Headlight trim question

[dhopkins]

I have noticed that some early 911 models have a wide chrome trim around the headlights and others don't. Whats the difference?

don

[rick2]

Th thin ring is an H1 or H4 light and the thick chrome is a US DOT original light. Most go to the H4's.

[Zeke]

What he said. US cars had to have sealed beam lamps. H4s and H1s use a replaceable lamp in a socket inside the center of the reflector(s). Also, the lens is replaceable without changing the lamps. Ironically, this is all expensive. The sealed beam type, although not very sexy, is terribly practical now that they are made with halogen technology.

The same was true with VWs. The pre '67 had a clear lens over the upright sealed beam lights. I've seen pics of a few very early 911s with a set up like this. The VW rings are the same size, but attach dfferently with a screw through a tab on the lower part of the ring, whereas the Porsche screw goes through the ring itself at the bottom.

The way I'm going, I'm going to have about 4 differnent sets of headlights for my car and I hope to create some of these early clear lens versions with some sealed beam lamps. Just to be different, I guess.

[dhopkins]

To me, the thin chrome trim is a much better look.

don

[larry47us]

To me, the thin chrome trim is a much better look.

don

Ahhh, yes Don, but it depends on what you want to accomplish. If you take all of the things off of the car that made it unique in the 60's and 70's, or made it uniquely US market in that era, then it will be hard to distinguish from the teeners and later cars that are on the road.

I opted for the Art Deco look - broad chrome rings and rubba bumpa guards. I was concerned about lighting, and therefore put Halogen lamps in my broad chrome rings. I think that they really look cool!!! Most of the Porsches made had the narrow chrome rings - or painted rings. It is only the ones imported to the USA that came with the wide chrome band, and only a few have the rubba bumpa guards that clearly marked them as "delivered to the USA in 1973."

larry

[boxster03]

I too plan to keep my 70E US spec car us spec so we don't loose reference to those subtle differences with the ROW cars. It may not be as "cool" as it is to convert over to H4s or add below the bumper fogs or change to euro reflectors but it is original. Not that there is any thing wrong with changing... yadda yadda yadda

IMO

[2POINT7]

I'm pretty new to the 911 after owning a 356 for 9 years but eager to learn. Here is a shot of the headlight/trim on my recently acquired '73S. Can someone enlighten me; regarding the thinner chrome trim (I removed the painted ones that also came with the car) and headlight style? US / Euro, etc. Correct appearance for '73S? Any information is appreciated.

[pwd72s]

Ed, yours are the european style H-4's, a single QI bulb. My H-1 lights use a twin bulb set-up, one for high beam, one for low...also the H-1 lights have a different fresnel pattern in the lenses, and the H-1 glass tops are clear, not the "pebbled" look of the H-4's. Otherwise, both look similar, with the "thin" ring. Both yield superior light output to the "as delivered" USA style lights. "As delivered" and as mandated by USA law at the time, cars had the thicker trim rings and weak 7" round sealed beam headlights. They looked like Larry's pic above...though I suspect he is running H-4's by now, since 7" round H-4 bulb powered lights are offered as replacements to the original sealed beam units.

[Soterik]

Ed,

Your lights look bitchin... And are absolutely correct in that they were correct in Europe, and in my opinion look better than the US lights....keep them on the car.

E

[larry47us]

Ed:

Eric is an expert in many things. I would take his recommendation as to Seats, Fabric, Toolkits, etc as EXPERT - bar none. But in areas of opinion, like the look of the chrome rings, trim around the wheel wells, etc, it's up to you brudda - Eric's telling you what he thinks looks good to him, not what is correct.

I guess that one of the many things that you will have to decide is if you want your car to look ROW (rest of the world) or like it was delivered to the US. If you want your car to look like a "hard core sports car" without the fancy trim that was delivered on some cars. If you want to reduce the weight of your car so that it performs better (same HP, few pounds), but may not be correct as delivered. If you want the seats that were delivered with it, or some other seats that are neater (read Sport Seats) but also period correct, or some after market seats that are lighter, replicants of racing seats of an earlier era.

Many decisions, many opinions, many differences. There are no wrong answers here. It is YOUR CAR. You should listen to the opinions of everyone on this board, and then make up your own mind. I changed my mind a half dozen times on each subject before I settled, when I was getting Kermit restored. But that's part of the fun, not just for you, but for the rest of the board as well.

larry