re: headlights

[Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided>]

I'm officially too busy studying to post anything this weekend, but I 
can't let anyone waste $20 on more American headlights.  The two 
lights you are considering are fundamentally different.  The $10 
pseudo-sealed-beams are complete shit, much like the lamps you 
already have.  The difference is honestly quite negligible.  It's a 
matter of late '50s headlights vs. mid '60s headlights.  The Hella 
units are similar to what your Berlina should have been equipped with 
at the factory if it weren't sold in the USA, forever bent on 
inadequate, glare-inducing, dangerous lighting.  However, if I recall 
correctly (don't have time to actually check the catalog), these are 
Hella's "Vision Plus" pseudo-headlights that Dan Stern, et al like to 
call "Vision Minus."  While they're substantially superior to the 
American horseshit available at the local CarQuest, they're still not 
the real deal.  Go to http://catalog.com/susq/ (Hella) or 
http://www.talbotco.com (Cibie) for real headlights.  You can also 
get them from Dan Stern (forget the brand, forget the URL, forgive 
me).  Be aware that the Hella lights are flat, and you might want to 
maintain the convex look of the original lights on your Berlina, and 
that I have some customer service complaints with Gunther at 
talbotco.com, so it might be worth the time to get Dan Stern's phone 
number.

Bottom line: spend whatever it takes and get real headlights.  Or 
wait until you have an accident and then sue the USA government for 
enforcing abso-f***ing-lutely asinine lighting regulations for years 
and years.

PS> Doesn't a Berlina have four headlights?  Two of them might be fog 
lights in the stock configuration, but you can convert them to high 
beams which I'd venture to suggest is also worth your money.

At 12:26 AM +0000 12/9/02, alfa-digest wrote:

> Date: Sun, 08 Dec 2002 13:55:33 -0700
> From: "Stephen D. Thompson" <thompsonlaw@domain.elided>
> Subject: 7 inch Halogen headlights - Auto store vs. Hella
>
> I want to replace the non-halogen 7 inch low/high beams in my 71 Berlina.
> Just too dim for out here in the mountains.  So far my choices are halogens
> from the local "Carquest" parts store for $10.00 a piece, or the $89.00 set
> of Hellas from IAP.  I am going to go with the parts store ones unless there
> is a substantial difference to justify and extra $30.00 per headlight.  Can
> anyone comment?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Steve
> Ketchum, Idaho
> 71 Berlina
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