Sealed Beam Lights for Classics

[Sequoiasoon]

When I was very young, my dad with his friends in many places was able to get either GE or Sylvania Halogen for 4 round system. At the time they were not DOT approved or not all states IIRC. He did it anyway. Not long after he got Hella with replaceable bulbs from Germany, huge difference over halogens. After that came relays and H4 90/100W low beam with I think H1 100W high beam. All aimed correctly, not getting flashed. That trend stayed for many years in 4 rectangle vehicles, 2 large rectangle Civic.

All my friends did the same thing. Hella/Cibie e-codes. My old Corolla with 1 piece light with 9005/9006 got glass headlights from Europe with H4’s and brighter bulbs. E-code much better than DOT.

 

[RooflessVW]

What kind of bulbs/lights are these?
Factory LED? Aftermarket LED?

The Koito kit from Toyota that I referenced earlier with Sylvania XtraVision H4, installed in a 1989 Trooper.

Headlamp Assembly - Toyota (81110-60P70)

 

[JHZR2]

Thread 'Koito 'e-Codes' at the Toyota Dealers, Inexpensive'

Mar 15, 2024

Just learned that Toyota sells Koito e'Code H4 7" lights and a relay harness for a very low price through the Dealers, apparently subsidizing the kits for their older cars that used sealed beams. Whatever reason, these are truly excellent quality lamps, thankfully as the variety of quality 7" e-Codes is shrinking; Cibie is out of production, Hella while still excellent now use a plastic reflector, Wipac are great but hard to find and Lucas are OK, but not comparable to the others and best suited for us English car rivet counters. There are also some low end Indian and Chinese...

• wings&wheels
• Replies: 10
• Forum: Automotive Electrical

• 

Forgot about those. I’m going to order a pair!

 

[RooflessVW]

Forgot about those. I’m going to order a pair!

They're so cheap, I actually have two on my shelf just in case

 

[SumGuy]

Does the "e-code" refer to the lens - or the replacable bulb? ie - if you have an e-code lens you can use any halogen (or LED?) bulb to get the beam pattern with sharp vertical cut-off?

I'm wondering what are the par-46 (5.75 inch round) options are in this regard.

 

[Oldswagon]

Thanks for the replies. I should clarify that I don't do much night driving with my old cars; it just happens occasionally. For example, if I am visiting someone and have dinner, I may have to drive home at night. The current lights are very poor, so when that does happen it's not a fun experience, especially since I live on a rural road. I used to have a couple of cars with the quad rectangular halogen seal beams that were pretty good, far better than my 5 3/4" round setup I have on this car. If I could get that level of lighting I'd be satsified for now and the vast majority of my driving is during the day.

I am assuming upgrading to H4 means I need to change my wiring and add in relays as I doubt my headlight switch can handle the amperage draw. Are the lenses on these lights flat or curved like the originals? I do not want lights with a flat lens as it strays too far from the original look. I believe, for example, Holley Retro Brights have flat lenses.

All my classic cars get the sealed Halogen beam upgrades. I just get the regular ones:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=319004&cc=1321478&pt=11701&jsn=557
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=319003&cc=1321478&pt=11701&jsn=560

I also have the exact same in 7" for my AMX.

I have not used the upgraded Xtravision bulb, just the regular sealed beam Halogen.

I am agnostic on Sylvania, Wagner etc. I just happen to have all Wagner at this time in both the Impala and the AMX.

The lighting is much better than the old tungsten lamps but not as good as an H4/H1 Halogen upgrade eg. Hella, Cibie etc. You can still overrun these sealed beam Halogens but I don't drive the old cars too much at night anymore if possible (deer etc.) and if I do, I keep the MPH down so I don't overrun.

Older electrical systems will require a relay if you run the big watt H4/H1 systems. I have not had to install the relay using these sealed beam Halogens.

If you are a purist you can get these improved T3s for GMs:

https://www.lectriclimited.com/lighting-fuse-flashers/

I do not have experience with these modern T3s.

I have put better lighting in all my muscle cars since I have been 16 and kept accumulating the T3s in a box in my garage. This Spring I finally took all my T3s to a swap meet (about 20 lamps) and did very well. The only car I did not get rid of the T3s on was my Chevelle, when I sold the car I included the original T3s in the sale, but no question, I was not driving around with tungsten bulbs, I had sealed beam Halogens in it.

Thank you, I will follow your example for now. Your usage of your cars is quite close to mine and I think for now without getting into wiring upgrades or straying too far from stock, it sounds like the Halogens will be an improvement for minimal cost. I can get the 4 halogens for about $60 CDN. BTW, I saw your AMX and Impala in the photo thread, both beautiful machines and two of my favourites of the era.

Those Sylvania you listed are pretty good. Not special. Just a bit of a step up that will do good while they will look like oem. They are actually a bit better than originals if you are dealing with a car from mid 60s thru late 70s.
I would have no issue with those and the price is fair for these days where every single thing costs more.

What vehicle are you planning to use them on? Are you doing much late night driving? Just ask cause most I knew with classics did not.
Duh...? Must be if you are looking for better than oem?

Friendly request: May we please get a look at what those lights may be used for? Request means nothing, I am merely a classic car junkie , ex owner of several from 1975 thru 2019 who loves any from the 1940s and on..... Never seen or drooled over enough yet!
P.S. I never strayed from the oem lights with my classic Chevys or Olds that I had because I almost never took one on the road after dark.
Because a couple of mine were always headed for judging at Super Chevy Shows or similar events where the look at every single detail.

The car I am discussing in this case is a 1972 Torino fastback, very similar to Clint's car in his movie "Gran Torino" but in bright red.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Thanks for the replies. I should clarify that I don't do much night driving with my old cars; it just happens occasionally. For example, if I am visiting someone and have dinner, I may have to drive home at night. The current lights are very poor, so when that does happen it's not a fun experience, especially since I live on a rural road. I used to have a couple of cars with the quad rectangular halogen seal beams that were pretty good, far better than my 5 3/4" round setup I have on this car. If I could get that level of lighting I'd be satsified for now and the vast majority of my driving is during the day.

I am assuming upgrading to H4 means I need to change my wiring and add in relays as I doubt my headlight switch can handle the amperage draw. Are the lenses on these lights flat or curved like the originals? I do not want lights with a flat lens as it strays too far from the original look. I believe, for example, Holley Retro Brights have flat lenses.

You don't have to change any wiring or add any relays.

The power/amperage use is the same as stock sealed beams. H4 bulbs in the low beams are 60/55W, and the H1 high beams are 55W.

 

[RooflessVW]

You don't have to change any wiring or add any relays.

The power/amperage use is the same as stock sealed beams. H4 bulbs in the low beams are 60/55W, and the H1 high beams are 55W.

The relays do get you clean power and save your old (often expensive or NLA) headlight switch though. No reason not to relay tour headlights on a classic car. It can all be tucked if you're worried about originality.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Does the "e-code" refer to the lens - or the replacable bulb? ie - if you have an e-code lens you can use any halogen (or LED?) bulb to get the beam pattern with sharp vertical cut-off?

I'm wondering what are the par-46 (5.75 inch round) options are in this regard.

The ECE has a range of regulations covering the light sources (R37 filament, R98 discharge), fixtures (R48), and so on, pertaining to lighting systems and performance.

The American regulations are issued by DOT (FMVSS 108).

Both have provisions for replaceable bulbs.

When people use "E-code" it is in reference to lighting that meets the ECE regulations, not the DOT regulations, and fixtures that utilize the type-approved sources covered by R37 (the Hx series of bulbs).

They each have their own philosophies (sharp cutoff vs. gradual fade, serviceable parts vs. sealed, etc.), but the ECE regs are generally tighter, like with the light sources, including signalling bulbs, where the European types have nickel-plated bases for better corrosion resistance.

 

[Oldswagon]

The relays do get you clean power and save your old (often expensive or NLA) headlight switch though. No reason not to relay tour headlights on a classic car. It can all be tucked if you're worried about originality.

That is the plan in the long term even if I stick with just the halogens. Down the road I may upgrade to some E-codes if they don't look too far from stock. I do not want a flat lens or one with a pattern that looks to far off the original lights (I am only talking about appearance - not the light pattern).

 

[meep]

I purchased three different halogen H4 drop-in lamps on Amazon and compared. The high beams were all similar, but hella was by far the best in coverage, control and cutoff, minus the upper rise for signs on the right. Heads and shoulders above the others. It’s also better than a sealed beam or traditional halogen upgrade. No special H4 needed, I find the non-long life bulbs have slightly hotter output and slightly easier focus. (Skinnier filament, runs hotter, smaller emission surface, still lasts a long time).

I think it’s the same connector, same current draw.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

That is the plan in the long term even if I stick with just the halogens. Down the road I may upgrade to some E-codes if they don't look too far from stock. I do not want a flat lens or one with a pattern that looks to far off the original lights (I am only talking about appearance - not the light pattern).

Do you ever take this car to Pebble Beach?

 

[Auae1985]

Poor man's trick - Back years ago (about 40), I put 7" motorcycle headlights in my 1981 Z-28. They had replaceable halogen bulbs. Had a very distinctive lighting pattern with the upper cutoff on low beam, but good high beams.

 

[97prizm]

One of my old cars still has the incandescent sealed beam headlights. I want to upgrade them to a modern halogen replacement. I am not interested in any LED or other aftermarket options that do not look original. Options are limited; I can get a stock style Wagner, Philips or Sylvania in halogen form, but Sylvania also offers their Xtravision version.

Does anyone have a recommendation on which of these bulb choices are best? Does the Xtravision actually offer better lighting, or is it all marketing hype?

I am looking at a quad light setup - H5006/H5001

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...PZkzvW6C58odC42EvC1tC-Wdk9C2r_hoBgpmbp-kwQQIq

Go with Cibie, or the osram nightbreaker which doesn't have any blue tint. Philips also has a +100 halogen bulb the xtreme vision. The xtra vision didn't seem like much of an improvement. What type of vehicle is it?

 

[Carmudgeon]

In Sylvania-speak, Xtravision is really only a mild step up, probably the equivalent of a +30 in the product segments used in the rest of the world.

SilverStar is the high performance line, +100 level where there the tradeoff for better performance is less durability.

zXe for the vanity/looks crowd that don't care to understand the science, but do buy the marketing whole hog.

The trick is try to determine which bulb, if any, Osram is repackaging for the U.S. market under the Sylvania branding.

Or, just skip straight to buying the overseas market bulbs, which are readily available online, and more straightforward in their marketing (though Osram should stop persisting with adding new versions/variants using the NightBreaker moniker).

But in general, the marketing is more straightforward, the distinctions better defined, as well as operating under a system with more stringent terms, also with the understanding among consumers that light bulbs are consumable, not lifetime, items.