Group Buy on LED Headlights, from VintageCarLEDs.com Options

[db9146]

Folks,

A couple of weeks ago, I started looking for some LED headlights. There are a lot on eBay - some with different lenses, some with very funky lenses, and some that are just bulbs.

I have Hella H4s in my -6 and wanted to stay with a stock look yet upgrade my headlights to the same Kelvin color range as the Euro LED turn signal package I got from Spoke a while back (very nice, BTW). I wanted the white of the headlights to match the running lights in the bottom of the front markers. A color of about 6000K was what I was looking for.

After some research and reading some on the board here, I contacted VintagecarLEDs.com and told Thomas what I was looking for. Since I had the H4s with the glass lenses (and I really wanted to stay with them), he suggested that I look at his VC4000s and that if those sounded like what I wanted, he could sell me just the bulbs. Sounded good so I ordered a set.

They shipped quickly and I got them installed before my trip up to the Okteenerfest. They went in easy (not any more than changing an H4 bulb besides the mounting of the small black box with the electronics) and plugged into the stock headlight wiring so no "difficult to undo" mod required. Additionally, the bulbs have an adjustable ring that changes the orientation of the bulb in the housing so when I was installing mine, I looked carefully at the stock H4 bulb and noted the orientation of the bulb element to the three -prong mounting ring that goes into the back of the housing. I then loosened the tiny allen set screw and adjusted the LED bulb to a similar "1 o'clock" position and installed them. The resulting beam had the same pattern as with the original bulbs - no need to even adjust the headlights.



Wow, what a difference. I agree with others on the board here. They work great and really improve night vision as well as lessening the load on the electrical system. I had several guys at Okteenerfest ask me about them so I contacted Thomas and he graciously agreed to offer 10% discount to all 914World member who order from 9/30/16 - 10/14/16. If you want to take advantage, just go to

https://vintagecarleds.com/

and when you're checking out, use the code "914WORLD" (all caps).

Here are some pics.

[gandalf_025]

Found this.....


Insurance Company now asking "do you have illegal HID lights?" when their customers are at fault


I was chatting with my insurance agent.

He was was saying that their claim adjusters started asking about "aftermarket" or "illegal" lighting during the claim process. This appears to be new and started around July of this year. It's one of the three big insurance companies, at least one of the three that does the most TV commercials nationally.

Let's say you got hit by their customer, they will try to determine if your illegal lighting impaired their client's vision just before the crash. Apparently, in at least 5 U.S. states, having illegal HID lighting will result your claim against their client to be denied. (EVEN IF IT DOES NOT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CRASH) He explained the concept of contributory negligence... if you're even 1% at fault, by having the illegal HID lighting, they are not legally to pay your claim. In the other 45 states, they are legally required to determine the claim base on the amount of "blame"(30/70, 50/50, 10/90, for example) By definitely, ALL aftermarket HID lighting are illegal. There is no know DOT approved retrofit HID kits. The only exception may be if your car can be ordered with HID lights and you buy all the original factory parts and install them in that specific vehicle.

Obviously, this will have no bearing in rear-end case... but in all case where the other at-fault can see your headlight, it may pose a problem depending on the insurance company and/or adjuster. (especially in those 5 states, including DC, Maryland, Virginia... I forgot the other two he mentioned) Insurance companies trying to find laws that will help them avoid paying on a claim... shocking, isn't it?

Note: This is absolutely not legal advice. I'm just sharing what the insurance agent chatted with me during a casual conversation. He has been an insurance agent for almost 30 years with the same company.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Insurance companies looking for ways out of paying claims in nothing new. I've heard of cases where rear end accidents where the car that was rear ended had tinted tail lights was actually deemed at fault and where the insurance company wouldn't cover repairs to the car with tinted lights.

[Mblizzard]

Found this.....


Insurance Company now asking "do you have illegal HID lights?" when their customers are at fault


I was chatting with my insurance agent.

He was was saying that their claim adjusters started asking about "aftermarket" or "illegal" lighting during the claim process. This appears to be new and started around July of this year. It's one of the three big insurance companies, at least one of the three that does the most TV commercials nationally.

Let's say you got hit by their customer, they will try to determine if your illegal lighting impaired their client's vision just before the crash. Apparently, in at least 5 U.S. states, having illegal HID lighting will result your claim against their client to be denied. (EVEN IF IT DOES NOT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CRASH) He explained the concept of contributory negligence... if you're even 1% at fault, by having the illegal HID lighting, they are not legally to pay your claim. In the other 45 states, they are legally required to determine the claim base on the amount of "blame"(30/70, 50/50, 10/90, for example) By definitely, ALL aftermarket HID lighting are illegal. There is no know DOT approved retrofit HID kits. The only exception may be if your car can be ordered with HID lights and you buy all the original factory parts and install them in that specific vehicle.

Obviously, this will have no bearing in rear-end case... but in all case where the other at-fault can see your headlight, it may pose a problem depending on the insurance company and/or adjuster. (especially in those 5 states, including DC, Maryland, Virginia... I forgot the other two he mentioned) Insurance companies trying to find laws that will help them avoid paying on a claim... shocking, isn't it?

Note: This is absolutely not legal advice. I'm just sharing what the insurance agent chatted with me during a casual conversation. He has been an insurance agent for almost 30 years with the same company.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Insurance companies looking for ways out of paying claims in nothing new. I've heard of cases where rear end accidents where the car that was rear ended had tinted tail lights was actually deemed at fault and where the insurance company wouldn't cover repairs to the car with tinted lights.

Again not legal advice in any way. But I do see problems with that approach. First, DOT approval of lighting only applies to manufacture certification that that the items meet certain standards. That is the extent of the DOT requirements.

Now specific states may have other requirements but DOT approved lights or DOT unapproved lights alone are not the basis for denying a claim. This DOT approval applies to manufacture certifications only. Certainly in our age of insurance companies being completely worthless and the number of law suites filed it is nothing to ignore but we should all question any information provided from an insurance company.