The 348/355 Light Thread (OEM vs GE Nighthawk vs HIR vs HID)

My low beams were so dim that there were shadows in front of my car at night anytime another vehicle was behind me. Thus, the quest for better lighting began.

Shown below is my eBay special light-meter (DeJur, get it...clever) from decades ago. Cost: $5 plus shipping.

OEM low beam H4/9006 bulbs registered 15 (not sure about the units...footcandles, perhaps??).

GE Nighthawk bulbs registered 25.
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Next, I installed and tested/measured the GE/Toshiba special "HIR" bulbs. The DeJur light reading was...



...80!



Talk about finally having some low beam light!
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Here's the light spread pattern from the GE/Toshiba 9012 bulbs (55 watt replacements for our Ferrari 348/355 9006 and H4 bulbs)


Cost: $25 each.
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The other lighting option that I haven't yet tried (mainly for fear of the low beams being so bright as to be mistaken for high beam bright lights) is the Xenon HID with ballast lights.

Here are a couple of Fchat threads on HID (not to be confused with simple HIR bulbs) kits being installed into 355's/348's:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136423888#post136423888

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136930484#post136930484

 

For reference, The GE Nighthawk 9005 (H3) high beam bulbs registered above 150 and below 200 (OEM H3/9005's registered 120), so those 60 watt bulbs aren't going to be confused with the 55 watt 9006 Nighthawks or even the GE/Toshiba 9012 HIR bulbs.

This is good, as we shouldn't want oncoming drivers to think that we have our brights on high when we are using only our low beams.

 

In summary, 348 and 355 Brothers have a variety of lighting options for our head lamps.

OEM low beams are 9006/H4 bulbs. Light rating: 15
GE NightHawks "9006." Light rating: 25
GE/Toshiba HIR 9012. Light rating: 80
Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 80.

OEM high beams are 9005/H3 bulbs. Light rating: 120.
GE Nighthawk "9005." Light rating: 150.
Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 200.

 

Do the bulbs run as cool as stock or HID? I am wondering about the plastic lens discoloring.

I am in process of installing the HID Digital kit in my car now, but I do not have a light meter for point of reference.

 

I put the back of my hand directly in front of the lens when using the Nighthawk and HIR, and there was no discernable difference in radiated warmth. Just an expected warming of my hand...no burning, no sweating, etc.

Now, HID kits with ballasts are different beasts than simple HIR bulbs, so on HID I couldn't say (haven't tried it yet).

 

Also, for reference I used my light meter to measure my stock lights/bulbs on low beam on my 4 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Those low beams come in right at 100 on my light scale, parked in the same place and aimed at the same area as my earlier 348 low beam tests this evening.

 

PM your address to me and I'll mail you my light meter. It would be nice to see how HIR ballast kits compare on the same scale with the same settings and the same light meter as Nighthawk bulbs and GE/Toshiba 9012 HIR bulbs.

 

Thanks for the information.

Gonna try it out...

Is your vintage light meter for sale?

 

You're welcome to it (what else am I going to measure?!). No charge. I would like to see Cinemagic get a reading on his HID's first, though.

 

Sent you a PM with the shipping details.

My lights will be installed Monday, so I can test anytime after that.

 

OUTSTANDING write up Shemp!!!

So where did you buy the bulbs?

 

Thanks, Ernie. I've still got a long way to go until I can match your great alternator removal/rebuild/reinstall pictorial, though!



I bought the 9012 HIR bulbs on eBay. The Seller seems to have a great deal of them and he delivered mine with no questions asked in 3 days from the close of the auction.

Just 1 person in the U.S. is selling them as far as I can tell (the same eBay guy has a couple of web pages that sell them via PayPal if you don't want to go through a Buy-It-Now auction, same price though).

He's also got the high beam 9011 HIR bulbs if you want spotlights for your high beams. Seems like overkill to me, but hey, it's good to know our options.

 

I am only doing the low beams as I rarely use the brights and did not see the value in doing the brights.

 

I agree. I only upgraded the low beams to HIR, as well.

 

May be worth doing the hi beams for only $25 per side, just couldn't spring for $250 per side for HID.

 

Good point. Order those 9011 HIR high beam bulbs tonight then so that you can measure the HID low beams and HIR high beams while you've got my light meter!

 

I should mention that the new HIR 9012 bulbs have a different base than OEM 9006 bulbs. The OEM bulbs have 3 small tabs on their bases that lock into the light housing unit socket when the 9006 bulb is twisted 45 degrees.

In contrast, the HIR 9012 bulbs have two base tabs that are the same as the OEM 9006, but the 3rd tab in the middle 12 o'clock position is too wide and too tall for our headlamp sockets.

It's just cheap black plastic, though. It's easily trimmed with heavy scissors into the correct shape. The eBay seller puts white paint onto the area to trim.

Snip. Snip. Two snips and you're done. The 9012 is now interchangeable with the 9006. Just don't let your hands' bare flesh touch the bulb while cutting (body oil can ruin the lights).


Also, for a tip: mask off the trunk bonnet just in front and to the side of each headlamp to avoid scratching your paint as you twist and wrestle your headlamp unit out of the pop-up housing. Masking tape or painters' tape will work just fine.

Put a little Stabilant 22a onto the wiring loom electrical connections for the bulbs while you have access to them, too.

 

ND, are there any upgrades to the "driving lights" in the lower valence? I use those a LOT while driving around in the city. I don't see any point to turning on the headlights most of the time. Any suggestions, Scott

 

Our fog lights are H1 bulbs in the 348, but I haven't swapped mine out yet to try anything else.

Maybe one of DanielSternLighting.com's 55W Ultra High Efficacy Plus 50, 55W Narva Rangepower High Efficacy Plus 30, or 55W Tungsram Gold bulbs would be an improvement over OEM H1's, perhaps?

 

I've put in true HIDs and they're phenomenal. They won't be mistaken for high-beams because the beam pattern cutoff is literally razor sharp. When aimed properly, there is zero glare for oncoming drivers. See my profile pic.

I suggest you look into this approach!

 

You've got different headlights than the 348's/355's, but that's such a cool (and relevant) profile pic that I'll take the liberty of posting it onto this thread!


Would love to compare your (and other HID) light reading measurements to the HIR and Nighthawk bulbs.

I've just mailed my lightmeter to Cinemagic so perhaps by Monday night we'll have some comparable HID numbers.
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Nice nipples on the 328