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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