PaykanHunter Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Can someone please explain the US sealed-beam-headlamp law that made European manufactures to "Federalize" their cars? I understand the US-Bumper, that was done for the low mile impact test, but I can't understand the headlight story. Cheers. Dick Longbridge and Sir Snipes 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Junkman, formally of this parish, wrote a quite in-depth article on headlamps here: https://www.thedarkwob.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=54 He covered American headlamps and their rules a few posts on. chaseracer, LightBulbFun and PaykanHunter 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingz123 Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Crikey all the old names! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaykanHunter Posted August 17, 2020 Author Share Posted August 17, 2020 35 minutes ago, SiC said: Junkman, formally of this parish, wrote a quite in-depth article on headlamps here: https://www.thedarkwob.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=54 He covered American headlamps and their rules a few posts on. Excellent I figured someone must have done it by now. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martc Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Just look at these... And to go round (get it?) in a full circle (get it again?) but not strictly 'fedralised' just fortuitous that it has the correct shaped lights, we have this beauty... Amishtat, PaykanHunter and Cavcraft 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 I'm quite a fan of the lights, apart from the Citroen SM/DS. PaykanHunter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Wait for @danthecapriman! Here is one of us who deliberately and specifically bought and fitted a set of Federal headlights to his Volvo, and I've seen it; looks good to me! danthecapriman, PaykanHunter, Cavcraft and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 I got the replacement lights from a guy in San diego, and converted them to RHD spec. The new RHD light units now have seperate bulb holders instead of being old sealed beams. I prefer the US look tbh! Amishtat, Dick Longbridge, motorpunk and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amishtat Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 Never seen a Septic-spec 504 before, I quite like that. PaykanHunter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaykanHunter Posted August 17, 2020 Author Share Posted August 17, 2020 2 hours ago, martc said: Just look at these... And to go round (get it?) in a full circle (get it again?) but not strictly 'fedralised' just fortuitous that it has the correct shaped lights, we have this beauty... Great stuff. OMG! That Rover SD1 what a disaster! ? martc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaykanHunter Posted August 17, 2020 Author Share Posted August 17, 2020 51 minutes ago, eddyramrod said: Wait for @danthecapriman! Here is one of us who deliberately and specifically bought and fitted a set of Federal headlights to his Volvo, and I've seen it; looks good to me! Never heard of someone intentionally federalizing their car, everyone is after Euro spec parts! ? danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Laurence Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, PaykanHunter said: Great stuff. OMG! That Rover SD1 what a disaster! ? The euro-spec version is definitely nicer, but I don’t think it looks that bad. It reminds me a bit of early Reliant Scimitars PaykanHunter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaykanHunter Posted August 17, 2020 Author Share Posted August 17, 2020 1 minute ago, Mr Laurence said: The euro-spec version is definitely nicer, but I don’t think it looks that bad. It reminds me a bit of early Reliant Scimitars I would love to know how many Americans bought the SD1, and why?? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 to be fair the CX looks ok almost like its got a set of morettis on it PaykanHunter and Out Run 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilA Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 22 minutes ago, PaykanHunter said: I would love to know how many Americans bought the SD1, and why?? ? Never saw one here, but I did see a bunch in Canada. PaykanHunter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 24 minutes ago, PaykanHunter said: Never heard of someone intentionally federalizing their car, everyone is after Euro spec parts! ? Apparently, in the US they like to convert their cars to the Euro style headlights. Over here people have started doing the opposite. Everything I've done on mine uses Volvo parts or OE spec parts designed for the car so it all fits as it’s supposed to, which also means if you put the original Euro spec bulb holders back onto the wiring the original Euro lights will all go back on with no trouble. I’ve kept all the parts in a box should I ever want to or if I ever sell the car. eddyramrod and PaykanHunter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadhg Tiogar Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 54 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said: to be fair the CX looks ok almost like its got a set of morettis on it I think they were Morettes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out Run Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 38 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said: I think they were Morettes. They were. Or you got the masks, if you couldn’t afford them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyW201 Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 You think that W123 is bad, look at what they did to the poor 190... Looks like someone's grafted in a set of headlights and surrounds from a mk1 Metro City. morris_ital_lover 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilA Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Funny thing is, for as lamented as they are, the light they throw into the street is pretty good. I've driven cars with worse headlights than these old 7" Fed-spec bulbs in. Phil eddyramrod, myglaren, LightBulbFun and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 5 hours ago, AndyW201 said: You think that W123 is bad, look at what they did to the poor 190... Looks like someone's grafted in a set of headlights and surrounds from a mk1 Metro City. I like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisItalSLX Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 PaykanHunter and bunglebus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inconsistant Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 I was indifferent up to the SM. That’s criminal. Is it Trumps fault too? PaykanHunter and myglaren 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juular Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 I must be a psychopath with a little bit missing from my brain, because I prefer the US style lights on every one of these so far, except the Rover. This almost looks mustang-y to my eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martc Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Incoming bunglebus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martc Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 14 hours ago, PaykanHunter said: I would love to know how many Americans bought the SD1, and why?? ? According to Wikipedia, so I'm sure it's true, the SD1 was only officially sold in 1980 and 1981, in 1981 480 were sold and in 1981 774 were sold. Some unsold ones carried over into 1982. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Jude Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 5 minutes ago, martc said: Looks like an AMC Pacer from the front. Which isn't surprising given that AMC and Renault were bed fellows at this point in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Almost without exception, the septic-spec modification of a euro-spec headlamp is a complete dogs breakfast of styling. Some work a little better than others, but most of them just look exactly like what they are: an afterthought. The Volvo kinda works, but then that's only because it has square boxy styling in the first place, so the square headlamps fit the overall style. That Rover looks gopping. I can see why so many American cars of the 70s used shutters over the headlamps. Big square heavy barge of a car with silly little round headlamps at the front just doesn't work, so hide them in normal service and only uncover them when it's dark. motorpunk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Yes, well... Tamworthbay, Supernaut, martc and 2 others 1 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 They did it at the back too! Aston Martin and martc 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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