I'm going to be replacing my GE sealed headlamps with something German. Was it Bosch or Hella that originally came with our cars? Mines a 73, not sure if they only used one manufacture.

Tod, as with many OEM suppliers, they used both Bosch & Hella, maybe more Hella, and I think that they may have sourced the USA market sealed beams from Sylvania & GE back in the day - but not positive on that. I think that even back then Osram owned Sylvania or had a joint agreement of some sort.

I'm pretty sure that most of Euro-Land & S. Amer. & Asia had the replaceable bulb style housings from mostly Hella or some Bosch (maybe some other OEM suppliers too like Osram, etc.) with non-halogen type-4 bulbs standard & H4 halogen bulbs as an upgrade option.

Try PM'ing the incomparable Pat G. on this, then post the answer here for the ref. of all.

I just checked a couple sealed beams left over from a 73, and they are Westinghouse. Don't know if that helps or if they were original.

... & Westinghouse himself was a German immigrant from the old country!

I forgot that they supplied sealed beams back then too, but don't know if they were OEM suppliers to VW-Porsche for the 914s.

This weekend I'll look on my 73 & the 74 shell to see what they are, but I know that I'd replaced one or both on mine in its DD days 75-85 & don't know about the PO/OO 72-75.

MY '72 still has its original Hella sealed beams, though they are slated for upgrade at some point.

I rarely drive the 914 after dark (vintage plate rules in PA), but I'll still upgrade to something brighter. Have no idea what that will be.
P

Doncha just hate the DMV Nazis! I mean - what if PCA or local wanted to do a night time Parade/event or another CdE event in the evening/night or even to support a local city, township (can ya tell I'm ex-PA?), county, etc. local event wanting historic cars at night! We have an annual historic & classics cars event here in Old Towne Orange CA, where some of the cars are on display at night (in addition to an annual Classics Car Show in the day). Pretty dumb rules IMHO.

Hey Pat, do you happen to know if Sylvania/Osram, GE, Westinghouse &/or any others were also OEM suppliers of the US spec/DOT sealed beams back then?
... other than obviously Bosch was OEM along with Hella.

Did that link for the L43 paint work for you as a source for more on your gas tank?

T,
I'll admit that I have never paid much attention to sealed beams & din't know who the suppliers may have been. I have Hella - that's what I know & I doubt that they are any different from the other. A sealed beam is a sealed beam!

As to the paint, yep I know about that site, but know that I have another close by. Looking for it, but forgot the name. Oldziehmers!
P

Interesting info there Tom. I think the Bosch and Hellas are about the same price. I did do the Hella euros on my 75 with an H4 upgrade. But I can't recall which bulbs I put in. Pat did you need the link for Wolfsburgwest for the paint? http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsL...cfm?ID=PAINTL43

If that doesn't work then try http://www.wolfsburgwest.com then type in L43 in their search engine.

Tod, I gave Pat their link already, but their out here in Corona CA. Pat wants the VW group near him in the greater Philly area, if you know that one (see Pat's gas tank resto topic for where he means).

For mine, I think I would lean to Hella H4's with the relay & 80/100 H4 bulbs for better night vision & still being in 70's fitment for CW - esp. after reading that link to the Bus Depot write-up, even if the Bosch set-up at Bus Depot is less. In CA we don't have headlight inspections (& CA may exempt DOT regs), since they're no brighter than the new supre brights on new cars & H4's have 40 years of success in Euro-land & Canada. US-DOT just has they're head in the sand!

Thanks Tod,

My local didn't work out. Ordered 2 more cans of L43 from Wolfsburg. Base coat is down on one half (front), but it'll take 2 more coats to meet my specs.

Pat