Headlights - FYI

[Guest]

HI all!<BR>Just wanted to let you know (for those that are curious) about the "Super Blue"/'bright white' head lights. They say they replace the same buld # that the Reatta takes, but in actuallity they don't fit. The blades are a bit wider and will NOT fit into the connector.<BR>~Brenda<P>------------------<BR>REATTA SITE:<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank><BR>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A>

[Howard]

Brenda:<P>I thought you might like to know. My left headlamp on my 89 burned out the other day, so I dropped into my local NAPA store looking for a replacement. While looking at the shelf of headlights I spied a box that said Xenon. It was not too pricey, so I bought a pair. My 2001 Acura CL has Xenon lamps and they turn night into day. I installed the pair on my Reatta. The new lamps do not have the blue tint that my Acura has, but they are a vast improvement over the OEM headlamps. Again, not just the same has the factory equipped CL, but I'd say a 75% improvement over what I had. Road signs are much clearer as are the road markings. Howard

[tjenkins]

Howard,<P>Please pass on the brand/part number of the headlamp assy's. Also, did they fit like OEM?<P>--Tom<BR>

[Guest]

Hi Howard - good to know. Unfortunately, Xenon's are really tough to find up here in te stix. Darn!<BR>~Brenda<P>------------------<BR>REATTA SITE:<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank><BR>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A>

[Howard]

Tom, sorry but I tossed the box. As I recall is was a NAPA store brand. I would assume they could be found at any NAPA store. The pair cost a little over $30.00 with tax. They are sealed beams, just like the OEM. They were very easy to install, not any difference than installing OEM parts. The improvement they wrought was well worth the $30.00. Frankly, I always thought my lights seemed a little dim compared to my 96 Chrysler Sebring Conv. that I owned at the time I purchased my Reatta in 98. Now I have an 2001 Acura CL with real gas discharge lights, talk about turning night into day. The NAPA lights are not gas discharge lights and as such do not have the blue tint, the hallmark of real HED lights. The element burns in an atomsphere of Xeon, which according to the package gives a cooler, yet whiter light. Anyway, I was impressed, their performance far out shine (no pun intented) what my Reatta had. A note, HED lights as equipped from the factory on a number of high end models, have a number of components. The transformer, producing around 20,000 votes, the lamps, reflector, and lenses. I have read that the some total of these parts to replace is somewhere in the neighborhood of $2000. The lamps are suppose to last the life of the car. The blue lights that are seen in the after market world are bulbs whose glass has been coated to give the impression of HED lights. The dead give away, is the color changes as the car approaches. Some very cheap models, the bulbs are just painted blue.