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Replacement Headlights - Gauging Interest

headlights headlight upgrade headlight replacement

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Poll: Replacement headlights (352 member(s) have cast votes)

Interest in replacement headlights

  1. As an upgrade (eg legal, high quality xenons) (173 votes [49.15%])

    Percentage of vote: 49.15%

  2. As a current replacement (to currently damaged/weathered headlights) (103 votes [29.26%])

    Percentage of vote: 29.26%

  3. As potential replacement (71 votes [20.17%])

    Percentage of vote: 20.17%

  4. Not interested (5 votes [1.42%])

    Percentage of vote: 1.42%

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#41 Bootdog

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:05 PM


You don't happen to have a right hand side headlight lens by any chance??

Andy

I don't have the outer covers, but should have the inner lens if that's what you mean? Drop me a PM if that's what you're after.

#42 NickB787

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:21 PM

I have a pax side lens

#43 slindborg

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:26 PM

I have a somewhat bollocksed but useable Passenger side unit. If you can get the price as low as you claim with full signed off approval I'll be impressed (not saying it wont happen but having seen the cost of development lights from Hella you had better have a euromillions Win lined up :lol: )

#44 Wolfstone

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:33 PM

What i want to know is who is the one member who's voted he's / she's not interested? :unsure:

#45 Robski

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:41 PM

What i want to know is who is the one member who's voted he's / she's not interested? :unsure:


I was thinking exactly the same thing just now!
Perhaps someone enjoys paying the vx supertax or has a lifetime supply of oem units in the loft...
I'll tell you one thing though, the price of second hand oem units will take a battering if this comes off!

#46 Qazax

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:24 PM

So the VXT I purchased a few weeks ago appears to have HID's installed. Am I going to end up in prison :huh: they are so pretty :(

#47 fezzasus

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:27 PM

I have a somewhat bollocksed but useable Passenger side unit.


If you can get the price as low as you claim with full signed off approval I'll be impressed (not saying it wont happen but having seen the cost of development lights from Hella you had better have a euromillions Win lined up :lol: )


I'd be interested in it - PM me with what you want for it.

The units from Hella won't be developed fvor me - they produce modular units for small production run cars and competition cars - in fact the original VX220 bulb units are still in the catalogue. The price for the standard VX220 bulb units is reasonable (compared to Vaux's price for the entire headlight), the xenon cost is significantly higher though.

for example, recognise these? http://www.myhellali...n-de-high-beam/

Edited by fezzasus, 07 October 2012 - 09:28 PM.


#48 Robski

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:30 PM

So the VXT I purchased a few weeks ago appears to have HID's installed. Am I going to end up in prison :huh: they are so pretty :(


If you get a very strict MOT man then you might fail the test.... unless you have headlight washers installed.
To be honest, it's unlikely to be picked up.
Self levelling units are a requirement on bigger cars where loading / passengers will have a bigger effect on the illumination pattern.

#49 Dan 4

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:35 PM

I would be very very interested in new units and would be prepared to pay good money. I agree with them needing to look OEM, think HID's are the way forward and they must NOT leak or mist up. I use my VX as a daily drive and the one thing that annoys me more than anything is the cheap quality that the headlights are and the fact they leak and mist up. I have resealed mine on many occasions but it's no better. If you pull this off you have my vote, order and money for a new set. Could you also look into new rear lights too as they are nearly as bad as the fronts!?!

#50 Qazax

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:46 PM

If you get a very strict MOT man then you might fail the test.... unless you have headlight washers installed.
To be honest, it's unlikely to be picked up.
Self levelling units are a requirement on bigger cars where loading / passengers will have a bigger effect on the illumination pattern.


Thanks Robski, fingers crossed my MOT man is not strict :)

#51 fezzasus

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 09:47 PM

I would be very very interested in new units and would be prepared to pay good money. I agree with them needing to look OEM, think HID's are the way forward and they must NOT leak or mist up. I use my VX as a daily drive and the one thing that annoys me more than anything is the cheap quality that the headlights are and the fact they leak and mist up. I have resealed mine on many occasions but it's no better. If you pull this off you have my vote, order and money for a new set.

Could you also look into new rear lights too as they are nearly as bad as the fronts!?!


I'm approaching this from the same angle as you; I use mine every day too so first I improved the heater, now I have a working design that I'm selling I've moved on to the headlights.

I think the cause of the misting of the headlights is the use of different plastics, especially with the rear being so thin they expand at different rates in the sun which causes the lenses to separate. To solve this the rears need to be thicker, ideally from the same material as the front (with black dye added) and the lips between the front and rear sections needs to be larger and a tighter fit. There are various industry standard humidity tests which I will be using to test the new units

#52 Robski

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 10:00 PM


I would be very very interested in new units and would be prepared to pay good money. I agree with them needing to look OEM, think HID's are the way forward and they must NOT leak or mist up. I use my VX as a daily drive and the one thing that annoys me more than anything is the cheap quality that the headlights are and the fact they leak and mist up. I have resealed mine on many occasions but it's no better. If you pull this off you have my vote, order and money for a new set.

Could you also look into new rear lights too as they are nearly as bad as the fronts!?!


I'm approaching this from the same angle as you; I use mine every day too so first I improved the heater, now I have a working design that I'm selling I've moved on to the headlights.

I think the cause of the misting of the headlights is the use of different plastics, especially with the rear being so thin they expand at different rates in the sun which causes the lenses to separate. To solve this the rears need to be thicker, ideally from the same material as the front (with black dye added) and the lips between the front and rear sections needs to be larger and a tighter fit. There are various industry standard humidity tests which I will be using to test the new units


I have a bit of a theory as to why the headlights leak / mist and it is mainly to do with the flimsy construction of the black plastic section. I believe that when you tighten the securing nut it pulls the black plastic section away from the clear lens section. This combined with the temperature differentials experienced by the lights eventually causes the separation of the two surfaces where they join. I'm convinced a more robust rear section would remove the flexibility and solve the problem.

However, I might be wrong!

R

#53 slindborg

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Posted 07 October 2012 - 10:04 PM

Or just better ventilation to clear any moisture. You want a very very very sealed unit OR a very very very well ventilated unit.

#54 Andy_VX

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 12:16 AM



I would be very very interested in new units and would be prepared to pay good money. I agree with them needing to look OEM, think HID's are the way forward and they must NOT leak or mist up. I use my VX as a daily drive and the one thing that annoys me more than anything is the cheap quality that the headlights are and the fact they leak and mist up. I have resealed mine on many occasions but it's no better. If you pull this off you have my vote, order and money for a new set.

Could you also look into new rear lights too as they are nearly as bad as the fronts!?!


I'm approaching this from the same angle as you; I use mine every day too so first I improved the heater, now I have a working design that I'm selling I've moved on to the headlights.

I think the cause of the misting of the headlights is the use of different plastics, especially with the rear being so thin they expand at different rates in the sun which causes the lenses to separate. To solve this the rears need to be thicker, ideally from the same material as the front (with black dye added) and the lips between the front and rear sections needs to be larger and a tighter fit. There are various industry standard humidity tests which I will be using to test the new units


I have a bit of a theory as to why the headlights leak / mist and it is mainly to do with the flimsy construction of the black plastic section. I believe that when you tighten the securing nut it pulls the black plastic section away from the clear lens section. This combined with the temperature differentials experienced by the lights eventually causes the separation of the two surfaces where they join. I'm convinced a more robust rear section would remove the flexibility and solve the problem.

However, I might be wrong!

R


Makes sense! :)

#55 Andy_VX

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 01:20 PM

We need to make this happen! anything you need Fezzasus? I re-sealed my headlight yesterday, thought i'd done a good job until i took the strap off this morning and found a fingerprint of black glue on the inside! :@ hate these lights with a passion!! new ones please! :)

#56 fezzasus

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 01:24 PM

At the least I need a rear section of a headlight - ideally the whole unit, damaged is fine.The point of this is two fold 1) I can evaluate what needs to change in the design to for the xenon hella units 2) as a basis for modifications to improve how they are sealed Of course i'm happy to pay for a unit, but not £800 to vauxhall for a new one!

#57 FLD

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 01:33 PM

I have molds for fibreglass lenses if that helps at all with the shaping. I also have a spare pass side lamp unit. I'm happy to lend it out but it must come back as it went out.

#58 fezzasus

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 01:41 PM

I have molds for fibreglass lenses if that helps at all with the shaping. I also have a spare pass side lamp unit. I'm happy to lend it out but it must come back as it went out.


The moulds might be useful, but if the pass. lamp is in good condition i'd rather keep an eye out for a nasty one - there's got to be plenty about

#59 FLD

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 02:12 PM


I have molds for fibreglass lenses if that helps at all with the shaping. I also have a spare pass side lamp unit. I'm happy to lend it out but it must come back as it went out.


The moulds might be useful, but if the pass. lamp is in good condition i'd rather keep an eye out for a nasty one - there's got to be plenty about


No worries. Let me know if you need moldings (or a borrow of the molds).

#60 2deano5

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Posted 08 October 2012 - 03:50 PM

I have a one side (Can't remember which) without the lens if that's any good ? Deano





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