed" RHD halogen
> low-beams could be a problem if they are unique to these vehicles.
These headlights come-up on Ebay UK all the time. They are usually much
cheaper than the LHD counterpart
because there is less demand. I've seen them sell for as £10 each from
Ebay.
> It would be legal to use LHD lows in New Zealand, but I'd have to make
> tape cutouts for them, which wouldn't look great, and then the
> molded-n cutouts would leave the left edge of the road dark.
>
> If the fittings are generic rectangular, like the ones in my 89 diesel
> Corolla wagon, then there's no problem. I can fit some Stanley lows
> from a NZ wrecker.
Some enterprising inviduals have taken the headlight adjusters from a SAAB
and bolted them to a modified Vanagon (T3)
bucket then used a generic rectangular Hi/Lo headlight in it's place. I
can't remember what they did to the inner highbeams
though. Others had mentioned some Ford headlights adjusters can be used as
well.
>
>
> I believe the US got unique buckets which don't fit generic lights? Or
> do halogen replacements fit the US buckets?
Yes, the e-code Halogen replacements will fit the US bucket. There is no
difference in the buckets for rectangular headlight system
in any markets. In fact the only difference are the lenses on the outer
lowbeams. They will not fit just any generic rectagualr headlight
w/o modication though.
BenT
