Headlight Upgrade

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Phoenix

New Member
Gents.... have any of you upgraded your headlights by changing the sealed beam unit for modern headlights with halogen bulbs? Are there any wiring upgrades to be done such as new fuses etc??

If anyone has can you please point me in the direction of a supplier? I would obviously need the sizes of the headlight reflector/lens units.

Many thanks :)
 
Hi Phoenix,

I fitted a pair of >these< to the outers. The locating tabs needed a bit of jiggling to fit in the bucket, but they were fine in the end. The existing connector fits straight on to the H4 bulb, and I didn't add a relay into the circuit. The headlamp aim needed adjusting a fair amount.

I've a pair of Lucas 75 sealed beams on the inners and they're more than adequate.
 
Are both the inner and outer headlights the same size?
Click to expand...

Yes, though obviously just a single filament on the inners. The 5 3/4" headlights are a very common size and were used on practically every British, Australian, Japanese and American car with twin round headlights from the late '50s to the '80s. Thus you can use light units from a Triumph, Capri, Vauxhall etc. Quite a few European cars used them too but often had different lighting specs and fitting lugs so be careful.
 
Thanks guys you have been very helpful :) .... but one last numpty question.

To replace the headlights can someone please confirm that I need....

4 x 5.75 inch headlights (reflector/lenses)
2 x H4 bulbs
2 x H1 bulbs

Am I correct :?: :?:
 
I did the same upgrade using 55/60 Watt H4 bulbs, but i found out that the two switches (series 1 car) were getting rather hot.
So, i fitted a couple of relays next to them, to bypass them.
Now they are cool! :wink:


Demetris
 
Just remembered that the Jaguar XJ6 X300 1995 - 1997 has 5 3/4 headlights which can be used - so a slightly cheaper option if you can find one down the scrap yard
 
1966 Series 1...Both my outer dipped headlights went on a trip back from London last week.. Always check the obvious as I assumed it must be the switch or wiring.. testing the Sealed Beam 3 pin connectors with H4 pulbs from my Citroen proved the dipped part of both the SBs had gone. The dipped lights i thought were always a bit weedy..
Thought I tracked down a pair of the 5371 SB units and purchased them on internet with 1st class postage. (£28 all in).
3 days later receive an email from them stating SBs discontinued and would send me Ring R8731 which are headlights with H4 bulbs as a replacement. Arrrived today,( box states upgrades R5371 Sealed Beam unit), look ok ( they have a sidelight hole with bulb and fitting held in with rubber grommet, so can be removed), but bulbs are 60/55w

The original bulbs are 37.5/60w Was the dipped part 37.5 or 60?

Like Demetris I shall watch the switches but the wiring and switch contacts look quite beefy to me. Any thoughts
 
I think you are on a winner there! I'm sure 37.5W was never part of any Rover specs - I didn't even know it was possible to get bulbs of that wattage! With an S1 you have no fuse box issues and I'm confident the wiring and switches will stand more watts than that - unless there are any damaged sections or connectors.

Chris
 
I have the Jag lamps in mine from a scrappies. They came off the xj40 obviously not the model with the square lamps but that shape before the x300.

Colin
 
keanej said:
Just remembered that the Jaguar XJ6 X300 1995 - 1997 has 5 3/4 headlights which can be used - so a slightly cheaper option if you can find one down the scrap yard
Click to expand...

Presumably the X308 XJ8 therefore is the same?
 
I've upgraded the lights in mine to take modern halogen bulbs. I ordered new lucas bowls through my motor factors as direct replacements for the sealed beam units. They came in boxes saying they were for a jaguar xj40. They were a direct replacement for the originals requiring no wiring changes or mods. The wiring connectors plug straight onto the back. You will need different bowls for the inner and outer lamps as the bulbs are different.

I don't know if X308 lamps will fit. The lighting pattern is different on an x308 (maybe x300 too). On the Jag, the outers are side lamps/dipped beam and the inners are main beam. The rover has dipped/main beam on the outers and main beam on the inners.

It was a well worthwhile upgrade, the main beam especially is good with 4 halogen bulbs. Cosmetically, the new headlamps look slightly different to the originals as the lens is less domed. I haven't noticed any problems with the switches overheating, but I'm considering fitting a relay in the future as best practice anyway.

I've still got the boxes in the garage somewhere, if you like I can look up the Lucas part numbers.
 
Hi, on my car the outers are 5.3/4 headlight units with halogen twin filaments. As fitted to as mentioned
Jaguars, mk3 Capri's, some BMW 3 series and a number of 70's HGV and PSV applications. The inners are
Lucas spot light units with replaceable H4 bulbs, they are similar to Lucas LR14 sealed beam spot's. I cant
remember the model number. Lucas square 8 spot's under the bumper complete the set up, all powered by
relays behind the lights each side. When I rebuilt the car a few years back I modified the r/h inner wing
to move the servo back a couple of inches ( which still clears the wheel on full depression and lock ) so that
I could fit the later BMW twin headlights with the projector lenses but I have not got around to it yet and
now will probably get the HID dipping bulbs on ebay for about 70 quid to go in the outers.
 
For anyone wanting to upgrade from sealed beams over to halogen.
Pay a visit to your local auto factor who is a Valeo supplier. Each unit costs around £20 from memory. The best part is that they are in actual fact made by Cibie, part of the Valeo family. Quality superb.
 
This earlier post on the forum may be of interest (see below). I plan to upgrade to Halogen Bulbs (55w) when I can find the time to get them down from the loft and do not believe any mods are necessary for this wattage.
Cheers Tony Bunting
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with quoteRe: how to convert to Halogen headlamps
by JohnGlinn(Cardiff) on Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:38 pm

Hello Gareth,
if you read my articles in the P6 NEWs (feb 2002 page 7 - tells of my fitting the later model 75 watt inner lamps in place of the original 37½ watt as I was assured that the standard wiring was perfectly suitable to upgrade to twice the wattage on the main beam lamps by Steve Hopkins the club technical advisor on electrical problems) then in October 2003 pages 12 & 13 describes my fitting of the Lucas Halogen headlamps (the ones with HALOGEN written across the front that a lot of Triumph Stag owners fit) and the wiring mods required to have both lamps on with main beam setting using a changeover relay - The Rover inners have two filaments for dip / main whereas the Lucas lamps have single filaments which work fine with the Stag but need a modification on the Rovers.
The P6 NEWS of December 2002 page 19 shows a small correction to my October article.
Headlight conversions using standard halogen bulbs of 55 watts do not require any modifications to the standard wiring, assuming of course that the wiring is in good order - The lamp glasses will get a lot hotter than lamps using tungsten bulbs but they do not draw any more power.I hope this helps - I know that your Dad, or Alan Pinder, will have these magazines.
I bought used Lucas HALOGEN lamps from a club member for a very reasonable fee - You can still buy them new from Rover / triumph stockists such as Rimmer Bros. but they are very expensive, or you may be lucky to pick some up on e-bay, as I have also done!
Regards, John
 
The wiring may be OK and I did this about 15 years ago but I think I'd want to fit relays knowing that the fuse box is prone to melting
 
chrisyork said:
For an S2 I agree. But sirD66's is an S1, so is reasonably immune from fuse box woes.

Chris
Click to expand...
surely 55w halogen replacements are ok as the wattage is as wired for??
Cheers Tony Bunting
 
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