308/328 Headlight Shootout - The Results Are In!

Can anybody see a reason these Bosch headlights wouldn't work on my 1987 328 GTB?
The listing says they are plug and play, with no need to alter the wiring or relay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-BOSCH-HALOGEN-GLASS-SEMI-SEALED-HEADLIGHT-HEADLAMP-BULBS-CLEAR-60-55W-H4-PAIR-/310355263334?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item48429d7f66#ht_3362wt_986

Would like some expert opinions before I purchase. The stock 328 headlights are crappy!

Greg

edit: what about these?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-CHROME-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHTS-BI-XENON-HID-H6024-H6014-/330659917186?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4cfcdded82#ht_4256wt_1220

 

I'd be wary of those with all the high zoot optics, that does not look like a flush mount trim ring, to me, and a lot of them are excessively deep too.

Maybe find the best that Sylvania offers in the stock dimensions, and go with that??

 

Mine arn't too bad. Have you got sealed beam units or the Carellos with Halogen bulbs? If the former then definitly change them to at least halogens (those Bosch things in the first link look about right). If you already have halogens then try just replacing the bulbs for a start.

The relay mod isn't technically necessary on a 328 because it already has relays in the circuit; but in a moment of boredom I did it anyway some time ago and you could see the difference between a bulb wired straight to the battery and one switching through the standard relay(s) & the old wiring. There is still a fair amount of voltage loss through the old wiring it seems. New bulbs made the most difference though.

 

Have you measured the voltage at the lights?

The electrics on older Ferraris are hardly better than if they'd have used aluminum foil to complete the circuits.

Changing lamps won't help when the problem isn't the lamp.

Do a forum search on "headlight relay fix"... check out this thread for starters: http://thebestemployee.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349617

 

I was very happy with just the H4 55W/60W upgrade -- one of the best things IMO was the flatter and less-faceted glasses lenses (compared to a sealed beam), and no wiring changes needed.

The HID upgrade will have wiring changes/modifications needed.

JMO.

 

Thanks guys, I'll probably go with the Bosch H4 stuff, agreed the HID thing is probably wrong for my needs...

Greg

PS--Iain, I do need to see what I have stock, I may just need higher-output replaceable bulbs..

 

Seems as though there were differences on 328s. I think the US cars may have sealed beams whereas the UK/Euros came with an H4 setup to start with. You will need to have a look to see what you have first I think. If you already have H4 bulbs then new ones will definitly help, If you do have H4s then I don't know that replacing the headlamp unit is going to achieve much unless you can see that the mirror surface at the back is breaking down. I suppose you might get something that would provide a better focus than the old units though, I don't know.

I would tend to stick with the 55/60W bulb setup - especially on the standard wiring (higher wattages are not legal here anyway).If you wanted to go with higher wattage bulbs then I would definitly build a new harness first to keep the higher current away from the old wiring and the fuse board.

Mine's a UK car so it already had H4s. I put new bulbs in it & it made a noticeable difference. The wiring harness will let you have the absolute maximum you can get (but doesn't make as big a difference as the bulbs in a 328 because 328s already have the relays & so suffer less from voltage drop than 308s).

 

Thanks for the info, Iain.
Greg

 

This is a great thread. VERY informative.

It's funny that you mention an intern doing that task...a few years back, I WAS that intern...albeit on Boeing's Dreamliner, not car lights. Still, the same reflector design principles apply. An eye-opening experience for sure.

 

If there are any owners in the Philadelphia area who would like a high quality relay harness in order to run 90/100W bulbs in H4 housings, I have made a few of these for other cars (mainly Porsche's) and can easily make one for a 308/328