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Ford Focus Headlights


Sprint95m

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A few months ago I bought a mark 2 Ford Focus (Titanium 145 hatchback to be precise)

and a good car it is too.

It reminds me of the (so called classic) Saab 900 but has better performance, fuel economy, cornering

and is stable in cross winds, etc.

 

 

The one disappointing thing is the headlight performance, which is adequate only, certainly not as good as the XJ40

twin round headlight set up I had on my Dolomite.

 

A Google search reveals options for "upgrading" the headlights, so I am wondering if anyone has experience of such please.

Options vary, but I would be prepared to go £300 on complete new units if these are really much better.

 

 

 

thanks,

 

Ian.

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No idea about expensive upgrades, BUT my dads focus got cloudy lenses, which responded well to a polish to improve clarity.

And how about a set of philips extreme bulbs? got to be worth £25 outlay to see how good they are (much better than std halogens from my experience!)

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May I hijack this thread to ask about improving Vitesse lighting?

I'm expecting to do a night race next Autumn.

 

Found an old thread here on a Rimmer's 'conversion' to halogens:  http://www.clubtriumph.org/cgi-bin/forum10/Blah.pl?m-1319904226/   Any more recent experience?

 

Or else, anyone used the newish LED light bars?  EG http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/282039875500?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=33676502101&rlsatarget=aud-168805810866%3Apla-271646253788&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=9046580&device=c&campaignid=707291931&crdt=0  210Watts of lighting, from a bar that may not be road legal, but I won't be on the road.

 

John

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Take a look at the crystal units a lot of people supply them but I bought some from 

 

http://www.bowerspartsonline.co.uk/lighting/front-lighting/classic-front-lighting/5.75-inch-headlights

 

At £6/7 a pop and then select your own bulbs

 

Of course on the Vitesse if you buy 4 of the twin dip/main units then you can have 4 dipped and 4 main beams for decent light.

 

NB some of the Crystal units are available with polycarbonate lenses and plastic bowls if you want to save some extra weight.

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Following on from Johns query, I can vouch too for the crystal units. My spitfire has a pair, with Philips extreme bulbs, all run via relays. Very good lighting.....They were on my last spit, which I did loads of 12 car night rallies. No spotlamps were needed! They survived the roll, and so are on the new car....

 

Definitively get relays for them, makes a big difference. 

 

Another tip, either get headlight bowls that are open at the back, or cut them open so you can do a fast bulb change if required.

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If the lenses are not cloudy I'd be very tempted to simply try some better bulbs.  They'll help a bit.  Euro Car Parts are doing deals at present.

 

Is a Mk2 or 2.5?  Seems that some had better lights from the factory so may be possible to upgrade with OE kit?

 

For Vitesse lights I simply have a cheapo Ring H4 conversion on the outers and some Cibe H1 inners liberated from a Mk2 Golf GTI.  Also wired with relays near the lights fed with a fat wire.  They are way better then any of our moderns (including £ 75k-when-new A8!).  Actually, even the old Lucas sealed beams are almost acceptable with relays.

 

Nick

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Thanks for the replies.

I'll try your suggestion Clive and fit the Philips bulbs.

I'll report back in due course.

 

Sorry, I did not not make this clear earlier,

it is only the main beam performance I am disappointed with, the dipped lights are fine.

 

 

 

A few years I used to travel to the darts in a 59 plate Mondeo. It had very good lights,

I had assumed a Focus would be of comparable lighting.

 

 

 

Ian.

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And thanks for the above comments re Vitesse!

Still fancy a light bar!  Seen one on the Rescue Units I work with - blinding is the correct word.  Lasers could not be brighter!

 

See: 

 esp. the last few seconds when they compare main beam and light bar!

 

John

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  • 3 weeks later...

I like the steering lights idea - Citroen did it years ago on the DS, but it was complex, easily broke down, and the headlights moved as you steered the car, as intended, but in a straight line?  Typical Citroen weirdness!

 

My current C5 has a simpler idea - large sidelights that come on when you turn the wheel more than you do in straightline adjustment, so they illuminate the inside of corners as you approach the apex.

Works well for night rallies!

 

But might not be implementable for the slab-fronted Vitesse.  Needs a more rounded wing front.

 

I will pursue the above suggestions.   Having inspected my headlights, I have a mixture of sealed beam and bulb units, and it may be that there is a lot of voltage drop across my OE wiring, dirty old bullet connectors etc.

Have some even more important mods to pursue first - the Oilite bearings in the throttle bodies for one.  Keep you informed on results.

 

John

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