Headlamp Query

[matk]

Reading LEW the inner headlamps appear to be really expensive or difficult to get hold of and also Lotus specific. Seen these pop up on eBay, he seems to be advertising a job lot in pairs and I've taken a punt and bought some.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOTUS-ESPRIT-5-3-4-S...1QQcmdZViewItem

Anybody know if they are actually what he says or are they something else? Anyone confirm a Lucas Part no for the inner lights?

Also the phrase "Sealed Beam" is used. Am I right in thinking that means there is no replaceable bulb or am I being stupid? Is this the original design?

Any advice/help gratefully accepted.

Edited January 1, 2007 by matkutub

[GordonMasson]

Hi Mat and a Happy New Year to you

The units you have bought are disposable ...ie once they blow you bin the whole unit and buy a new unit, they don

[WayneB]

I can remember these tungsten Lucas 5 3/4 sealed beams being used on many British cars of the 60s/70s

Heres a list :-

Triumph Vitesse, 2000, Stag, Dollomite

Jaguar XJ6

Rover 2000, 3500

Ford Capri 3000, Cortina 2000 GXL

Hillman Hunter, Avenger, Humber Sceptre, Sunbeam Stilletto

Jensen Interceptor

Aston Martin DBS

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, Bentley T1/T2 Turbo Mulsanne

As Gordon stated, they are a complete unit, the whole thing is actually a gas filled bulb!

Lucas did do a Halogen unit with a separate bulb , I think they were only used on the Jensen and Aston Martin though (from the factory), but were available to retrofit to other cars that used this size.

The Halogen units were illegal to use in North America for the longest time (until at least 1989) so Esprits that came here all got American Wagner sealed beams.

The V8 Esprit was probably the last car to use the old standardised 5 3/4- 6 inch round headlamp unit!

Edited January 2, 2007 by WayneB

[matk]

Gordon/Wayne

Thanks for the advice, Wayne, I kind of knew you'd have something on this!

It appears therefore that these are OK but not the best solution out there. Still I've got the pair for

Edited January 2, 2007 by matkutub

[GordonMasson]

Gordon/Wayne

Thanks for the advice, Wayne, I kind of knew you'd have something on this!

It appears therefore that these are OK but not the best solution out there. Still I've got the pair for

[WayneB]

You could also install some Bosch or Hella units from a scrapyard (or Automotive recyclers as they are now known)

I have some Bosch Halogen units in mine from an old Mercedes (think it was a 1980s 220) and they went straight in with no kit or messing needed.

80s BMWs used Hella Halogen units, but I dont know if you will need to mess around to get them to fit an Esprit.

[matk]

Thanks again guys.

[1984_lotus_esprit]

I put in Sylvania Halogen H5000 and H5006 back in the 1990s, and yes they were a huge improvement

over the older standard head lamps. Perfect fit, no hassle on the installation.

Edited January 4, 2007 by 1984_lotus_esprit

[matk]

Thanks Greg, do you have a part no? I've looked on their site and it doesn't seem to specify the diameter of their lights.

Edited January 4, 2007 by matkutub

[1984_lotus_esprit]

I still had the remaining good headlamps in the attic...

The glass sealed head lamps are 5 5/8 inches (5.625") in diameter with 1/4 inch electrical spade terminals

The regular or normal lamps were WAGNER 5001 DOTH83 50W.

The High Beams lamps or inner most lamps were WAGNER 4000 DOTH80 60W.

The Sylvania lamps H5001 and H5006 I installed were exactly the same size, so I

was able to reuse my metal head lamp retaining rings. Note that the WAGNER PN "5001"

and the Sylvania is H5001 as a "H" Halogen version.

My belief is that the H5001 and H5006 are the exact same size as the Wagner lamps.

When looking on eBay, I notice that some specify 5 3/4 inch or Euro. So Euro lamps

might be an 1/8" larger. On the Euro lamps, the glass lens appears to be devoid of

the glass lensing to aim and concentrate the beam forward. Mine appear like this

example on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sylvania-He...sspagenameZWDVW

I'd have to take the headlamp trim cover off to actually measure the lamps that I installed

many years ago if you want the H5006 and H5001 diameters, but I remember it taking me about

5 minutes to install and swap out the out lamps.

I have no idea if auto part stores in your or my area still stock these particular lamps.

But the next time I'm at a local auto parts store, I better check availability buy a set for the future.

[matk]

Greg

Thanks again.

[1984_lotus_esprit]

Since I wasn't doing anything this cold morning, I took the headlamp face trim off and took 1 headlamp

out...yes the H5006 is 5.625 inches in OD. The glass lens dome of the sealed beam MUST be 5.375"

to properly face out of the metal retaining ring. The metal retaining ring is 5.75" in diameter...so it

appears the same metal ring is standardized to accommodate 5.625" to 5.75" OD sealed beam units

and variations in suppliers and glass headlamp unit production variations.

[WayneB]

Greg, those Sylvania headlamps you are reccomending wont be legal for use in the UK.(where Matt lives)

They are focussed for LHD cars (designed to shine to the right to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers)

As you know they drive on the other side in the UK

[1984_lotus_esprit]

I wasn't exactly sure where he was, but you are correct.

Everytime I visit the UK I tend to notice they drive on the wrong side of the car

and road. Last time I was there in Feb 2006 on a trip to Felixstowe, fuel was

an awful 92p/liter.

Over here in USA some internet stores advertise the availability of the 5.75" Euro

un-focused sealed beams. Some install them, some don't. My car is made to take

either 5 5/8" and 5 3/4". So if everyone's car is like mine, people have their choice

based upon their local homologation requirements. In my state of MI, there aren't

much for rules. Anything that resembles a headlamp and illuminates bright enough

at night is acceptable, so thus some convert their cars to Euro type lamps.

On eBay USA, there are 3 or 4 lens diffusions available including an un focused lens.

A special HID Zenon conversion for $900 looks interesting.

Edited January 14, 2007 by 1984_lotus_esprit

[giorgio67]

Hi,

maybe a stupid question, but anyone knows which types of front lights were mounted on the Esprit S2.2 for the european market LHD?

Reading this topics I have found important infos about replacement and I have found the Sylvania H5001 and H5006 lamps on ebay at fairy prices but I don't know if they are a good replacement for my car, as mine is RHD from UK so the lens are different.

In the SJ catalogue I have found:

HEADLAMP UNIT (LHD) Replacement lamp for Hella type used on Series 2, all four lamps are the same. All four lamps have dip and main. SJ079M0024 EACH 38.00

So, the Sylvania replacements are only low or dip so not the same as SJ, anyway I don't know the original fitment for the Esprit in the Italian market.

Any helps?

Thanks as always.

Cheers

[hylandmotorsport]

Hi, old-ish thread but I'm working on my Head lamps at the minute and thought it's useful info so I'll add it.

I am using a Cibie replacement kit for 5 3.4" lamps.

Kit comes with two outers (using H4 bulbs) and two inners (using H1 bulbs) plus the relays.

As it's Cibie the quality and light produced is Top class and a huge improvement over the standard sealed beam units!

Average price of the kit is GBP

[Rodewaryer]

Hi, old-ish thread but I'm working on my Head lamps at the minute and thought it's useful info so I'll add it.

I am using a Cibie replacement kit for 5 3.4" lamps.

Kit comes with two outers (using H4 bulbs) and two inners (using H1 bulbs) plus the relays.

As it's Cibie the quality and light produced is Top class and a huge improvement over the standard sealed beam units!

Average price of the kit is GBP