Best Headlights For C4 Corvette?
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Best Headlights For C4 Corvette?
Hi Group,
I posted this question once before with very little feedback. C4's tend to have bad headlights so I replaced with Sylvania Silver Stars (Pep Boys) but they are not that bright! Ecklers and Mid-America have 'Hellas' and a 'C4 Coversion Kit'.
What is the Forum's recommended headlamp?
Please, stay legal, no crazy 200 watts!
Thanks!
I posted this question once before with very little feedback. C4's tend to have bad headlights so I replaced with Sylvania Silver Stars (Pep Boys) but they are not that bright! Ecklers and Mid-America have 'Hellas' and a 'C4 Coversion Kit'.
What is the Forum's recommended headlamp?
Please, stay legal, no crazy 200 watts!
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,954
Likes: 2
From: Obama=death for America
There's been many threads already on this topic. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find a great deal of info. on the subject. There's actually a thread going on right now with the info. you're looking for. It's called, "Headlights."
Pro
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 707
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse Utah
Generally you are better off to change headlight housings to something with European specs, glass lenses, metal reflector; and then use H4 type bulbs which give you a lot of selections for your tastes. Be careful of claims about xenon; most of them are fake, yes they are xenon but they are so cheap they don't work as well as regular lights.
Arc discharge lights are superior but more expensive. These are true xenon and give excellent results. Pricing on these have been falling slowly for about a year now and are probably near the lowest price they are ever going to get. I am considering some of these myself but you will want to have some good light housings to use these in. They have some real power and that light needs to be controlled with good lenses in order to be useful. Again, there is a lot of variablity in these lights as far as offerings so check them out carefully. I like the dual beams over the bi-xenon beams or the single beams.
Single beam = One power setting only, you loose either the high beam or the low beam depending on how you set it up.
Bi-beam = Arc discharge high beam with regular filiment low beam.
Dual beam = Arc discharge for both high and low settings; a small solenoid moves the single bulb to one of two positions in the reflector to provide high and low settings.
Pricing on e-bay for a good set is about $150 (housing not included).
Arc discharge lights are superior but more expensive. These are true xenon and give excellent results. Pricing on these have been falling slowly for about a year now and are probably near the lowest price they are ever going to get. I am considering some of these myself but you will want to have some good light housings to use these in. They have some real power and that light needs to be controlled with good lenses in order to be useful. Again, there is a lot of variablity in these lights as far as offerings so check them out carefully. I like the dual beams over the bi-xenon beams or the single beams.
Single beam = One power setting only, you loose either the high beam or the low beam depending on how you set it up.
Bi-beam = Arc discharge high beam with regular filiment low beam.
Dual beam = Arc discharge for both high and low settings; a small solenoid moves the single bulb to one of two positions in the reflector to provide high and low settings.
Pricing on e-bay for a good set is about $150 (housing not included).
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
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From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 375
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From: Wichita Falls tx
Dont Buy
I bought some on ebay from project xlr8 and they suck!!
i then bought the sylvanias to use in the housing and were very dull...so i put the stock lamps back in.. dont waste your money on the ones on ebay
i then bought the sylvanias to use in the housing and were very dull...so i put the stock lamps back in.. dont waste your money on the ones on ebay
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
One of the things that Gordon Killebrew preaches is to replace your glass with plastic. They cause far less stress on the motors which causes them to last much longer. Next time you are at the auto parts store pick up a glass headlight and a plastic one to compare. There is a heck of a difference.
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Advanced
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C'mon Guys! 
Can we get some straight answers?
yea, no, they suck, their great, ya, no, ya, no.....
Corvette Forum is the best Forum on C4's, that said, where are the C4 experts out there? How about sharing a little? We'd all appreciate it!
Peace!
Can we get some straight answers?
yea, no, they suck, their great, ya, no, ya, no.....
Corvette Forum is the best Forum on C4's, that said, where are the C4 experts out there? How about sharing a little? We'd all appreciate it!
Peace!
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Flint MI: Birthplace of the Corvette
One of the things that Gordon Killebrew preaches is to replace your glass with plastic. They cause far less stress on the motors which causes them to last much longer. Next time you are at the auto parts store pick up a glass headlight and a plastic one to compare. There is a heck of a difference.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php
Dave T.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 457
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From: Cincinnati Ohio
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2007
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Dave T,
You went back to stock plastic? Wagner brand? WTF?
This thread is about upgrading to a better, brighter headlamp for C4s.
I'm all ears....
You went back to stock plastic? Wagner brand? WTF?
This thread is about upgrading to a better, brighter headlamp for C4s.
I'm all ears....
Just installed the plastic bulbs in tonight! They seem as bright as the stock halogens. Big difference in weight. Plastic bulb weighed just over 10 oz. each. Glass halogens were about 25 oz. each. If they make my headlight motors last longer then they work for me. Wagner #HP6054, about $17.26 each at RockAuto.com, (Look up headlamps for a 1996.) Dave T.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Instead of complaining, how about using the Search function and you'll find all those great forum posts concerning all there is to know about C4 headlights... its fast, its easy and it saves comments like this on the forum.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 0
From: OREGON
i went for the H4 conversion kit with the capsule H4 regular silverstars, and what a difference, i'm thinking when i have one go out i'm gonna upgrade to the silverstar ultras, i have them in my truck, and they help alot
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 7
From: Houston Texas
Generally you are better off to change headlight housings to something with European specs, glass lenses, metal reflector; and then use H4 type bulbs which give you a lot of selections for your tastes. Be careful of claims about xenon; most of them are fake, yes they are xenon but they are so cheap they don't work as well as regular lights.
Arc discharge lights are superior but more expensive. These are true xenon and give excellent results. Pricing on these have been falling slowly for about a year now and are probably near the lowest price they are ever going to get. I am considering some of these myself but you will want to have some good light housings to use these in. They have some real power and that light needs to be controlled with good lenses in order to be useful. Again, there is a lot of variablity in these lights as far as offerings so check them out carefully. I like the dual beams over the bi-xenon beams or the single beams.
Single beam = One power setting only, you loose either the high beam or the low beam depending on how you set it up.
Bi-beam = Arc discharge high beam with regular filiment low beam.
Dual beam = Arc discharge for both high and low settings; a small solenoid moves the single bulb to one of two positions in the reflector to provide high and low settings.
Pricing on e-bay for a good set is about $150 (housing not included).
Arc discharge lights are superior but more expensive. These are true xenon and give excellent results. Pricing on these have been falling slowly for about a year now and are probably near the lowest price they are ever going to get. I am considering some of these myself but you will want to have some good light housings to use these in. They have some real power and that light needs to be controlled with good lenses in order to be useful. Again, there is a lot of variablity in these lights as far as offerings so check them out carefully. I like the dual beams over the bi-xenon beams or the single beams.
Single beam = One power setting only, you loose either the high beam or the low beam depending on how you set it up.
Bi-beam = Arc discharge high beam with regular filiment low beam.
Dual beam = Arc discharge for both high and low settings; a small solenoid moves the single bulb to one of two positions in the reflector to provide high and low settings.
Pricing on e-bay for a good set is about $150 (housing not included).
Then you have the true bi xenon which is one glass bulb with two filaments in it and must have 4 ballasts total. Two to drive each bulb.
It is a true HI/LO beam with no mechanical bulbs or solenoid to break.
http://xenon-hid-usa.com/bi.aspx
