Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

Hi guys,

I am looking for the best type of headlights to fit for a classic which will let you see where your going the best, without using an HID kit in them.

So far i have tried Morrettes but despite 4 bulbs on full beam i still couldnt see where is was going.

And now i have now got some of those angel eyes headlights- there not e-marked give out a good light output but when i drive the bulbs shake..

I have never tried the normal crystal headlights are they any good?
Are the genuiene ones or the ebay ones better?

Any advice or guidence very welcome.

Cheers
Jimmy

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Not had any experience of the fake Morettes, but mine are pretty good with "90% uprated" H4 bulbs in and standard H2's in the inners. The crystal lights are no better than ordinary lights, so crap, then

To start with, are you certain your lights are properly aligned? As as young man I was lucky enough to see a demo by Cibie lighting engineers during the RAC rally. They had a car with 4 Cibie's on, each one, SLIGHTLY mis-aligned. We were invited to look at the light output, then each light was aligned properly, and it was as if someone had doubled the brightness.

If you haven't done so, align yours as follows:
Put main beams on, but pull the wire off the relay that powers up the inners. Now drape a tea-towel over the right hand light and align the left against a wall, or down a long, straight road.
Repeat for the right hand light.
Go back to dips, and run a wire from battery + to that relay, powering up the inners. Align each as above.

If you've not done it before, the difference is immense.

If you HAVE done it before, maybe it's time to look at a set of driving lights in place of the foglights? AFAIK, Cibie's are still available, as are the Hella 1000FF in halogen. A couple of lads I know have the 1000FF's with an HID kit fitted. I have the original HID ones, and trust me, they ARE night into day.

HTH.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Not had any experience of the fake Morettes, but mine are pretty good with "90% uprated" H4 bulbs in and standard H2's in the inners. The crystal lights are no better than ordinary lights, so crap, then

To start with, are you certain your lights are properly aligned? As as young man I was lucky enough to see a demo by Cibie lighting engineers during the RAC rally. They had a car with 4 Cibie's on, each one, SLIGHTLY mis-aligned. We were invited to look at the light output, then each light was aligned properly, and it was as if someone had doubled the brightness.

If you haven't done so, align yours as follows:
Put main beams on, but pull the wire off the relay that powers up the inners. Now drape a tea-towel over the right hand light and align the left against a wall, or down a long, straight road.
Repeat for the right hand light.
Go back to dips, and run a wire from battery + to that relay, powering up the inners. Align each as above.

If you've not done it before, the difference is immense.

If you HAVE done it before, maybe it's time to look at a set of driving lights in place of the foglights? AFAIK, Cibie's are still available, as are the Hella 1000FF in halogen. A couple of lads I know have the 1000FF's with an HID kit fitted. I have the original HID ones, and trust me, they ARE night into day.

HTH.

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

Hey Alcazar,

Just wanna thank you for taking your time in writing all of the above!
Yeah i have a set of the original Morettes-the ones with the old style lens not cystal ones, are these the ones your running?

So i want to make sure they are all running the same height?
As for side to side adjustment do you know how i should adjust them?

Will have to remove the angel eyes and put the morrettes back on and give it a worle

Thank you again for your help.

Cheers
Jimmy

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yes, those are the ones. There are two screws on the rear of each lamp, one does up and down, the other does side to side. I'd put the car in front of a garage and play with each screw, turning it one turn and note the effect, so you know whaich screw does what and which way it moves the light, up/down, right/left.

Do that before setting off to do any alignment. I used to do mine on B&Q's wall, at a distance of about 50 feet, then check it down a local forestry track, dead straight and level.

darms

iTrader: (5)

OR

if ya bit of a DIY'er you could do what I done, Retrofit some OEM Projectors into a set of crystal headlights Mine are Jaguar (Bi-Xenon) projectors with a CCFL ring

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I already have the lights, and "someone" told me he could get me some projectors............

Darms, mate?

darms

iTrader: (5)

Unfortunately, my mate binned the ones he had when he moved house . He's however keeping an eye out but its not as easy as before, as they now have to remove the ballasts, bulbs etc....and only receive the broken parts.

Oh how times have changed in bodyshops

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys,

Thank you all for your responces!
Has given me a few ideas.

Going see if i have time on the weekend to put the morrettes back on and have a go at aligning them.

Has anyone tried retro fitting different lens into the morrettes befoe?

Cheers
Jimmy

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

What sort of lens? They were designed for Cibies, are you thinking of projectors? If so, I don't think there is space.

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

Yeah was thinking projectors or even a more updated cibie type crystal lens?
My morrettes look like they have the same lens in as my old mans tractor...(possibly have)...lol

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Don't knock 'em Jimmy, Cibie lights are a legend for a reason....they work and they work well.

Their round lights put light EXACTLY where it should be with optical qualities and cutoffs only bettered by the best projectors.

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

Hey no i wasnt knocking them, well maybe a little just saying that the cibie lights on my dads massey look exactly the same lens pattern as on my car.
And my dads massey is an old bit of kit.

Spose the saying goes if it aint broke dont fix it...but untill i get the tools out on the weekend and refit them and align them as above the personal experience i have had of the lights on my car in the past be them poorly aligned is that they are not too great.

But i am hoping like you said above with a bit of alligning they will be worlds apart.

I am sure i have seen morrettes for sale with crystal lens? Are they copies?

Cheers
Jimmy

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Copies, yes. Any good? Dunno, read some reports that they are OK, others where the wiring melts, and/or causes problems with only one pair of lights on at a time, main or dip.

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

lol...yeah i know what you mean this lights from Japan/China etc seam to have very small wires to handle the ampage, when i fitted the angel eyes i replaced all the wiring because of that.

John 37

Just to support what Alcazar has said but don't just rely on the wall method. Use a long straight flat track or deserted road, perferably with trees along it so you can see where the light's going. It's far more accurate. The wall will only get it roughly right. Do each light seperately.
I used to run 2 of the legendary Super Oscars (driving) + 100W bulbs. If the beam was out by 10 feet at 100 yards away, it was noticable. I also found I had to set the lights ever so slightly low to allow for the front end rise when accelerating. And before you think the suspension was too soft, that was on a rally Mini with uprated spring rates and Koni dampers. It was Very stiff but the effect was still noticable on the lights.

John

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

As I said:

Jimmythebiz

iTrader: (1)

lol...and i still havent had chance to do this yet
Car has a clutch flexy with a hole in at the moment..doh

But with help from you guys it wont take that long when i do get around to doing it