Led headlights

[Classiccars]

I have noticed a few moggies and other classics with whst I guess are led headlights.They seem to have three separate bulbs from whst I can make out.To me they look awful and spoil older cars.What are your thoughts please.

[radioactiveman]

The chap who runs ‘Jodie, the Morris Minor Traveller’ YouTube account has a video on LED lights: https://youtu.be/kF0bl6zdqrE?si=474-CvsRfucTc1gI

His look pretty factory. Some of the very modern looking ones with the outer indicator ring look nice on some cars, but I think I’d probably go for a more traditional look.

[Guildbass]

Philips make a 'Classic' H4 LED bulb that has a light similar in colour temperature to halogen. Fitted into an H4 headlamp the lamps look standard but with far more light output. Philips LED lamps are designed to work exactly as the halogen bulbs do so no unruly light scatter.
I have a set in mine and they work really well and my dynamo and positive earth car is all the better for it!

[geoberni]

I have noticed a few moggies and other classics with whst I guess are led headlights.They seem to have three separate bulbs from whst I can make out.To me they look awful and spoil older cars.What are your thoughts please.

Those owners had gone for a complete headlamp change.
I agree with you, to have a 60 or 70 year old car and fit it with headlamps that look as though they have come from a Porsche or some sort of deep sea submersible looks horrible. It's bad enough with all the modern cars and their high tech designer lighting, intended to inflate the designer ego rather than provide functionality.
The law permits either complete headlamp assembly replacement OR if registered before 1/4/1986, fitment of LED Lamps to Halogen Reflectors. That's why there are a lot of easy conversions of Halogen lights, with a high power consumption, to LED ones.

[Classiccars]

Yuck

[Mr Spigot]

Without wishing to hijack this thread, is it possible to fit LED bulbs in the original Lucas 700 headlight units? This would retain the original glass outer for originality, rather than get new units.

[geoberni]

Without wishing to hijack this thread, is it possible to fit LED bulbs in the original Lucas 700 headlight units? This would retain the original glass outer for originality, rather than get new units.

No, replacement LED lamps only come in 'halogen' base fittings, specifically designed for fitting into halogen reflectors.
This fits in with the legislation concession allowing them to be fitted to halogen reflectors for pre-1986 vehicles.
The Replacement lamps replicate the fit/form/function of the halogen lamp.
Here's a couple of photos I took when fitting mine a few years ago to illustrate the fittings.

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20191229_121320.jpg (1.19 MiB) Viewed 4886 times

[svenedin]

I have LED headlight bulbs fitted to reflectors designed for H4 halogen bulbs. As something of a purist I do agree that they do not look original BUT if as I do, you drive on country roads at night then the increased light output of the LED bulbs is most welcome. The other advantage is that they use much less power and this is kind to an elderly wiring loom and the dynamo. LED bulbs are available for positive earth cars like mine too. I took my car on Minors on Tour to Holland this Spring. We also drove to Münster in Germany on the Autobahn. There were some very severe thunderstorms with torrential rain and I was very glad to have LED headlights (and tail lamps). My car originally had sealed beam headlights and if I wanted, I could switch back in about 10 minutes. I have kept the old sealed beam units.

My local branch (Surrey Hills) meet at a pub in the middle of nowhere on a country road. In the winter it can be black as pitch. Other members have expressed their surprise that I will drive out to evening meetings in winter in my Minor. They say they would never do it due to the headlights being too poor and have been rather amazed at my LED headlights......

Stephen

[Mr Spigot]

Well, thanks for all the information which is helpful. I have done a bit of digging and it seems you can now get LED bulbs to fit original headlights with the old BPF bulbs and P36d connectors. I did this because although I have some Wipac halogen headlights which are perfectly adequate, I would like to have the original look of the old Lucas 700 headlamp lenses with the Lucas logo in the middle, but with the benefit of effective modern lighting. I have found 2 sources at Classic Car LEDs and Better Car Lighting, both companies I have bought LED bulbs from previously and I can thoroughly recommend them for quality, service and knowing what they are talking about. These LED bulbs look to be a straight replacement of the old BPF bulbs.

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collec ... nd-pattern

https://www.bettercarlighting.co.uk/ind ... ductId=484

[Biggles1957]

You can get LED's to fit BPF lamps no problem.

[geoberni]

You can get LED's to fit BPF lamps no problem.

Well, thanks for all the information which is helpful. I have done a bit of digging and it seems you can now get LED bulbs to fit original headlights with the old BPF bulbs and P36d connectors.

I stand corrected. Things have moved on since 2018/9 when I was looking.

As I read the The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, the requirements of Schedule 5 are that a Headlamp has to have "An approval mark or a British Standard mark", unless the vehicle was first used before April 1986.
I think when the MOT requirement changes were written up, they were only producing them as halogen replacements, so that's why they specifically mention them. It'll be interesting to see how they fare with the MOT. As putting LEDs into Filament Lamp Reflectors is not mentioned at all, it must presumably pass, so long as the beam pattern is correct....

[olonas]

Possibly the beam pattern is correct using sealed beam replacements because the lens is "fashioned" to direct the light?
In comparison to modern clear plastic lenses.

[svenedin]

My car has passed several MoT tests with LED headlights. The tester even specifically mentioned them to me so this was no oversight. I don’t “need” an MoT test but I get one anyway for my own peace of mind.

Stephen