<VV> Headlamps--back to Corvairs

[Tony Underwood]

At 04:24 hours 01/25/2006, Chuck Kubin wrote:

>   Now, I need:
>   Even though I didn't ask for it before, I now need to know if any 
> of you have a high opinion on something that works good on your 
> CORVAIR that I didn't mention in the first paragraph. If I missed 
> it before, sorry, as I've said I lost it in the flurry.  I'd 
> appreciate an off-forum note with specifics of what you recommend. 
> Please don't send anything refering to what you like or don't like 
> about drivers coming at you or what you use on your wife's Subaru, 
> because we've been on that for a week now and IDGS. No square pegs 
> in the bezels' round holes, no illegal off-road lights, no semi marker lights.
>




All I did years ago was go to Advance Store and buy Sylvania halogen 
high beams and put them in the Spyder.

I don't care what people say about Sylvania bulbs or their sealed 
beam tech (whatever these were, they had an individual bulb inside 
the sealed glass assembly) or anything else regarding what actually 
fits the bezel, these high beam lights made a BIG difference in 
lighting the road and I never had another issue with being able to 
see ahead when I flicked the brights on.

Everyone else can argue how inferior the sealed beams are to their 
hearts content.    I somehow managed to grow up with Tung-Sol T3 
sealed beams in most everything we ever drove up through the 70s-80s 
and I managed to keep from ass-ending the guy in front and avoided 
the group of nuns standing in the road around the corner as well as 
the meteor crater blocking all 4 lanes, not to mention that family of 
Bigfoot snacking on road kill.

Sold the Spyder and the Sylvanias (which were still working after 
several years in spite of how they're supposed to die in short order) 
and went back to the FLAPS and got a couple more of the hotrod bulbs 
for the ragtop, still in it and they still work.  Might have to load 
up the '60 with some Sylvania hotrod lamps even though it's hardly 
able to get out of its own way, much less over-run its own headlights.

I'll continue to use what's available that doesn't require that I 
whittle on the car although running stronger wire and using a relay 
isn't what I regard as "cutting".

Your own mileage may vary.


It's worth remembering that Eurospec headlights are en vogue there 
because many drivers there are maniacs behind the wheel and even in 
city driving at nights when the local authorities aren't in evidence 
they will hit off some truly impressive speeds on back streets.

All you need do is take a few rides in a taxi in Europe sometime, or 
spend a little time walking around the park and watch the traffic on 
side streets to know what I'm talking about.


Drive a Corvair like most people will drive a Corvair today and the 
factory style headlights will do an adequate job.   Sure, upgrade the 
bulbs and improve what's there, but debating their effectiveness as 
to what's on a rally race Subaru is kinda pointless because they 
aren't the same.



Somebody who provides a straight answer as to what you can walk into 
Pep Boys (in spite of their inflated prices) or NAPA (my kind of 
place) and pick up off the shelf that will make a difference without 
costing half a week's pay is much appreciated.


tony..