Aftermarket headlights

[Trstno1]

Hey guys-

I'm considering new headlights for the D. Are those available on eBay good or no? I'm looking for more of a bright white/blue color. I have not decided if HID's are the way to go, but I'm open. I'm not looking to light up the world with them, just get away from the dim yellow color that is stock.


Could everyone that have upgraded their headlights please post pics and opinions on their new set ups? I'm interested to see what's out there....

Thanks!!

[Mark D]

I'm not sure if there is one single thread that documents all the various headlight options but there are quite a few choices given that our 4x6 sealed beam headlights were used in tons of applications. The company I work for still uses standard halogens on our fire trucks as well as a huge range of others. I have seen:

Sylvania Silverstars (brighter whiter light, sealed beam construction)
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39631&d=1455046800
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39629&d=1455046598
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39632&d=1455047338


Sealed beam conversion to H7 removable bulb (Involves swapping out the sealed beam lamp for a housing that fits an H7 bulb)
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39630&d=1455046616

HID conversion (square shaped housing with round projector lens inside)
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39626&d=1455046247
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39625&d=1455046247

LED conversion (square shaped housing with LED projector lenses inside
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26208&d=1396020901
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26215&d=1396021122

There are also LED conversions that have an array of smaller high intensity LED's in a square pattern.
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39627&d=1455046248
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39628&d=1455046250



I prefer the stock appearance of the sealed beam light but wanted a whiter color and increased brightness so I went with the silverstars. They're also plug and play, and relatively cheap compared to some of the other options:
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=30657&d=1410234902

[Morpheus]

Silverstars are great, but getting harder to find in auto parts stores. In addition, $100 for all 4 bulbs is a lot to swallow at once.

But, I like the look.

[iflights]

Beautiful photo!

[Morpheus]

As an update for those interested in getting Silverstars, Oreilly auto parts has H4656ST and H4651STs in stock, with free shipping. Add something small to the order (to get it over $100), and you can get 20% off $100 or more with code TAX20. I got out the door for $94 shipped.

[papanoel]

As an update for those interested in getting Silverstars, Oreilly auto parts has H4656ST and H4651STs in stock, with free shipping. Add something small to the order (to get it over $100), and you can get 20% off $100 or more with code TAX20. I got out the door for $94 shipped.

curious if the silverstar gets hotter than stock. you know cuz of eye brows...

[Bitsyncmaster]

curious if the silverstar gets hotter than stock. you know cuz of eye brows...

They do draw more power than the OEM bulbs. Not sure if that results in more heat at the bulb though. I've had siverstars for 6 years and it's a big improvement over the stock bulbs. Light is much whiter color also.

[DL4567]

After 11 years of dealing with the stock headlights, I finally installed the Silverstars 6 weeks ago. Totally worth it! Should have done it years ago. And they keep the exact stock appearance -- something I wasn't willing to give up.

[DMC-81]

+1 on the SilverStars. In addition to the points already made, I like that they are the same brand (Sylvania) the car came with originally.

39643

[dn010]

As an update for those interested in getting Silverstars, Oreilly auto parts has H4656ST and H4651STs in stock, with free shipping. Add something small to the order (to get it over $100), and you can get 20% off $100 or more with code TAX20. I got out the door for $94 shipped.

A few days ago I ended up ordering Halogen lights for my car. Silverstars are halogen but costly so I looked for an alternative. I found lights and ironically they're with almost identical part numbers (H4656/H4651) but with different end numbers and are made by "Wagner" but they are also halogen lights. At less than $6.00 per light, I was willing to give them a shot.

Has anyone else tried these halogen lights by Wagner? I wonder how they compare to the Silverstars. I'll have them installed this weekend.

[Morpheus]

I'm afraid the bulbs you got are basic standard Halogen light bulbs. Even basic Halogen Sylvania bulbs can be had for $6-$8 a piece. The Silverstars are brighter and whiter light, hence the higher pricetag. If you look at the second and third pictures Mark posted above you can see the difference.

[dn010]

I figured as much. I guess these wagner lights will be better than blown lights in my case.


I'm afraid the bulbs you got are basic standard Halogen light bulbs. Even basic Halogen Sylvania bulbs can be had for $6-$8 a piece. The Silverstars are brighter and whiter light, hence the higher pricetag. If you look at the second and third pictures Mark posted above you can see the difference.

[Trstno1]

has anyone installed a set of these? im sort of interested in the white surround LED DRL's. I would love to see a picture of a set installed on a D. Do these sort of headlights burn hotter than stock? Which ever headlight I choose, I really don't want to invite back the facia brows.

[AugustneverEnds]

A few days ago I ended up ordering Halogen lights for my car. Silverstars are halogen but costly so I looked for an alternative. I found lights and ironically they're with almost identical part numbers (H4656/H4651) but with different end numbers and are made by "Wagner" but they are also halogen lights. At less than $6.00 per light, I was willing to give them a shot.

Has anyone else tried these halogen lights by Wagner? I wonder how they compare to the Silverstars. I'll have them installed this weekend.

The previous owner of my car was running Wagners when I bought 10287 from him in 2012. I am 29 with decent eyesight and I struggled to see at night with the Wagners. I can't be certain that the low beams were aimed properly however but I switched to Silverstars in 2013 and have found them to be a massive improvement over what I had. I don't remember the Silverstars being horribly expensive, around $26 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/SYLVANIA-SilverStar-Performance-Halogen-Headlight/dp/B000AMXSUM/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1455126573&sr=8-14&keywords=sylvania+silverstar

[dn010]

Thanks for the heads up, you get what you pay for. I definitely don't want to make matters worse with seeing at night. I wish I would have come across this thread before ordering those bulbs but luckily it is less than $30 so I'm not out much.


The previous owner of my car was running Wagners when I bought 10287 from him in 2012. I am 29 with decent eyesight and I struggled to see at night with the Wagners. I can't be certain that the low beams were aimed properly however but I switched to Silverstars in 2013 and have found them to be a massive improvement over what I had. I don't remember the Silverstars being horribly expensive, around $26 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/SYLVANIA-SilverStar-Performance-Halogen-Headlight/dp/B000AMXSUM/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1455126573&sr=8-14&keywords=sylvania+silverstar

[DMCVegas]

has anyone installed a set of these? im sort of interested in the white surround LED DRL's. I would love to see a picture of a set installed on a D. Do these sort of headlights burn hotter than stock? Which ever headlight I choose, I really don't want to invite back the facia brows.

If you don't want eyebrows on your front fascia, you really need to install some brackets to prevent them from forming in the first place. Headlights definitely contribute to the problem, but they're not the only cause. Even desert heat can make them more pliable.

[Chris 16409]

A Friend of Mine bought these units from Hella:
http://m.summitracing.com/parts/hla-003177801

You can get screw in Silversar bulbs for them. He said they were all glass contraction

[DMCMW Dave]

Please avoid the plastic Chinese kits that seem to be for sale all over the place. They are miserable quality. Also avoid the LED lights that appear to be an array of single LEDs. They just blind people.

I agree that the glass Hellas mentioned are probably the way to go for a good conversion. you will need to modify the wiring a bit and find the correct bulbs so that the outers are two-element and the inners are single.

Silverstar sealed beams are much better than plain old style sealed beams, but the life of the bulbs is very short compared to standard sealed beams. That's the trade-off for higher brightness at the same power (watts).

[Chris4099]

has anyone installed a set of these? im sort of interested in the white surround LED DRL's. I would love to see a picture of a set installed on a D. Do these sort of headlights burn hotter than stock? Which ever headlight I choose, I really don't want to invite back the facia brows.

I'm installing a similar set now. I don't have a good picture as I'm still installing mine. Keep in mind that you will have to modify the headlight buckets by making the hole bigger. I would also recommend getting a unit that has the DRL wiring either come out the back or via a low profile wire on the side. Some have a large socket on the side that may require you to cut yet another hole into the bucket to fit. Heat should only be an issue if you use a H4 bulb that uses a lot more power then standard (such as the 100w bulbs out there). Here's the unit I'm currently working with:
http://www.jegs.com/i/ORACLE-Lighting/188/6909-001/10002/-1

A local owner has them but in green and they look good. Very bright DRLs too. Here's a quick pic of mine running while I test the heat and beam pattern:
39651

I'll be making a full write up later after I get them installed and some drive time done.

[Mark D]

A Friend of Mine bought these units from Hella:
http://m.summitracing.com/parts/hla-003177801

You can get screw in Silversar bulbs for them. He said they were all glass contraction

These Hella H4 housings look like they are good quality and similar in appearance to a halogen/silverstar. At 200 bucks for a set of 4 plus the price of the H4 bulbs it's a little steep, but I may look at going this route in the future. As Dave mentioned the silverstars tend to burn out faster than a regular bulb so in the long term these may actually save you money.

Another thing to note is that these Hella housings are not DOT approved (illegal in the US) because of the ECE beam pattern. That being said, I have done an H4 conversion on my Jeep with Cibie ECE beam housings and I actually prefer the euro beam pattern to the DOT spec housings.

The main difference is that with a DOT housing there is some amount of beam that is intentionally scattered upward to illuminate road signs. This can also produce glare under certain conditions since there is a soft cutoff point for the beam. The ECE beam pattern has a much sharper horizontal cutoff with an angled wedge section of the beam that points up and to the right to illuminate signs.

With the ECE beam housings on my Jeep I can run a higher wattage/brighter H4 bulb and not blind anyone on the road due to the crisper cutoff. If you go this route you just need to ensure the lights are aimed properly and you wont' have any issues. I'm currently running 80/100 H4's in my jeep and the difference between the stock halogens is unbelievable. I also built a completely new wiring harness to handle the extra power. I'm not sure what the stock DeLorean wiring can handle, but I'd probably upgrade it if I go to an H4 conversion. On my jeep I ran 12 awg wire that was direct to battery with relays triggered by the stock harness connectors. This way it required no modifications to the stock wiring harness. If anyone is interested I can post the schematic.

I do very little night driving in the DeLorean, so at this point the silverstars have been good enough, but now seeing those stock looking H4 housings is making me reconsider.

[mr_maxime]

I have an ebay kit (http://www.ebay.com/itm/H4656-H4666-H4651-H4646-4-Red-LED-Halo-Black-Chrome-Projector-Headlights-4x6-/191311339781?hash=item2c8b0b6105:g:rGwAAOSw-jhUBS5K&vxp=mtr). I installed the low beams with the bulbs they came with. Not much of an improvement. They are glass however. I am waiting to buy another pair of Kensun HIDs, so I can convert all headlights of the headlights to these with HIDs. The reason is that the HID pair uses a single H4 connectors. I want to wire it all at once.

As was mentioned above, you will need to cut into the headlight housing bracket to make these fit. I also had to cut into the headlight itself because it was hitting something behind the headlight housing.

[mluder]

I'm installing a similar set now. I don't have a good picture as I'm still installing mine. Keep in mind that you will have to modify the headlight buckets by making the hole bigger. I would also recommend getting a unit that has the DRL wiring either come out the back or via a low profile wire on the side. Some have a large socket on the side that may require you to cut yet another hole into the bucket to fit. Heat should only be an issue if you use a H4 bulb that uses a lot more power then standard (such as the 100w bulbs out there). Here's the unit I'm currently working with:
http://www.jegs.com/i/ORACLE-Lighting/188/6909-001/10002/-1

A local owner has them but in green and they look good. Very bright DRLs too. Here's a quick pic of mine running while I test the heat and beam pattern:
39651

I'll be making a full write up later after I get them installed and some drive time done.

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out so you can come over and do mine... :)
Have you figured out how to access the bulb element for replacement?

Cheers
Steven

[Peripatetic]

39654In case anyone was curious about how the single array LEDs look. The originals were so dim it was probably dangerous to drive with so I went to the complete other end of the spectrum.

[Ryan S.]

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?879-Silverstar-headlights

[Gregadeth]

Since the Silverstars are more powerful than the stock lights, do you need to up the fuse for the headlights?

[sdg3205]

Since the Silverstars are more powerful than the stock lights, do you need to up the fuse for the headlights?

No, but if you haven't already you should update your headlight switch to trigger a relay or buy the dmch update kit. It will save your switch.

[Nicholas R]

No, but if you haven't already you should update your headlight switch to trigger a relay or buy the dmch update kit. It will save your switch.
The headlights already trigger a relay though. There is a relay for both the high beams and for the low beams (relays 1 and 2). It is the running lights/side marker lights, etc. (essentially everything except the headlights) that run their power through the switch that burns out the switch right? I was always under the impression that switching these bulbs to LEDs helps prevent that and protects the original switch.

[Bitsyncmaster]

The headlights already trigger a relay though. There is a relay for both the high beams and for the low beams (relays 1 and 2). It is the running lights/side marker lights, etc. (essentially everything except the headlights) that run their power through the switch that burns out the switch right? I was always under the impression that switching these bulbs to LEDs helps prevent that and protects the original switch.

I would say changing the side-markers and running bulbs to LED would vastly improve reliability on the stock light switch. Not only the current is reduced, incandescent bulbs have a very high inrush current until the filament heats up. You also drive the license plate lights, AC panel lights and binnacle bulbs through the light switch.

[BABIS]

Adding the headlight switch relay is very easy, and can be done on the relay compartment...

[DMC-81]

I would say changing the side-markers and running bulbs to LED would vastly improve reliability on the stock light switch. Not only the current is reduced, incandescent bulbs have a very high inrush current until the filament heats up. You also drive the license plate lights, AC panel lights and binnacle bulbs through the light switch.

That's the advice that I followed. Although I'm using SilverStars, I have changed all exterior and door bulbs to LED, and I plan on doing the same in the dash/console. I am still running the original headlight switch, but I have changed all relays in the compartment, and cleaned or in one case, replaced the bulb holders. Aside from the increased draw problem for the incandescent bulbs, I found that they got awfully hot in the 30+ year old plastic housings.

I try to keep my car as original as possible, but to me, LED bulbs make a lot of sense for the car.

[Alan]

That's the advice that I followed. Although I'm using SilverStars, I have changed all exterior and door bulbs to LED, and I plan on doing the same in the dash/console. I am still running the original headlight switch, but I have changed all relays in the compartment, and cleaned or in one case, replaced the bulb holders. Aside from the increased draw problem for the incandescent bulbs, I found that they got awfully hot in the 30+ year old plastic housings.

I try to keep my car as original as possible, but to me, LED bulbs make a lot of sense for the car.

+1 I haven't done the full LED conversion, but it's on the list of things to do early this year.

[Morpheus]

That's the advice that I followed. Although I'm using SilverStars, I have changed all exterior and door bulbs to LED, and I plan on doing the same in the dash/console. I am still running the original headlight switch, but I have changed all relays in the compartment, and cleaned or in one case, replaced the bulb holders. Aside from the increased draw problem for the incandescent bulbs, I found that they got awfully hot in the 30+ year old plastic housings.

I try to keep my car as original as possible, but to me, LED bulbs make a lot of sense for the car.

Seconded.

[Trstno1]

I'm interested in seeing what those look like when installed. I would also be curious as to the modifications that are required to the headlight bucket to get them to fit. I like the idea of going to some sort of angel eye headlights, just not sure if I want to go cutting anything stock on the car to make them work.....









I'm installing a similar set now. I don't have a good picture as I'm still installing mine. Keep in mind that you will have to modify the headlight buckets by making the hole bigger. I would also recommend getting a unit that has the DRL wiring either come out the back or via a low profile wire on the side. Some have a large socket on the side that may require you to cut yet another hole into the bucket to fit. Heat should only be an issue if you use a H4 bulb that uses a lot more power then standard (such as the 100w bulbs out there). Here's the unit I'm currently working with:
http://www.jegs.com/i/ORACLE-Lighting/188/6909-001/10002/-1

A local owner has them but in green and they look good. Very bright DRLs too. Here's a quick pic of mine running while I test the heat and beam pattern:
39651

I'll be making a full write up later after I get them installed and some drive time done.

[Chris4099]

I like the idea of going to some sort of angel eye headlights, just not sure if I want to go cutting anything stock on the car to make them work.....

First modification is to take the bucket out and enlarge the hole in the back. I've heard of some using a sink drain hole punch, but I just used a Dremel with a cutting disk. Not very neat, but it did the job and you won't ever see it once the light is installed. Also a bit of paint to cover the exposed metal. This is what I had after reinstalling the bucket:
39671

I took that at an upwards angle, but you can see part of a support beam that also may interfere with the new bulb. The support bends down about 1/4 of an inch. So I got out the grinding drum on the Dremel again and ground it out (took some time as that metal is pretty thick). But once done, the light fit in nicely and appears to have enough room for adjustment. I just need to hit it up with some paint again to prevent rust.

39672

Nothing major had to be cut and it won't prevent the original style sealed beams from being reinstalled again in the future. So it's a pretty harmless mod.

[mr_maxime]

I finished the full low beam HID conversion. I cannot fully recommend the headlights with projectors that I got from eBay. I'm not sure how many others are built, but the chromed piece used to mount the projector lens will scatter light upwards. It looks weird and doesn't seem too bad but has the possibility to blind at a certain angle. That being said, the HIDs are a huge upgrade in terms of visibility. I have no problem seeing road lines in front of me now.

I used this guy which was really straightforward.
http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/xenons/xenons.htm

I changed it up by pushing the wire from the inside of the car under the passenger side and pulling it through from the outside. It seemed easier than the other way around. I used cable tie holders to go around the wheel well to avoid moving parts. Pushing the wire up to the headlight assembly was much easier than pushing it out from inside the car. I also used 3m double sided tape to mount the ballasts cause I already had it and didnt feel like going through the trouble of buying screws and drilling holes. I also had to remove my high beams because the wires for my HIDs were rather short and it was easier to feed them through that way.

If you're going to change out headlights converting to HIDs really is not much more effort. The only permanent modification I had to make was enlarging the bucket hole and as mentioned before, this does not affect returning it to sealed beams for the stock look. The hardest part is dealing with the little screws that hold the headlight in place.

[Timeless]

Installed the Holley retrobright headlights recently. Hands down the best on the market that look period correct. (non-period look: JW Speaker) These are fantastic and just as bright as my '21 Taycan. High beams are ridiculous.

https://www.holley.com/products/exterior/lighting/headlight/rectangular_headlights/parts/LFRB140

https://youtu.be/Luync7UYwsI