'R' style Hella rear lights

[Bob_Salmon]

I have the early style Hella rear lights fitted and am plagued with the festoon bulbs getting bounced out of their spring holders (the suspension doesn't help but I don't want to change that!).

So, I am wondering if I can replace the rear light and stop light festoon bulbs with either conventional bulb holders or - preferably - replace them with encapsulated LED's.

Before I go off re-inventing the wheel, has anyone already modified their Hellas in this way?

Thanks all....

Bob

[sladey]

I haven't modified mine Bob but I'm subscribing because I'd also be interested in the answer

My car recently failed an MOT on indicators flashing too quickly. Although normally a sign of a bad earth, after several hours diagnosis it was traced to a poor quality festoon bulb - replacing it with a decent one cured the fault.

Not strictly relevant - just though I'd share

[Bob_Salmon]

Hi Sladey,

I answered this just now and it disappeared.....

I am going ahead with the conversion so will let you know how I get on. It doesn't look like too much of a problem - the only issue being the combined depth of the LED bulb plus bulb holder. Worth it anyway if it reduces the likelihood of seeing more flashing blue lights in the mirror!

Bob

[sladey]

Good point - good luck and keep us posted how it goes

[amallagh]

Beware of the brightness of the LED festoon bulbs. I decided to convert my interior festoons to LED bulbs based on the most powerful ones I could find on ebay. They claimed that they would be 'brighter' then the 10w std filament bulb. They weren't and I proved the point by measuring the relative light output. I tried some others claimed to be even brighter from another supplier but were only fractionally brighter and still not as bright as 10w std filament. My experience was that the LED bulb suppliers significantly overstate the relative brightness of their products.
I've now fitted some 15W std filament festoons.

Regards
Andrew

[Bob_Salmon]

Thanks Andrew,

Bulbs and holders arrived in the post about ten minutes ago!

I have opted to use 382 fitting, red combined rear and stop light bulbs. The only question is if I can fit the holders into the space available. As for actual brightness, better to have slightly less (if that is how they turn out) than be driving around with the old festoon bulbs rattling in the box.

More later.....

Bob

[Bob_Salmon]

As always, left things until the last minute then needed the car ready to drive up to Bob Watson's power (or lack of it) test session.

The combined LED bulbs are much deeper than the space available so this was my simple solution which may be helpful to anyone contemplating the change.

1) Removed the plate with the festoon fittings from base-plate.

2) Drilled a hole in the baseplate large enough for the bulb to pass through without touching.

3) Cut two plates (for the pair of lights) from some scrap 2mm alloy to accept bulb holders.

4) Using the existing holes in the base-plates, bolted in some machine screws as stand-offs.

5) Cut two short sections of plastic water pipe to separate baseplate from bulb holder.

6) Generous use of clear silicon to cement and waterproof everything.

Result: Much brighter rear/stop lights. After 300 odd miles of bouncing around, the lights are still in the holders and working perfectly.

Total cost for pair of bulbs and bulb holder, about £20.00

Photos should show all.

Bob






[/img]

[sladey]

Impressive work Bob

[fetuhoe]

If you fill in the holes in the housings or start with housings with a complete base



Then you can fit the laser cut polished stainless steel plates we made some time ago.

These have been cut to take a weather sealed bulb holder either B1 or B2 and take a standard bulb.

The lenses can be removed from outside without having to take out the lamp holders and by using and Amber and Red lens there is no issue with MOT.

The polished stainless is a good reflector and the edge seal is silicone rubber.