stuhes

Hi, I'm here in Great Britain really exited about a 1949 88 coupe that I'm in the process of buying. When it gets here I will have to change the headlights for some that are English spec ie shine to the left not the right. To speed up the process of getting it all road legal can anyone tell me what type of headlight it is? Is it a sealed beam unit? What size? Side light and main beam or just main beam?
Thanks guys.

rocketraider

It should be a 6 volt sealed beam, combination low and high beam. You may be able to adapt some type of Lucas or Hella headlight as that was a popular and common customizing trick here in the States. The 6 volt application is what will make finding a modern headlamp tricky.

citcapp

Look at the Fusick catalog. They carry the correct replacement http://www.fusick.com/catfile/Catalo...Layout%201.pdf

D Appeldorn

it's becouse you are driving on the wrong side of the road

wouldnt fit any of those britisch oldtimer headlights? old LR or mg etc?
i made several conversions by removing the "glas"part in to the original mountings.

stuhes

Yes its OK driving a yank on English roads untill you want to overtake, then you have to pull all the way out just to see what car/truck is about to hit you It pays to take a passanger out with you.
Citcap, thanks for the Fusick link. The lights look fine but I think they are the standard US spec so are same as what are already in. I will use that info to help me find a UK friendly alternative.
Not sure whay you mean D Appledorn, I thought they were sealed beam bulbs so not sure how you would split them. Don't think that will help me convert anyway. I need to see if some old English cars had the same type as the Olds, I think thats what you meant. Does any one know the size of the lense? I was once told that the 64 Mustang used the same 7" sealed beam unit as the Austin Mini, could this be the case here??? Are they 7" on the Olds???

D Appeldorn

don't know how it works whit your old olds.
but my 88 dela 1969 have sealed beams to but mounted with a chrome ring on the unit.

i had to change one out, so if you are capeble to measure the diam.
so you can seek one that maybe wil fit.

i tried my brothers jeep beams, they are a litle to big
so i called a lokal usa partschop in the netherlands and they sent one that fit's.

a little offtopic, i also change a vw headlight to a suzuki to be able to vind a lightbulb easier.


ind if nothing works, i know when we go to GB we tape the side's of of the headlight.
Otherwise we have to change a headlight unit only for the holiday

Oldsguy

I thought the aiming of headlights was done manually by adjusting screws on the mounting ring itself and not by the type of bulb/element. Can't they just be manually adjusted to aim more to the left?

D Appeldorn

european headlights have a left and right side do to the "miror" molded into the glas.

that's differs in G Britan and the rest of europe becouse they drive on the left side on the road.

so if we go to GB we mask the "miror" part of the headlight whit tape so we can drive with oure cars into the UK.

i don't know if the old olds headlight contains that of not it should be able to adjust.

those mirror in the headlight pread the beem in my country more to the right side.
but in the uk they drive left and it's they other way around, the beam more to the left.

And i do not know if it is a must, to have those EU certificate lamps on a oldtimer
At mot my 69 88 was not checked for beam only if it works

simple explain its like this in the country's who drives on the right side |/ |/ and in the uk \| \| The | is a straight beam and \ / is moror type glas that spread the light to a side.

one way to check, ask mot and check the headlights of the olds

stuhes

Thats right, the pattern in the glass lense shapes the beam to be flat and kicks up to the left in GB and to the right in europe. This is to light up the side of the road without blinding oncoming traffic. Interesting what you say about older cars not having the reflector backings. My 66 Mustang had them as standard. does the 1949 Olds 88 have them? In Britain is is an MOT requirement to have the beam kicking up to the left. Thats why I posted this thread to find out what the replacement bulb would be. On the Mustang it was a straight swap for a mini lamp and I'm hoping I can do the same again.

D Appeldorn

i ordered a replacment high beam in a usaparts shop in the netherlands.
the high beam was only the glas with molded bulb.
but it hase a E mark on it

Lokal usa shops is most chevy based stuf and the more common vehicles.
But i checked my olds today and it seems that my headlights were swiched fore E stamped one's

seek for GB usa car clubs and part stores and ask them.

other way around, i have to calculate the miles to kilometers (km) if i don't want a speeding ticked or ride with my navigation device on