TheSamba.com :: View topic - Saw a Vanagon with the South African lights.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:45 pm

I love that look. It seems easy to do and the kit is only $450 I think. Any of you done this?

Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:47 pm

your in the land of Samba...lots of people are doing crazy things to vanagons here :D ...but not me

Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:47 pm

Piece of cake. A caveman can do it.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:19 pm

Being a lesser evolved type, one that needs a stamp not to get back in the zoo, but to get out. I have have done it to mine, and it is indeed easy. The lighting you get, with H4's, like Hellas and the inner driving lights is fantastic. The caveat is, if you do it, put the headlight relays in, or you will be disappointed. The system draws a lot more current and you will notice how poor the stock wiring setup is.
Look Here:
http://www.qadas.com/~kanas/Vehicles/Syncro/South_African_Grille_Procedure.html

Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:41 pm

http://www.van-cafe.com/vanagon_parts.jsp?pa=p&p=1046044934&ct=551682740

The kit is only $299 from van-cafe.com.
And its an easy install.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:17 pm

Really looks great. I had a 91 gti with a quad lights and I have wanted it back ever since. I am doing it this winter. Jst for the safety factor I am going to do it.

Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:23 am

I am going to do it as well. I have 2 broken lights and can't see spending money on a system that is currently inadequate. Plus I really like the looks...

Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:05 am

the grill plastic isn't as robust as the one issued with the van is my only complaint...

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:48 am

So the kit only has about half of what is needed. I see I will also need the H4 main lights and brackets. How hard are these brakets to find and does everything just go into place?

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:51 am

Williamtaylor33 wrote: http://www.van-cafe.com/vanagon_parts.jsp?pa=p&p=1046044934&ct=551682740

The kit is only $299 from van-cafe.com.
And its an easy install.

Straight from VC website

Description:
Kit for S. Africa dual round headlight conversion. The kit includes grill, emblem, inner Hella Hi beam lights with brackets. The outer 7" hi/low beams are not included. Most people use Hella 7" rounds ($99.90 / pair). If you have an 86-91 model then you will need to obtain used brackets for the outer lights (we value them at $60 pair and have a very limited supply at this time)**VW emblem is included and is chrome finish. Please note that the package that these are sent in is fairly large and is billed at an oversize rate by UPS (approx $30 west coast and approx $50 east coast)

299 grill
99 outside lights
60 brackets
50 shipping
?? Relay

508+ Relay

Sucks when you put it down on paper.....

Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:42 am

$60 for the headlight buckets! I paid $10 for mine on eBay, and there is a set of Hella H4' on there for $69. I did get the ones with the City Light Function. I was toying with the idea of using that feature as Daylight Running Lights. As for the relays, one can buy the kit, or buy two relays and find the wiring diagram via the web. A 5 pack of the correct Bosch Relays with plug and harness can be had off eBay for $5.99.

I did get my grill from Busdepot. It came with a set of H4's, but I was not overly pleased with the quality of the lights. So I ended up replacing them with the Hellas. IF you want to go cheap however, their price with the H4's is $339.

The part about it being a big part for shipping is true. Busdepot in an effort to keep their prices down, respectfully use recycled materials to pack their goods. Well it appeared that my grill was used by the UPS man to fend off some sort of Ninja attack. While the grill may appear to be flimsy and lighter weight material. Apparently, it can stand repeated Ninja/UPS attacks and come out fine.

I can say without a doubt, the Van with the SA Lighting system and the Projektwo fog lights, puts out more light than any vehicle I have ever owned. Now if you have all the lights on, and the AC on, the fridge on and the stereo and amp blasting, while somebody is surfing on the computer while rolling through the desert by Needles. The alternator is now struggling to keep up, barely.

Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:14 pm

Thanks for the info. I love the look and may do this in time.

Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:24 pm

Dogpilot wrote: Busdepot in an effort to keep their prices down, respectfully use recycled materials to pack their goods.

In my experience, I would not call Ron Salmon's efforts to cut costs respectful, but instead, contemptuous. Contemptuous of the average American taxpayer, that is.

I say this because the last two shipments I received from him arrived via UPS in Priority Mail boxes which were turned inside out. The USPS, and, through our contributions each April 15, you and I, provide these boxes for free to USPS customers. It is strictly verboten to use Priority Mail boxes for shipments sent through other carriers. Makes sense to me.

Now, if these boxes had been recycled from shipments to The Bus Depot, I guess I wouldn't have much of a beef. But, the boxes which were used for the shipments to me, were brand new and unsullied by previous shipping labels or postage stamps.

I guess it is a petty form of cost shifting which we all are unwittingly underwriting.

Rich

Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:26 am

zimzam wrote: Piece of cake. A caveman can do it.
i resent that. :wink:

Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:59 pm

First of all, what is the original lights on a Vanagon in the USA ? My car, in Norway is original with H4, doubble square lights. The 2 outer lights is H4 with 60w each. When you turn to highbeam it`s 55w. BUT: With highbeams on, the two inner lights turns on, with 55w each. These bulbs are H3. 55w x 4 = 220w. But original wireing is too bad. As we all know the power is running through the light switch and so on. On my last vanagon I installed a relayset, taking away this problem. So the power came directly from the battery. The relay set is finnish to hook on original wireing. The only difference this makes is: Our European cars got a automatic driving light-relay installed. So the lights is on when you start up the car. Driving lights is just about 75% of full light strenght. When installing this relaykit I`m talking about this "half-light" goes away. And who cares ? :)
And when you got a kit like this you can without problems use bigger bulbs. For example replace the H3 55w with H3 100w. This winter I`m going to mount 2 extra lights from Bosch. Bosch rallye 225 Big knick. These are round with a diameter 225 mm. Install with relay for each light, GOOD wire and H3 100w :) There`s no problem to use original bulb size and H3 100w in these Bosch lights at the same time. Do I have to say you need a GOOD alternator ? ;)

Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:43 am

USA 86 and higher Stock Vanagon with square lenses, low beam 90 watts total, high beam 240 watts total

After SA grill update, with relays and upgraded lamps, low beam 160 watts, high beam 360 watts

fwiw, for Vanagons that use the single round headlights, like the 85 and earlier models, upgrading the lenses to Hella H4's, adding relays and upgrading the lamps is a VERY worthwhile improvement, even without the SA grille's inner high beams. It produces 160 watts on low beam, and 200watts on high.. LOTS of light.

Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:17 am

Sunshine, adding the relays to handle the headlight power is pretty common practice this side of the pond. After watching two headlight switches melt down on me, I actually consider it essential even before upgrading headlights; the switch is inadequate to handle the 20 amps or so the stock lights draw on hi-beam, nevermind the 35amps a 400w upgrade will need (80/100w squares outboard, 100w squares inboard).

But I was wondering about your relay kit:
Quote: The relay set is finnish to hook on original wireing.

Is there duty on this to transit Sweden? Or is the second "n" a typo?

Sun Aug 24, 2008 10:44 pm

Dogpilot wrote:

I have to admit I needed a little "personal time" after seeing your van. That thing is a beauty!!!

Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:41 pm

hero419 wrote: Williamtaylor33 wrote: http://www.van-cafe.com/vanagon_parts.jsp?pa=p&p=1046044934&ct=551682740

The kit is only $299 from van-cafe.com.
And its an easy install.

Straight from VC website

Description:
Kit for S. Africa dual round headlight conversion. The kit includes grill, emblem, inner Hella Hi beam lights with brackets. The outer 7" hi/low beams are not included. Most people use Hella 7" rounds ($99.90 / pair). If you have an 86-91 model then you will need to obtain used brackets for the outer lights (we value them at $60 pair and have a very limited supply at this time)**VW emblem is included and is chrome finish. Please note that the package that these are sent in is fairly large and is billed at an oversize rate by UPS (approx $30 west coast and approx $50 east coast)

299 grill
99 outside lights
60 brackets
50 shipping
?? Relay

508+ Relay

Sucks when you put it down on paper.....
I just got my kit in today.
i paid 299 for the kit.
VC has free shipping this month.
And i have a parts van outside w/ round headlights. So i can pull the buckets off of that for the outer hellas.
So after all is said and done i'll have about $400 dollars in my SA Grill..
Plus the relays...