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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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 Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:48 pm Post subject: New rectangular headlight options |
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I'm considering rectangular headlight options from GoWesty and Van Cafe, and GoWesty's sale price is very attractive. GoWesty's are "Eurostyle" [$272 sale price] and Van Cafe's are "EuroSpec" with city lights and an LED bulb option for $469. I already installed the headlight relay which apparently isn't necessary for the LED option anyway.
I'd like to know if both assemblies will deliver the same performance, disregarding the "city light" option, and if anyone has experience with the LED bulb option from Van Cafe.
Basically I'm wondering if it's worth $200 more for the Van Cafe setup. I've had great experience with both vendors.
Experiences, anyone? Thanks. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 3:34 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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THANKS! I've followed that thread and considered the Bus Depot kit. I like the idea of completely new assemblies, with brackets and adjusters. Saving money is always attractive but not my main consideration, and I'm also wondering about the usefulness of city lights, and if LED mains are more effective.
Confused! |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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khughes
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2013
Posts: 747
Location: Phoenix AZ
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 6:03 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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I have the GoWesty kit sitting here, and plan to install it this weekend. I'll post my review of them afterwards. Hopefully it'll be a glowing review about how incredible they are! 
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'86 Westy FAS GenV Turbo (Marvin) |
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Jacebc
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2019
Posts: 8
Location: Bainbridge Island
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| khughes wrote: |
| I have the GoWesty kit sitting here, and plan to install it this weekend. I'll post my review of them afterwards. Hopefully it'll be a glowing review about how incredible they are! |
I’m curious to hear how it went and what bulbs you got for it. Thanks! |
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Corwyn 
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009
Posts: 2238
Location: Olympia, Washington
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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There hasn't been an LED headlight bulb designed that will project properly through a rectangle lens.
_________________
'90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja
"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~ |
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:23 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| Corwyn wrote: |
| There hasn't been an LED headlight bulb designed that will project properly through a rectangle lens. |
Van Cafe seems to declare that their LED bulb works with their Euro Spec rectangular lens, main beam. Guess I'll ask them directly.
I am hoping someone has experience with these. |
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tristessa
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2004
Posts: 3992
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 3:11 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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Just because it fits the housing and light comes out, doesn't mean it works anywhere near correctly.
Get full-on proper LED headlight units and retrofit the Ford/Jeep/whatever buckets or stick to halogen bulbs in reflectors. Even the $90/pair Amazon LED headlights are going to give better light output than the drop-in LED "bulbs" will. |
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Butcher
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 1285
Location: Right Here
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 7:24 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| tristessa wrote: |
| Just because it fits the housing and light comes out, doesn't mean it works anywhere near correctly. |
And it does not mean it won't work correctly either.
I get what you are saying but there are some companies that do a pretty darn good job getting the pattern right. Right enough that you can see AND the on coming traffic can see too. That is what most people here want. |
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2019 11:13 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| So I ordered new GoWesty rectangular headlights in the absence of compelling testimony to the contrary. Since we have two vans with relays it will be interesting to compare. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| djkeev wrote: |
I was on Phillips Lighting website reading about LED bulbs.
They have a bulb selector menu and yes, the Vanagon is on there.
Point is that they don't recommend an LED bulb for the Vanagon.
Why?
I don't know exactly, but I'm going to guess it has to do with the many comments I've read here that they don't focus satisfactorily.
Dave |
I'm thinking Van Cafe might have this sorted out or they would not offer the LED bulb option with their new headlights. I may call them tomorrow. |
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tristessa
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2004
Posts: 3992
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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I haven't been able to find any mainline bulb manufacturers producing an LED "bulb" that is road-legal in the US for headlights. I don't think there are any. Osram/Sylvania makes LED "bulbs" in 9005, 9006 and 9007, Phillips has H8/H11/H16 LEDs. All of them that I've looked at are marked on the package as being for foglight use not headlights. PIAA makes an LED H4, the product information page on their website says "Does not comply with FMVSS108 or CMVSS108".
Why do you think that is? It certainly isn't because Osram/Sylvania, Phillips, GE or PIAA don't think there would be money in selling a drop-in LED headlight bulb... |
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newerwesty1987
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2010
Posts: 407
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 12:02 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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I think the lack of LED conversion being offered by legitimate brands are based around longevity and worries with returns and warranties by the manufacturers.
I have seen very nice beam patterns so that isn't the issue across the board but I have yet to hear of an LED lasting anywhere near as long as a basic halogen.
The LED high-output headlight-worthy bulbs are still unpredictable as of 2019. Maybe that will change soon as the heat-sink problems are ironed out with evolving tech. |
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Butcher
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2015
Posts: 1285
Location: Right Here
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:47 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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I do not think aftermarket LED headlamps are ready for prime time. Maybe they will be some day but with the heat issue and their solutions for it do not seem good enough.
I'll stick with xenon's for now. |
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tristessa
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2004
Posts: 3992
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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Even if they adequately replicate the location and directionality of the halogen bulb's filament, I doubt LED headlight "bulbs" will ever actually be a thing from the legitimate manufacturers because of the heat. Look at the lengths the companies making the LED "bulbs" go to in an effort to keep them from overheating -- passive heat sink blocks of various styles, passive woven braid heat sinks, heat sink blocks with fans .. I even saw some once with what looked like a CPU liquid cooling setup grafted on the back. Ridiculous.
LED headlights built as a retrofit assembly are another matter entirely -- plenty of mass and surface area to act as a heat sink -- and that's where you're going to find LED headlights that have DOT/ ECE compliance markings even in the Amazon/eBay non-brands. More legit are the units made by Truck-Lite and J.W. Speaker, which have DOT/ECE complaince and some that are even mil-spec. Not cheap, though... |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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tristessa
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2004
Posts: 3992
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Interesting about LED heat.
I always regard them as a cool light. |
https://www.ledsmagazine.com/leds-ssl-design/therm...oduce-heat
Having an electronics & EE instructor as a father, I absorbed just enough about the subjects while growing up to be dangerous. |
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michaelbteam
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2012
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:43 am Post subject: Re: New rectangular headlight options |
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| Another learning experience, thanks all. |
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