LED headlights - now cost effective option.

[squirejo]

Hi everyone.

There have been many threads recently which have included discussion about upgrading from candle power to something better. No doubt coincidental with the winter. There are several options available rather than standard- the D zug hid or led kit which has recently been fitted to the Jaffa is one - but the commonality is the cost.
http://www.d-zug.com/#!product/prd12/27 ... dlight-kit

RPM technik in the UK have their "lumetechnik" upgrade.

This came out of their work on this excellent home grown singer "964 restomod" and the light units are from a German company called Nolden, who appear to be the bees knees supplying many OEM manufacturers. https://www.facebook.com/964restomod?ref=ts&fref=ts

Trouble is all these upgrades are really quite a lot of money (though we all now somehow a brake, suspension or exhaust upgrade would make it thru the man maths calculator, somehow the ability to see at night doesn't!)

Dan had a set of the lumetechnik fitted to his hotrod and having seen them first hand they are very impressive indeed. Here is his thread page:
viewtopic.phpf=28&t=40463&p=432881&hili ... od#p432881

So I have good news to report (not so much for Dan, oops) a combination of dialogue with other DDK'ers and a bit of Internet forensics now means that you can buy a set of the RPM ones for pre-74 cars for £636. The reason is simply that they have managed to source the light units from a UK retailer who bought out a job lot of the ones without integral sidelight from Nolden at a much discounted price. RPM have further reduced that on the basis of decent order volumes.

I am conscious this may read like an advert- it's not and I have no affiliation- but I am glad to have helped with another DDK'er to have found a way to get this done at what in my head is a more sensible price point. I have ordered a set for the S and I will post when fitted; won't be for a few weeks though.

As per their website, you can retain original lenses so the look remains period correct, or clear lenses for a Singer look. They are a plug and play installation, lower power draw thru the loom etc also good.

[mdmax72]

Agree with you on, we number crunch for other upgrades but neglect the lights.

Will watch this thread with a lot of interest. Did you order just the lights or the light rings to hold them in place aswell??

Seems Spuirdan has these fitted already.

Here the link

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=40463&start=330

[squirejo]

You don't need the rings as i understand it. The light unit is paired to a bracket designed by RPM which allows them to be fitted as a straight replacement for the existing owls and bulbs. Yes Dan has them fitted and they are v impressive.

[Jonny Hart]

This is great but I question the use of an LED bulb when using the original lens.

With a filament setup, the bulb, the reflector and the lens work together as a system. The reflector and lens are designed to the shape of the lit filament in the bulb in order to get the required light pattern and not blind oncoming traffic. This is why ALL conventional bulbs from ALL manufacturers look exactly the same in terms of filament and glass size etc.

With an LED bulb, the light pattern simply can't be the same as a filament, hence I can't see how the pattern can be correct. I'm not saying they aren't bright, but throwing the light out correctly, nah. We've all been blinded by the twats with the laser blue non E rated headlamps, just don't want to be one of them. Are they road legal?

I totally get the clear lens option because the LED and projector optics are matched, the 'lens' is no longer a lens, just a clear cover (like most new cars)

[squirejo]

Yes they are road legal. And E rated. And highest quality German. It's also not just a bulb; the unit has its own reflector. Have a look on their website and give Ollie a call who is the RPM spanner man- he has been super helpful to me.

[hot66]

Jo, is this for complete units including trim rings, glass buckets etc ?

[sladey]

I'm planning on getting these in a few weeks time. For the last decade, every winter I've been saying I need to upgrade my lights, every spring I spend the money on something else. This year I need to make it happen. This winter I've got fed up with being blind when brighter cars come towards me - I hit the kerb on one occasion.

I believe the clear lens option is the best in terms of a clear cut-off - and I agree that the stock lens will muddy that - but I don't know how much by. The guy from evo had them fitted to his SC with stock lenses. For ease I may go stock lenses initially and then switch to clear later. I'll share my experiences.

James - just seen your post

This is for people who have early headlights - it's just the unit and the adapter bracket as far as I know - so if you want them for your 964 you'll need to do a bit more work (or spend a bit more money)

[Jonny Hart]

Yes they are road legal. And E rated. And highest quality German. It's also not just a bulb; the unit has its own reflector. Have a look on their website and give Ollie a call who is the RPM spanner man- he has been super helpful to me.

I've had a look at the website, you can clearly see the LED projector unit behind the clear cover lens, that'll work fine. The reflector and cut off is 'built in' to the projector

You can also just about see the same arrangement in the photo With the original lens. Surely, if you then put a standard lens in front, it'll bugger up the light pattern?

I'll give them a call.

[hot66]

Thought so Mark .

I'm in no rush as even with lense deflectors the lights aren't that bad ... Better than my crappy m3 ones

[squirejo]

By the way I am also going to try led bulbs in the rear lights. Lots of thread about high level/ being rear ended. I can only imagine Cree leds in the rear clusters will be much brighter and draw less power. No canbus type issues. When I get my car back in a few weeks I will order and fit some.

[tim69s]

Very tempting conversion at that price.
If any of you chaps who go for it would like to re-claim some of the cost and sell me your RHD H4 reflectors which you no longer need, I'm in the market for a good pair.

Tim

[Jonny Hart]

By the way I am also going to try led bulbs in the rear lights. Lots of thread about high level/ being rear ended. I can only imagine Cree leds in the rear clusters will be much brighter and draw less power. No canbus type issues. When I get my car back in a few weeks I will order and fit some.

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Please read this, be very careful what bulbs you buy:

http://www.impactbumpers.com/forum/inde ... ps-beware/

[squirejo]

Thanks, interesting. But like 911s, not all things are equal. I will try some proper high quality ones. Cree appears to be a good manufacturer. I will only have my car back ina. Week or two though so slow burn.

[Jonny Hart]

Just be careful. I can't find any data on Cree bulbs but try to find out the mcd output of the tail and stop lamps. In a normal bulb, the stop lamp is FIVE TIMES the light output of the tail lamp. If the LED does not meet that spec I personally would not fit them. It's not about brightness, it's about difference in brightness.

I sound like a stuck record here but....with a normal bulb, the filament works with the reflector to produce the required lamp output. The LED bulbs don't have the same 'shape' of light, so may produce inferior light output.

[dogbower]

Saw these people advertised in the back of Octane, may be worth trying, they have a section for classic cars.

www.bettercarlighting.co.uk

Stuart.