LED Headlights, A Black Friday trip down the rabbit hole Options

[fiacra]

I rarely drive any of my classic vehicles at night, and then usually only because I'm staying out later than I anticipated. However during the shorter winter days I've found myself out after dark more often and given the anemic output of stock headlights an upgrade to better lighting became more important. I started doing research last year and found this thread to be the most helpful:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...%20led&st=0

And yes, @rjames , I did read the article (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I also consulted with a friend who owns an independent Porsche repair and restoration shop, and he recommended I get a set from vintagecarleds.com. A few other people recommended them, and I started down that route but the $$$ was a bit much to justify at that time. What I ended up doing was finding the upgraded lenses they sell (Hella H4) from a different supplier at a better price and I was going to buy their lights to put in them, essentially recreating the VCm3 set they were selling but for less $$. Instead I ended up getting these bulbs for just over $20 a set from only944.com:

https://only944.com/partscatalog/only/ledbulb/

They work, but I wasn't happy with the fit of the bulbs. They fit in the space available, but I can't use the rubber boots and it doesn't appear to me that they make a tight seal. However since I don't drive in the rain, I had a working solution and I wasn't in a rush I thought I'd wait for a sale to upgrade the bulbs to the vintagecarleds bulbs. So here we are, a year later, and since it is Black Friday weekend and these sets are on sale I went back down the rabbit hole. Not sure if anyone will find this helpful, but here is what I came up with:

I don't need the Hella H4 lenses, but here they are on Amazon for $43.76 each (plus tax). Be aware that these have the flat profile and the profile on the headlights on our cars is round, if that matters to you. The profile on the Hella lenses from vintagecarlights is also flat. If you want Hella round profile lenses you can get them from Cars245, and probably other suppliers:

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-002395031-Visi...B001G76Q2W?th=1

Here are the Hella lenses on Cars245.com for $32.36 each. You can get 10% off that price over the next few days with code BF2024, so a set of two for a total of $80.50 shipped to the USA. This is the cheapest option I've found for these Hella lenses. Cars245 is also a good suppler for Bosch dual relays for those of us with L-Jet systems as well as Bosch voltage regulators if you need one, or just want one on the shelf for when you will need it. If you don't need the grey rubber boots for the lenses you can get them for a few bucks cheaper. I'm including links for both options. If you have the black rubber boots don't reuse them, especially if you decide to go with halogen lights instead of LEDs. Apparently they can't handle the heat from the new bulbs.

https://cars245.com/en/item/hella-1A6002395...sert-headlight/
https://cars245.com/en/item/hella-1A6002395...sert-headlight/

I bought the VCm3 bulbs from vintagecarleds.com for $135.20 for a set, with free shipping, no tax. This is after the black Friday 20% discount (BLK2024). That means if you get their bulbs and buy the Hella lenses (with boots) from Cars245 you would pay a total of $215.20 for the same set that will cost you $247.20 (that's with the black Friday discount) from vintagecarleds, a savings of $32. That might not be a big deal for some people, but I have multiple cars and only one income, so it adds up. You'll save even more after the black Friday discounts expire, although you will overall pay more. If you don't want the Hella lenses there are cheaper options. There are also options for different bulbs.

Here's the link to the VMc3 set on vintagecarleds.com, and a link to the bulbs only:

https://vintagecarleds.com/shop/7-inch/vcm3...-headlight-kit/
https://vintagecarleds.com/shop/bulbs-only/vcm3-bulbs-only/

Again, lots of options out there. Just sharing the path I took to upgrade my headlights.

[Chris914n6]

FYI- There are 2 H4 versions from Hella, USA spec and Euro spec. The Euro (E4) spec has the better beam pattern, also the USA spec will glare alot with the brighter LED bulbs. Cibie also makes good Euro H4 housings.

$169 for a pair of LED bulbs is nuts. I got a great set of 9005 + 9006 for the Chevy for $80 on Amazon (Sealight x2). We do have a space issue but doesn't need to cost THAT much.

[fiacra]

FYI- There are 2 H4 versions from Hella, USA spec and Euro spec. The Euro (E4) spec has the better beam pattern, also the USA spec will glare alot with the brighter LED bulbs. Cibie also makes good Euro H4 housings.

$169 for a pair of LED bulbs is nuts. I got a great set of 9005 + 9006 for the Chevy for $80 on Amazon (Sealight x2). We do have a space issue but doesn't need to cost THAT much.

Good to know about the different type of lenses. That is helpful information, but too late for me!

And yes, that is a lot of money and that is why it took me so long to pull the trigger. I waited for a sale, so I did not actually pay $169. They still weren't cheap. I tried the cheaper bulbs but I'm not satisfied with the quality of light. This company was highly recommended by several trusted sources so I splurged. This is my hobby, something I do for enjoyment, and I don't have a drug habit to spend money on, so why not pay for the best quality? It took me years (and one defective master cylinder) to learn that.

I don't yet have any feedback to give on the vintagecarleds.com VCm3 bulbs, but I do have some to give on the company. I had an issue with how the bulbs were packed and I sent off a rather terse email asking for an explanation. I got an immediate polite response, a request for more pictures, and then a detailed apology for the poor packing job along with an explanation of how they should have been, and usually are, packed. I was willing to accept that and move forward, and told them so. Instead, without me asking or even implying they should, they are sending me a whole new set and telling me to keep this set as a spare. All of this on a week-end, directly from the company owner, during what probably is the busiest part of the year, and while they were closed. The measure of a company is not that they don't have the occasional misstep, but whether or not they own the problem and step up to resolve it. They get my highest possible marks for service. They may cost more, but you get what you pay for in many cases. As an example, I bet most of you send your calipers out to PMB for that very reason.

I'll report back on the lights themselves once I get a chance to install them.