wildfelr Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 RQB3263 IS FINALLY 99.9 % done... the last .1 % is unobtainable ..but ill keep trying ...so please share with me any info and experience about retro fitting LED headlight bulbs in place of the OEM 7" round incandescent originals.. Is it a direct bolt in change ( no modifications req)??...what brand and where from ??...wattage or candle power comparison with OEM ??..Im sure im not the first to do this so let me know how it goes ....THANKS , BILL , RQB3263 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunslinger Posted December 4, 2015 Report Share Posted December 4, 2015 I've no personal experience with LED headlights but when I checked (several years ago), they were quite expensive and may not fit in an Avanti headlight well as they require a fairly large electrical box of some type behind them. Like I said...that was a few years ago so something more advanced and acceptable may be available now. I ended up using some headlights that, if I remember, use H3 or H4 bulbs. You have a large selection of those light bulbs. You have to be careful with those as well...some brands have a pronounced curve to the front of the lens that will strike the glass covers in front of the lights...if your car came with glass covers...they were dropped at a certain point due to DOT regulations. I did end up replacing most of the small bulbs in my car with LED...tail lights, interior lights, glove box light, transmission indictor light, tag light and hi-intensity LED strips in the trunk. All are very bright and a much whiter light. The only ones I haven't replaced with LED's are the gauge lights... I've got the red LED lights but my hand is too big to reach up under the dash. In the end, my car rarely gets driven at night so it's really not that big a deal for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 RQB3263 Having received no difinative answers other than LED headlights are expensive...Im now investigating Halogen H4 conversions....There seems to be many more of this conversion in use ....anyone ever compare the amp draw and lumins (in high beam position) with standard incandescent old fashioned bulbs....and how about heat on my very expensive plastic covers ???...Im looking fwd to your replies ....BILL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avanti83 Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 (edited) H4's are usually 55-60 watts divide by 12 volts and get amps. About 5 amps each give or take but some of them can go as high as 130 watts (11 amps). Whether you use Halogen or HID or whatever, I'd be sure you have a newer 100+ amp alternator and use relays. That's what I'm going to do on my 74. The wiring is new but I just like to have my head lights fed directly off the battery circuit with sufficient wire gauge to handle the current. I'll leave the normal headlight wiring to switch the relay. That way I have nothing on the high draw circuit other that the head lights and they should stay on when I need them. Remember, that's per bulb so about 10-11 amps total for the standard H4 set up.I don't recall what the standard head lights were back in the day but probably somewhat less than the 6024 standard halogen currently sold.Bob Edited December 13, 2015 by Avanti83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted December 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 RQB3263....I may go the h4 route...10 or 11 amp draw will work fine as my 81 electrical system uses a 20 amp circuit breaker to control the healights...now I just need to find the best quality adapter bulb system ....THANKS ....BILL....RQB3263 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Lackie Posted December 19, 2015 Report Share Posted December 19, 2015 Agree with Bob. I have had H4 systems in 4 or 5 cars for 20+ years, including a 64 Stude and 74 Avanti. Given the poor quality of the OEM light switches, you absolutely need to install a relay so the draw on the switches is in the 1-2 amp range. I ended up with both Marchal and Cibie systems, and can't really tell the difference. There are some cheap systems out there, but I would stick with a name brand if possible. The optics are important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 RQB3263...I ordered a Hella 7" conversion set using H4 bulbs....$128 delivered monday or tuesday I hope and I replaced the headlight switch on the overhead panel..no relay yet but I guess that could be in the future...can you give me some more info on the relay, its installation, and wiring please ....THANKS ...BILL RQB3263 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avanti83 Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) Like this Bill. Essentially all the relay does is apply current straight from the battery when high or low beam circuit is switched on. The switch only handles the low voltage duty of powering the switching side of the relay. You need two relays so the high/low switch can power the correct circuits to feed the headlights. Easiest way is probably just buy this harness off Ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/CERAMIC-H4-HEADLIGHT-RELAY-WIRING-HARNESS-2-HEADLAMP-LIGHT-BULB-SOCKET-PLUGS-7-/330997592807?hash=item4d10fe72e7:g:474AAOSwEK9Trseb&vxp=mtr Bob Edited December 20, 2015 by Avanti83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Sorry I am late with a response but I recently put a set of JW Speaker knockoffs in my Avanti II. They plugged right into to the connector. I did have to enlarge the hole in the rear of the headlight bucket about an inch. Since these are supposed to last for 50,000 hrs of operation, I don't expect to have to replace them ever. They throw a very bright white pattern that is much better than the SilverStar's pattern that I had in the car. I am very pleased with them and night driving is a pleasure. I even got rid of the driving lights that were hanging below the bumper as they didn't even show up with the LED's on. Another benny is that they throw all that light and draw half the amps that the conventional lights drew. chuck RQB-3553 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avanti83 Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Sorry I am late with a response but I recently put a set of JW Speaker knockoffs in my Avanti II. They plugged right into to the connector. I did have to enlarge the hole in the rear of the headlight bucket about an inch. Since these are supposed to last for 50,000 hrs of operation, I don't expect to have to replace them ever. They throw a very bright white pattern that is much better than the SilverStar's pattern that I had in the car. I am very pleased with them and night driving is a pleasure. I even got rid of the driving lights that were hanging below the bumper as they didn't even show up with the LED's on. Another benny is that they throw all that light and draw half the amps that the conventional lights drew. chuck RQB-3553 What model, cost and ease of installation? Inquiring minds need to know. Thanks in advance, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneC Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Like this Bill. Bob, I commend you for an excellent post! (and for the follow-up to Chuck's post, hope he elaborates) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 RQB3263....GOT IT....thanks....CHUCK...WHO did you order the LED headlights from and how much $$$..If my H4s dont work out ill go that route thanks all !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 This is what I used in the composite housings. https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/led-headlight-kit-h13-led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kit-with-flexible-tinned-copper-braid/2219/4994/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim78 Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Easiest way is probably just buy this harness off Ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/CERAMIC-H4-HEADLIGHT-RELAY-WIRING-HARNESS-2-HEADLAMP-LIGHT-BULB-SOCKET-PLUGS-7-/330997592807?hash=item4d10fe72e7:g:474AAOSwEK9Trseb&vxp=mtr This looks like exactly what would be needed at a fair price. Their chart says that it is not compatible with the Avanti. I really can't see why not, except that the body-ground pigtails wouldn't work, and these wires would have to be spliced to actual ground wires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted December 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 RQB3263,....I received and installed the Hella H4 headlight conversion kit (made in Germany) ....installation maybe 5 min. per bulb....direct fit perfect and designed so they will only install one way.....even i cant get it wrong....$128.00 pair....Amp draw the same or slightly less than the 60s vintage seal beams....then only normal adjustment ...all done ....have a Merry Christmas ...RQB3263.....BILL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfelr Posted June 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 RQB3263 81 AVANTI II...UPDATE...This might be important....As this thread shows i replaced the incandescent headlight bulbs with Hella H-4 conversion successfully several months ago...until last friday night ...no fault of the new conversion lights ...at ten oclock dark and 12 miles from home HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT....all other exterior lights continued to function normal...immediately switched on fog lights and came on home normal...next day headlights function normal indicating weakness in the thermal circuit breaker (top center of fuse block) had tripped and reset after cool down...anyone else had the problem ??...the fog light paid for themselves ...if you havent gotem getem...and wire them different circuit from headlights...sooo I replaced the 20 amp breaker with a 25 (apparently the H-4 halogens draw more current than the OEM bulbs) so a word to the wise have those fog light working as there not just for fog anymore...WILDFELR RQB3263 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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