TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Nov 01, 2003 4:12 pm

now i know this must be a problem with other vanagon owners. the headlights on my '86 suck. are there any conversions out there to increase the lighting on the vanagon? especially with the nose mask, the headlights barely reveal anything at night. thanks.

Sat Nov 01, 2003 4:50 pm

Try this:
http://www.vanagon.com/info/articles/upgrades/headlight-relay/index.html

Or this:
http://www.fastforward.ca/Lights/default.htm

Or this:
http://www.251.org/h4.html

Or this:
http://www.qadas.com/~kanas/Vehicles/South_African_Grille_Procedure.html

And finally:
http://www.vanagain.com/Accessories.htm#SA%20Quad%20Light%20Grille

I have no experience with any of these, I have just been doing a little research because I have been wanting to upgrade mine also.

Sat Nov 01, 2003 5:25 pm

For a cheap fix, you could always live dangerously!

Every once in a while, I take my low beam assemblies out and clean them out with denatured alcohol. Pour it in, plug the headlamp hole with your hand, give it a shake or two, drain them (that's the hard part) and put them in the sun a few hours to dry out really well. I find it improves light output measurably.

But I agree. And if I were looking for what I consider an optimum solution, I would go with the SA round headlights with blue H4 bulbs along with the lower fogs, also in blue. Had a Vanagon pass me the other night with that setup, and the light output was intense!

BTW, I just put the 50W lightbulbs all around my '91 Carat. Hey, Presto! No more wienermobiles trying to remove my rear bumper through last second braking! And I can see well enough to back up!

Steve
Corvairs had the right idea - but the wrong manufacturer.