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headlights and Fog lights!

BeaverMeat

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2020
Location
Vancouver Island
Looking to upgrade the exterior lighting on my ?81. It sucks.

Headlight:

Looking for suggestions and experiences with upgraded 4x6 low beams. On my search I have only been able to find the chintzy aftermarket ?projector? and LED lights. Been looking at the Hella Vision Plus or the Phillips LED.

Fog lights:

Wanting to go with a factory style Bosch set-up. I have seen some original kits but, they are a bit pricy... and I want yellow lenses. ;)

I?m also wanting to get a rear fog light. It?s looking like I may need it on the island.

Does anyone have any experience wiring up a factory style fog lights with OE switches?

Thanks!
 
Unless you must have LED headlamps, go with a set of H4/H1 E-code headlamps. If you truly want LED, I'd look at the JW Speaker 4x6 LED modules. They have an E-code beam pattern and don't look strange in a 1980s car. They aren't cheap, though.

For rear fog lamps, if you have a GLT, GLE, 262C, or Turbo, easiest way to do it, is to add the wiring from a 1985 car to the dash harness, then swap out the driver's taillamp circuit board and the passenger taillamp with parts from a 1985-93 car. If you have a 245, then just add the extra terminal strips and move the brake light wires to the lower red lens, while plugging in the white fog lamp wires into the top red lens terminals. On a 5-panel taillamp car, you might need to use a separate rear fog lamp mounted to the bumper or to the tail panel next to the license plate.
 
Peterson makes an inexpensive ($35?) LED rear fog. 2.5" x 4" ish, and very bright. It says to mount vert, but works great horiz.
 
Looking to upgrade the exterior lighting on my ?81.

It would be difficult to find anyone more knowledgeable than Dan Stern. Lighting, bulb choices, mfr histories, regulations all over the world... and Volvos, to boot. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

I?m also wanting to get a rear fog light. It?s looking like I may need it on the island.

That's useful if it's really, truly foggy. But I've followed many a person who apparently turns on every possible switch before driving, even in clear weather. Damn, that's annoying.
 
We just put hella 4x6 H4 conversion bulbs in my GFs 245, made driving at night much better. IPD sells them for ~$150 for a set of outer bulbs.
LED is gross don't do it
 
I just did a major tidying of my garage and found a tub full of 4 x 6 H4/H1 sets I've pulled from junkyard cars over the years. I'm pretty certain we can put together a matching set for you. I've also got some 80/100W H4 bulbs and some yellow 100W H1 bulbs. All would need to be wired through relays to gain the full benefit of the higher power bulbs. PM me and we can discuss price. I'm in Calgary and it looks like Canada Post is offering free shipping Tuesdays for a few weeks...
 
Here is my setup. Let's put it this way, I have no problem seeing the roads at night.

20200821-121321.jpg
 
Peterson makes an inexpensive ($35?) LED rear fog. 2.5" x 4" ish, and very bright. It says to mount vert, but works great horiz.

Unless you must have LED headlamps, go with a set of H4/H1 E-code headlamps. If you truly want LED, I'd look at the JW Speaker 4x6 LED modules. They have an E-code beam pattern and don't look strange in a 1980s car. They aren't cheap, though.

For rear fog lamps, if you have a GLT, GLE, 262C, or Turbo, easiest way to do it, is to add the wiring from a 1985 car to the dash harness, then swap out the driver's taillamp circuit board and the passenger taillamp with parts from a 1985-93 car. If you have a 245, then just add the extra terminal strips and move the brake light wires to the lower red lens, while plugging in the white fog lamp wires into the top red lens terminals. On a 5-panel taillamp car, you might need to use a separate rear fog lamp mounted to the bumper or to the tail panel next to the license plate.

My car is a six panel. 1981
 
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Good for the money yellow fog lights are Hella 550 in amber. Also if you want to spend more and get a higher quality product. Cibie makes really nice amber fog lights.
 
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