Hello all,

I'm converting the headlights in my 68 c3 to use the hella housings and then some sort of bulb (that hasn't been determined yet). The low beams fit fine after a small modification to the cups they sit in, but the high beams aren't even close. It seems like I'd have to hog out the hole behind the cups in the actual light assembly to make them fit. Does anyone have any experience with these high beam kits:


I'm hoping maybe I'm missing some easier fix. I'd like to stick with the hella housings so the the lenses look the same if possible, and I really like the way the low beams look. Any advice is welcome.
Thanks.

 

"55W 12V H1 Halogen"

no doubt something in your wiring is going to meld down if you do not use an additional relay

 

Ok..I'll answer this question for you since no one else has chimed in.

I have had 4 Hella Euro lead crystal Lense halogens on my C3 since 1983...these light housings are far superior to just about anything that is out there today and were and are still illegal due to the ridiculous DOT but I have never had an issue ever with inspections BUT certain of our states can use **** tactics with these lights at inspection...you know who you are out there. I have 55/60W H4 lows and 100 watt H1 highs.

I did not cut anything on my Hella H1 highs...I placed them in the housing using the GM besel to hold the lights in and tightened the 3 straight screws evenly to hold the light level in the housing, protruding about 1/4 inch, which is not even noticeable with the lights up. I have had these lights for 30+ years this way and have never had an issue. I have to chuckle when I read about folks that hacked the headlight bucket so the lights fit perfectly. A slight bubba was used by me to preserve the OEM buckets...has worked for many years, flawlessly.

On my 78, you cannot use the 4 halogens with the stock headlight switch since the switch on the 78 acts as a circuit breaker, flicking the lights on and off when overloaded. My lows are on the stock headlight switch and the highs are run off a relay directly from the Bat terminal of the alternator...30+ years now and no issues using stock wiring except to the H1's...

 

Use the bulbs they are designed for. Usually, that's H4 halogens in the outer low(/high) beams and H1 halogens in the inner high beam only positions.

There are no safe (or even "legal" anywhere in the world) "retrofits" for LED or HID "bulbs." Everything that "fits" (and only for low values of "fit") is illegal for use on public roads and dangerous to you driving behind it as well as highly annoying to traffic around you.

Relays are highly recommended as well, with the shortest possible runs of heavy gauge wiring from the battery or the big junction at the horn relay? foggy memory here on early C3's. It's the point where all the positive wires converge including the one to the external voltage regulator if you have that system.

 

Nope- 55W is 55W- the stock bulbs pull the SAME amount of current.

The stock wiring is well- lets just say GM tried to save every penny... So adding relays is a great idea- you will see an improvement with the stock sealed bulbs.

As far as the mod- here's how I opened up the headlight bucket and made it pretty-

A scrap piece of metal- vice gripes and a hole saw-

Drilled a pilot hole and aligned it up in the middle- carefully used the hole saw- it's potmetal- pretty easy to drill.





I went with 12 Gu wire and a couple of Bosch relays....And running 80/100w H4 and 100W H1 bulbs in the Hella fixtures