Updating 7" round sealed beam headlights

[-Virgil-]

I cant recall seeing a Koito with a bulb shield.

The Koito 7" round standard-fit H4 headlamp does in fact have a bulb shield -- a large one.

 

[Hilldweller]

Still haven't heard back from JWS about the older 8700s with the glass lens.

 

[svMike]

Thanks for checking Hilldweller.

 

[Jaudette3]

I'm really fascinated with these short-lived 7" sealed beam replacements. They were an ingenious way to enable two beams with the single filament halogens before the dual beam H4 was introduced.

I'm trying to identify and collect as many as possible and this is what I have found so far:

o S.E.V. Marchal Amplilux
o Cibie Bi-Iodes
o Hella Bi-Iodes
o Carello
o AuterRoche

A short interesting period in headlamp evolution. Are there others that I'm missing?

Cheers,
John

P.S. I just sold my mint set of Ampliluxes and I'm having seller's remorse. Anyone happen to have a set that you would like to sell or trade?

 

[Bullzeyebill]

P.S. I just sold my mint set of Ampliluxes and I'm having seller's remorse. Anyone happen to have a set that you would like to sell or trade?

Welcome to CPF John. This is a discussion thread. If you WTB/trade, go to our CPF Mall.

Bill

 

[-Virgil-]

I'm really fascinated with these short-lived 7" sealed beam replacements. They were an ingenious way to enable two beams with the single filament halogens before the dual beam H4 was introduced.

I'm not sure what you mean by "short lived". The two-bulb/two-reflector/one-lens lamps in the 7" round format were first marketed in the mid-1960s, and some of them remained in production well into the 1980s. That's a pretty long production lifespan for a headlamp design. Of course, they were technically outmoded when the H4 bulb was released in the 1969-72 timeframe, first in England and then later in Continental Europe. But then again, all of these halogen lamps caused the previous tungsten headlamps to be technically outmoded, and those stayed in production, too.

I'm trying to identify and collect as many as possible and this is what I have found so far:

o S.E.V. Marchal Amplilux

There were several different versions of these.

o Cibie Bi-Iodes

Actually "Biode".

o Hella Bi-Iodes

Not called a Bi-Iode or anything else -- it did not have a name.

o Carello

Yes, Carello made such a lamp.

o AuterRoche

I might not be remembering correctly, but I do not think Auteroche (that's how it is spelled) made a twin-bulb/twin-reflector/single-lens 7" round lamp.

Bosch, on the other hand, did make one.

P.S. I just sold my mint set of Ampliluxes and I'm having seller's remorse. Anyone happen to have a set that you would like to sell or trade?

Check with Daniel Stern, who had a pretty nice collection of lamps like this at one time (and might still).

 

[Hilldweller]

Riviving this old thread to mention JW Speakers new products, the Evolution-2 (that would be awesome in the Z) and the Evolution 2-J that works in a Jeep JK without any fancy adapter. Much better beam pattern than the older Evo ---- especially the highbeam.
http://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8700-evolution-2/
http://www.jwspeaker.com/products/off-road-headlights-model-8700-evolution-j/

Virgil ---- tell us more about Morimoto kits. Like where they're made, quality, legality.
I was recently directed to a link of a product that looks conceptually like the SMS/Hella bi-xenon: http://www.thеrеtrоfіtѕоurсе.соm/со...ght-hоuѕіngѕ/mоrіmоtо-ѕеаlеd7-hеаdlіghtѕ.html

 

[-Virgil-]

Virgil ---- tell us more about Morimoto kits. Like where they're made, quality, legality

China, poor, and not (respectively). There is no proper engineering and no legitimate compliance with any relevant technical standard in the "Morimoto" product line. The Japanese-sounding "Morimoto" name is a cynical ploy to imply Japanese quality where none exists.

I was recently directed to a link of a product that looks conceptually like the SMS/Hella bi-xenon

It would be a severely poor idea to buy any of this "Morimoto" junk or anything else marketed by the vendor you linked, whose business model is to tell lies thick and fast, with a custom-built echo chamber (HID Planet forum) to amplify them and give them the false luster of legitimacy. Very popular with ignorant kids of all ages...very unpopular with people unimpressed with fashion accessories who get suckered into paying good money for unsafe, illegal junk and then have to start all over again because all they were trying to do is see safely.

There is no good reason to patronize fraud artists; there are lots of good legitimate options in 7-inch headlamps, across a wide range of price and performance.

 

[Hilldweller]

Thanks.
I want to use this thread to direct would-be buyers away from illegitimate products like that.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Virgil ---- tell us more about Morimoto kits. Like where they're made, quality, legality.

Here's a quick hint as to their quality and their knowledge of headlamps in general: They refer to the reflector bowls having chrome.

 

[Rustles]

I'm new here as a member but have the same need (for a '70 Camaro) as the original post on the Z. So, I'd like to revive this thread. My needs are a bit different in that my car does not get driven that much at night but the area I live in is semi-rural so there are very few street lights and my occasional night drive is a bit scary at the moment. I'm most interested in "plug and play" for my 7" rounds and the car is not a period correct restoration so an updated look is not a problem. Price is not the limiting factor and I've looked closely at the LED offerings. However, since I believe the LED prices will plummet based on Moore's law, spending $500 for a pair right now is questionable for me.. That said if they are the best bang for the buck I will go that way. The Koito/Toyota seems like a good interim choice. Advice and help needed???

A Bit Confused

:thinking:

 

[-Virgil-]

Welcome to this forum. Yes, LED costs are dropping, but the LEDs (emitters) themselves are not the major driver of the cost of an LED headlamp. So while headlamp costs, in real money, are on a downward trend, it's going to be a very long time, if ever, before you'd see any significant benefit to having waited. Meanwhile if you've chosen lower-performing headlamps for your waiting period, you're at prolonged higher risk exposure for a costly nighttime crash.

On the other hand, you say this car doesn't get driven much at night, so maybe that doesn't call for extremely good headlamps. On the other-other hand, you live and drive in an unlit rural setting, so maybe that does call for extremely good headlamps.

"Bang for buck" is difficult to home in on because different people mean different things by it. The most expensive 7" round headlamp you can install in your Camaro, the Hella projector Bi-Xenon setup, is also the best-performing 7" round headlamp you can install in your Camaro, so it is highly cost-effective (excellent bang for the buck), but that does not mean it's inexpensive; it's not, a pair of them costs about triple the cost of the best LEDs. The Xenon light source lifespan isn't as long as the LED light source lifespan, but Xenon bulbs are easily replaceable and the (glass) lens lifespan is basically infinite vs. the non-replaceable polycarbonate lens found on all the LED lamps. If price is truly not the limiting factor, the Bi-Xenons are the ones to get (I got mine from Daniel Stern -- I swear I'm paying off that guy's boat or something!).

One thing, you mention wanting "plug and play". That would advocate for LEDs or Bi-Xenons, because any halogen lamps are going to really want relays installed.

One other thing, you mention "looking closely at the LED offerings". That's a smart thing to do, but make sure you talk over your intentions and impressions with a bona fide expert. These days it's easy to make the mistake of believing one has done "research" by reading internet-forum opinions and marketing babble and going with whatever is shouted and repeated the loudest and most frequently. There is a huge amount of ignorant misinformation (and deliberate disinformation) to be heard and seen about automotive lighting, so double-check your facts and assumptions with an authority.

 

[Rustles]

So, the expert(s) are here on this site and I've found this thread most informative. Because you're right - most of the commentary on the WEB is rarely based on fact, expertise, and experience. I think you've narrowed my choices and helped to clarify my thinking. I hadn't put a price on the Bi-zenons yet but that's more than I want to spend. I could go with the Halogens but the combined price and effort may not be worth it given I've found the Speaker E2's for less than $500 a pair, so I think that's the way I'll go Thank you - now I have to decide on black or chrome

Russell

 

[-Virgil-]

One other thing: beware counterfeits! The market is amuck with poor-quality Chinese copies. If a deal on them seems too good to be true, it is.

 

[jzchen]

Sylvania, and others, have noted a DOT replacement LED available. My '85 Mercedes 300D is not being used, otherwise I'd probably save up to try the Sylvania's. They have a warranty to replace them for life, with registration. Amazon seems to have somewhat reasonable pricing...

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Sylvania... have noted a DOT replacement LED available. My '85 Mercedes 300D is not being used, otherwise I'd probably save up to try the Sylvania's. They have a warranty to replace them for life, with registration. Amazon seems to have somewhat reasonable pricing...

The Sylvania Zevo is a re-branded Truck-Lite. Not a bad lamp, really.

 

[cr0ft]

Yeah and the Truck-lite Phase 7 can be had for well under $200 each now, and they output a lot of light.

In fact, Headlight Revolution compared 12 7-inchers on Youtube not long ago, the Chinese copies were abysmal, the Truck-lite did great still.

Here's a conclusion/lineup - there are individual videos for all of the lights though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZT6QqHHOo

 

[Hilldweller]

Yeah and the Truck-lite Phase 7 can be had for well under $200 each now, and they output a lot of light.

In fact, Headlight Revolution compared 12 7-inchers on Youtube not long ago, the Chinese copies were abysmal, the Truck-lite did great still.

Here's a conclusion/lineup - there are individual videos for all of the lights though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZT6QqHHOo

The Phase 7 has a nice highbeam but most users agree that the lowbeam is choppy and distracting. The choppy light pattern didn't distract me all that much but it drove some of my friends nuts.
I really really really prefer the JWS Evo-2J overall.

Guess we'll see what's next when Jeep releases their OE LED headlights on next year's JK.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Guess we'll see what's next when Jeep releases their OE LED headlights on next year's JK.

Something made about as cheaply as (or cheaper than) their existing halogen headlamps. It'll surely be *compliant* but it doesn't necessarily mean it'll be good. High CCT, low CRI bling.

 

[Hilldweller]

Something made about as cheaply as (or cheaper than) their existing halogen headlamps. It'll surely be *compliant* but it doesn't necessarily mean it'll be good. High CCT, low CRI bling.

Don't prejudge. Let the product speak for itself.
I remain cautiously optimistic.