Replacement headlights for M100

[Doug]

The most important is THAT I LOVE THIS CAR and wouldn't trade it for a newer Lotus.

[The Ref]

The most important is THAT I LOVE THIS CAR and wouldn't trade it for a newer Lotus.

well not with the light like that you wont

only kidding as long as you like them that is all that matters.

Billy

[bobbrown]

Surely the biggest reason that pop up headlights have been dropped by major manufacturers is a simple one COST. Added to that there is the pedestrian protection saftey regulations that make it next to impossible to fit pop up headlights to a new car.
I do not see it as a 80's thing either as they were first introduced as far back as 1936.
Would you do it if it was a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari Testarossa or a Lamborghini Diablo? NO I think would be the answer.
I for one would not swap the pop up headlights as they are part of the charm and one of the many reasons for the purchase in the first place.

Bob

[dapinky]

but did we get this car (M100) to collect it or to drive it?
The most important is THAT I LOVE THIS CAR and wouldn't trade it for a newer Lotus.

That's all that matters at the end of the day - Your car !


AFAIK pop-ups were changed to fixed lights to meet the then-current regulations regarding 'personal injury' in the event of a car vs pedestrian collision, and had little to do with styling issues

[Don.Hasi]

Don, can't see your picture.

sorry... due to a technical failure it is not possible to show the picture above, so another must take it:




Belonging to the popups themselves: Dapinky is right. It is only the "current regulations regarding 'personal injury' in the event of a car vs pedestrian collision" formed by the European Parliament that have forbidden the popups, at least in germany for new cars.

Well you don't buy a car because it has pop-ups or not!!

Forgive my ignorance but in my case it were the popups cause I love them, even if I have to draw them up per hand in the rain. But it have to be only your choice, like you have stated it, so its ok and thx for sharing the pictures with us.

Kind regards

[tweetdriver63]

Surely the biggest reason that pop up headlights have been dropped by major manufacturers is a simple one COST. Added to that there is the pedestrian protection saftey regulations that make it next to impossible to fit pop up headlights to a new car.
I do not see it as a 80's thing either as they were first introduced as far back as 1936.
Would you do it if it was a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari Testarossa or a Lamborghini Diablo? NO I think would be the answer.
I for one would not swap the pop up headlights as they are part of the charm and one of the many reasons for the purchase in the first place.

Bob

Except that Lamborghini actually switched the pop-up lights on the Diablo to those exact Nissan headlight units.
http://jalopnik.com/5166209/the-nissan-300zx-shares-its-parts-with-a

[yobm100]

Surely the biggest reason that pop up headlights have been dropped by major manufacturers is a simple one COST. Added to that there is the pedestrian protection saftey regulations that make it next to impossible to fit pop up headlights to a new car.
I do not see it as a 80's thing either as they were first introduced as far back as 1936.
Would you do it if it was a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari Testarossa or a Lamborghini Diablo? NO I think would be the answer.
I for one would not swap the pop up headlights as they are part of the charm and one of the many reasons for the purchase in the first place.

Bob

Except that Lamborghini actually switched the pop-up lights on the Diablo to those exact Nissan headlight units.
http://jalopnik.com/5166209/the-nissan-300zx-shares-its-parts-with-a

Great info, I didn't even know that about the Diablo!! Hey what's most important I love the look of my new Elan and I have to mention it again that the car is much lighter.
I guess not everyone would agree with me changing those lights. It's just a matter of time when someone in here will have a problem with these pop-ups motors and then you might have a little thought about what I did!!

[tweetdriver63]

Great info, I didn't even know that about the Diablo!! Hey what's most important I love the look of my new Elan and I have to mention it again that the car is much lighter.
I guess not everyone would agree with me changing those lights. It's just a matter of time when someone in here will have a problem with these pop-ups motors and then you might have a little thought about what I did!!

I think it's to each his own. Most of us have had/are having problems with the pop-up motors, but it's an easy and cheap fix. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pop-ups, but I do like the clean look when they're not up. In fact, I installed some LED driving lights under the front, at the top of the intercooler openings, so that during those twilight times when you need lights on to be more visible, but not to see, I don't have to pop-up the headlights.

I think the Nissan light conversion would compliment the Elise rear light conversions, like LGM's. As a package, it's actually quite similar to what Kia did with their concept Elan update, which I think most people thought looked good overall.

I am wondering, though, how your car is actually lighter? I understand the light units would be lighter, specially without the motors, but I would think that metal support thingy would pretty well even it out.

[yobm100]

Great info, I didn't even know that about the Diablo!! Hey what's most important I love the look of my new Elan and I have to mention it again that the car is much lighter.
I guess not everyone would agree with me changing those lights. It's just a matter of time when someone in here will have a problem with these pop-ups motors and then you might have a little thought about what I did!!

I am wondering, though, how your car is actually lighter? I understand the light units would be lighter, specially without the motors, but I would think that metal support thingy would pretty well even it out.

The metal is actually aluminium, which weight appx 2 lbs. Overall I did save on weight. The car has a lighter exaust system as well! I am planing to cut more weight and will eventually come up with something. At the inspection the car weight was 945 kg which is 2079 lbs.
There's no catalyc converter in this car which helps a lot!!

[Don.Hasi]

. At the inspection the car weight was 945 kg which is 2079 lbs.
There's no catalyc converter in this car which helps a lot!!

Wow! That´s a good value. Congrats. What have you done for it ? Of course wheels, steering wheel ?? Please tell us more.


Oh, and for the lights... they look in a way like this too

Don´t know whether I mentioned it before... but I like Lotus´ retrostyle with the backspoiler of the Evora very much

[XiPHiAS]

If you see the Evora from above, you can notice alot of lines and similar lines of the Elan ...

Nose lines, windscreen, rear with integrated spoiler

[Doug]

Yohann, so from now on you'll say you put headlights from a Diablo into the Elan

If you see the Evora from above, you can notice a lot of lines and similar lines of the Elan ...
Nose lines, windscreen, rear with integrated spoiler

and don't forget the sexy "waist" they both have

[surfboardfiller]

Well, when it comes to pop-ups vs non-pop-ups, I suspect that if Lotus had continued the M100 production, that would have been one of the first updates they would have made to the design. The pop-up is dead. What modern cars do you see with them??

It's because they are deemd unsafe by those who make up the legislation as they see fit (in the event of a person being knocked over).
Why a 3 tonne Landrover with a steel winch mounted on the front and steel bumpers is tolorated is way beyond me!

I think the original lights look good and never had a problem with them on any of the 3 M100 Elans or my 1978 Esprit. I'd love a Diablo but only with popups!
I do appreciate the mod though and I am sure there will be weight reduction, which is why I took them off my track car project.

[tweetdriver63]

Although pedestrian protection regulations make it more dificult to design pop-up headlights that comply with regs, they had gone the way of the dodo already (at least in the US) before those regulations hit our shores. US regulations didn't allow for aerodynamic headlamps until recently. Pop-ups are heavier, more expensive and complicated, and always have reliability issues as a car ages.

Interestingly, the Esprit was the last production volume car to have pop-ups, along with the C5 Corvette, both of which stopped production in 2004.

[XiPHiAS]

If you see the Evora from above, you can notice alot of lines and similar lines of the Elan ...

Nose lines, windscreen, rear with integrated spoiler

picts says more than thousand words ...

check the windscreen !!

[Specky]

Funny you should say about the lines...

Today I was showing the better half the around a KTM crossbow... when I noticed an white Evora in the show room, quick as flash she said "That's just an updated Elan, look at the lines"

TTFN

[bobbrown]

check the screen on this car

windscreen.jpg

Look familiar

[Specky]

Next the Evora will be using Longerons and cross members... Now where did we last see that...

TTFN

[tweetdriver63]

Next the Evora will be using Longerons and cross members... Now where did we last see that...

TTFN

Only if they make a FWD version. I was under the impression pretty much everything about the M100's suspension was designed to neutralize the normally negative handling characteristics of FWD cars.

[Specky]

Now If this lights were standard fit...

Evora light.jpg

Evora lights.jpg

TTFN