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HEADLIGHTS!!!

K

kenneth83

New member
I`m going crazy here! So my sterling came with the halo headlight kit from Dave: Headlights1.jpg

They are supposed to look like this, im sure you guys have seen them:
Headlights2.jpg

Here's the problem(s), they are not DOT, which isint a HUGE problem, but they are also kinda crummy quality (No offene to Dave!) and they look nice when done, but would require a LOT of wacky fabrication to get them to be adjustable...just a lot of problems I dont care to deal with.

So heres my question, lets call it a poll...

square or round?

I was gonna post a picture of each...but I`m too tired to look for any...and you guys have all seen both anyway.

I`m leaning towards round...or square.*hmmm*
 
Peter

Peter

Active member
IMHO I prefer the rectangular lights they were designed for, pop-up, projectors, round, etc all look like a modification to the classic car.
 
letterman7

letterman7

Honorary Admin
I warned Dave about cheap Chinese sh*t. He has those on his showcar. They do work, but like you said, look and feel a little cheap. I think his are mounted on a flat piece of fiberglass with the adjusters on the back, but I didn't look at them that close. Anyway... being that the Sterling originally came with a single 7" round light and a marker/turn signal, I tended to keep "original" to the idea. That said, I did take a chance on my first car to graft in a set of BMW HID's with the halogen high beam setup:

Sterling 113 headlight.jpg

With the addition and relocation of the turn signal, it gave the front end a lower and meaner look... at least to me. The light output was incredible with the HID's.

Anyway, with my current car I retained the original 7" round lights and simply upgraded those to the VW Bus EU level lights, which changes the output pattern. Not exactly legal here in the states, but it doesn't seem to affect oncoming drivers. They shift the pattern to light up more of the sides of the road, which we need in a Sterling due to the tunnel cutting off some of the pattern.

What Peter is referring to is that the original Novas were built with a rectangular headlight and turn signal combination from whichever donor was used over there. It adds a much different look to the front end, and not necessarily bad:

normal_Other_Novas_-_0147.jpg
normal_Other_Novas_-_0262.jpg

So... ultimately the look is going to be up to you. Personally, I would find a set that will give you the most light output and still fit - you'll need it. There are a couple of really neat LED headlights available in both round and rectangular that have a tremendous light output and are DOT legal - they are now aftermarket for the motorcycle industry and trucking industry. Spendy, but very cool.
 
N

Nic

Active member
I was considering those from Dave for a while too until I found out they weren't DOT stamped. I have the 7" round headlights and projector lights. I think I'll need the 7" round to get it registered and past the inspection man. Then I can probably put the projectors in with the hopes the local PD doesn't pull me over to check for DOT stamp. I'm going to keep them easily swapable with some H4 headlight adapters, which should be arriving today *thumbs up*

Here's the projector setup Im working on.





semi Finished mock-up
 
K

kenneth83

New member
Thanks guys. Lookin good there Nic, I was thinking about going with projectors... I`m starting to lean in the rectangle headlight direction.
 
Peter

Peter

Active member
The ones Rick is thinking of are from an early Ford Capri, they then went twin 4". Many Novas were fitted with them. I though I saw Stirlings fitted with something similar too.
Ford_capri_mk2_1974.jpg

Like this, Paintshoped version, but not the best output as standard.
Like the yellow one.
Stirling projector.jpg
 
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C

CyCo

New member
The round 7" was the standard VW Beetle headlight. If you shop around you can find a replacement/upgrade for the Beetle headlight, which includes the parkers within the fitting. So you have low/high and the parkers and just the one 'headlight'. I got mine from a auto parts store, but they're a generic 'Taiwan' part with no manufacturer stamp! Further, they only cost me $30 for the pair! I think they had made a mistake! lol And then when we went to fit the lights, we then noted the integrated parker. Bonus! Didn't expect that. They were also for H4 bulbs, but then I fitted a HID kit. Kinda illegal, as the only cars that are allowed to have HIDs here are those that came with them from factory (standard), or as an optional upgrade. And hey, what's 'standard' on these cars anyway? lol
 
K

kenneth83

New member
Again, thanks for the comments guys. So I have decided to go with a rectangular headlight. So here's the question.
Has anyone found a good donor rectangular headlight bucket that has the adjustment screws and springs all in one tight package (kinda like the vw round bucket)?? Im gonna go with either standard 4x6 or hopefully 5x7 sealed beam.

I know, I know, my best bet is to go to the wrecking yard and poke around a bit, I`m planning on it. But I thought its worth checking to see if anyone else has already found something! Thanks guys!
 
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