Headlamp light output direction adjustment for 65 Clamshells

[whitewatersky]

howdy all,

here's our local Registration requirements (as at Sept 2011)

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_04_registration_of_imported_vehicles_in_nsw_24_may_2011.pdf

4. Lights

The following lights must be fitted to a vehicle other than a motor cycle:

• At least two white headlights that, when switched from high-beam to low-beam, deflect the beam downwards, or downwards and to the left.

At least two white front parking lights.

• At least two front and two rear yellow direction indicator lights*.

* For vehicles built before 1 July 1973, white front and red rear indicator lights are permissible

• At least two red tail lights and two red rear reflectors.

• At least two red brake lights.

• At least one rear number-plate light.

Point 1 (re. high to low beam) imposes some adjustments on me.

I suspect it's the two screws beside the lights (inside the clamshells).

Before I mess around with them, has anyone done a light direction adjustment?

If so, how ?

Thanks

[RivNut]

This is the method that I learned a long time ago. It's not very scientific but I've found it works.

You'll need a flat surface on which the car is to be parked and a wall on to which the ligts will shine. Measure the distance from the ground to the center of the high beam and transfer that measurement to the wall. I usuall try to find a light colored wall and use black electrical tape to mark an X where the center of the lamp should be. The X's on the wall should be the same distance apart as the headlights. Cover the low beams with something opaque that will prohibit the light from the low beam hitting the wall. Use the screw you mentioned to center the light on the corresponding X. Then cover the high beams and go through the same process with the low beams. When the brights are on, the lights should shine straight ahead and parallell to the road.

When you go to the low beams, the high beams will turn off and the low beams will automatically shine down and to the right. Now because you chaps drive on the wrong side of the road, I would imagine that you'll have to swap out the low units so that when you dim the lights they will lower and go to the left. U.S. lamps will go down and to the rightl, where the curb should be.

Having never owned a '65, I'm not sure but I think the park lenses are amber. Don't know what to tell you about that one. Ask some of your local BCA guys about this. They've probably gone through this all before.

If anyone has a more scientific method, I'd like to know what tools are needed and how it's done. Thanks.

[Jim Cannon]

Ed's technique works. I have used it.

I have also gone out on a flat stretch of dark, empty road and looked at where the lights hit. Adjust with a screwdriver and then get back in and look again. You have enough time behind the wheel to sense where they should be hitting. (You may have to judge that while sitting in the passenger seat, though, since that is your normal vantage point while driving.) I have found this to be good enough.

If the NSW gov. has the ability to check the the aim of your lights this precisely, then there should be a shop around the area that also has such a headlight aiming device that can help you set them. That is what we used to have to do in Florida when I was a kid. All the local garages had a headlight aiming machine.

[whitewatersky]

thanks guys ! we'l give it a try this arvo hopefully.

"swap out the low units so that when you dim the lights they will lower and go to the left"

Ed, you mean take the actual glass lights out and swap em over?

I was thinking that might be needed.

An alternative is to angle them so that at least dip downwards - but straight ahead (rather than to the left), since the ruling says:

"At least two white headlights that, when switched from high-beam to low-beam, deflect the beam downwards, or downwards and to the left. "

by the way, I'll concede that we drive on the wrong side of the road.....

[Jim Cannon]

No, don't remove any bulbs and move them around. That won't help. The light alignment is mainly controlled by the fixture.

I suggest you assume that the previous owner has them aligned correctly for up/down and just tweak the left right a bit to better suite you driving on the other side of the road. Don't fiddle with them too much, just a bit of left/right, and only on the upper bulbs (low beams). Leave the lower bulbs (high beam ) as they are.

[whitewatersky]

thanks for the clarification Jim. MUCH appreciated.

I'll report after we give it a go

[RivNut]

The bulbs have tabs and the buckets have notches; the bulbs will only fit in the buckets one way. I'm betting that either the UK, AU, or one of the other "backward" countries has a replacement bulb for driving on the "wrong side" of the road. Wouldn't some Holden from the same era have the same type of headlamp (7"round) or a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan that has left hand drive?