FFR MK4 headlight upgrade and head restraint

[Selo]

Sorry for the typos, this is done with voice to text.

[ACHiPo]

Originally Posted by Unique427

Those light assemblies look well made. The website omitted (2) things
you should inquire about. Total lumen and color temperature
of the output. Standard H4 halogen bulbs put out about 1000 lumens.
Color temperature of 2700K is yellowinsh, 4000K is natural white light.
Output will take on a more white/blue tint at 5500-6500K.

During installation you may not be able to fit that power plug and inline
power adapter within the small allowable space behind the headlight
when mounted inside the light bucket. This will facilitate mounting
the power adapter and plug-in on the outside of the light bucket.
Not a big deal, just be prepared to McGyver an acceptable solution.

Once installed you will certainly enjoy the improvement.

Best of luck.

I emailed Dapper to get some more details on the the LED headlights. (Note that I messed up the lumens in my previous post)

Color temp: 6000k
Current draw: 2.1 Amp on High, so Low beam is less than that.
Heatsink temp: Bulbs have a fan in the back for cooling
Brightness: ~2200 Lumens on low and 2400 Lumens on High Beams

Here's quick breakdown for bulb performance by types/models:

Stock sealed beam - 800-900 lumens
Standard halogen (V1,V2,575) - 1200-1300 lumens
LED (LED SEVEN, 575) - 2200 lumens
HID (V1,V2,575) - 2400 lumens
Her comments on fit: Shelby cobras typically have plenty of space behind the stock buckets which makes it perfect candidate for ANY of our 7" headlight systems including OE7. The auto manufacturers made different tab setups and we chose the most popular setup for our bases. You may need to shave a tab as needed for perfect fit. Note this doesn't void the warranty.

My comments: I'm still skeptical on the lumen spec--LED brightness specs remind me of watts per channel back in the stereo days.

[Unique427]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

I emailed Dapper to get some more details on the the LED headlights. (Note that I messed up the lumens in my previous post)

Color temp: 6000k
Current draw: 2.1 Amp on High, so Low beam is less than that.
Heatsink temp: Bulbs have a fan in the back for cooling
Brightness: ~2200 Lumens on low and 2400 Lumens on High Beams

Here's quick breakdown for bulb performance by types/models:

Stock sealed beam - 800-900 lumens
Standard halogen (V1,V2,575) - 1200-1300 lumens
LED (LED SEVEN, 575) - 2200 lumens
HID (V1,V2,575) - 2400 lumens
Her comments on fit: Shelby cobras typically have plenty of space behind the stock buckets which makes it perfect candidate for ANY of our 7" headlight systems including OE7. The auto manufacturers made different tab setups and we chose the most popular setup for our bases. You may need to shave a tab as needed for perfect fit. Note this doesn't void the warranty.

My comments: I'm still skeptical on the lumen spec--LED brightness specs remind me of watts per channel back in the stereo days.

2200 lumens is a good number especially at 6000K. It will look great.
It is also not so crazy bright as to upset oncoming traffic.

If everything fits INSIDE the bucket and BEHIND the lamp it will be super easy.
If the plug and power adapter need to be mounted OUTSIDE and BEHIND the
bucket, there's plenty of space but requires more time and care.

The solution I worked out used a Hella 7" round conversion lamp with a
fanless LED bulb generating 2200 lumen at 6500K. The fanless H4 design
allowed enough room for everything to fit inside the light bucket without heat issues.
Whole task including alignment took about 20 minutes.
Hella 7" Glass Conversion Headlamp, High/Low Beam (SAE/DOT) 002395301
JDM 4S-H4-2200 LED Conversion Bulb Lumens=2200 (low) 3000 (high)

I also converted everything else to LED including position, directional, brake,
license plate and Stewart Warner instrument lights. Big improvement.
Instrument cluster markings really standout with LED light.
Everything plug-n-play with the exception of (2) relays replaced
with solid-state units so directional flasher worked properly.

Have fun with your car this Summer.
The "Ford vs Ferrari" movie with Matt Damon (Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (Ken Miles) is out in June.
Your little Cobra will get lots of second looks when the movie trailer promos start.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Unique427

2200 lumens is a good number especially at 6000K. It will look great.
It is also not so crazy bright as to upset oncoming traffic.

If everything fits INSIDE the bucket and BEHIND the lamp it will be super easy.
If the plug and power adapter need to be mounted OUTSIDE and BEHIND the
bucket, there's plenty of space but requires more time and care.

The solution I worked out used a Hella 7" round conversion lamp with a
fanless LED bulb generating 2200 lumen at 6500K. The fanless H4 design
allowed enough room for everything to fit inside the light bucket without heat issues.
Whole task including alignment took about 20 minutes.
Hella 7" Glass Conversion Headlamp, High/Low Beam (SAE/DOT) 002395301
JDM 4S-H4-2200 LED Conversion Bulb Lumens=2200 (low) 3000 (high)

I also converted everything else to LED including position, directional, brake,
license plate and Stewart Warner intrument lights. Big improvement.
Instrument cluster markings really standout with LED light.
Everything plug-n-play with the exception of (2) relays replaced
with solid-state units so directional flasher worked properly.

Have fun with your car this Summer.
The "Ford vs Ferrari" movie with Matt Damon (Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (Ken Miles) is out in June.
Your little Cobra will get lots of second looks when the movie trailer promos start.

"It is also not so crazy bright as to upset oncoming traffic."

Upsetting oncoming traffic is usually less an issue of brightness and more often a result of poor aiming, poor pattern and/or mismatched lens/reflector/light source (e.g. LED bulbs in headlamp assembly designed for halogen bulb).

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by Jim Vander Wal

An option.

Now, I'm old and don't like the LED headlights, either the look or the color although there are now many newer options.

I've run an older version of these and this is what I'll use in my current build. Excellent light and they look "right". Wire with a relay and good power for best performance.

https://www.rallylights.com/hella-su...t-hl39519.html Susquehanna is a great supplier.

Choose a H4 bulb that meets your needs, there are many varieties in color and output.

Jim

I drive with my headlights on all the time for better visibility but know that the 6014 sealed beams in the car now are close to pathetic. I do drive at night in the heat of the summer, so have always wanted to upgrade and this thread got me off my butt to do so. I wanted to go LED but, didn't want the high color temperature once I looked at what's available. I spoke with Susquehanna and, unfortunately, they can't get the Hella Super 7's for 3 months so I had to order them elsewhere. I also learned that it would be a mistake to put LED bulbs in these lights because the reflectors are designed for halogen/xenon bulbs and the pattern would be screwed up with LEDs. The lights come with "standard" Hella H4 bulbs but Susquehanna recommended the Hella xenon plus 50% bulbs. Not sure what the real difference would be but I may order a set after installing the lights and keep the standard bulbs as spares. I'll have to compare the specs to decide if it's really worth it. I expect these lights will be much brighter and better pattern as shipped with the standard bulbs.

Kevin

[Jim Vander Wal]

Kevins2
Unfortunate that Susquehanna can't get you the lamps, hope you find them somewhere.
I usually ran the +50% bulbs and liked the light.
Jim

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by Jim Vander Wal

Kevins2
Unfortunate that Susquehanna can't get you the lamps, hope you find them somewhere.
I usually ran the +50% bulbs and liked the light.
Jim

Jim,

Thanks. I ordered them from MK1autohaus and they’re on the way. They just didn’t have the +50% bulbs.

Kevin

[xlr8tr]

Here's an option for the head restraint, I wanted one that was removable (mine uses UTV clamps), and wanted it to follow the outline of the rollbar hoop shape, I just like that look, blends in nicely in my mind. 3/4" plywood, 1/4" aluminum backing, plus 2" proper high density rollbar padding makes it pretty bomb proof.

[john4337]

Here’s my solution for headrests in my MK4. Not conventional, but they work for us.

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-fac...at-thread.html

John

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by john4337

Here’s my solution for headrests in my MK4. Not conventional, but they work for us.

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-fac...at-thread.html

John

More photos at John's post: https://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-fac...ml#post4619465

[kevins2]

Got the Hella Super 7" lights, installed the right light and flipped them on for comparison. The camera doesn't show the relative brightness - the new light is brighter even with the Hella standard H4 bulbs that came with them. Can see the flat top of the pattern compared to the sealed beam in the first photo (low beam). Of course, a wall just a few feet in front of the car isn't a valid test, so will make a night drive before deciding if I want to get the Performance plus 50% bulbs. They're brighter but have a shorter lifespan. In the second photo (high beam) can see the new light is significantly brighter and broader pattern as well - again, the camera tends to even them out - the difference is more than the photo shows.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Got the Hella Super 7" lights, installed the right light and flipped them on for comparison. The camera doesn't show the relative brightness - the new light is brighter even with the Hella standard H4 bulbs that came with them. Can see the flat top of the pattern compared to the sealed beam in the first photo (low beam). Of course, a wall just a few feet in front of the car isn't a valid test, so will make a night drive before deciding if I want to get the Performance plus 50% bulbs. They're brighter but have a shorter lifespan. In the second photo (high beam) can see the new light is significantly brighter and broader pattern as well - again, the camera tends to even them out - the difference is more than the photo shows.

"he camera tends to even them out - the difference is more than the photo shows."

Yes, the difference will be more than the photo shows, because the human eye has far greater dynamic range than a digital sensor.

In photographic terms you've blown out the highlights. Once the sensor can no longer pick up any more light it doesn't matter whether it's 1% or 100% brighter than the sensor can handle.

A better comparison would be dial back the exposure until the camera can actually show the difference. If you really wanted to get fancy you could shoot a series of shots at different exposures to see a better comparison yet.

[kevins2]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the photo tips. I've already installed the second light so hopefully the photos I posted have some value in showing the improved pattern. Because of my lack of photography skills, everyone will just have to take my word for it that they are brighter.

I'll post again once I've aimed them and gone for a night drive.

Kevin

[kevins2]

Since one of the topics is upgraded headlights, I thought it wouldn't be a complete hijack of the thread to post my solution to another night driving problem - glare from headlights behind you.

I picked up a tinted sun visor at PepBoys, cut it down to size and super glued some magnets on it. It eliminates headlight glare completely. The image is a slight double image due to the distance between the tinted plexiglass and the mirror, but that's not an issue at all - can easily see what's behind you without being blinded.







An eyeglasses pouch was perfect for storing it in the glovebox.



Kevin