Has anyone done this on an X300?

Coming from my Miata with the giant 7" lamps, E-Codes are a massive upgrade over the sealed beams.

 

The X300 and X308 headlights are the physically the same except for the lenses. The X308 headlights are said to be marginally better because of that fact.

The problem with trying to fit the HELLA conversions is that while the diameter is exactly the same, the mounting is not.

If you find a way to do it, lots of people would be interested.

 

Just to clarify, your '96 XJ6 doesn't have sealed beams.

As Plums says you'd need to figure out a new mounting arrangement to use conventionally configured replacement lamps like the Hella E-codes. Take a good look at your existing headlamps and you'll see why.

The X300 headlights are not the greatest on their best day but I found that just cleaning them made a night-n-day difference. Remove the lamps from the car, take 'em to the kitchen sink, add a couple drops of liquid dishsoap and fill half way with warm water. Slosh, slosh, slosh. Repeat. Repeat. Rinse. Let air dry. Do not attempt to scrub or even wipe the inside of the lamp.

Naturally the amount of improvement is relative to how dirty they are in the first place.

Cheers
DD

 

Plums and Doug may know the answer to this:

The internal headlamp brackets for the '88-'92 XJ40 can be fitted with 5-3/4" Euro type lenses for H4 / H7 / H1 type bulbs. I replaced the original rectangular headlamps in our '93 XJ40 with the earlier quad-lamp setup. I wonder if the internal bracketry from an early XJ40 could be mounted in an X300 to accomodate Hella/Cibie 5-3/4" lamps? I'd be happy to measure the lens spacing on our '93 if anyone is interested in comparing it to an X300.

Cheers,

Don

 

This idea crossed my mind as well but I thought the XJ40 quad lamps had the same peg mounting as the X300.

Anyhow, I don't know the answer. I sorta figured *you* would !

Cheers
DD

 

I wonder whether standard Euro (H1) lamps are any better than the US ones?

 

Definitely an interesting question I too was wondering about in passing the other day. I too had a gen II Miata, and converted the lights to Hellas.

Hey, at least our lenses are glass (or at least look/sound that way, via a quick tap from my fingernail) on the X300 That really is something these days, and even in the mid 90s where many manufacturers were already switching to plastic lenses, most of which cloud and scratch in just a few years.

Are the X308 lenses glass or plastic?

.

 

As a big fan of the Cibie conversions, I'm interested

I have a set of early BMW 3 series headlight buckets downstairs that seem like they *might* come close to being a good basis for conversion.

However, having driven with Cibie for years, I suspect the X308 dip beam pattern is superior. The problem is the use of a plastic reflector that peels the reflector coating if someone uses high power bulbs. Not me .. previous owner.

The ideal quad Cibie layout is four high/low outer housings wired up to run various combinations of outer low, inner/outer low, inner high/outer low, inner/outer high, inner all/outer all. The last one will run 8 filaments totaling somewhere around 500 watts. Hard on the 37 amp alternator of a Datsun 510, but you get an instant response from logging trucks who think they have a right to run on high beams at all times on back roads

Running quad low beams is great on the highway, great lighting without blinding oncoming traffic.

The stalk is used as a "high inhibit" switch while the remainder is controlled by toggle switches in a box on the tunnel. Proper aiming is a must.

 

Glass and EXPENSIVE to replace.

 

The quad lamps on our '93 XJ40 are +/- 7.5 in. (190.5mm) center-to-center.

How does that compare to the X300?

 

In our '93 I didn't go for quite as complex a system as plums describes, but his setup SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!!!

I used Cibie 5-3/4" lenses with H4 bulbs in the outer Low/High positions and H7 bulbs in the inner High beam positions. I wired things with an extra relay for the additional high-beam filaments drawing power from the firewall battery power post to prevent adding stress to the BFMs (which were designed for only one high-beam filament). I preferred the Cibie lamps available at the time because they had domed lenses, while the Hella lenses were flattened.

I use Sylvania Silverstar Ultra bulbs and the difference compared to stock, to overuse an old but appropriate cliché, is Night and Day. The lights on our XJ40 are the best on any vehicle we own. Once you convert a car to this type of setup, you'll never want to go back to stock.

Cheers,

Don

 

While we're on this topic...

How about some bumper mounted rally lights?

Thoughts?

Link:

Hella 500FF Free Form Auxiliary Lamp Kit - RallyLights.com

 

How did you end up secure and seal the Cibie lenses in the stock headlight bucket/mounting?

.

 

Al,

The stock lamps in the pre-'93 XJ40 were 5-3/4 in. sealed beams. The 5-3/4 in. Cibie lamps were an exact fit replacement in the stock XJ40 mounting brackets and fascia trim, so swapping in the Cibies was simple. Figuring out how to rewire things so I could have both high beam lamps illuminated simultaneously took a little more thought, but the execution was also simple.

If the 7-1/2 in. lamp spacing were the same on an X300, and you could mount the XJ40 lamp mounting brackets, it seems as though you could run Cibies or Hellas in an X300 with no problem.

Has anyone had a chance to measure the lamp spacing on an X300?

Don

 

ummm ... I forgot to mention a pair of Super Oscars in front and a single Baby Oscar in back.

 

Down in the garage in a bit to check the headlamp washers, will report back then.

There is also a setback distance between the high and dip housings to consider. The dip housing sits further towards the rear of the car.

BTW, the BMW buckets are from a E-46, just like in your sig.

 

Good grief! Was that setup for running the Dakar Rally or were you illuminating improvised runways for airplanes making nightime landings in secret locations????

 

You and plums must compete in the same long-distance rallies. On public roads, I'm not sure rally lights look right on a Jag saloon....

 

It's a little hard to get an exact measurement but if I close one eye and hold my tongue just right I come up with 7.25"

Cheers
DD

 

Good point. I just held a rule on the dome of the outer lens and I would guesstimate that the dome of the inner lens is approximately 1 in. / 25mm further forward.


Do you still have your E46? Ours is a pretty basic 325i with only a few mods (mostly cosmetic), but it's a beautifully balanced car.

Cheers,

Don