Which headlights do you prefer?
#21
Yes, I think it is the 'topaz' that I am thinking about. Seemed like it was more silver than gold like the GM color that was common on many of their pickups and also on many Buick sedans as I remember. Not a bad color for a pickup but I like the more vibrant gold like your XJS was for a Jaguar. As I remember seems like Jaguar started using a nice looking gold on the XK8.
#22
Ribbet.
That's my red car. I considered changing the headlights. I generally prefer the 4-round when looking at photos of these cars, but in person it doesn't matter to me. Up close and in 3D the headlights are just a small detail and take nothing away from the overall impression the car makes.
I believe our sponsor SNG Barratt USA has a conversion kit??? And a discount for forum members (I don't mean to play favourites. Maybe jagbits, for example, has them too).
Greg
That's my red car. I considered changing the headlights. I generally prefer the 4-round when looking at photos of these cars, but in person it doesn't matter to me. Up close and in 3D the headlights are just a small detail and take nothing away from the overall impression the car makes.
I believe our sponsor SNG Barratt USA has a conversion kit??? And a discount for forum members (I don't mean to play favourites. Maybe jagbits, for example, has them too).
Greg
We do indeed! Click below for details. JF member price $568.35
www.sngbarratt.com/PartSearchResults.aspx?partno=SBS9204
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Mkii250 (04-14-2014)
#23
while we talking about headlights, i need some headlight adjusting screws(plastic part).
BUT , my car is RHD Euro type, the screws are different than USA types.
all i really need is the plastic piece,(6 if i can them), but settle for 3.
i might have to buy the bucket mounting bracket with the piece in them.whatever! not the bucket itself, each side takes 3 brackets.
tried SNG, jagparts, jagbits, Welsh, no luck, euro parts,etc.
so it seems a UK part, will do. hopefully.
a darn silly little piece plastic, and cant adjust properly. making it would be a PITA.
my lights are modified for outside HID, and inside Projector beams. 4 light system, but still have to adjust them.
BUT , my car is RHD Euro type, the screws are different than USA types.
all i really need is the plastic piece,(6 if i can them), but settle for 3.
i might have to buy the bucket mounting bracket with the piece in them.whatever! not the bucket itself, each side takes 3 brackets.
tried SNG, jagparts, jagbits, Welsh, no luck, euro parts,etc.
so it seems a UK part, will do. hopefully.
a darn silly little piece plastic, and cant adjust properly. making it would be a PITA.
my lights are modified for outside HID, and inside Projector beams. 4 light system, but still have to adjust them.
#24
Ron, does your car have adjustment screws on the end of cables like in this pic:
Headlamp Assembly-Not Germany - Parts For XJS from (V)179737 to (V)226645 | Jaguar Classic Parts UK
Headlamp Assembly-Not Germany - Parts For XJS from (V)179737 to (V)226645 | Jaguar Classic Parts UK
#25
no, my adjustment system is different ,even from that arraingment,HMM.
its from 1975-1981, has three spring loaded brackets with a 35yr old plastic pieces that are crumbling.
buckets says made in FRANCE, by Cibie, glass lenses,not plastic, actually difficult to work with, have to be very carefull R&R them.
thanks,i'm hoping someone will have the parts!
its from 1975-1981, has three spring loaded brackets with a 35yr old plastic pieces that are crumbling.
buckets says made in FRANCE, by Cibie, glass lenses,not plastic, actually difficult to work with, have to be very carefull R&R them.
thanks,i'm hoping someone will have the parts!
#27
Last edited by malc4d; 04-14-2014 at 06:50 PM.
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ronbros (04-16-2014)
#28
#30
#31
headlight bracket
thanks malc, that is the part i need ,to bad a cant buy just the plastic pieces, my metal parts are like new, BUT, thats business.
#32
#33
You're correct! I even added nitrous to see if it could out run mine, but I still can't...
But, seriously, the one thing most do not take into account when discussing various XJS appearance subjects is the subtle, but immense effect of the facelift. The XJS spirit is there all the same, but in a more modern fashion. In the case of the facelift car, the stock lights look more the part for its more modern lines and, conversely, the quad set up, which looks fine on the pre-facelift car, it's just not quite the same when installed on the face-lift version; it inserts something older into a newer picture. Only problem is that the stock facelift lights are too dim, so bad that the "compromise" quad alternative is almost justified. I resolved mine via HID lights, thus keeping the original presentation with great illumination ahead of me.
Speaking of facelift modern...
What were those 15" Lattice wheels doing on a '94 facelift XJS?
Those wheels had been featured on the XJS since MY1988, which was, by then, SEVEN years old!! on a >$60K car value of twenty years ago?
By comparison, the XK8 Revolvers, which are beautiful wheels, and more so when in chrome version, lasted three years and then they were tossed by Jaguar for a newer version. Things change, I suppose...
But, seriously, the one thing most do not take into account when discussing various XJS appearance subjects is the subtle, but immense effect of the facelift. The XJS spirit is there all the same, but in a more modern fashion. In the case of the facelift car, the stock lights look more the part for its more modern lines and, conversely, the quad set up, which looks fine on the pre-facelift car, it's just not quite the same when installed on the face-lift version; it inserts something older into a newer picture. Only problem is that the stock facelift lights are too dim, so bad that the "compromise" quad alternative is almost justified. I resolved mine via HID lights, thus keeping the original presentation with great illumination ahead of me.
Speaking of facelift modern...
What were those 15" Lattice wheels doing on a '94 facelift XJS?
Those wheels had been featured on the XJS since MY1988, which was, by then, SEVEN years old!! on a >$60K car value of twenty years ago?
By comparison, the XK8 Revolvers, which are beautiful wheels, and more so when in chrome version, lasted three years and then they were tossed by Jaguar for a newer version. Things change, I suppose...
#34
i'm a fan of the euro style lamps. on both facelift and pre-facelift.
i swapped the quads on my 91 to the euro-style. and boy-o-boy... the lighting was terrible. i thought the quad lights were pretty bad, but these were AWFUL--even after a cleaning.
like forcedair up there... i tried to remedy the poor lighting with an HID kit. and it works great. great in that there is A LOT of light produced with the kit. they're fairly easy to install, and i did NOT get a cool-blue temp to try and make it look modern. (i think i ended up with 4300K).
so the kit lights up the road like a small supernova in front of my car... but it is also the glarey-est, least controlled type of light i've seen on any car, ever. you can find lots of information about why these conversions shouldn't be made (unless you do it like ronbros).
90% of the time i drive, it is in daytime, and 90% of the night-driving i do is in a city, where there's enough glare from other sources that it is not too much of a concern to me. and even with the car being so low... i try to get up close to the car in front of me at a stop light, or point the nose away so the lights aren't blinding the person in front of me.
if you do significant driving on unlit roads at night... when there are other cars on the road... think 2x about using one of these conversions.
i swapped the quads on my 91 to the euro-style. and boy-o-boy... the lighting was terrible. i thought the quad lights were pretty bad, but these were AWFUL--even after a cleaning.
like forcedair up there... i tried to remedy the poor lighting with an HID kit. and it works great. great in that there is A LOT of light produced with the kit. they're fairly easy to install, and i did NOT get a cool-blue temp to try and make it look modern. (i think i ended up with 4300K).
so the kit lights up the road like a small supernova in front of my car... but it is also the glarey-est, least controlled type of light i've seen on any car, ever. you can find lots of information about why these conversions shouldn't be made (unless you do it like ronbros).
90% of the time i drive, it is in daytime, and 90% of the night-driving i do is in a city, where there's enough glare from other sources that it is not too much of a concern to me. and even with the car being so low... i try to get up close to the car in front of me at a stop light, or point the nose away so the lights aren't blinding the person in front of me.
if you do significant driving on unlit roads at night... when there are other cars on the road... think 2x about using one of these conversions.
#35
i'm a fan of the euro style lamps. on both facelift and pre-facelift.
i swapped the quads on my 91 to the euro-style. and boy-o-boy... the lighting was terrible. i thought the quad lights were pretty bad, but these were AWFUL--even after a cleaning.
like forcedair up there... i tried to remedy the poor lighting with an HID kit. and it works great. great in that there is A LOT of light produced with the kit. they're fairly easy to install, and i did NOT get a cool-blue temp to try and make it look modern. (i think i ended up with 4300K).
so the kit lights up the road like a small supernova in front of my car... but it is also the glarey-est, least controlled type of light i've seen on any car, ever. you can find lots of information about why these conversions shouldn't be made (unless you do it like ronbros).
90% of the time i drive, it is in daytime, and 90% of the night-driving i do is in a city, where there's enough glare from other sources that it is not too much of a concern to me. and even with the car being so low... i try to get up close to the car in front of me at a stop light, or point the nose away so the lights aren't blinding the person in front of me.
if you do significant driving on unlit roads at night... when there are other cars on the road... think 2x about using one of these conversions.
i swapped the quads on my 91 to the euro-style. and boy-o-boy... the lighting was terrible. i thought the quad lights were pretty bad, but these were AWFUL--even after a cleaning.
like forcedair up there... i tried to remedy the poor lighting with an HID kit. and it works great. great in that there is A LOT of light produced with the kit. they're fairly easy to install, and i did NOT get a cool-blue temp to try and make it look modern. (i think i ended up with 4300K).
so the kit lights up the road like a small supernova in front of my car... but it is also the glarey-est, least controlled type of light i've seen on any car, ever. you can find lots of information about why these conversions shouldn't be made (unless you do it like ronbros).
90% of the time i drive, it is in daytime, and 90% of the night-driving i do is in a city, where there's enough glare from other sources that it is not too much of a concern to me. and even with the car being so low... i try to get up close to the car in front of me at a stop light, or point the nose away so the lights aren't blinding the person in front of me.
if you do significant driving on unlit roads at night... when there are other cars on the road... think 2x about using one of these conversions.
#37
#38
little follow up;
i use my outside HIDs for hyway,it floods ahead better, when in city i use the inside Projector beams, that pinpoints the light ahead better! without bothering other people.
all in all its better than original, times change,DID you ever drive a 1934 Ford at night, barely see 50ft, course we didnt have interstate hiways ether.
i use my outside HIDs for hyway,it floods ahead better, when in city i use the inside Projector beams, that pinpoints the light ahead better! without bothering other people.
all in all its better than original, times change,DID you ever drive a 1934 Ford at night, barely see 50ft, course we didnt have interstate hiways ether.
#39
i think this actually started out as an aesthetic thread... and i forgot to mention something.
i recently upsized to 18inch wheels on my 91, pre-facelift car.
in my opinion, the larger wheels + dark color are better suited to the euro style lamps. i feel like the quads would make the car look a bit less modern, and clash with the large wheels.
i'm quite pleased with how the car has turned out, both in handling with larger wheels and lighting, single unit + HID (blinding other motorists aside).
i recently upsized to 18inch wheels on my 91, pre-facelift car.
in my opinion, the larger wheels + dark color are better suited to the euro style lamps. i feel like the quads would make the car look a bit less modern, and clash with the large wheels.
i'm quite pleased with how the car has turned out, both in handling with larger wheels and lighting, single unit + HID (blinding other motorists aside).