Replacing Kit Headlights

[JJ in Cbus]

Hi All, it has been a while since I have been on the forum and even longer since I have posted. I was out driving the other evening and stopped at my folks house and ended up not leaving until after sundown. I have not driven my car much after dark, and I live out in the township and it can get a pretty dark out here. I had forgot how little light the sealed beams actually put out. So, time for an upgrade. I have done some research in the past and I do like the Hella H4 conversion housings and I am still looking for a suitable LED bulb to go with them. In my research I have come to a couple of questions that I can not find an answer to.

1. I have seen the Hella housing been advertised as 7" housing but in the fine print I see some are 165mm and others are 178mm? Doing the Metric/Standard conversion I get 6 1/2" and 7" respectively. Question is which one do I need, the 165mm or 178mm to fit the FFR buckets?

2. I have seen the exact same Hella part# for both the 165mm and the 178mm. Is there a difference?

Hella 002395071

https://www.rallylights.com/hella-7-round-ece-headlamp-with-city-lamp-hl95146.html

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-002395071-Single-Headlamp-Position/dp/B000VU7C1Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14OUAZ72P9YW7&keywords=002395071&qid=1694805644&sprefix=002395071%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-1


3. I am looking for some ideas in which LED bulb to use. I have seen many high dollar suggestions, and if I have to go that route I will. Ideally I would like to find a viable option in the $40 to $75 a pair range. For those that have made the swap what have you used and would you buy them again?

Thanks in advance.

jj

[toadster]

one thing to keep in mind is you do you need DOT approved headlights?

I've heard good things about Mark Reynolds' LED conversion kit, it's not cheap at $369, but it's a all around the car upgrade
but if you're looking to do more nighttime driving, it's a minimal cost as compared to not being able to see (or be seen)

https://breezeautomotive.com/shop/led-exterior-lighting-kit/

the Halogens I got with my kit are Philips H6024C1 Standard Halogen Sealed Beam (https://amzn.to/3EIdOc8)

[Jim1855]

This has been posted many times, but here ya go.

My choice.
https://www.rallylights.com/hella-7-round-ece-headlamp-with-city-lamp-hl95146.html
These are the same 7" headlamps as would go in Jeeps. Forget the metric conversion numbers.
Then pick the H4 lamp of your choice. I like the plus rated bulbs.

I will always buy E-Code or European spec lighting, I just like the beam pattern better. The adjust the low beam cut off to be parallel to the ground which puts it at the tail lights or lower on most cars that you are following. There are some with city lights and some without. It is probably best to run good wire from a 12v source to a relay and use the headlight switch to activate the relay.

Use the supplied sealed beams as targets, that's about all they are good for. Or maybe during the inspection stage if your state is picky. Then replace them.

Jim

[JohnK]

I used this kit (https://watsons-streetworks.com/product/cobra-light-upgrade-package/) from Watson's Streetworks, which (from what I understand) is very similar to what Breeze offers. The LED's are a very nice upgrade. I replaced the housings that come in that kit with replica Lucas tri-bar PL700 housings (https://bugeyeguyparts.com/products/lucas-pl700-reproduction) for a more "period correct" look. Those housings aren't specifically designed for LED bulbs but seem to work just fine, though I haven't done a lot of night driving TBH.

[RJD]

Here's an option:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?318-What-did-you-do-on-your-roadster-today&p=472829&viewfull=1#post472829

[JJ in Cbus]

Yes, I know this question has been posted multiple times, but these were questions I had after doing the research. Thank you all for indulging me. This whole 165mm vs 178mm thing and both being advertised as 7" replacements had me confused...

I like the Lucas Tri-Bars a lot, but after having a few folks turn left in front of me in broad daylight I wanted something that has daytime running lights built in. That is why I like the Hellas. It appears that the only version of that headlight is the ECE. Hella does not appear to make the housing with the DRL in DOT. I have already done my inspection, and I doubt ODOT would have had any concern(as long as I have a receipt for them). So ECE vs DOT is not as much of a concern.

As far as LED bulbs go, I have seen the Auxito's pushed pretty hard on Amazon which in the past has made me suspicious. They are currently running $10 off coupon which brings them to <$40. I will give them a shot. I will post the results here once I receive them and get them installed.

Thanks All.

jj

[toadster]

Auxito is a great brand - have used them in several cars

[cv2065]

I bought these and they were literally plug and play. Bright and won't break the bank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B376YOE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Dgc333]

Putting a LED bulb into a housing intended for an incandescent bulb creates a lot of glare to oncoming drivers and is not DOT compliant.

The 7" round LED headlights FFR provides with the Hot Rod are DOT compliant. These bulbs are set up with the top half being the low beam and the bottom half being the high beam. They also have a white bar across the middle that can be used as a daytime running light and also an amber directional.

They are made by Uni-Shine and can be purchased without the bar or as a projector setup. I was impressed enough that I bought a set for my 68 Barracuda.

UNI-SHINE 2 pcs 7 inch LED Headlight Round Reflector Amber Turn Signal White DRL DOT 7'' Headlight Hi/Lo Beam H6024 Compatible with Jeep Wrangler TJ JK CJ Compatible with Chevy Compatible with Miata https://a.co/d/bdrwVGM

[AA-ron]

I installed these in my MK4. I have some issues with night driving so I'm pretty sensitive to poor headlights. I've very happy with these units. It takes a bit to adjust them so they are just right, as the beam is VERY focused. In other words, there's not a lot of bleed in any direction, so it takes a bit of trial and error to get them where you like them with regards to how they spray light to the right and left. However, with them dialed in, I couldn't be happier. They are at least as good as my 23' VW-- which I consider very good.
https://loyo-led.com/products/jeep-led-headlight-dragon-eyes-led-headlight-for-jeep-wrangler?

currency=USD&variant=40098081210412&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6p-oBhAYEiwAgg2PglX7d5L_tjsJUVFiJ6BqEABdwMVVt7TSzA_YQ fWL9azH1q9dHas0_hoCoz8QAvD_BwE

[Ducky2009]

Here's what I used. Purchased early this year. Total cost at the time, $160

PL700 Tri-Bar Headlamps 54520293 - Pack of 2
AUXITO H4 9003 LED Headlight Bulbs 12,000LM Per Set 6500K Xenon White for High and Low Beam Hi/Lo Plug and Play, Pack of 2

Plug and Play.... No additional parts needed. No modifications to the existing wiring.

190228 190229

[JeffP]

I bought these and they were literally plug and play. Bright and won't break the bank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B376YOE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I ordered a set of these after seeing this post and love them, mine is blacked out and the black version of these look great. Too great - they make the turn signals look horrible until I found these: https://a.co/d/0Fve10V - nice bright cool white just like the led headlights so they match now and when the turn indicator is on the blink a bright amber so two colors in one. For $15 can't beat it. Thanks for the recommendation!

[chmhasy]

Here's what I used. Purchased early this year. Total cost at the time, $160

PL700 Tri-Bar Headlamps 54520293 - Pack of 2
AUXITO H4 9003 LED Headlight Bulbs 12,000LM Per Set 6500K Xenon White for High and Low Beam Hi/Lo Plug and Play, Pack of 2

Plug and Play.... No additional parts needed. No modifications to the existing wiring.

190228 190229

plus++

[rx7922]

https://www.hidprojectors.com/collections/ac-shelby-cobra/products/black-series

https://mictuning.com/products/j1-phospherus-7-inch-round-led-headlights?currency=USD&variant=41244969369657&stkn=b18e56190f8f&A666&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6cSJN6_qxGOjKlY0Tq-pAFBhlAMG5-0drjFyZJ5cvTeXDJztWPxkzEaAsirEALw_wcB