Alright, so you have a source for Z beam knockoffs, are you gonna share? :)
James Nazarian
71 MGB Tourer
71 MGBGT V8
85 Dodge Ram
----- Original Message -----
From: "N" <twobees@sprynet.com>
To: "MG Digest" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 10:26 PM
Subject: Headlight Question
> I just caught up to this thread tonight. Have to add my $0.02.
>
> I bought a pair of Cibie Z-beams for my '76 VW Dasher when new. Having
> already been a car-nut for 2 decades at that time, I knew they were good &
> were also illegal here in the U. S., home of special interests. (Kelvin
> describes the situation accurately on this account.) Those Z-beams had
> standard 50/55 H4's but gave such incredible lighting, I removed them when
I
> sold the VW. Kept them around until I bought my 1980 MGB. Installed &
used
> them there until I bought my current MG, the '66. Moved them there & they
> lasted until 2 years ago when my MG decided to kill a Porsche one morning.
> Replaced the damaged one with a junky sealed beam until I could find a
> Z-beam. Unfortunately, I was told they don't make them any longer. Then
I
> found a source of very similar lights made in the far east. The lens
design
> is virtually identical to the Z-beam I still had. But, the cost was way
> lower. I have had them in since. They seem lacking only in the sealing
of
> the unit. And, the manufacturer is working on that I hear.
>
> As for visibility with them - I used to write an auto column for a
newspaper
> chain & for many years drove a different car each week. I had yet to find
> anything that compares to the Z-beams until the new xenon-projector
lights.
> Now, if someone should make those projectors in a design that fits the MGB
> ...
>
> BTW, one of the reasons better lights became available in the U.S. is
> because Ford pushed the D.C. crowd hard to get the lights they had
designed
> for the 1985 Mustangs. Thank you Ford!
>
> As for fog lights front or rear - I use my 50/80 halogens on those fools
> that run their mis-aimed front fogs. A few flashes & they usually turn on
> their high beams which are generally less glaring than their fogs
> (especially to someone in a car as low as my MG).
>
> Of course, the fallacy of the proliferation of factory installed front fog
> lights is that they only work when the headlights are on. And, the
> headlights defeat the purpose of fog lights. The only advantage to
today's
> factory fogs is that they are mounted low & have a wide beams. That gives
> better light close in and to the sides. Oh, Z-beams with their flat-top
> light pattern are almost as good as good fog lights.
>
> When rear fogs first hit the U.S. in factory installations, Volvo had
them.
> I thought Volvo had a wiring defect because half of the new Volvos I saw
had
> the left brake light stuck on - or so I thought until I learned it was
just
> the driver's brain that was defective.
>
> Let there be light!
>
> Norm Sippel
> '66 MGB - Almost Z-beams in front, halogen bulbs in back
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