The 'E' Type Forum

Cleaning the car the other day and noticed a small amount of water collected in the bottom of a headlight. Time to renew so just wondering which is the best one to go for

When you say headlight do you mean the glass lamp itself or just the sugar scoop area under the outer glass?. I think they almost all leak water into the area under the outer glass. If the lamp itself has water inside then it must have got there via the wire that goes through into the bowl unless the bowl has rusted through. There are various 7 inch units available e.g wipac. Widely available. You can now get reproduction Lucas PL700 tripod types. Mine seem fine. Make sure you get RHD versions what ever type you go for.

Thanks Julian ... it's the glass light itself not the cover. Any recommendations on bulb upgrade or wattage I could increase to?

I was contemplating getting PL700 units with H4's but was wondering beam pattern and if they're any good at lighting the road. Quite fancy the original look but not at the expense of better lighting. Any thoughts

Hi
I’ve got standard headlamps on my Coupe (S1) and as long as your not driving Ileagally fast regularly at night I don’t think there’s a need for anything more.
90plus % driving is daytime anyway
Just a thought
Robbie

dale bowman wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 04, 2019 1:01 pm

I was contemplating getting PL700 units with H4's but was wondering beam pattern and if they're any good at lighting the road. Quite fancy the original look but not at the expense of better lighting. Any thoughts

From what I heard from a restorer the new PL700 replacements are to be avoided. His actual comment was that they seemed to be made out of chocolate, and were in practice useless. So badly made that once the headlamps are adjusted and you go out on the road, bumps will leave you with one headlamp illuminating the trees and the other a couple of yards in front of you. Made in China of course. That was admittedly four years ago so I sourced some NOS which are fine, but they are hen's teeth these days. Maybe though things on the repro front are better now? I don't know.

One of the issues we as drivers of cars fitted with 1950s lighting is that everyone else drives with 2010s lighting. I find the weedy H4s pouring faintly yellow light onto a spot on the road a few feet in front of the bonnet totally blinded by the stream of HIDs and LEDs coming towards me. Worse when it is raining.

I’m still waiting for a correct H4 LED bulb replacement to become available. Correct in that the dipped beam LED array is perfectly placed to allow the reflector / lens to project the intended dip pattern. I’ve tried loads of H4s made in a certain oriental country. None have produced a correct dipped beam pattern. When one is made, I’ll fit the bulbs.

Meanwhile, my headlamps are crystal units. Flat plain glass front, no fresnel lens, shaped reflector. This type of headlamp unit looses less light through refraction compared with the fresnel lens of a standard headlamp, ie more goes on the road. The only issue is that it looks wrong on an E-Type

Mine are repro PL700 with 60/55watt H4 bulbs. They are fine at normal speeds and look "period". I am not spending hundreds of pounds on an original PL700....No they are not up to the standard of a new car but unless you race about in the dark at 70mph they are perfectly adequate. I do have the relay conversion though.

Hi Julian where have you found the pl700 repro...?

It was a couple of years back but pretty sure is was here..

https://www.s-v-c.co.uk/product/7--pl70 ... roduction/

But there are other sellers. They come in LHD and RHD versions so make sure you get the correct one. UK need RHD whereas Europe and the US need LHD versions

Ok Julian thank's

I have the Lucas PL700 you can buy today and fitted the latest Osram Nightbraker bulbs.
That gives one of the best night visions I have seen with H4 lights - more than "OK".