Headlights

[Aurora40]

I put in Silverstars tonight to replace the Wagner plastic bulbs that were in there. I'm not sure if they were original or not.

I wanted XtraVisions since they are the same amount of light, just slightly less white. But they cost less and last a lot longer than Silverstars. But the local auto parts store that carries Sylvania never got them in. They kept saying "oh, they should be in later this week" and whatnot, but they never got a new stock of them. So Silverstars it was since the stock ones are terrible.

I thought I'd take a picture of them with only one changed:

You can see a pretty noticeable difference in light output and color. They also have a better controlled beam pattern, though it is nothing like a projector beam as the distance gets further.

I also was interested in the weight. The glass Silverstar beam was only barely heavier than the plastic Wagner. They were both trivially light.

I adjusted the bulbs shining them on the wall of a nearby school, then went for a drive. The lights went from being sub-par to being acceptable. They still aren't stellar, but they are decent, and I won't be as hesitant about night driving in the car. If you drive at night, upgrading to a 55W bulb is probably a worthwhile mod.

 

[LT4man]

I have Silverstars in all of my vehicles. They are an affordable alternative. I really like the light they give.

Did I say they were cheap? :L I thought so!

Save The Wave!

 

[jsinga]

Consumer Reports has an article on headlight bulbs this month. Short answer. They didn't find a big difference between the expensive bulbs and OEM for the price.
I got CIEBE lamps 100/130watt bulbs and a relay kit from http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html
Wire and a Saturday and I have REAL headlights! Fact, don't expect the bulbs to last forever they just run hot. With overwatt bulbs you have to add relays and heavier wire or you will smoke something. They pull 18amps on low beam.
Put a voltmeter on your headlight sockets and compare it to the battery voltage. Light output drops quickly with voltage drop.

JS

 

[JEFNLSA]

I just put the Silverstars in mine too...definite improvement. Need to do the fogs now so they match the headlights. Do they make a fog bulb that is complimentary to the Silverstar?

Jeff

 

[LT4man]

You can put a higher wattage bulb in the fog lamps. Look for the book titled "100 Projects for your C4". Or somthing like that. The author tells you what bulbs to pick up. He explains how to check so your fuse is rated high enough for the extra amperage draw.

I did the upgrade for my Vette. It helps but not as much as I though it would.

Save The Wave!

 

[John Robinson]

Headlight Upgrades

I put the Hella's in mine and it made a significant differance. I think most of the differance was in the prizm of the lens. Also the orginal bulbs were dull from age. I would like to get a 55/80 bulb. I do not think it would need any heavy rewiring. The amount of time you can use the high beams is short because of oncoming cars. Unless they refuse to dim there highbeams.:gap Can someone point me at a supplier for high wattage bulbs. I would probable replace the bulbs in both my cars if I could get the right bulbs.

 

[jacob9582]

Does anyone have a headlight coversion for an 84' corvette. I want the white lights like you see on the new vettes and bmw's!

 

[nyernga]

Do they make a fog bulb that is complimentary to the Silverstar?

Jeff

The catelogs have higher wattage fog lights bulbs and thats what I used in conjunction with the silverstars. I also wired my fogs to remain ON when using high beams. The only problem is now aircraft keep following me on dark nights.

Len

 

[G Winter]

I replaced the , I thinkg 20 watt, bulbs in my foglamps on my 90 with a 50 watt made for later model GM cars. Made quite a diff in my fog lamps I can now use them in twilight as headlights. I am a little concerned because the new bulb didn't have the metal shield infront of it like the old bulbs. Time will tell if it effects the lenses or not. If you look at the bulb chart the diff in part number is only the 20 to the 50 . I also installed the silverstars last summer and like the results. I believe mine were original because the reflective material inside the headlamp was flaking and getting black spots on it. Aged headlights should be replaced even if they are still working . They lose thier intensity.

Glenn

 

[c4cruiser]

Does anyone have a headlight coversion for an 84' corvette. I want the white lights like you see on the new vettes and bmw's!

You can get HID Xenon conversion kits that will give you near HID lighting. You would need to replace your hedlamps with the HELLA european glass lenses (available from the various Corvette accessory catalogs or Summit Racing) and then use a HID conversion setup that utilizes an H4 bulb.

I found this site with a Google search for "Automotive HID lighting":
http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=13 I have no idea if this kit is any good or worth the money. It just came up on as a result of the search.

The kit is sold two ways; low beam only or high/low beams. The hi/lo kit is $539 and then add another $75 or so for the HELLA Euro housings. The wiring would be not difficult to do but it would be a help to have a year-specific wiring diagram of the lighting circuit before you start to cut and splice.

 

[*89x2*]

Aurora, I had the plastic headlights in my 93 and HATED 'em

Light output was minimal at best :eek

I replaced them with Silverstars and WHOA! What a difference :eek

Some say the glass bulbs like silverstars wear out the motors however, my 1989's came w/ glass guide brand lights from the factory. As you say, minimal weight differences - major difference in output! :cool

 

[jsinga]

Like I said earlier the CIEBE euro coded lamps and 100/130w H4 bulbs will at least equal any HID lights. Total cost @ $200 and an afternoon to upgrade the wiring.

JS

 

[MBDiagMan]

I put the Hella's in mine and it made a significant differance. I think most of the differance was in the prizm of the lens. Also the orginal bulbs were dull from age. I would like to get a 55/80 bulb. I do not think it would need any heavy rewiring. The amount of time you can use the high beams is short because of oncoming cars. Unless they refuse to dim there highbeams.:gap Can someone point me at a supplier for high wattage bulbs. I would probable replace the bulbs in both my cars if I could get the right bulbs.

John has it figured out. The shape of the reflector is WAAAaaaay more important than the wattage of the bulb. Sealed beam headlights have been the scourge of US night driving for well over 50 years. I think they must have become law in the US due to lobbying by the lamp makers many years ago.

When I went to Germany in 1969 I was completely ASTOUNDED by the headlights on their cars. They did not have sealed beams, they had REAL headlamps. You can thank Ford Motor Company for lots of work to get the insane sealed beam laws in this country changed about 10 years ago.

For those of us stuck with old sealed beam equipped cars, there are a few posters here that have chosen the only alternative that gives really good light. By using European Code sealed beam replacements such as the Cibie or more commonly the Hella, you can have good light. This is not because of higher wattage bulbs, but because of better developed reflector shape.

If you will go with the Euro Code sealed beam replacements, you will not need to increase wattage to have good light. Just use a good Halogen standard wattage H4 bulb in them and you will think you have a locomotive running along next to you providing your light.

Have a great day,

 

[4DSZR1]

Great Information!!!!!!!!!! Does anybody know which headlight works in the C4 165mm or the 170mm. Thanks