Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, I have just fitted some smoked rear lenses from Brickwerks ( Hella type ) and they look really good. However I only have the stock bulbs fitted, can these be upgraded , and if so what spec do I need to buy ? Any tips would be welcome, thanks.............

Standard lamps (bulbs) are fine in the legal smoked/tinted rear lenses, which I would imagine is what brickwerks sells.
You will be seen at night and during the day.... as long as you use your indicators and the brake switch is good and you remember to turn the lights on at night and your reversing switch is OK (and breath)
If you are that concerned then get a mate to stand behind the van at shouting distance and go through the lamps one by one, even better if he were to wear sunglasses on a cloudy day!

Id be interested in brighter bulbs too. i remember people talking about it on the samba. They're pretty small lights for a big van i think. .

I too have just fitted smoked rears and am looking to boost the lumens a bit. I have ordered some LED bulbs from http://www.hids4u.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll let you know how they look.

Had an MOT advisory on dim lights with my smoked rears so fixed it by taking them off.

The rear lights where never that bright. But first check the earth for the rear lights in the engine compartment either by the coil or on the rear panel is clean and the multiplug connections to the light clusters are clean.
Then I use halogen bulbs like these.

They make a noticeable improvement, don't bother with the indicator bulbs they are not on long enough too warm up and reach full brightness.


Available from
http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffybulbs.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BA15s 10W for the sidelights
BA15s 20W for brake, fog and reverse

bigherb wrote:
Available from
http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffybulbs.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BA15s 10W for the sidelights
BA15s 20W for brake, fog and reverse

Just a warning here. I used one of Goffy's halogen bulbs in the pilot light in a Triumph Thunderbird headlight. Due to the extra heat generated by a halogen bulb it melted the headlamp reflector and cost just shy of £200 to fix. So check your bulbholder after a short usage.

Wychall wrote: Just a warning here. I used one of Goffy's halogen bulbs in the pilot light in a Triumph Thunderbird headlight. Due to the extra heat generated by a halogen bulb it melted the headlamp reflector and cost just shy of £200 to fix. So check your bulbholder after a short usage.

You melted a headlamp reflector with a pilot bulb when it's got a headlamp bulb in there producing considerably more heat?

bigherb wrote: You melted a headlamp reflector with a pilot bulb when it's got a headlamp bulb in there producing considerably more heat?

The headlamp bulb was mounted in an alloy collar which acted as a heatsink. The pilot light bulb mounted directly into plastic.

Whatever you do, if you upgrade the tail lights, you MUST MUST MUST upgrade the brake lights, too. And if you're upgrading the brake lights, PLEASE upgrade the indicators.

Remember, if you brake at night, you NEED to have an easy instant visual differentiation so that the guy behind knows. Same if you're braking and indicating. Just look at some of those ridiculous modern tail light designs where you just can't see the indicators if the brake lights are on.

Quickest, easiest and most useful rear light upgrade? Add a high level brake light.

But, at the end of the day, if somebody doesn't see the back of your van, it's because they ain't looking - so no amount of extra or brighter lights are going to make a difference.

AdrianC wrote: Quickest, easiest and most useful rear light upgrade? Add a high level brake light.

That's a good idea (imho)

I find many of these trendy smoked indicators pretty useless to be honest.. for the purpose of making other road users aware of your intentions especially if the sun is out. Do they have a point or is it just another ruse to empty your wallet?