The driving lights on my 1982 244GL has deteriorated. Plan to change the inner lamp reflectors. Can I use a HID kit for this car. If yes, what model has high / low option? Thanks.

 

which headlight pattern does that 82 have? quad rectangular sealed beams? quad rounds?

 

There is no true HID kit that will just give you HID lights and be legal and functional (high and low beam). A HID is an arc lamp. It has no filament and the actual bulb has a smaller bulb inside that is under pressure of a gas, I think xenon, with electrodes on either side. It's the same technology that those gas vapor lights that illuminate parking lights and stadium. Car HIDs fire up quickly thanks to a digital ballast. To convert to an HID system you need ballasts and the proper focusing device. Most devices these days use a projector lens. To get high and low beam function you can get projector housings that have a shutter that blocks off light for the low beam and pull out of the way for high beam. It's also very common for OEM application of HID to be done with a HID low beam (it's blocked off properly for that beam pattern) and a separate halogen high beam.

A HID bulb will not fit a filament's reflector housing because it has a unique mount and getting it mounted in the housing properly to focus properly would be a bit tricky. Another thing is that part of your car's focusing is done in the front lens. That's what all those funny lines in the lens is all about.

Being an 82, you have either round or quad square head lights. There are a lot of glass-front housing available that are made to convert from sealed beam halogens to the replaceable halogens (see link). There are many good brighter bulbs available, like the Sylvania Silver Stars I think. I've actually never tried them.

If you are bent on HIDs like I was, you can do what I did: Quad HID's. I found this place called The Retrofit Source. It's the best I've seen. Their stuff is the real thing.

The lighting is crazy good and great in fog too. I would categorize that project as very advanced as far as skill level. I took me a few months to complete and a few years of research.

Another note: the 2004-2007 Volvo S60R's used a funny reflector style HID setup. The back reflector is on a motor that moves to focus the light for high or low beam operation. It takes a second to happen, so it's pretty dang unique.

Choose wisely.

 

Thanks for the info. Will research the matter further. Its not quad...one big rectangular light on each side.

 

are you sure thats an 82? the big rectangular light didn't get used until 1986... unless you're in Europe and have the euro lights ?


if your big plastic lights are yellowed and hazy, just getting a new set of those will hugely improve things for 5-10 years. you can find DEPO brand ones on fleabay that are quite good copies of the CIBIE originals.