I just acquired a 1980 242 with the single round headlights and am wondering if the quads from an 81 will fit in without much adjustment. And would I need any new relays etc or just plug into the existing harness? Car has 39000 on a rebuild and a new tranny, but a bent control arm. I figure it's worth my time. Bob

I really like the looks of the quads better than the 2 rounds, but if the light output is that much better I'll stick with the rounds for awhile. Thanks for your input. Bob

Switched mine for the same reason. I love the quad look. The silverstars are still a good option if you're not wanting to do a composite conversion.

If you would like to use E-codes without new wiring or relays (plug and play) try this:

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/7in.asp


Mario
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'I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane' Waylon Jennings

Bob, everything is a direct bolt-in. You will also need the headlight "mini-harness" from the 4-light car. It takes the two-pin connector for the lights to two headlight plugs per side, rather than one.

If you work slow, it will take 1/2 hour. Do it if you like the looks, but be aware that apples to apples, the 7" round is the best light out there.
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'73 142, '75 242, '75 245, '80 245, '86 244, '87 745T

Just get a pair of sylvania silverstars. It's a direct replacement and gives a huge (IMHO) upgrade in light output. I'm not sure why people go to so much trouble with headlight swaps when these silverstars are available. Granted, they are $50 a pair but...how much is your time worth?

Good suggestion. But the car in question is an '80 model and probably still has sealed beam headlamps. If so the Silverstars won't be of any use unless Bob wants to buy some composite lamps, which for that particular car are not all that expensive. That would be the way to go IMO. I want to do this on my own '80 model.
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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

These are the sealed beam replacements. H6024ST. They are a direct swap on my 1979 242DL...

Ha! I even searched for 'Silverstar' before my first message to see if maybe that was what you meant and turned up nothing but replacement bulbs. Didn't search far enough, I guess. Thanks for setting me straight. What sort of life expectancy do the sealed beams have?
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'80 DL 2 door, '89 DL Wagon

Well, Sylvania says they have a 1yr life expectancy...no difference with the sealed beam style. I think they way under estimate though. I've had a set on my Audi for almost 2 years and they are still going strong. The Audi has daytime running lights too. Anyway, they have about 1/2 the rated operating life of a standard halogen but put out about 50% more light...give and take. A good performance compromise is the Xtra Vision bulb which puts out about 30% more light but is not as white of light as the silverstar. The Xtra Vision actually has twice the rated life of a standard halogen...All in all, I think replacing the standard halogen bulb with a higher performing bulb is the answer.