5X7 Sealed Beam Conversion
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Alaric Darconville
Flashlight Enthusiast
If by "best" you mean outright best performance, there's the JW Speaker 8910 Evolution 2 with heated lenses would be great, but you can forego heated lenses if you don't get severe winters.
Hella's sealed-beam form factor H4 headlamps sometimes can be a little iffy, it really depends on which model you're looking at. Which model are you looking at?
Hella makes more than one lamp in this size. The European-spec "E-code" units are not a good choice; their SAE unit is much better focused, and is the best choice on the market right now in terms of replaceable bulb lamps to replace the sealed beams. They come with bulbs that aren't particularly strong (see here) but that's easy to fix. On an '83 Ford you would definitely want to install relays.
That said, Alaric is right, the JW Speaker lights are top stuff. They come in chrome unheated, black unheated, chrome heated or black heated.
Above all: be picky and choosy. There is an awful lot of crap available, and it's all falsely touted as a great upgrade.
That said, Alaric is right, the JW Speaker lights are top stuff. They come in chrome unheated, black unheated, chrome heated or black heated.
Above all: be picky and choosy. There is an awful lot of crap available, and it's all falsely touted as a great upgrade.
Okay, I am certain the JW Speaker Lights are superior. The 8900-EV2 Non Heated Black is $204 apiece, chrome $220 apiece.
The Hella Lights I were looking at were the HLA-003427291 at $44 apiece and the HLA-003427811, which I think is the same light sold as a pair, for $77.63 a pair.
Am I getting good value with the Hella at this price? It seems like the best housing in this price range I have been able to find. But they come with relatively low powered 55/60 H4 bulbs. The bulbs are replaceable.
Mr. Merk
Newly Enlightened
That is the ECE or "E-code" that Virgil said is a poor choice. Get the SAE lights that he linked paired with these X-treme vision bulbs from Philips, unless Virgil advises there is a better option. You can get a prebuilt wiring harness with relays from Daniel Stern.
I don't know for sure but perhaps Virgil could advise if it is ok to use an H4 in that SAE lamp. If so I'd get the 60/55W Tungsram +120, also from Daniel Stern. I use these bulbs in my Porsche 911.
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That is the Hella unit I was looking at, HLA-003427291 and HLA-003427811 which I think is the same unit sold as a pair, unless I am wrong. Though at the time I had no idea if it was E-code or SAE. Ironically some people on the reviews said the E-code was a better pattern. You are saying the SAE pattern is much better and is the pattern of this particular light.
So the Hella light is the best light on the market for replaceable bulb lamps to convert sealed beams. Then I guesse that's it. It does not come with a very powerful bulb like you said. I want this thing to be a flamethrower, so what brand and what power bulb do you suggest? I was going to look at Beamtech.
I am am going to take the 33 year old switches and wiring and the need for relays ( so that's what relays are) out of the picture by direct wiring two lighted rocker switches on the dash to two new ceramic plugs behind the lights. The switches are waiting to go out and I have heard of relays failing.
Alaric is right, the JW Speaker stuff is impressive. It is also $204 and $220 "apiece" for the unheated black and chrome and heated $296. Do you think I am getting good value at $77 a pair for the Hellas? It sure seems like it.
You are right about one thing, I have waded through a lot of crap and got really frustrated. I wonder sometimes how much integrity is still out there. That is why I turned to Candlepower.
Mr. Merk
Newly Enlightened
Yes, you are wrong. Virgil and I both answered and told you this.
We both answered that as well. Do not use the junk Beamtech markets as "LED & HID conversion bulbs."
Using a quality relay harness from Daniel Stern will help preserve your OEM switches and will reduce voltage drop making your good bulbs (that we recommended) brighter.
Thanks, I almost made a huge mistake. I thought it was the same light packaged as a pair. I will check out the Philips. I am going to direct wire the lights from the battery with some 12G to two new ceramic plugs through a lighted rocker switch mounted on the dash yaps sing all told wiring and switches and eliminating the need for relays. Less moving parts.
Hella has the Hb2 (H4) listed in their product description of the HLA-003427291.
That is what Mr. Merc was telling me. Caught me by surprise. How could ya'll tell? Sounds like Dan Stern is a legit company, I will look into what they have. What is the highest wattage bulb I can put into that housing?
Clear this up for me, there are H4 bulbs which are Halogens which some say give a better light pattern and better cut off and then there are LED bulbs? You are better off with the H4s then the LED replacement bulbs?
I got it, looks like I will have to buy the units as single items.
Beamtech is junk? I did not know this either I will check out Dan Stern.
Going to direct wire from the battery. No old OEM switches, no old OEM wiring, no relays to go wrong. Direct current to the good bulbs from Dan Stern.
Just before I read the posts from you and Virgil I was getting ready to contact Hella to verify the lights sold as a pair were the SAE lights. But ya'll both told me they are not.
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Posts 5 & 6 by Mr. Merc and Virgil snuck in while I was typing post #7, a response to Virgil's first post. I did not know they were there. I was not ignoring them.
Yes, but that cost for the Hellas is just an initial one, and it doesn't include the cost of the bulbs you'll inevitably need to be replacing when they burn out with regular use, or the cost of your time spent replacing them (on some vehicles, bulb replacement can be fiddly/a big hassle), or the frustration that you'll feel if a bulb burns out on you at night and you'd need to either replace the bulb by the side of the road or drive with half your forward light output gone.
The JW Speakers will work for years assuming no physical damage (collision, rocks, etc.), so that $200 each is a one-time cost. And the superior (I'm assuming) light output can pay for itself.
P.S. Don't buy JW Speakers from Amazon though, JW Speaker will not honor warranties for headlamps sold by Amazon.
All so-called "LED bulbs" are junk (unsafe/illegal/not effective).
All good points well taken and good information. But you are still talking a minimum of $408 plus tax and maybe shipping from JW Speaker to get a warranty. I got the pair of Hellas which are the best readily available replacement bulb conversion and a pair of ceramic headlamp plugs for $105 total cost. Then I am getting an updated version of Osrams 70/65 bulb, 64205s, that were in development before being discontinued, from Dan Stern that are Quartz for longevity, measured 2220/1350 Lumens, 3400K for $49.18. I will try and publish the EMail Dan Stern sent if I can figure out the mystery of downloading an attachment. Given the age of the old work truck, 1983, and budget practicality, I think this is a good value.
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I was told as much by Dan Stern. I will try and publish his EMail if I can figure out how to do it.
That thought occurred to me, a violation of privacy, and Dan Stern reiterated the same thing when I mentioned it. So I will keep my E-Mails with him private and just paraphrase information if I think it is useful. Which for a variety of reasons is the way he would much prefer.
Mr. Merk
Newly Enlightened
You've seen the light!
What was Dan's advice regarding wiring your headlamps direct to the battery without a relay?
He compared me to Red Green, the master of rig jobs and then provided a link to one of his videos. He said since I am using two rocker switches, one for low beam and one for high beam, do not leave both of them on because it will probably explode the bulb destroying the housing. But it will work as long as I switch in quick succession or a quick on and off off the high beams when flashing. Living dangerous. I don't have a choice though unless I want to rebuild the entire lighting switch system and wire harness. The switches and wiring are just too old, 33 years. They are waiting to go out. Relays hooked up to the old system is something ready to go wrong. This is simple,eliminates the relays and provides current directly to the lights from the battery and grounds directly to the battery. I will at least fuse both circuits.
