Classic 7-inch Round Shootout
Classic 7-inch Round Shootout
Because we are traveling in a car from the 1930s, we hope you are wearing your tweed jacket and ivy cap! Kind of. We are currently testing 7" circular headlights on a Mercedes-Benz Gazelle from 1975, which is a model of a 1929 Mercedes-Benz SSK. The final vehicle that Ferdinand Porsche created before quitting the firm to launch his own.
Older vehicles are infamous for having subpar headlights. There are few alternatives to the feeble and unreliable OEM lights, particularly if you're after period-correct lighting. For your antique car, we have evaluated eight headlights to assist you in choosing the finest one in terms of quality and light production.
THE GAZELLE
The renowned 1929 Mercedes-Benz SSK, which formerly held the production automobile top speed record (120 mph!), is obviously the source of inspiration for the Gazelle, which is probably driven by both tenured academics and dentists. The Gazelle modified the sleek roadster design by incorporating components from several automobiles. The chassis of this specific prototype is an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle.
You also had a heater, a tape player, and an AM/FM radio. On the original automobile, they neatly omitted a few things. You could get the car as a kit if you were feeling very adventurous. This provided you with valuable time to assemble the vehicle and a diversion before the next Dallas episode aired on CBS on Saturdays.
ABOUT OUR TEST
We'll examine how well these headlights work, more precisely, their hue, brightness, and perceived beam pattern. The quality of these lights and their compatibility with your vintage vehicle are other important considerations.
These headlights must function correctly for both your own and other people's safety. In general, classic cars are smaller than current models and don't have as many reflectors. However, in order to make sure you travel home safely, you want your vintage car's headlights to produce high-quality light.
THE TEST
This Gazelle's nearly brand-new GE halogen headlights serve as a standard for our examination. This is an example of the ideal lighting situation for your vintage vehicle. The more you use them, the less bright they will get. Therefore, it's likely that your output is poor if you haven't replaced your headlights yet.
Stock Light
On low beam, we tested our light at a maximum of 820 Lux. To do this, we placed the light 25 feet from a wall and used a Lux meter to measure its brightness. Despite its brightness, the center of this light contains all of its power. Although there won't be much width, you will be far from the lights.
The low beam has a similar problem as the high beam: low visibility and a maximum resolution of 1680. Though not where it matters, Lux is bright.
The OEM sealed beam light is frequently brighter than the upgrade, so bear that in mind during the test. The beam pattern and enhanced quality of these lights are the proper upgrades. It's also important to remember that LED bulbs last a lot longer than halogen ones.
Quake LED Headlight
Quake LED is the company that sells these headlights most frequently; however, they are available for almost nothing on Amazon or eBay. You are wasting your money if you decide to use these. We tested them at 140 maximum Lux, which is 82 percent less light than the default halogen housing. Additionally, the beam pattern lacks a hotspot and is really poor.
The Quake LED was tested at 660 maximum lumens for the high beam, which is 61% less bright than stock. The beam pattern is also worthless.
Holley RetroBright LED Headlight
Holley is a pioneer in the field of vintage automobiles. They have entered the lighting market with their RetroBright LED headlights. Although there are brighter housings available designed for motorbikes, Holley's RetroBright is the best option for vintage automobile style.
Three distinct hues are available for them. There's a 3000K "classic white" light that looks a lot like the OEM lights you're used to. One type of 5700K light that produces a bluer hue is called "modern white." The RetroBright, which is designed for your European-inspired project, is the last one. It has a yellow hue.
The low and high beam lights were tested at 620 max. Lux (24 percent less bright than factory) and 920 max. Lux (45 percent less bright than standard), starting with the yellow variant. Although they lack the OEM sealed beams' brightness, they do have a much superior beam pattern that is more uniformly light throughout.
The RetroBright offers a 33 percent boost and a larger beam pattern between its low and high beams.
We tested the "classic white" 3000K version at a maximum of 680. 1030 max and low beam lux. High beam of light. The beam pattern compensates for the 17 and 39% brightness difference between these and the factory lights.
The 5700K RetroBright LED headlight in "modern white" is the last one. Both the low beam and the high beam were tested at 870 max. Lux (6 percent brighter) and 1420 max. Lux (15 percent less bright), respectively. In our test, this headlight's low beam is the most colorful. Its color temperature, which does affect a light's intensity, is partly to blame.
JW Speaker EVO 2 Classic 8700
This American business has long held a prominent position in the automobile lighting industry and produces a line of "classic" headlights. Although it features fluting on the inside for some style points, this light is identical to the one seen on their Harley and Jeep 8700 headlights.
Two little D-shaped projectors and two very substantial spherical projectors are located on each side. To create your beam pattern, all six projectors work together.
The ultra-sharp beam pattern is more significant and more constant, and the low beam was tested at 610 max—Lux, which is 25% less bright.
1140 max. Lux was used to test the high beam. Despite being 32% less bright than the original light, this beam pattern is still stunning. This LED headlight's height and width are indicative of an off-road light.
VintageLEDs.com Classic Light
A commenter suggested this, and we would appreciate the opportunity to test various lights that you have either tried or are considering.
A few things work against these from VintageLEDs.com right away. First, the glass's "E" designation indicates that it is built to European specifications and is not DOT-compliant. Second, the housing and LED bulb have not been manufactured together. As a result, you will discover that the LED bulb is incompatible with this halogen bulb-designed housing.
These are 66 percent less bright than the standard lights, which we tested at 280 max. Lux. Regretfully, the beam pattern is poor. Its intensity is inconsistent, and the pattern's shape was arbitrarily created.
The same cannot be true for the high beam we tested at 1440 max. Lux. The beam pattern here is fairly decent, although it is 14% less bright than the original light. The drawback is that you must set your low beams to be the better of the two beam patterns because you spend most of your driving time at night with them on.
VintageLEDs.com Classic Light
A commenter suggested this, and we would appreciate the opportunity to test various lights that you have either tried or are considering.
A few things work against these from VintageLEDs.com right away. First, the glass's "E" designation indicates that it is built to European specifications and is not DOT-compliant. Second, the housing and LED bulb have not been manufactured together. As a result, you will discover that the LED bulb is incompatible with this halogen bulb-designed housing.
These are 66 percent less bright than the standard lights, which we tested at 280 max. Lux. Regretfully, the beam pattern is poor. Its intensity is inconsistent, and the pattern's shape was arbitrarily created.
Dapper Lighting
We were successful in obtaining two of Dapper Lighting's best headlamp choices for the 7-inch round market. Since they are a very well-known brand in the world of vintage cars, we were interested in learning more about their actual performance.
About ten years ago, projectors were widely used for their V1 headlight. Additionally, because it is smaller than usual, the beam pattern will be smaller. But it will fit your headlight bucket perfectly.
The maximum Lux we used for testing was 220, which is 73% less light. The low beam's brightness is poor despite the excellent beam pattern. It isn't enjoyable that the 200 max. Lux (88 percent less light) is on a high beam. The light becomes dimmer when the internal shutter opens up for the high beam because it no longer reflects compounds.
Although the V2's projector is more recent, the housing is larger. The small size in which the halogen-sealed beam headlights were initially sold may make it difficult for you to put this lamp in your headlight bucket.
When tested on a low beam, Dapper Lighting's V2 was at 370 max—Lux, which is 55% less bright. A very contemporary beam pattern is obtained, just like with the V1. It is not as comprehensive or reliable as the other entries on this list, though. It is 76% less bright on a high beam at 400 maximum lumens. The design is excellent, but it lacks sufficient brightness.
CONCLUSION
As previously stated, the OEM light will be brighter than all of these aftermarket lights. Since the OEM halogen headlight's entire brightness is centered in the center, that is not as significant in this case. The beam pattern of the finest aftermarket lights we evaluated, which tries to improve the driver's vision, comes in second only to brightness.
We tested a number of them today, and the Holley RetroBright LED Headlight is the best. Its beam pattern, color choices, and period-appropriate style are all excellent for your car. Moreover, it is available in several sizes to accommodate a range of vintage automobiles.