26 replies to this topic

[Scruffs]

Hi all,

I need a good set of headlights for ol' scruffs as I do alot of country road driving to/from work. I'm looking at getting the quadoptic kit from Minispares. Had a good search about on here, found a few topics on here slating quadoptics, others singing their praises.

Are the minispares ones any good? Does anyone have a set of these? What other options do I have? I'm not concerned about getting any particular make or type of light so any suggestions welcome, I will eventually be fitting driving lamps and spots, but for the moment just need a solid set of lights to pop in the holes the knackered ones came out of.

Not bothered about angel eyes and can't afford HID for the moment!

Also, what does 'quadoptic' actually mean, anybody know? Wikipedia has failed me!

Ta

[Big_Adam]

Yeah, go for the Wipac lights. Their SOOO much better than stock sealed beams.

Take about 30mins with tea to stick them in.

[Scruffs]

Yeah, go for the Wipac lights. Their SOOO much better than stock sealed beams.

Take about 30mins with tea to stick them in.

Cheers for the reply! Wipac Freeforms or Quadoptics? Does anyone know the difference? I'm a bit confused, the minispares website has some pretty C**p descriptions!

Freeform: http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=42222
Quadoptic: http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=32776

I won't be buying a kit because it looks like they come with the bowls which I don't need. Theres a minispares (not Wipac) quadoptic kit without the bowls: http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=37818 Anyone using them?

Cheers
al

[Big_Adam]

http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=37818

Their the ones you want. Quadoptics has 4 lights (hence the quad part) as in two mains (big bulbs in each light) as well as the side lights (little wee lights). If you've ever taken a sealed beam out it's a massive thing with a bulb built in and a tiny bulb behind it for the side lights.

They don't come with bowels it's just you replace the whole giant bulb with a reflector and some halogen lights. So you can change to better lamps/light later on.

[Scruffs]

Cheers!

Those ones don't mention wipac anywhere on the description, but I guess if these are the ones you use then thats the kind of thing i'm after cheers! So quadoptics have 2 main/dip bulbs aswell as the sidelight bulb in each unit?

Anyone else got any reccomendations?

[Big_Adam]

Not in each unit.

Each lamp is made up of a reflector and glass, then a halogen bulb inside in a holder. then a smaller sidelight bulb mounts under that in it's own thingy.

So each light has two bulbs, two light meaning 4 bulbs meaning quad.

[Dan]

First off, Quadoptic is a brand name and nothing more. It's the name that Wipac use for their H4 Halogen 7" lamp units and that's all, I suspect it refers to the 4 in the H4 bulb type rather than the presence of a sidelight bulb as Quadoptics are available both with and without pilot lamps. Freeform is their trade name for their complex reflector, clear lens H4 7" lamp unit. If you want Quadoptics they will have to be Wipac because that's who makes them. There are other makes of H4 7" lamp unit though and almost all of them are better than the Wipac ones which are rubbish frankly. They don't give a very even light at all. Whether you buy them from Mini Spares or anyone else a Wipac unit will still be a Wipac unit. The best by far are the Cibie H4 7" lamps, with the Lucas flat front type being pretty good too. As Adam says you will be replacing the whole reflector and lens. If you currently have steel lamp buckets it may be a good idea to replace them with plastic ones as the steel ones rust and also can short out the back of the new lamps as they aren't always deep enough to accept a halogen lamp unit.

'Stafford Vehicle Components' or 'Holden Vintage And Classic Car Parts' are good sources of lamp units.

[Abs]

I hear that the cibie h180 are the best lights. I was looking around earlier in the year for lights and that what I came up with. Checked landrover, tvr, mg etc sites and it all seemed to point to them. Bit more expensive than the wipac though.

[M44K TS]

i've bought Wipac Freeform for when my car's finished in the bodyshop, i've heard they are very good and look a bit more modern

[paulrockliffe]

Dan, can you give me some info on those Cibie lights you recommend? First time I've heard of them, are they a straight swap, what do they cost and are they worth the upgrae over wipacs?

Cheers!

[Scruffs]

Cheers for all your answers

I've found a few 7" Cibie headlights on the net but most of them just have a threaded stalk out the bottom of them - presumably for fitting to Westfields etc?

If you could post up a bit more info about the Cibie H4's and H180 I'd appreciate it! I'll give Stafford vehicle components a call and post up what they say, Holden just seem to stock Wipac stuff though?

[Big_Adam]

First off, Quadoptic is a brand name and nothing more.

So long feeble theory of mine.

[mini13]

If fitting wipacs or another lamp that takes bulbs, You could add relays to give the option of fitting higher wattage bulbs, I have to warn this is illegal, but frankly no one will ever know. When I got my current mini it had 80/100W bulbs and in my onpinion this put the headlights on par with a modern car.

[Abs]

Cibie h180 Headlights http://www.minisport..._Headlamps.html

[stardude]

i was taliking to someone today, who used to rally mini's in the 70's. he said the best bulbs he has ever come accross are the 'cibie z180' which has been updated to the 'cibie h180'

he refers to them as 'turning the daylight on'. he also recomended using relays with them.

i will be getting a set of these very soon

also when they say 'pin-fixing' what do they mean?

adam