[Jim Doran]

I'm happy with the Ron Francis HR-58 kit. Plenty of wire length and good quality relays and mounting. I did order some wire braid loom from summit this morning.

In looking at my 65, current setup has 11.3 volts at lights with all 4 energized and engine off. 14.4 @ battery. To perform the install of relays I can see I will need to remove the radiator and battery to get to all the parts and wires needed. No a big deal, but a PITA.

[ycis]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

LED is coming around, but I don't think it's quite there yet. My entire house is now LED so I have no problem at all with it for some applications.

I've tried all sorts of bulbs in the tail lights and still prefer incandescent. For headlights, I think I can see slightly better with the warmer color 4000k of these versus the blue white 6000K of a HID or an LED. Maybe its just my very old age.

I actually bought a pair of led bulbs to go int he taillight housings, but they would never turn on.

put the stock style back in and they work fine. *shrug

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by ycis

I actually bought a pair of led bulbs to go int he taillight housings, but they would never turn on.

put the stock style back in and they work fine. *shrug

I've tried several, but wasn't all that happy with any of them.

I'm tempted to try this one

https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...retrofit/2625/

Looks like it might be a bit brighter.

[64catalina]

I put LED bulbs in my 1157 sockets to produce more light in the old tail lights.
I had to add a decent ground and change the blinker relay on the fuse box. They still work, I need to do the front bulbs as well they are making the blinker relay wear out faster (heat).

I am considering the relay idea but an LED headlight with no relays would be easier. (provided they fit)
my 2cents

[66 Wagon]

For what it's worth, I found out when installing my new set of Cibie H4 headlamps that they had DOT markings on the glass.
Would that mean that they are approved for legal road use in the US?



These have a nice curved glass and provides a very good light. I used Philips 55/60W bulbs.

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by 66 Wagon

For what it's worth, I found out when installing my new set of Cibie H4 headlamps that they had DOT markings on the glass.
Would that mean that they are approved for legal road use in the US?



These have a nice curved glass and provides a very good light. I used Philips 55/60W bulbs.

Here's the pic on my Hella H4s on my yank tank. Appears that you do have the US DOT version. I definitely have the euro with 80/100s on the H4s and 100s on the H1s

I also bought a set of the 7" for my grandson's Miata and didn't realize he had the Bosch DOT lamps already in there. So we did just one and them compared what we could see of the dispersion patterns on the garage wall before we did the other side. No question, there's a difference, especially with how the beam cutoff lights the right side of the road (deer).

[AdamIsAdam]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

Here's the pic on my Hella H4s on my yank tank. Appears that you do have the US DOT version. I definitely have the euro with 80/100s on the H4s and 100s on the H1s

I also bought a set of the 7" for my grandson's Miata and didn't realize he had the Bosch DOT lamps already in there. So we did just one and them compared what we could see of the dispersion patterns on the garage wall before we did the other side. No question, there's a difference, especially with how the beam cutoff lights the right side of the road (deer).

Yes, the Euro Cibie H4 are great. I have them in my Rubicon. Amazing light pattern and visibility even with only 55/60 watt bulbs

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by AdamIsAdam

Yes, the Euro Cibie H4 are great. I have them in my Rubicon. Amazing light pattern and visibility even with only 55/60 watt bulbs

And far less glare to oncoming drivers than HIDs. I've never once been flashed while on low beam.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

The big thing is to buy the NON USA DOT/SAE lamps. The bulbs are the same.

Make sure it says:

"Lights are for off road use and are not D.O.T. approved. This is a 5 3/4 in. H4 headlamp."

Far better for road use and frankly less glare to oncoming cars.

I got a pair of non legal 7" Hella H4s for my kid from Summit a couple of weeks ago and he had the DOT legal Bosch H4s with the exact same bulbs. So to prove a point, we changed just one of the two lights and went out on a dark road and compared sides. No question using the 7" .... same results as with teh 5 3/4". Even the HIDs that meet SAE/DOT standards, it's just a much brighter, but ill-defined puddle of light.

I've used these in every car I've had since the early to mid 60s. Well worth it.

This guy is putting 840 w of light on the road

http://youtu.be/bWS30yHBuLQ (pretty extreme on high beams)

And I'm putting 560w with everything lit up so I'm pretty close..... plenty close enough. They just have to be aimed carefully on low beam, but if done correctly, I'm less glare than the typical HIDs coming at you.

HOLY COW!! Those things will definitely get you obscene hand signals...

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by hurryinhoosier62

HOLY COW!! Those things will definitely get you obscene hand signals...

Especially since he's on the 'wrong' side of the road.

But obviously no, I don't advocate doing that and mine aren't nearly that extreme. But no excuse for me hitting a deer again on these dark country roads.

[66 Wagon]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

Here's the pic on my Hella H4s on my yank tank. Appears that you do have the US DOT version. I definitely have the euro with 80/100s on the H4s and 100s on the H1s

I also bought a set of the 7" for my grandson's Miata and didn't realize he had the Bosch DOT lamps already in there. So we did just one and them compared what we could see of the dispersion patterns on the garage wall before we did the other side. No question, there's a difference, especially with how the beam cutoff lights the right side of the road (deer).

I had to dig in deeper in this subject and found this on another website discussing the markings on the Cibie lamps I have:

"The US and ECE headlamp standards are not mutually exclusive; it is possible to make a headlamp that meets both standards at the same time --
and there have been a fair number of headlamps that do meet both standards at the same time.
However, those Cibie headlamps you have aren't among them. The "DOT" marking on their lens doesn't actually belong --
there's no basis for it, the headlamp does not meet the US requirements."

So I guess that the Cibie H4 headlamps I have isn't road legal in the US, even if they do have the DOT markings.
It also looks like there is no US version of Cibie H4 lamps ever produced (not for legal use with SAE/DOT approval anyway).
Why the Belgian manufacturer mark the lenses that way, I don't know.

The dispersion pattern on my Cibies are in fact a bit better than I have on my daily driver/winter car, a '06 Ford Mondeo.
It has better beam cutoff to the right side of the road and a bit brighter light, despite the H7 bulbs in the Ford.

The best thing, in my opinion, is that they have the curved glass like the sealed beam headlamps.

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by 66 Wagon

I had to dig in deeper in this subject and found this on another website discussing the markings on the Cibie lamps I have:

"The US and ECE headlamp standards are not mutually exclusive; it is possible to make a headlamp that meets both standards at the same time --
and there have been a fair number of headlamps that do meet both standards at the same time.
However, those Cibie headlamps you have aren't among them. The "DOT" marking on their lens doesn't actually belong --
there's no basis for it, the headlamp does not meet the US requirements."

So I guess that the Cibie H4 headlamps I have isn't road legal in the US, even if they do have the DOT markings.
It also looks like there is no US version of Cibie H4 lamps ever produced (not for legal use with SAE/DOT approval anyway).
Why the Belgian manufacturer mark the lenses that way, I don't know.

The dispersion pattern on my Cibies are in fact a bit better than I have on my daily driver/winter car, a '06 Ford Mondeo.
It has better beam cutoff to the right side of the road and a bit brighter light, despite the H7 bulbs in the Ford.

The best thing, in my opinion, is that they have the curved glass like the sealed beam headlamps.

"It also looks like there is no US version of Cibie H4"

To the best of my knowledge, this true, and has been for a decade or more or I would have bought them. How long have you had your lights? I used Cibies back in the 60s and really liked them. And for a collector car they look a lot more OEMish than the Hella H4s



The closest country where you can get Cibies is Canada, I believe.

I put these in every car I had back then.

[AdamIsAdam]

You can get them here. Stern is the authority. But be patient with response times, he's a one man show.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com

[66 Wagon]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

How long have you had your lights?

The closest country where you can get Cibies is Canada, I believe.

I have only have these Cibies for a week. And I like them. I had a pair of 7 inch Cibies on a '70 Dodge Dart back in the 80's and they were great.
I have had cars equipped with Hella lamps too, and they have just as good light, in my opinion, but unfortunatly the glass is flat.
I tried the cheap Autopal headlamps on my Pontiac prior to the Cibies but they had a bad light pattern. Just an irregular blob in front of the car, in the style of sealed beams.

I bought mine in a webshop located in France, since the few vendors in Sweden that has them doubles the amount for them when they sell them.
I paid 95 dollars for a pair of Cibie (parts # 082374) E-coded H4 lamps, incl shipping from France to Sweden. The H1 lamps (parts # 082369) was 45 dollars/pair

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by AdamIsAdam

You can get them here. Stern is the authority. But be patient with response times, he's a one man show.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com

I didn't know about this guy. I frankly didn't look real hard, but instead bought the Hella's from Summit and had them the next day or so.

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by 66 Wagon

I have only have these Cibies for a week. And I like them. I had a pair of 7 inch Cibies on a '70 Dodge Dart back in the 80's and they were great.
I have had cars equipped with Hella lamps too, and they have just as good light, in my opinion, but unfortunatly the glass is flat.
I tried the cheap Autopal headlamps on my Pontiac prior to the Cibies but they had a bad light pattern. Just an irregular blob in front of the car, in the style of sealed beams.

I bought mine in a webshop located in France, since the few vendors in Sweden that has them doubles the amount for them when they sell them.
I paid 95 dollars for a pair of Cibie (parts # 082374) E-coded H4 lamps, incl shipping from France to Sweden. The H1 lamps (parts # 082369) was 45 dollars/pair

I too think the Hella and Cibies are equivalent. The difference being the flat glass on the H4s on the Hellas. I've had some negative comments at Pontiac shows that these aren't remotely similar to T3s and you can pretty well guess my response to that.

[66 Wagon]

Originally Posted by 61 389-348

...you can pretty well guess my response to that.

Yes, I can guess That's why I went for the ones with curved glass. Not that I have an award winning show car,
I just want to avoid comments at car shows what's right or not. Besides I like the stock appearance of them.

The Hella lamps are even more expensive over here, for some reason, so the Cibies were quite right for me.

[AdamIsAdam]

I was told the reflector is what really makes a good fixture. I did the Cibies are phenomenal. The beam is so sharp and precise it's almost like xenon lights, even with 55w bulbs. My jeep had the worst lights I've ever experienced, down right dangerous. These are amazing, especially compared to the old

[61 389-348]

Originally Posted by AdamIsAdam

I was told the reflector is what really makes a good fixture. I did the Cibies are phenomenal. The beam is so sharp and precise it's almost like xenon lights, even with 55w bulbs. My jeep had the worst lights I've ever experienced, down right dangerous. These are amazing, especially compared to the old

That's part of it and the lens is the other. Either Cibie or Hella. I'll take either one.

[61 389-348]

The lens is the reason the beam is sharp and precise. The reflector is the reason that the beam is bright .... well most of it.