Hella 002425811 Hlmp Kit 5 3/4" 135Mm H1 12V Ece

Great improvement over the grim sealed beam headlights that came on US-model automobiles in the 1970s-1990s. I can't say how much brighter these headlights are compared to the sealed-beam units, but I notice better light on dark rural roads. I upgraded the high/low units with Hellas a couple of years ago, so now I have a complete Hella system on the front on my 34-year old BMW.Hint 1: many web pages say you need to install relays, heavier wiring, etc before you install H1 and H4 bulb units. This may be true for American and Japanese cars, but German and Swedish cars came with lights like this on European models and were de-illuminated to comply with DOT standards for USA models. So the Hellas should be install-and-plug-in for German and Swedish cars. Sealed beam bulbs were probably a good idea in the 1930s and 1940s, but they did not keep up with technology, and these replaceable-bulb headlights are clearly superior.Hint 2: the warning sticker says not legal for road use. I have used H1 headlights on various cars since the 1970s, and no policeman or DOT inspector ever cared whatsoever.

These are bright and really update my old vehicle. You WILL need a separate wiring harness to provider power. In my old VW, the harness (from a 3rd party site) was about $45 and installation was easy. Install the lights without plugging them up. Connect the special harness to one of the low beams plugs from the car you would normally connect to the headlight. Them connect the other plugs from the new harness to all 4 bulbs (2 low beams, two high for a Scriocco or BMW). Connect the two ground wires and then connect the power lead from the new harness to the battery. When you turn on your lights, the Hellas will get additional power from the battery and your original wires will not get cooked.

The media could not be loaded. 1971 Buick Riviera.I didn't like driving the car at night with the standard Wagner sealed beam halogen lamps I bought when I restored the car. I replaced them with these Hella products:Hella 002425811 Hlmp Kit 5 3/4" 135Mm H1 12V EceHella 002850811 Hlmp Kit 5 3/4" 135Mm H4 12V EceWhat a difference! Yes, the front face of the lamps is flatter than original, but no one has noticed. They have noticed the wire harness and relays I installed to switch the power, but I wanted the option to upgrade to 100W bulbs in the future. In the attached video, these are the standard H1 and H4 bulbs.The reflector assemblies fit in the bucket with the factory retaining rings, however, I wasn't able to use the dust boots and will have to take out the headlamp buckets and do a little opening so the dust boots will fit.I'm eyeing up an old C2 Vette to tour the nation with and I will definitely order these again so I can see at night.

It's amazing how much a quality set of headlights can remake the front end of an automobile (& your beam pattern and visibility at night). These lights and their complimentary high/low beams were an *excellent* upgrade and enhance the look in a way you can't quite put your finger on.

I would give it a 4 but it seems that Hella doesn't care. I contacted support with a few questions and never heard back.The good: I put these in an older GMC. They fit nicely. Beam pattern is good. Glass and housing appeared clear of defects. Much brighter than standard sealed beams.The bad: Wiring is a joke for these. There is a "conversion" harness that is nothing more than a two loose wires. The rubber seal doesn't provide anyway to pass through the wiring. Box says made in Germany, housing says made in Romania, and the bulb in India. Wires weren't labelled so I guess these, or the box, could have been made in Germany.

I used these headlamps to replace the original style headlights in my 1967 GMC pickup and all I can say is WOW, now I can actually see the road while driving. Once you flick the high beams on you can almost see into the next county! Will be buying another set for some of my other classic cars!!!

I LOVe Hella lamps, but these don't fit in a C3 corvette. While the H4 does fit - the backs are too large on the H1 to fit in the housing. I purchased these fore a R107 280SL and they worked great.

Bulb and ground terminals are male blade type, oriented 90 degrees apart. I expected them to be parallel. They are also recessed into what I’ll call a weather cap and the blades do not extend above the cap. For these reasons, plugging directly into the existing or even a new connector is not possible. 2 short jumper wires with blade connectors at each end, one male and one female, are provided. The intention, apparently, is to use these 2 wires to jumper from the bulb and ground terminals to the existing connector. The existing connector would then have to be secured in some way inside the headlight assembly or left to jiggle around. I don’t see how this connection can possibly be weather tight so I plan to eliminate the old connector and to wire directly to the bulb and ground blade connectors. I may simply cut off the male blade connectors from the jumper wires and also cut off my existing connector. I’ll then use weather-proof butt connectors to splice the jumper wire to my existing wiring. I’m not an expert, but I don’t care for this design. I will make it work but did not expect an issue like this. Hella can do better.