Are X308 headlights a 'drop in' replacement for X300 headlights (aside from wiring)?

This guy seems to think they are, but I want to double check.

Also, are the X308 sealed beam, or like the X300 ones?

 

I have not done the swap myself (so I cannot say for certain), but I have good reason to believe the globes are a direct swap. As you mentioned, the wiring would need to be altered.

Exhibit A, Photos of the X308 headlights I purchased:




Photos of an X300 assembly.




I will complete the swap as soon as I find a "perfect" XJR.

 

Thanks for the info...

But I think I'm going to have to give up on this idea. The cheapest wrecker I know quoted over $1000 NZD (~$750 USD) for four X308 lights.

Screw that; that's a fifth of a whole X300 right there!

 

The paid $75 for the XJ8 headlights pictured above.

You might try:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/

 

For those of you who have completed the swap, is there a difference in headlight performance or beam spread?

 

Shipping would still be pretty high to my country... Was that $75 for two, or all four?

I wonder if I should just polish up the insides of my ones, and seal them so they can't get foggy...

 

$75 for one side (two globes, pictured above on my counter top). I ordered the one side from a recycler in California. Unfortunately, they only had one side available at that price.

I ordered the other side from eBay UK for $105 (+$24 shipping)

So, I have about $210 invested for all four headlights, including shipping.

 

I really can't understand where all the moisture and crud gets into these X300 lights. The plasic casing/reflector completely seald to the lens with silicone. The twist lock bulb mount is sealed off with that red o-ring, same with the park light. The only other point of entry is the heat valve (with the little cap over it), but that's pretty tiny, and the cap makes it loop back on it'self. Could it all be getting in through that one tiny hole?



EDIT: Yes, that little capped vent must be where all the moisture and muck gets in. The question is, why do I never see X308s with foggy looking headlights? They have a vent too - it's visible in the pictures azcat posted above (little grey thing with an 'iron cross' like marking on the top).

I don't see why Jaguar didn't use the same system they used on the fog lights. They never get foggy. That's because they have a big rubber cap sealing up the rear of the fitting. This acts as a diaphram that can move in and out to acommodate different heat levels/air pressures, while the unit remains completely sealed from moisture.

Maybe I'll polish up the inside of my standard X300 lights, and then put something like a tiny rubber baloon over the vents, to seal them, but allow for expanding and contracting air.

Properly cleaned X300 lights look almost as good as X308 ones, and it will save me the extra cash.

 

^if you do that youll end up with moisture accumulation from humidity. Ive swapped mine and modded them to fit hid projectors from and stype. And you just havent seen enough fog lights. They get full of water from rains and small texas puddles

 

"Foggy" headlights are found on cars with plastic lenses because the plastic wears over time. Glass lenses don't become foggy, but can accumulate moisture (as can plastic) in the headlamp setup. Cleaning the lamps, and fitting stronger bulbs are loads easier than going and swapping the whole set up. However, it can look more appealing.

 

The reason i swapped are i wanted clear lens, not the "fluted" lens from and 95-97. 98-03 are clear. The 95-97 lights would counter the hid projectors crisp intense light patterns

 

I've not had any trouble with my lights getting grubby but then we don't get much rain here. I do like the look of the later XJ8 type but I'm too much of an originality freak to change them! I believe those of you in colder climes sometimes have trouble with the X300 glass lenses cracking in the winter? the later type are plastic so you don't get that problem.

 

Are the X308 lights plastic? They don't look it...

 

x308 lens is glass.

 

The lights are glass till 04