Bright side lights

I also think the sidelights aren't up to very much. I'm going to fit a set of open lamps with halogen bulbs to mine (as others have done), and I've seen that many of these lenses come with a sidelight bulb hole as well. If you use these and wire them into the same circuit (with a relay probably!) you could have 6 'side' lights across the front of the car. I reckon the combined light of all of these would be far more noticeable at dusk than the worn out dipped beam on my old sealed units, as the light is spread over a much broader area, so every one's a winner!

It's also always bothered me that a car with quad headlamps only ever seems to use the outer two, as main beam is not appropriate around town. With the full set of 6 sidelights, the inner pair would still be illuminated when the outer pair are on dipped beam, ensuring proper quad-light action from dusk till dawn!

Although that said, is there any ruling against having 4 dipped beams, or can the inner pair be mains only?

Michael
 
Yes, I like the sidelamps in headlamps idea too, Michael.

I believe (others can correct) that four dipped beams is actually illegal. However, I doubt there's too many coppers out there who would know that and I can't see any practical reason why not, provided they are set up correctly so as not to dazzle. You could disconnest the wires to the dipped fillaments in the inner two prior to the MoT if you felt the tester might know any better than the copper... I usually have to show them all the controls, so it seems a reasonable risk to me!

Only possible downside is that there are lamps out there that have very high performance reflectors for main beam only lamps. But in todays driving conditions I can't see them being too much use outside of continental (or Irish) classic road rallies.

Chris
 
redrover said:
Although that said, is there any ruling against having 4 dipped beams, or can the inner pair be mains only?
Click to expand...

IIRC, you can have all four on dip if you use the appropriate lights & modify the wiring. Someone on here was discussing doing it fairly recently.
 
I seem to remember reading in practical classics a few years back about converting a Triumph Vitesse to have 4 dipped beams. They said having 4 dipped beams illuminated was illegal the UK, so had wired a changeover switch under the bonnet to choose between the inner and outer pair. One set was adjusted to dip left, one set was adjusted to dip right.
 
chrisyork said:
Yes, I like the sidelamps in headlamps idea too, Michael.

I believe (others can correct) that four dipped beams is actually illegal. However, I doubt there's too many coppers out there who would know that and I can't see any practical reason why not, provided they are set up correctly so as not to dazzle. You could disconnest the wires to the dipped fillaments in the inner two prior to the MoT if you felt the tester might know any better than the copper... I usually have to show them all the controls, so it seems a reasonable risk to me

Chris
Click to expand...
As was said in an earlier post, doing illegal stuff to your car, shouldnt be an option, if you did what you suggest, passed the MOT had an accident and were using your lights illegally, dont think your insurance would be valid for starters.
Dont see what the problem is with using the sidelights in the correct lighting conditions, its just, for me the bulbs were not bright enough compared to moderns.
 
As for the led 'bulbs' I think I might try a pair for reversing lights, has anyone any objections? :LOL:



John.
 
Have you bought them all to corner the market? I also looked at the ones with built in reversing beepers, but I think they would annoy the hell out of me.


John.
 
Tom W said:
They said having 4 dipped beams illuminated was illegal the UK, so had wired a changeover switch under the bonnet to choose between the inner and outer pair. One set was adjusted to dip left, one set was adjusted to dip right.
Click to expand...

I don't know where to start with that, so I won't even bother, suffice it to say that, particularly the last bit, is the kind of thing I'd expect to read in that particular magazine.
 
I have similar leds fitted in the front sidelights. Apart from them being brighter, they run at a much lower temperature than the old tungsten bulbs and therefore don't cook the plastic lense over time, making it brittle.
 
My car has 6 watt halogen sidelights , the bulbs last about 9 months and are a PITA to fit
I was thinking of fitting LEDs just so they'd last longer , not to rely on them for lighting on their own
 
harveyp6 said:
Tom W said:
They said having 4 dipped beams illuminated was illegal the UK, so had wired a changeover switch under the bonnet to choose between the inner and outer pair. One set was adjusted to dip left, one set was adjusted to dip right.
Click to expand...

I don't know where to start with that, so I won't even bother, suffice it to say that, particularly the last bit, is the kind of thing I'd expect to read in that particular magazine.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no idea how you'd actually go about it. Don't think it's anything I'll be bothering with.
 
Thanks to Mick I've also joined the bright side lights brigade :D
Here's a pic :wink:
 

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Tom W said:
I seem to remember reading in practical classics a few years back about converting a Triumph Vitesse to have 4 dipped beams. They said having 4 dipped beams illuminated was illegal the UK, so had wired a changeover switch under the bonnet to choose between the inner and outer pair. One set was adjusted to dip left, one set was adjusted to dip right.
Click to expand...

Legal or illegal, it just doesn't look right. I did it to a Chevy Caprice a few years back, using four of the assymmetrical dipped/main beam lamps intended for the outside only and I think this is even legal. I reverted to the standard configuration shortly afterwards, because it looks just wrong.
 
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