Headlight replacement question

[shelbyone]

Hi fellas!

here's a good one....The original Headlights were made in italy but they do not have the much needed EU sign to make them street legal in germany...( yeah I know) 

I came across this one here ( which has the required stamp ) 

 

either this one

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Scheinwerfer-Headlight-Leuchte-Hauptscheinwerfer-links-PONTIAC-TRANS-SPORT-V6-V8/272424694664?hash=item3f6dc6f388:g:UKMAAOSwB09YDe8x

 

or this one

 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/16516400-Frontscheinwerfer-Scheinwerfer-RECHTS-PONTIAC-TRANSPORTER-BJ-1994/282955648882?hash=item41e1788f72:g:CsgAAOSwGx1Z0~S6

 

 

wondering if they would somehow fit our TC!!!

 

any thoughts?

[Reaper1]

Knowing that the front of the TransSport looks like a door stop...I don't think they'll work. Not to mention that they aren't wide enough.

[shelbyone]

Thanks Reaper!  can you think of any equivalent in terms of shape? which is compliant with EU guidelines?

[Hemi Dude]

Are you telling us that you are being forced to replace the headlamps in your TC to meet German standards? Or you trying to sell a TC to someone in Germany? 

There is an owner of a TC in Norway, ask him if he had to replace his headlamps, if so, where and what did he get? His email address is in a PM to you.

 

[Reaper1]

I know TUV inspectors can be real phalic-heads, so I wonder if that's what is going on here. A really simple internet search would tell Mr. Idontvannaletyourcaronmygermanroads that the car is what it is and there's no exceptions. Besides that, I know for fact American cars can be approved for use on the German roads without modification. This guy is being a d*ck.

[shelbyone]

thanks reaper!thanks hemi!

I let you know the outcome!

[Bloo]

I get what you are saying Reaper1, but I suspect this may be a special case. E-code headlights are required in some countries, and they are very different than what we had ~20 years ago. Many American cars can be changed over fairly easy. Those with sealed beams can just have a lens-reflector assemblies and H4/H1 bulbs installed in a few minutes.

 

I have been using lights like this on most of my daily drivers since 1984 or so. The difference in USABLE light is pretty astounding, while they look dimmer (on low beam) to oncoming drivers. WA specifically allows these, as do some other states/provinces up here in the PNW, though they could be a problem at inspection time in some parts of the US. They aren't technically approved by the US government except for motorcycles.

 

On newer cars with aerodynamic headlights, If a version was ever sold in Europe, you can just get the aerodynamic lens/reflector for the European model, if you can find it, and put that in.

 

We were stuck with sealed beams in the US for what? 50 years? In Europe, they continued to develop headlights, and the standard E-Code beam pattern of today is very different than a sealed beam, the E-code having a sharp cutoff on low beam to keep light out of the eyes of oncoming drivers.

 

When aerodynamic headlights were finally approved in the US, they had a pattern that was basically the same as a sealed beam. Later on the regulations relaxed a little bit. I remember by 1994 or so seeing US market Hondas with aerodynamic headlights, H4 bulbs and a beam pattern that was more like the European one (but not the same). Much later when the regulations were relaxed a little more, there were/are lights with both E-code and DOT markings.

 

The TC, as I recall (I am no TC expert) was limited production, and sold only by a few dealers. I also recall that it was a little late to market. That would push the engineering of those headlights back to 1986-87 or maybe even earlier. That puts them in the very earliest days of aerodynamic headlights in the US. Chrysler (or more likely Maserati, as they were building the bodies) would have had to design those headlights to a US DOT sealed beam light pattern.

 

If they intended to sell any in Europe, at that time they would have had to make a separate E-code light assembly. WIth context it makes perfect sense that these are Italian lights with no E-Code.

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Reaper1]

I am pretty familiar with E-code headlamps, conversions, etc.

 

I converted my '90 Daytona to E-code and H4 bulbs back around 2001.

 

The difference in the aiming has to do with street signs. European signs have a significant more amount of reflection or are illuminated in some way. Because of this, more light can be aimed at the road. They also tend to have that distinctive sharp cut-off to reduce glare to both oncoming drivers and in the fog. Here in the 'States, the signs SUCK, so we basically have to use a spotlight to see them...screw the oncoming drivers, and our roads are straight...so who cares about seeing where you're going in the fog!?

 

This car was only intended for the American market. Hence, there's no E-code lights that were developed for it that I'm aware of.

 

Just another little tidbit on Euro headlights...most are height adjustable from inside the car. This is because they want you to be able to aim the lights better if the car is dragging its butt due to being loaded down.