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Masking crystal clear lights for continental driving


Ryan

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I did. AFAIK it is the same part of the reflector shining the light in that direction and so the light comes out through the same part of the lens. I used black insulating tape on mine which survived 10 days, the heat from the lights while driving right through the night, the heat of Naples in August, and absolute lashing rain.

Chris

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I have crystal clear headlights on my Defender and need to know how to mask them off for driving on le continent. Do I mask them as if they were standard headlights?

TIA,

Ryan

Ryan,

I have a set of LH drive Defender light units (which came in my old Defender...why?... god only knows). You are welcome to borrow them for your trip if you like.

Should take about 20mins to swap the units and bulbs over and away you go. Headlight alignment setting shouldn't be too far out I wouldn't have thought.

PM me if interested.

Scrumps

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Where exactly to you put the masking tape ???

We're off to Corsica in a few weeks, driving through France.

I've found some stick-on light bender things but our 1993 110 Defender isn't listed in the application list.

Looking at the lenses there are no markings, slopes, etc...

All I've found so far are the following suggestions:

-The lighbulb can be rotated into the headlamp with a little modification to the headlamp.

-Replace RHD headlamps with LHD ones for the trip.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Greg

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Ryan,

I have a set of LH drive Defender light units (which came in my old Defender...why?... god only knows). You are welcome to borrow them for your trip if you like.

Should take about 20mins to swap the units and bulbs over and away you go. Headlight alignment setting shouldn't be too far out I wouldn't have thought.

PM me if interested.

Scrumps

Thanks Scrumps but I'm some distance away and we leave at 6am tomorrow!

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Where exactly to you put the masking tape ???

We used to drive down to Naples in various haggard cars for a charity rally. After being ripped off for the propper headlight converters the first year (£4.5 IIRC!) we just bashed a lump or gaffer tape long ways on the LHS of the headlight lense about 2-3" long. The cars were painted with emulsion, knackered, bumping into each other and pulled over by the law on a regular basis and no-one ever got ticketed for having home made headlight converters.

Reversing up a sliproad off the autostrada into the front of an Italian police car however was a different matter :ph34r:

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There is often confusion about headlamps marked 'LHD' in UK cars. People think they are for Left Hand Drive, in fact, they are Left Hand Dip and correct for Right Hand Drive.

Ryan/Mr Frog

It occurs to me that if you wait till it is dark and drive the car up close to a wall you will see the light coming out of the headlamp and being cast to the left of the centre of the lamp. It is this light you need to mask. A little trial and error with a cardboard mask and you should be able to work it out easily. I just guessed where the markings are on a conventional lamp unit and added my masking there.

Chris

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Its actually quite logical to know where to mask a circular lamp because it conforms to the laws of physics. Being a parabolic reflector evrything is upsidedown and back to front. Basically you are trying to mask the small triangle of light that is thrown to the left and up on UK lights to give aditional light to the nearside when on dip beam. Therefore to mask the bit that is up and to the nearside you need to put masking tape below the sentreline on the offside of the headlamp. If unclear then look at any "normal" headlamp and you will clearly see the triangular part on the lens that needs covering. If you are still unsure then drive up to a garage door in the dark and you will see the raised triangle quite clearly. Get out with a small piece of card and see which part of the light needs covering to lose this triangle.

HTHs

Mark

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Brilliant, makes perfect sense.

I'll try it out when it's dark and dry and will try and take a few pictures for others who may need them, and you'll be able to validate I've done it right too :)

Will report back in a few days.

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I lied, there are markings on my lenses, just not the slope I am used to seeing on other cars...

Here's a picture of my right hand lens (they are both the same afaik).

PICT1072-2.jpg

I have highlighted writing on the lens, on the right it reads "Drive Left", the left hand one reads "USA".

Would it be possible for someone to mark out or paint over the area that needs to be taped up :)

Thanks everyone B)

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There is often confusion about headlamps marked 'LHD' in UK cars. People think they are for Left Hand Drive, in fact, they are Left Hand Dip and correct for Right Hand Drive.

Chris,

I bought my last 90 CSW with 12 months MOT from the Ministry test centre in Gloucester. 12 months later I took it to my usual garage for it's re-test and my mate called me in to look at the beam setter as the cut-offs from the lights were going in the wrong direction i.e LHD. I replaced the light units with ones from my local Main Stealer and got a pass ticket. The lenses are definately different and therefore I stand by my original point...I have a set of LH Drive headlamps if anyone wants/needs them.

Scrumps

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Brilliant, makes perfect sense.

I'll try it out when it's dark and dry and will try and take a few pictures for others who may need them, and you'll be able to validate I've done it right too :)

We've cheated and bought lenses for use on the continent :o. Just need to remember to swap them before we leave and when we return.

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