Square light kit?

[GoM100Go]

Any Ideas how or who can do this modification. It's the first I have seen with making the front headlights square. It really does give the car a more modern look, even making it look abit like the newest Élan design,giving the squares a blue light outline would really look cool on this mod.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1991-LOT ... df75#v4-37

[chrisP]

Its something I have not seen before. But its something I hhave thought of doing for some years with HID lamps. You may have to remake the pods or more likely they were 'adapted' I would imagine that altering the pod to motor linkage would adjust the amount the pod opened.

Chris

[texas2201]

would love hid lights but those were fugly and looked like they were permanently open - no likey

[DeeAitch]

There were a few Sleepy eye kits on flea bay a few years ago - there is a Pontiac one on there now No 370566820354. Not sure if they offered the lights as well

[dapinky]

would love hid lights but those were fugly and looked like they were permanently open - no likey

Not only fugly, and even though they *may* improve night vision, they ain't legal on an elan - www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps.html

Now, there are many schools of thought (and the interweb is full of people who will tell you how to physically fit them and avoid the consequences), but the bottom line is that they shouldn't be retro-fitted if you wish to fully comply with UK regulations......

The problem (as far as i see it) is that they can be fitted and your car will still pass an MOT (depending on the aim and light colour emmitted), but still be illegal

This is because the MOT is concerned with the requirements for 'Construction and Use' Regulations and the Road Traffic Act, whereas the 'Lighting Regulations' are totally seperate set of rules (no-one ever said the law had to make sence).

The 'official' rules state that any vehicle fitted with HID lights has to comply with specific EEU type approval (which the elan doesn't) - and needs to be fitted with headlamp washers and self-leveling suspension (which we don't have).

Now, whilst you may well get away with it, and pass an MOT for many years, what happens if/when you either:-

(a) get stopped by a copper who actually knows what he's looking at and knows the law (not every one - but some do )
(b) are involved in an accident - whether your fault or totally blameless - even during daylight when the lights are down) - and the insurance company examiner notices the lights. Maybe it will make no difference, maybe it will - certainly it could be demed to be a vehicle modification which should be declared to the insurance company - maybe they'll allow it, maybe they wont.....
(c) come to sell the car - do you sell with an illegal modification, which could be considered to be 'Selling a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition' - a reasonably serious offence with correspondingly reasonably serious penalties
(d) any combination of the above - when you sell a car and the new owner is involved in a collision inviting the attention of Old Bill and Insurance vehicle examiners

Now, before you all tell me that it won't happen to you, and that your wifes bosses ex-next-door-neighbour says it'll be okay - please accept that i'm not saying it isn't a good idea, but that it has consequences - and DO IT PROPERLY.


Next consideration is:- if the lights aren't good enough on your car, is your eyesight good enough to be driving that fast at night????

Maybe I'm lucky and both elans have exceptionally good lights, but i find no huge problem with the standard (albeit replaced with new units) lighting giving enough illumination to see where I'm going - and if you are travelling over 60mph at night (as some people may do ) on a single carriageway then you are likely to hit a fox/badger/deer/dustbin in the road before you see it anyway - even with MUCH better lights

[JonT]

Dave, I appreciate your points, but I wondered about one loophole for the Elan - HID main beam replacements. AIUI, the MOT beam check is only for dipped and there aren't any requirements for alignment etc of main beam. ISTR Construction and Usage (or maybe lighting regs) banned >60W for cars post 1989, but HIDs are generally lower power.

Like you, I've changed the reflectors and with +80% 55W bulbs the light is plenty for driving well up to NSL, so it's not really something I'm bothered about doing, but just wondered what the rules actually were.

Jon

[dapinky]

Jon,

I understand where you are coming from, and as you say allignment is only for dipped beam.....

but as said, it isn't the MOT which is the main problem here, it's the rest of it

I have to say it's a bit of a grey area in so much as it is probably a good thing to have (if fitted properly), but it isn't legal - bloody UK law for you - it doesn't always make sense (or maybe we can blame the Europeans for it )

Yep, you're quite right about the wattage of the lamps - but as we all know (or can accept if told by someone who knows!), wattage is only half of the story. Wattage is a measure of power (consumption) not light output (candela) - unfortunately, the Lighting Regs were written in Ye Olde Dayes when technology was so primative that a 'fast' car did about 90mph flat out. Back then, bulbs were rated in Wattage (as they still are) and it was accepted that if they had a higher number, they were brighter, and that anything over 60W would dazzle other road users and illuminate far more than you could possibly need to see at 40mph!!!

I have had 100W bulbs in the past which have put out far less light than 60W bulbs, and i still have 100W bulbs in the Triumph which are just about good enough (with 4 of them plus 2 headlamps and 2 dipped beams) to drive through forests at night without hitting trees at 100mph.

With improvements of all parts (reflectors, bulbs and lenses) over the years, a modern 60W bulb in a good unit will light up far more road than one in a Mk3 Cortina (only a tongue-in-cheek comparison - don't prove me wrong!!)

And (as in domestic light bulbs) technology has allowed a lower wattage (power consumption) to give a brighter light output, but the law was never changed.

I suppose technically, on a suitable vehicle you could have Low-energy lighting (HID) with a rating of 60W which would light up half of Bristol (but who'd want to actually see half of Bristol?).

Basically I'm NOT saying don't do it (especially for someone living in a different country, if regulations allow), but be aware of any possible problems/issues and ask yourself if it is really worth it?
I suggest that for the light output the answer is possibly not, if done purely for the aestetics, then each to his own.

[GoM100Go]

Wow, lots of rules in the UK! In the US you can practically duct tape flashlights to the front end and no one would care... I have seen it! Fortunately for us here I guess. People here are HID anything that they can, we have golf carts on the road with HID kits so bad they are blinding people, and no one cares!!! It's really bad. Thanks again for the education on UK light laws .

[tigerdog]

no one cares!!!

I wouldn't say that. I care, just not enough to buy a gun and shoot out the offending lights.
Why is it the worst conversions are always installed on over-height jacked up pickup trucks?

[lotusgirlmarie]

Because the knobs driving them feel the need to overcompensated for everything.

HID's in the 'States are fine. Personally I'm not a fan of the bluish ones. I have lower heat versions that produce a whiter light similar to incandescent plus my projector conversion. Perfect for my needs and period. Projectors are modified off of a 90's E30 BMW.

[GoM100Go]

I should have said "the lawmen" don't care we are all being blinded by those trucks, so true. Lol!