mercedes pagoda front lights

[silver1]

Hello all, i have just bought a mercedes pagoda 280sl 1970, i live in the uk so i will have to sort the lights for the uk roads , i like the original spec american front lights it has on there at the monent and  dont want to change to the euro llights,  can i change just the round glass bit and put in another so it shines the correct way for the uk roads, thanks , Andy

[Larry & Norma]

1975??

[silver1]

sorry its 1970,

[JamesL]

Most people, it seems prefer the Euro lights to the US version. IIRC - and there's a thread on here about it somewhere - the US units are sealed beam lights and so part of me has to assume that the correctly "sided" sealed beams, if available, should work for you

Congrats on your car. Whereabouts in are you?

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, and welcome.

Yes, you can buy 7" headlight units for RHD (left hand traffic) which will work fine.
Lot of choice: Bosch, Hella, Cibie etc.
You can get units with side light bulbs too if you wish to have the side light in the main H/L unit.

Good luck with your Pagoda
Naj

[silver1]

Thanks for the help , tosh i live near portsmouth, , thanks , Andy ,

[mdsalemi]

Are they not symmetrical, and are they not all adjustable for your particular needs?

[stickandrudderman]

Are they not symmetrical, and are they not all adjustable for your particular needs?

You can swap the left lens for the right lens, but lenses for LHD and RHD are different and it's not just the glass that's different, the focal point of the reflector is also different. As Naj says you should be able to find 7" sealed beam units very easily here in the UK, in fact I'm sure he could sell you some!

[mdsalemi]

Wow.

I am very happy I have my readily available sealed beam units in US specification, with intact reflectors and replacable for less than $10 at any auto parts store, Wal Mart, Sears, Canadian Tire....and the "doors", even though they are pricy at near $300, are still available.

When somebody finds a nice set of that Euro glass, somebody ought to use the lenses as models and cast a set in polycarbonate.

[Benz Dr.]

You have Canadian Tire over there? Tim Horton's maybe, but TC?

[mdsalemi]

No we don't have Canadian Tire over here.  But, if I ventured across the border (only 25 miles from here), and ran into a situation where I needed a new headlamp, I suggest they would have them--for my car or any other post-1940 US spec car with sealed beams.  Remember the quickest way to upstate NY from here is across the 401/403...

...and somebody ought to be making duplicating those headlamp lenses/covers, since the real ones are made of glass unobtanium and are expensive if you find one.

http://www.acryliccasting.com/id14.html
http://www.colbarart.com/casting.html
http://www.reynoldspolymer.com/Services/Custom-Acrylic-Castings.html

I'm sure there are more companies that can do this, some in other countries, and others that will cast in glass as well.

Somebody, somewhere has them laying around and it might be worthwhile investigating their duplication.