Euro headlights on a 108 or 114/115. Who's done it?

[73MB280SEL]

Howdy,

I have seen several used European lenses for the 108 body up for sale on Ebay, etc... (Adsit has them for 450 used, 650 "new"). My question is, have any of you done this? What's the improvement in lighting. (I'm talking about the European lights, not the E-code round units.) Do they take a standard H1/H4 bulb?

Also, I've seen alot of the light units with rust on the backs of the reflectors. How hard is it just to get the reflector? Is there any substitute such as removing the lens from the front of an existing E-code housing?

Any FB would be much appreciated.

Sholin

[cth350]

I've collected about 4 sets of used lights (well, I do have 6 cars)...

I have not heard of suppliers of replacement reflectors. Which should be bosch # 1-305-314-133 (LERF56L14Z) if the old bosch catalog that just happens to be sitting to my right is correct.

You're looking at a resilvering job.

The results, I'm told are truely like night and day. The results both in styling and performance are well worth it.

I have a 250SE/c and a 300sel 4.5 that need restoration. They won't get the new lights until all the other stuff is done.

-CTH

Aesthetically, I prefer the stacked lights to the German lights.

Someone also told me once that (1)only the cheaper 108-series came with what we're calling European headlights, the 6.3's coming only with the stacked lights common in the USA, and (2)the stacked headlights with H4 conversions will provide better forwrad illumination that the "European" headlights.

I have not researched this personally, but thought I'd pass along the information for your consideration.

A 6.3 that we used in Denmark had the stacked headlights.

[cth350]

Wrong answer, sort of.

There are TWO types of european headlights and ONE us style.

The type I euro lights are a single, big glass lens.
The type II euro lights are separate glass lens, like the "stacked" US ones, but the bulbs are not US style sealed beams, but the same H4 bulbs and reflectors from the type I lights.

The US lights are the ones we all know and try to avoid like the plauge.

-CTH

Sorry for the confusion. I have only heard of the large, single-lense versions being referred to as the "European" versions.

I didn't mean to say that the overseas stacked lights were necessarily sealed beams.

As I said, the halogen conversions in the stacked headlights give better illumination than the single big lights that I don't like.

[73MB280SEL]

Thanks for all your input. I guess I'm still looking...

Hmmm, Cibie round H1/H4 or Euro lights....