Round headlight conversion

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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby droopsnoot » Sat Mar 21, 2020 7:36 pm

I put a relay board into my Sportshatch, mainly so I could have all four going at the same time but it does appear to have made them a bit brighter. I don't really drive it at night (not intentionally, at least) so it was a bit of a waste of time. I've since done the same on the Firenza.

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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby VampireTigger » Sat Mar 21, 2020 11:35 pm

droopsnoot wrote:I put a relay board into my Sportshatch, mainly so I could have all four going at the same time but it does appear to have made them a bit brighter. I don't really drive it at night (not intentionally, at least) so it was a bit of a waste of time. I've since done the same on the Firenza.

Cimg4332_vvoc.jpg


I’ll probably do something similar on mine once I get the correct mount plates to stop the headlights falling out!
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby thomas » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:04 am

When wired correctly, that is as standard, which pair (inner/outer) are main beam, and which are dipped on the HC, not the snoots, but the round-headlamp ones. :?:

I ask because I'm still thinking about twin round headlamps for my HB, the original tungsten pre-focus bulbs being quite dismal, and I don't fancy halogens or xenons burning up/off the silvering on the original metal-backed square lamps. Canadian spec. grilles are a bit thin on the ground round these parts, and I still quake at the thought of butchering a good condition grille and making a complete and utter dog's breakfast of it, and having no way back! LEDs in the existing lamp units might be the route ultimately taken, if they're a good bit brighter than the original specification and stay brighter over the medium to long-term. LEDs though are still bound to get hot, but hopefully not too hot, not even as hot as tungsten jobs, never mind halogens or xenons?
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby 1972nail » Sun Mar 22, 2020 11:53 am

It depends on whether they were Lucas or Cibie lamps. The Lucas ones had both dip and main beam filaments in the outer lamps and just main in the inner. This meant that the current for both inner and outer lamps on main beam went through the dip switch.

The Cibie lamps only had dip filaments in the outers. Switching on the headlamps with the headlight switch sent power directly to the dip lamps, avoiding the dip part of the dip switch. Flicking on main beam just powered up the inner lamps, thus reducing the load on the main beam switch. The dip beam always stayed on.

Snoots were different in that the power still went through the dip switch but only one pair of lamps were lit at any one time, inner or outer, not both. However, many have since been modified to have both on with main beam.
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby HC Fairley » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:03 pm

Spots wired up to full beam :)
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby thomas » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:32 pm

1972nail wrote:It depends on whether they were Lucas or Cibie lamps. The Lucas ones had both dip and main beam filaments in the outer lamps and just main in the inner. This meant that the current for both inner and outer lamps on main beam went through the dip switch.

The Cibie lamps only had dip filaments in the outers. Switching on the headlamps with the headlight switch sent power directly to the dip lamps, avoiding the dip part of the dip switch. Flicking on main beam just powered up the inner lamps, thus reducing the load on the main beam switch. The dip beam always stayed on.

Snoots were different in that the power still went through the dip switch but only one pair of lamps were lit at any one time, inner or outer, not both. However, many have since been modified to have both on with main beam.


Dearie me, it's more complicated than I thought but combined dip and mains in the outers and additional main beams on the inners sounds workable. For the moment though, just till I get it back on the road, I'll stick with standard setup and definitely look into dip/main combined LED headlamp bulbs in the original lamp bodies at some future date as being the most plug-and-play, least nerve-wracking option.

I already have relays (and midi-strip type fusible links) added years back, and it did brighten up the original lamps a little. One strip supplying a new relay box under the bonnet where the old lucas dynamo regulator was, containing relays one each for dip, main and horn (the horn relay switches the negative side) and individual in-line fuses right after each of these three new relays. Plus another midi-strip for everything else, supplying the original fusebox. So there are no heavy loads through any of the the switches, even the thermal cut-out is still there but could only exceptionally trip/cycle as it only supplies the switches and then the relay coils.

Thanks for the tips!
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby Mike Attew » Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:33 pm

In a load of spares I got I found the wiring harness bits for twin lights so in these days of keeping to myself I rewired them, new wires but I have put relays in with fuses, either the main or dip work their own relays with a 12 volt feed from the battery. I have also wired them so the outer is dip/main, inner is main. The wiring harness also has a plug to fit the original headlight bulb socket so there is no cutting of the loom and easy to go back. Thought this may be of interest.
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby Mike Attew » Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:41 pm

Also found these Cibie units, single filament in each but look rather sorry and rusty. Unfortunately only have 3 . Back plates are all separate. 2 still fitted to lamps but the other as you can see is off.
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby 1972nail » Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:21 pm

That's a load of relays there Mike.

On my brother's Sports Hatch I mounted all the additional wiring , relays and fused on a hinge down panel below the dash. The idea is to make everything below the bonnet look original.

Halfway down this page you'll see my take on this

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=24163
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Re: Round headlight conversion

Postby Mike Attew » Sun Mar 22, 2020 5:29 pm

Hi David, I understand that but I thought I would leave the existing wiring alone and use these on fused relays as the trigger and just have this add on if I do decide to change. I only have to run one wire to the battery for each side. The new wiring is 17.5amp rated. It's just 2 relays each side so I should be able to conceal these a bit and easy to convert back to original. Plug and play.

As I am an at risk person I have to keep the old brain active. I am still trying to get hold of the bloke I spoke of although I don't think I can visit in the present clime.
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