Lucas P700 headlights

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by xb-60

It seems sensible that '700' refers to 7" units and '576' is a 5¾"

I would like to (eventually) fit driving lights as well, and I'm torn between a pair of period correct 576's and a pair of Cibie Oscars that I've used on most of my cars since around '75 , so while not quite period correct, the Oscars have 'history' and have survived remarkable well.


Cheers,
Glen

I'll need to put on my tweed cap and start smoking a pipe to respond to this. Glen is right on the sizes of Lucas lamps. However, all Lucas driving lamps are not correctly known as "Flamethrower". That honor is reserved for the big 7 inch SLR 700 light, not the smaller 5 3/4" ones.

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by HealeyRick

I'll need to put on my tweed cap and start smoking a pipe to respond to this. Glen is right on the sizes of Lucas lamps. However, all Lucas driving lamps are not correctly known as "Flamethrower". That honor is reserved for the big 7 inch SLR 700 light, not the smaller 5 3/4" ones.

I knew a man decades ago in Huntsville Alabama that bought a 1967 GT350 that had its electrical system modified and the two center head lamps replaced with aircraft landing lights. Wild!

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by Dan Case

I knew a man decades ago in Huntsville Alabama that bought a 1967 GT350 that had its electrical system modified and the two center head lamps replaced with aircraft landing lights. Wild!

Just the thing for when some idiot coming the other way doesn't dip his high-beams.

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by HealeyRick

Just the thing for when some idiot coming the other way doesn't dip his high-beams.

I only saw them on once and once was enough and that was in his driveway. I recommended that he put just about anything automotive in.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Dan Case

I knew a man decades ago in Huntsville Alabama that bought a 1967 GT350 that had its electrical system modified and the two center head lamps replaced with aircraft landing lights. Wild!

I have heard tales of people doing such things, but it seems crazy. The landing lights I just looked at are 250 watts each. A pair of those would draw > 40 amps! GE Lighting Q4631 PAR36 13-Volt / 250-Watt Quartzline® Lamp, Incandescent at SkyGeek.com

Other halogen landing lights are listed from 100 watts to 600 watts - even a pair of 100 watt lamps would be intense and draw nearly 20 amps.

These days I'd be looking for LED lamps - though they'd certainly not be period correct.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Dan Case

I only saw them on once and once was enough and that was in his driveway. I recommended that he put just about anything automotive in.

What did he use them for - removing paint?

[Alfa02]

Back in the 70's they were (Aircraft Landing Lights) all the rage, with the BSCC (Bremerton Sports Car Club) One member was a pilot and found them for $6ea. without housing, $8ea. with a gray housing, had them on my 240Z, in the grill, a buddy with his Corvair Corsa had them in his high beams. We had lots of TSD Rallies, late at night out in our country roads, they lit everything up. Never remembered anybody having any problem's powering these lights. My father at the time was in SCCA Pro-Rallies, he had one for a back-up light. Thanks Dan for bringing up some fun old memories.

[xb-60]

Define "aircraft landing lights"?
I recall they were popular here in the '70s, but they were around the 3½" (maybe 4" tops) diameter. Based on the 'bigger is better' axiom, I bought a pair of Super Oscars which were sensational. Gaining perspective from "If it looks ridiculous....", I sold them to a mate for rally use on his 240Z and bought a pair of Oscars...which I still have.

Cheers,
Glen

[Alfa02]

If I remember correctly, about 5 1/2" they used these in little planes (Pipers and such, single engine) 2-wire, you added a ground to them. Again a long time ago. I think these drew maybe 100Watts ea. Super Oscars back in the day, were $100+ea. $6 we could afford My Father could afford the name brand lights, I was in my late teen's so I could buy these. It was kinda of a fuke, that the pilot just mentioned it to us. We the cheap (young) guy's, took it and ran with it We really have got off track, from your first post. Huh? Glen. Tom

[xb-60]

Well, Dan (and to a lesser extent Patrick) nailed the P700 question, so chewing the fat on lights in general is totally acceptable to the OP

[Alfa02]

I believe we're more interesting then SPAM.

[CompClassics]

The SAI team Cobras that were entered in the 1964 Sebring race did not utilize the the individual headlight protection screens as the previous years Cobras did. Depending on the SAI race mechanics assigned to each Cobra the tubular "bumper" and the extra screen material attached to it for protection were not all the same. That being said the 1964 SAI teams Cobras were subject to the same irregularities as the previous year. The irregularities also went as far as the auxiliary driving lights that were used on each car. A good study of this irregularity is to look at in period photos of CSX2259 and CSX2301, both used different auxiliary lights. In 1964 both headlight and auxiliary light protection consisted of taping layers of paper over the lights util the lights were needed. The P700 lights were used on the the SAI team Cobras up until the race at Sebring in 1964 and then seem to have been mostly abandoned afterward.
That being said the currently available reproductions of the headlight protection screens are not fabricated in the same way as the originals were, as Jeff had previously stated.

[1985 CCX]

Close ups of screens.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Alfa02

I believe we're more interesting then SPAM.

Careful, you could go to the s!n b!n for a few days for even mentioning the word $P@M

[peterpjb]

CSX 2034 is wearing PL700, unless it was found in original condition I suppose it was originally delivered with these lights




also CSX 2430, is perfectly restored with PL700

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by peterpjb

CSX 2034 is wearing PL700, unless it was found in original condition I suppose it was originally delivered with these lightsURL]


also CSX 2430, is perfectly restored with PL700

CSX2034, unrestored yes but not exactly all “original”. While Stan was still alive a close friend went to visit Stan with the intent to buy the car. My friend decided not to buy the car because it had been repainted by the dealer after early dealership use. If memory serves me, sometime between being photographed new and going into decades of storage it also had a 3-2V induction system swapped in, a change in head lamps, and two replacement tires. I have a copy of the new car road test of this car in the shop somewhere. I'll try to remember to look it up next time I go through old magazines. Anyway, the standard lamps would have been US specification sealed beam lamps by Lucas® as referenced in early car chassis manuals.

CSX2430, restored yes but not exactly like most of period pictures of the car posted in various books.

[peterpjb]

thank you Dan, always impressed by your endless Cobra knowledge.

I looked at period 2340 pictures, but unfortunately all pictures show the headlamps taped due to racing, although in some pictures the tape is spared in the middle around a black button, the resolution of the pictures is too low to decide if it is a Lucas®-button...

[CompClassics]

Typically the SAI race team FIA cars used the Lucas P700 with the round LUCAS medallion. I don't believe the PL700 with the PL shield medallion were used on small block Cobras. The PL700 may have been a owner installed light?

[peterpjb]

Originally Posted by CompClassics

Typically the SAI race team FIA cars used the Lucas P700 with the round LUCAS medallion. I don't believe the PL700 with the PL shield medallion were used on small block Cobras. The PL700 may have been a owner installed light?

unfortunately the reproduction P700 are wearing on the little black round medallion "P700"...

[morgy]

Am i missing something? Some of the Lucas Cav Equipment & spare parts lists i have for AC cars inc export models show Lucas F700 light units... F=flush P=Projector 700=7" aperture..