I just spent a nice afternoon lazily putting in my new 7" headlights. Found a kit from Andrew at Jaguar Specialties. Last set as a matter of fact. Very nice quality and a fairly easy install. In the end, with bulbs for the smaller lamps (with yellow fog bulbs) to match the new 7" headlight bulbs, I'm into it about $450. Am I $450 crazy about the looks? Well, maybe $250 crazy about the looks but I think I'm not $450 crazy in love with them from a looks standpoint. Something about the 'jewel' front end has been lost in favor of maybe a bit more of a macho stance. Let me wait until dark however and see if I got another $200 crazy happy about the new brightness on the road.

To be continued....

 

?????

I am just pleased when all my 51/4" light on command.

But, if one likes 7's $450.00 worth, so be it!!!

Carl

 

The best upgrade for the lighting is to also swap out the cheap sealed beams for some Hella E-code headlights. These are bit more money but worth every penny. The refelecting surface is far superior to the cheap $10 sealed beams.

Here are mine with the 7" outers. 85 xj6 replacing worn engine bearings by swinging the front suspension out of the way. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

I love the 7" outer lights. I felt the same way at 1st as you did. Now as I look back to older pictures with the extra chrome I think wow does that look silly and it's not the way the car was deigned to look. Give yourself a week it will grow on you.

 

I did mine for somewhere in the $350 range, and I am glad I did it. I don't know how much of a lighting performance change there was because I installed the 7" assemblies before I got the car on the road, but just for the looks it was worth it. The smaller assemblies were an aesthetic compromise.

 

I've not changed to 7 inchers. I am just happy that all four respond to command.

It was just a style thing. US makers decided to go quad lites in 58. They got DOT approvlal. Jaguar just decided to match the competion's styling for market reasons. o more, no less.

Early on I mistakenly changed the right outboard lamp because one filament failed, so I thought. Wrong!! Good move on most any domestic, not Jaguar. The new Halogen didn't lite up either!! Messed with the wires and on it comes. Tis a tad brighter than the 30 year old originals!!! The original is in a box. Spare? Or perhaps a trouble lamp?

I've though of mounting my period correct Hella fogs. Nah, I'd have to redo the switching to make them DMV legal.

Busy now with major garden chopping!!! Coco, my ultra hybrid rescue keeps me company.

 

I'd started this tread with wondering if I was getting my money's worth on going with the 7 inch main headlamps. I do like the new look but wasn't convenced I was really getting a bang for what I'd spent. WELL, I came up my long, dark, twisty mountain road to my home last night and found out....YES! Wow, what a difference where it matters...I can see at night now. I did put in H4 bulbs in the new lamps and I know I could have gone out and done the same thing with new H4 5-3/4 inch lamps and got the same, but I like to think there is a difference with these larger lamps. At least, I'm trying to tell myself that.

 

I've been gathering the bits to convert my outer headlamps. Pair of 7" outer trim rings from sngbarratt for about $150; pair of used 7" wipac buckets for cheap.

Are you guys finding/using the flat design 7" lights or what are you using? Thanks.

 

Andrew at Jaguar Specialist turned me on to some flat lens lamps that use H4 bulbs of your choice. Got them off E-bay. Made in India. Not overly expensive either. I like the flat lens look on the car. Real european look.