The European headlights in general will feature a low beam that directs the bulk of its output onto the road in front of you, as opposed to directing much of it into the eyes of oncoming drivers, as pre-'97 USA low beams tend to do. You'll notice a very sharp cutoff along the top of the beam pattern with the European lights, and vastly improved foreground illumination (similar to what you may also notice in some cars sold in the USA since 1997). These characteristics make all the difference in the world in foggy weather. The projector beams offer theoretically greater control of the light output (and possibly a more powerful bulb, although I don't know the details of the 164 units I just spent a great deal of money on for my parents), so even more of it goes where you want it. The real reasons for their adoption are that they offer a more compact headlight than an equivalent conventional lamp, and that they're compatible with arc-discharge light sources, neither of which are really relevant to this discussion. The reason I just spent a huge sum of money to get these for my parents, rather than the earlier conventional Euro-spec 164 headlights, is because this particular headlight has separate lamps for high and low beams within the headlight assembly. I think the separate-light approach is vastly preferable to using the same lens, reflector, and aiming for both high and low beam.
Joe Elliott '82 GTV-6 (w/ separate high and low beam Euro-spec lamps, soon to be upgraded from parabolic to complex reflectors) > Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 20:40:14 -0800 > From: Joan Golston <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [alfa] Euro-spec headlights for 164 > > Also freezing in Seattle (what have we done wrong? it's threatening to > hit 16 tonight), and ignorant to boot -- I've no interest in halogens, > but what advantage do European projector lights have over what I > presume are the US ones in my 164S? And is that even a relevant > question for the 1991 model? I'm asking because late night or fog > visibilty are not my car's strong suit. > > Thanks, and warm wishes for happy holidays to all! > Joan > > Joan Golston > Giulia Super > 164S > > On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Gordy Hyde <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hey Joe - > > > > I have often been diagnosed with CRS! but it seems as though AlfaBill had > been > > selling these a while back. You might check with him. > > > > > > > > Gordy Hyde > > > > Freezing in Seattle > > > > > > > > > > > >> Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 11:07:49 -0500 > >> From: Joe Elliott <[email protected]> > >> Subject: [alfa] 164 Euro-spec headlights? > >> > >> Is anyone still selling the projector beam headlights that were used on > the > >> 164 in '96-97? > >> > >> Or does anyone have any used Euro-spec 164 headlights (halogen or > > projector) > >> that they'd like to sell? > >> > >> My parents are finally getting their 164 repaired after a tree fell on > it > >> this summer, but I still can't convince them to upgrade those horrid > >> USA-spec headlights. I figure maybe if I buy them *one* headlight as a > >> Christmas gift perhaps that will motivate them to buy the other one > >> themselves... > >> > >> Thanks, > >> Joe Elliott -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
