Headlamps

[spridget]

Hi
After a small night run, I?m convinced it?s better when Sun is shinning ! my lamps are not very efficient
I just have dismantled one lamp, curiously sealed beam have been fitted. So I?m planning to change them for a H4 kit. But the bowl looks a bit rusty and screws are all different .. the outer rim is missing.
I wonder I would better have to change all the complete lamp or have to clean parts and respray ?
These lamps come from Spitfire I think so Moss can supply them.
I wrote 2 weeks ago to Susan Miller but never have any reply ?

All advices are welcome !
Franck

[Jason1]

Hi

They are the same as a Mini. Save yourself the aggro of painting the bowls and replace them with plastic ones:

http://www.minispares.com/Product.aspx? ... 057&title=

Jason

[john.p.clegg]

....and when you've done that get yourself a voltmeter and see if you can see exactly what the voltage is at the headlamps....bet it won't be 12v......then rewire or fit relays.

John

[andyelan]

Hi Franck

Assuming that the headlamp bowles are original I would suggest you keep them and have them cleaned and painted. Although new ones are readily available, the one I've seen are not very good quality and don't fit very well. Individual spare parts, scerws, adjusters, clips etc, are all available seperatly if you've anything is missing.

Take a look at www.holden.co.uk

Regards
Andy

[gerrym]

Andy, re the plastic inner bowls. I was looking at these but may refurb my rusty metal ones if what you say is true, ie repro one are rubbish quality. Was it the plastic ones form Mini spares that were no good or was it some other suppliers (or do thay all come from China?)

Regards

Gerry

[alaric]

I bought a couple from mattys, but ended up dismantling them and making two good original looking ones from my originals and the parts from the replacements. As you say the new ones are flimsy in comparison to the originals. I still have the original parts horded away somewhere in case I want to rebuild with them.

Sean.

[andyelan]

Hi There Everyone

Gerry, I can't speak about the plastic ones as it was the repro metal ones I tried.

I have to be a bit careful what I say here because I wouldn't exactly say they were rubbish, they just weren't very good. I found that the rims weren't very flat so they wouldn't seat properly against the fiberglass and the pressings wern't very sharp so the bezels wouldn't clip on propery, also the various holes wern't very cleanly cut. I did try some rectification work and I'm sure they could have been made to fit reasonably well, however, in the end I gave up and blasted and painted the original ones and re-use them.

Regards
Andy

[Craig Elliott]

The OP makes reference to the outer rims on the headlights being missing - if these are the outer chrome trims then they were also missing on my car. I understand that often the reason is that they are a bu***r to remove without damaging the headlight pod unless you make a special tool as suggested in the workshop manuel so people leave them off so that it's easy to adjust the headlamps at MOT time...

I bought some replacement items from one of the usual suppliers and within a year rust was breaking through the chrome. They are the same, or at least extremely similar, to MGB items and you can get chrome on brass (rather than chrome on steel) versions from MGB specialists - I haven't had them fitted to the car yet but they should last a lot longer.

C

[rdssdi]

I used replacement bowls and rings on my +2. Looked great. When I went to close the headlamp pod i]the trim ring contacted the body. I ended up using the original and some of the new parts as stated in another post. It all looks identical until its installed.

bob

[andyelan]

Bob

I too had exactly this same problem (rims catching the bodywork) when I tried new bowles. Just one reason I refitted the original items

Andy

[theelanman]

I used the direct H4 replacements from these guys

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/lights_head.html

they have several options to choose from.......

[lsdweb]

I'd second SVC - they do a full kit - http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/prod/headlight-assem-7in.html

I just bought a 5 3/4" set for my fixed headlight Elan and the kit comes with everything except the chrome bezel / ring and seems to be good quality.

Wyn

[alaric]

Hi. Maybe they'd supply just the metalwork - my original lucas sealed lamp units are fine and it was just the metalwork that needed replacement. I've kept the original chrome bezel as well as they're in good condition. I have two aftermarket sealed lamps now cluttering up a spares cupboard in the garage. It's getting very full now...

Regards.

Sean.

[spridget]

Hi
Many thanks for all your replies, well, I think I have better to renew my bowls. I will buy new lamps and refit all the parts.
I have also tried to contact Susan Miller but never recevieved any reply ....

Franck

[alaric]

Well she is a film star now...