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7" LED Headlamps


Pasha

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I'm restoring and thoroughly modernising my 97 car. Currently it has the low cost approach of some nice quality LED bulbs installed into the original headlamps. This would be OK, but it is illegal now (after Jan 2021). So once-a-year I'll have to swap the bulbs back for H4, then back again. This is daft, and it also likely voids my insurance in the event of a claim that might be headlamp related, because they are illegal.

So I'm replacing the 7" units with some decent, proper LED ones. I don't drive much at night anyway, but a good price compromise seems to be the WIPAC S7097LED ones at £389 (eBay). These are commonly fitted to Land Rovers apparently, though the classic mini parts supplier seems to also list them.

I did a search of the forums here, but all I could find were threads from folk promoting the now illegal route, before it was illegal (blame BREXIT for this, EU law still says it's OK, UK law now doesn't)

My question is, has anyone fitted these WIPAC LED lamps to a 7 with 7" headlamp bowls?

Best regards

Paul

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I read the thread you refer to, but it's the usual "just stick some LEDs into your existing headlamps" response. Which, as mentioned is now illegal. I'm happy to buy some proper lamps, I just wondered whether anyone had fitted the Wipac ones to a 7" bowl, because if I buy them and they don't fit for some reason, it'll be hassle. Sevens and Classics sell some low cost generic one, and the JB Speaker ones, so we know they work, but they're £650, and the WIPAC ones are £389, so I wanted some opinion if anyone had fitted any?

So has anyone fitted JB Speaker lamps, or the WIPAC ones ?

BTW the JAL site has the same ones that Caterham sell, predictably at a significantly lower cost, the issue is they're the 5" ones. I don't want to swap sizes because the 7" ones look way better in my opinion.

As a reference for the legality issue...

Brexit 2021 Update

Please note that since January 2021, the MOT Inspection manual has been updated to include LED bulbs.

Section 4.1.4 now states the following:

“Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp.”

This is a brand new update that seems to only focus on headlights.

There are no mentions to fail other LED bulbs such as brake lights, tail lights or reversing lights.

 

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I got mine from original cafe racer, I have 5 3/4 ones.

I fitted them after fellow owners had and I'm very pleased with the results

 

 

https://www.originalcaferacer.com/product/lotus-caterham-7-classic-car-led-headlight-cree-x-2-light-5-75%e2%80%b3-e-approved-530-copy/

 

 

I think they do a 7 inch version , why not give them a call.

Cost about £114 a pair

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Firstly, thank you to everyone for the help. The Cafe racer website ones seem great. I had figured that the low cost ones were always non-E marked, and the web is alive with bad reports of cheap Chinese non-compliant lamps. Hence my leaning to the Wipac ones.

BUT that website spoils me for choice. They're e-marked and 7" :-)

There seem to be a number of models, all pretty low cost, so I need to work out what the differences are.

One thing of note is that all sources of 7" LED lamps are almost solely focussed on Land Rover Defenders. No idea why because a lamp is a lamp, but LRD owners have some serious discussion going on about them.

Thank you everyone. At only about £60 a lamp there's no point bothering to buy LED bulbs and run an illegal setup.

Best regards

Paul

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And now I have another question. Imagine I wire the halo lamps to what were my sidelights. My plan was to use the drl lamps as sidelights. When I then switch to dip, does the sidelight go out (I can't check this as my 7 is away being restored) ?

And if it doesn't, is there any issue with legally having the drl/sidelights on with the actual headlamps?

I've bought the new Caterham rear lamps and they're LED so I was thinking of driving in daylight with the sidelights on, which would use little power and give me DRL but leave the tail lights illuminated. Then as the light fades the DRLs would become, unwittingly, the sidelights, and as darkness falls I'd put dip on, when either the sidelights/DRL would go off or wouldn't matter. 

That was the plan, but the legality is bothering me. 


 

 

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And having slept on it... I've gone cold on the whole idea of adding LED headlamps. Using the halo ring as a sidelight is fraught by the fact that they're not dimmable and are almost certainly too bright to masquerade as sidelights. 

And I don't have any other wires to the headlamps. I have dip, main, ground and sidelights (1997 car). The new lamps wouldn't have dedicated side lamps, just the DRL, so it's back to replacing my LED bulbs with H4 on MoT day, or, as has been suggested in a PM, using another MoT centre with more reasonable testers. 

Thanks for all your inputs. 

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Hi wrightpain and Pasha.

 

Yes I did wire up the DRL as my side light as I always drive with my lights on all day every day.

I followed recommendations by others and many others have followed on.

They look the same as the CC ones and have excellent beam pattern.

Driving at night is a pleasure.

Happy to email or what's app pictures as its easier.

They fitted very easily in my 5 3/4 bowls without any filling or fuss, I guess the 7 inch will be same.

They will be able to confirm this.

Just be careful of the spring clips flying, eye protection is a must....

Only a slight wiring mod needed for sidelight DRL.

 

 

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Thanks K7VCT. I have asked them via webchat. If you did it then I am happy to give it a go, the pics for the 7" on their site show a half brightness version of the halo, so I have asked them how this is accessed. I don't care for any reason other than MoT.

My plan is to do what you do, wire DRL to sidelights, drive all day with the sidelights on for safety. I have bought the new Caterham rear lamps so the power drain will be very low. I just don't want the MoT man saying that (as sidelights) they're too bright.

I'll report back.

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Thanks for the offer to send pics, the lights are £105 for 2, so I'll take a punt. I can't be much worse off MOT wise than currently. Their beef with my current setup was the lamps were never designed for the bulbs and the legislation since Brexit bears them out, but if I have e-marked complete lights, doing what they do... it should be fine.

Thank you so much again

 

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Re JAL and a 7" version:

I asked Doug this very question back in July.  His reply was:

I can supply our LED headlight inner upgrade complete with DRL in a 7” version. They are fully type approved and legal for UK use (yes they will pass the MOT). They are exactly the same as the 5 ¾ version so you will still maintain the classic ‘Caterham look’. The cost is more expensive (due to the size) at £385.00 each. Your L7C discount will bring this down to £365.00 each. This can be split into three interest free payments to help ease the pain.

The only problem might be lead-time.
JV

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