Headlight trim

[dhopkins]

J will I need to buy new bulbs? I now have both H1
and H4.
Don
+|+|+|
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

[Jules Dielen]

I don't believe they come with bulbs, but they offer them.

[dhopkins]

Jules do you or anybody reading this thread have
experience using the the kit from Sierra Madre?
Don
+|+|+|
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

[DOUGS73E]

A 1969 911T Targa appeared for the first time at this morning's local cars and coffee with different trim pieces.

This passenger side chrome trim (below) appears to be the correct U.S.A. spec with the gray plastic insert:



But the driver's side (below) is a single piece chrome trim with a imprint on top of "Hella SB3". I don't remember seeing this type of Sugar Scoop trim before and wonder about its origins?

[NeunElf]

I think those Hella SB3 units may have been an accessory intended for VWs and Porsche 356s. See HELLA SB3 headlight conversions at 356 Talk.

They were also discussed at The Samba Rarest accessory?

It is possible to modify 356/VW headlight units to attach them to a 911--I think you can remove the tab at the bottom and run a screw through the rim. A previous owner did that to my 911 but I got that car when the "correct" covered sealed-beam units were still readily available.

[dhopkins]

When I asked my mechanic to install H4 headlights
thinking they came with the narrow chrome trim I didn't
realize that the right headlights were not sealed beam
lights but the ones that come with replaceable bulbs.
So now I have ordered the assemblies from Seirra Madre.
Don
+|+|+|
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

[dhopkins]

I don't understand non-sealed beam headlights. First
are they legal in the US? Second, is it necessary when
installing them to separately buy the assembly, the bulb,
and the lens?
Don
+|+|+|
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

[NeunElf]

I don't understand non-sealed beam headlights. First
are they legal in the US? Second, is it necessary when
installing them to separately buy the assembly, the bulb,
and the lens?
Don
+|+|+|
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

Non-sealed beam headlights have been legal in the US for many years: Wikipedia says "since 1983." However, there are different regulations in the US and the EU and some EU-legal replacements for sealed beams may not be "legal" in the US. I've never heard of this being enforced and lots of people happily drive around the US of A with headlights that may not have a "legal" beam pattern or may have extra-powerful bulbs.

There was some enforcement against some sellers of replacement units that used xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs.

As long as you don't piss off a policeman so badly that he researches ways to give you a hard time you're ok.

I recall seeing cars driving around the US unmolested even before the sealed-beam mandate ended that clearly had European-style headlights.


WHAT YOU HAVE TO BUY

Sugar Scoop Headlights

If you're looking to buy "sugar scoop" units you'll probably have to buy them used (I don't think they're being reproduced) and what you get depends on the specific seller. There's a set on eBay right now Porsche 911/912 Sugar Scoop Headlight Assemblies and it looks like they come with old-style sealed beams.

So, if you got these you would need to buy the 7" H4 inserts separately. Sierra Madre Collection has two options:

1. Hella Vision Plus Sealed Beam Conversion, 7'' which is US-legal and comes with a 12V 55/60W H4 bulb.
2. H4 Hella Conversion Sealed Beam Bulb, 7'' which is not US-legal. It comes with a 12V 55/60W H4 bulb.

European-Style Porsche H4 units



I suspect these aren't actually US-legal--I think when Porsche finally put halogen non-sealed beam headlights on US Bound cars they probably used a different bulb and beam pattern. I wouldn't be concerned about using them today. If you were to buy these from Sierra Madre Collection you would need to buy H4 bulbs separately.

[dhopkins]

Ok. I bought the units from Sierra Madre. They look
great and were easy to install after watching a Peter
Morgan "how to" video on YouTube. Originally I asked
the garage to install H4s with the thin chrome trim ring.
He installed H4s using old Sugar Scoop assembly and
charged me $200. Should I ask for my money back
(I feel it's important to maintain 'good relations' with
shop in case of future needs.')
Don
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

[NeunElf]

Ok. I bought the units from Sierra Madre. They look
great and were easy to install after watching a Peter
Morgan "how to" video on YouTube. Originally I asked
the garage to install H4s with the thin chrome trim ring.
He installed H4s using old Sugar Scoop assembly and
charged me $200. Should I ask for my money back
(I feel it's important to maintain 'good relations' with
shop in case of future needs.')
Don
1970 911T
2006 Cayman S

Don,

I'm afraid we're still only guessing about exactly what you bought and what you have installed on your car. There are a lot of different headlights that can use H4 bulbs.

Could you post some pictures?