Headlight replacement

[montanabob]

Has anyone replaced the pathetically dim headlights that come stock with anything brighter. I've really gotten spoiled with how bright the lights are on my regal and would like to get similar illumination out of the vette.

 

[vms4evr]

I replaced both a few months back. Used the Sylvania Xtra Visions Halogen lamps. They work well. Significantly better than the ones that were in there. My driving/fog lights used to show up fairly well. With the Xtra Vision headlights I don't even notice the driving lamps if they are on. The Xtra vision are brighter and have a different field of view. I like them. I think they were about $20each.
They now have the Cool Blue version that wasn't available when I got my Xtra Vision lamps.
Graham

 

[a_scott_h]

new lites

wouldn't ya know ---- whenever i start to think of something to do to the vette ---- sho enuff' someone else is thinking it first -- i also disliked the low lite emitters i have on my 87 --was thinking of those composite headlite replacement to upgrade to those"blue" high energy lites --- i think ill save some money and try these first----thnx graham---------good day all ___scott___

 

[montanabob]

Thanks graham,

Do you mean that sylvania now has the blue in a sealed beam, or do you have to get one of those kits to replace your sealed beam unit with one that will accept the small bulbs?

I saw post that Ken made a little while ago, but the link he was refering to was broken. Ken if you are reading this do you know what the link was?

Bob

 

[montanabob]

Well I just got a pair of the cool blue Sylvania. I'll pu thtem in tonight or tommorrow and report back for anyone interested. The cool blue were $17 each at Autozone The Xtra vision were a few $ cheaper there than the cool blue.
Sylvania said that the new Xtra Vision is still a little brighter than the cool blue, but the cool blue is whiter and a lot of things reflect better with them. In either case they said both should be significantly brighter than the original.
We'll see

 

[Ken]

I saw post that Ken made a little while ago, but the link he was refering to was broken. Ken if you are reading this do you know what the link was?

Sorry, man, you'll have to refresh my memory. CRS is bad today. :eyerole

_ken

 

[montanabob]

other thread

Ken, The thread was entitled "Headlight Upgrade..." Started on 7/28/01
I guess it was more than a "little" while ago

 

[Ken]

Aha! Now that I've replaced the image, you can go back to that thread to see what we're talking about.

I saw that in MAD, or CC maybe, last year but never followed through. I don't need lights yet. :L

Headlight Upgrade...

_ken

 

[trrgod]

You can buy an upgrade kit on Ebay for about $50.00. These consist of separate lenses and separate bulbs. I bought a set and they are brighter. However, I am going to get even brighter bulbs in the near future because I want even more brightness. The light from these is WHITE not yellow like original bulbs. It is a real shame that Corvettes don't come with better headlights.

 

[vms4evr]

I like the Xtra Vision. Very bright and clear. I think the ones I pulled were the original factory ones. GE or something.

Bob,
I want to know what you think of the Cool Blue and if they annoy everyone else on the road. Some of those Euro cars with the blue are almost blinding when they come at you.
Graham

 

[jsinga]

If you are serious about bright headlights go to Daniel Sterns Lighting's web page.
I did the full boat on my 87. It cost about $150 by the time I got everthing, Ciebe lamp housings, bulbs, relay upgrade kit and wiring. (yes you have to re-wire the entire system for the REAL high watt bulbs)
I have more light than the factory arc-discharge lamps.
Now I see things and drive around them at night. Not just see the stuff in time to run over it like before.

JS

 

[Ken]

Can ya give us a run-thru on how you re-wired it JS? Difficulty scale too?

_ken

 

[montanabob]

Ken, Thanks for the update.

Graham, So far I really like them. They are a vast improvement over what I had in there.

This was the first time I was changing the bulbs out and I found I had a mixed set. 1 halogen wanger and 1 regular halogen sylvania. The cool blues looked significantly brigher than either of the old two, and had a much better pattern (much wider) the old bulbs seemed to cast roughly round spots where the new sylvanias were significanly wider and cover the whole lane and then some.

I can see where I'm going now I would say I can see 2-3 times as far, and at least twice as bright(kind of hard to quantify how much brighter, but its a huge difference).

As for annoying other drivers, by the time I got both replaced (boy that was much harder than on either of my trans-ams) there weren't many people left on the road. The few people I passed didn't seem to mind though, of course none of them were sitting at headlight height like we do:L

 

[vetsvette]

cool blues

I've been using the Cool Blues for about a year and am very happy with them. $19 ea.

 

[vms4evr]

Glad you like em Bob. Looks like Whitey has been running his for quite a while and is just as happy as I am with them. Because of the wider disperssion(sp) I find my fog lights to be nothing more than show now. And I can see way more on the side of the road too. See if you can even tell your fog lights are on Bob.

As for replacing them. Yeah that part sucked. I would have given you some tips but I must have done it wrong. And I still have a scar to prove it... Those metal bezels are sharp!

Graham

 

[vetsvette]

installation

They tell you the easy way to change them in your owners manual.

 

[montanabob]

Re: installation

They tell you the easy way to change them in your owners manual.

DOH! Never thought to look in the owners manual.

As far as the fog lights, if I sit up (not that there is much more room to sit up)I can just see that they are on. Like you said graham they are now pretty much for show or daytime running lights.

 

[dugr]

For what it is worth to anyone considering Sylvania replacements, I was in a Meijer store, in Westerville, Oh, this evening; they had the Sylvania Xtra Vision for $9.96, each. I bought a pair, but I'm going to wait until it warms up a bit before I install them. I'm not sure, but I think you can get the "blues" for the same price.

 

[Topless]

Has anyone tried the replacement housings using 9000 series bulbs? I had blue-ish bulbs on my former Mustangs. While they are great for dry roads, they leave a lot to be desired in the wet. Also, since it occasionally snows here, blue bulbs make seem as though someone put a white sheet on your windshield.

Anyway...the yellow ones are supposed to be better for foul weather. I have been contimplating that change. I read on the link to the previous thread that these a higher in heat and melt plastic. What about clear bra on the glass? I just know if I go to the glass headlight, I will take a rock through them in a week. (winter~sand on the roads)

Honestly, I would rather change the fog lights to a yellowish light, but can not find a bulb for that.

Mike

 

[jsinga]

Here is some info on upgrading the headlights.
http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/
has all the info you need to do it and get REAL headlights.
They have the european coded lamp housings, they aren't cheap. You get bright lights that don't blind on-comming drivers, and they don't reflect off rain. They were well worth it to me.
If you want the over watt bulbs you must replace the wiring. If you check most older cars they aren't getting full voltage to the headlights because of the resistance in the wiring and switches. Mine was dropping about .65v between the battery and the headlights before I upgraded the wiring.
To install a relay kit you just use the wiring going up to one headlight now to switch the relay on and off.
I brought two new wires up from the block behind the battery for power to the lights and mounted the relays on the inner fender pannel on the drivers side. The biggest job is replacing the wire and sockets to the headlamps. You must get 3 #12ga wires through the lamp housing pivot, I used WD-40 and worked them in. It's about an all day job to do everything and dress it up neat.

You could use the stock watt bulbs in the e-coded lamps and have good results. With the upgraded wiring I'm running 100/130W bulbs.
I checked the current draw with a clamp-on amp meter and they draw about 19amps on low beam. Put those bulbs in stock wiring and it would blow fuses and melt down everything.
Any one want more gorey details just ask.

JS