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Headlights
#1
Are the outer headlights in the UK different from the stock ones?

I have Sylvania 1A1 inners and Cibie outers. My outers have 2 bulbs in them.
One of these has a cracked lens. So I have bought 2 outers from Houston, but notice that these are Sylvania 2A1, but only 1 bulb in them (sealed beam).

Thanks in advance,

Arran
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#2
arranj Wrote:Are the outer headlights in the UK different from the stock ones?

I have Sylvania 1A1 inners and Cibie outers. My outers have 2 bulbs in them.
One of these has a cracked lens. So I have bought 2 outers from Houston, but notice that these are Sylvania 2A1, but only 1 bulb in them (sealed beam).

Thanks in advance,

Arran

The US 'standard' for the outer lenses are a 3-pin twin connection for the main and dip beam, with the inner lights just serving as the main beam and have a 2-pin connector.

With the UK requiring a 'side light' feature to pass the MOT im assuming this is where the extra bulb is fitted as a modification into your lamps.

Does the side light fitting/ holder come out of your existing lamp ?
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#3
Yes - I think so (haven't really checked). Is it then possible to get a replacement lens for the cracked light? Or do I drill a hole in the back of these stock replacement selaed beam lights?
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#4
Arran,

Sorry to say you have wasted your money on the outer lamps from Houston. Sad Those twin beam sealed units (with three pins) have a beam pattern designed for driving on the right hand side and can't be used in the UK.

The Cibie units will be for left hand use, and it's very, very unlikely that you can replace the glass only. So unfortunately you're going to have to replace the whole unit, and if you want them to match, the unit on the other side too.

If the part number for the Cibie unit is printed on it you can use that to track down another one - and perhaps you can share it with the group as headlights for the D are usually tricky to find and expensive!
Richard H. DOC 365 VIN 1274
http://www.deloreans.co.uk
In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.
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#5
Hi Arran,

Dave Howarth might have some supplies of the headlights. They were £80 pair off him a few years back.

Apparently the lights also cross-reference with Audi 80 headlights.

Hope this helps :wink:
1982 DeLorean VIN 12173 (a.k.a VIN 601)
1989 Alpine GTA V6 Turbo
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#6
If you check to see if the headlight 'buckets' have been 'altered' to accomodate a side light feature , maybe you can ask Dave where the side light goes on his lamps, so you dont end up 'hacking' at this any more than may have been done already.

Perhaps DMCH / E will take your new lights back into stock, its a shame they didnt advise you when you purchased these that they were for LHD cars but then again I suppose they wouldnt realise.
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#7
Shameless Plug Here as I still do Delorean bits even though Im almost Delorean-Less myself.

We do Hella's at £80 a pair and Halo's including sidelights at £80 a pair.

Order both sets and I'll give you free P&P on the first order I get.

Dan
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#8
DMC Ltd do rather nice lights but has anyone done a RHD halogen version of these:-
http://www.delorean.com/pxenonheadlights.asp
Regards,

Chris Hawes
DOC 138
Ex owner of VIN 5255 Grey, 5-speed
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#9
Oh how I live to talk headlights..... :-D

1) The Cebie units are actually Valeo units that use Cebie lenses. As far as I'm aware they are still available but I never managed to find a supplier, so went with the Hellas which are nicer looking and better made. They do have the snag of the sidelight bulb poking out the back though. The cross reference is Audi 800 but good luck getting any supplier to find that listed in the catalogue!

2) The word "halogen" seems to be banded around a tad too much in connection with lights as being somehow special. Well, it's either a halogen , a "rare" or an inert gas inside that ickly bulby thing. Halogens can be recognised by the quartz tube that surrounds the filament inside the bulb (like the original sealed beam sylvania lamps). "Halogen" refers to the groups of gases in the periodic table, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine whose different properties affect the colour of the discharged light and all improve its intensity and lifespan. If it's just a filament suspended in mid "air", then the bulb's usually full of argon and nitrogen (as in your bathroom lightbulb, or my desk lamp right here). Xenon, Krypton, Argon and Neon all have the same intensity-improving, lifespan-altering properties in varying degrees and with varying colours. Xenon is somwhat blue which appears to our eyes as more white and better for headlights.

You'd be hard pushed to find a modern H4 and H7 bulb that -doesn't- contain Xenon. Yes, even the cheapy 55/60W bulbs that are a fiver in Halfords.

As a sidenote, don't confuse Xenon or halogen bulbs with HID lamps which are a whole different ballgame and should be given a wide berth on the DeLorean.

So it's a crappy marketing gimmick basically, and DMCH know perfectly well that their lights aren't appropriate for use in the UK seeing as they've bought UK headlights off us in the past.

[disclaimer - much of what's written above was gleaned fairly rapidly from a bit of googling to refresh my, frankly poor, memory of GCSE chemistry, so I may not be 100% right :-)]
Martin Gutkowski
DeLorean Cars
http://www.delorean.co.uk
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