So just got a 1978, I note that it has the USA headlights, my 87 came with the euro type lights, would like to add the euros to the 78. What does that require? Will start searching for them.
It’s a black on black five speed.

 

Pretty straight forward. I think I may have an extra set of the H4’s laying around.

 

They can be very expensive if you find the early ones, not easy to find these days. I don't know if you know this but your OB car should have the older style ones without the glass "point" on the top. They also come in two different hues on the glass. One type has a more beige tone in the glass and the other one has a more blue tone in the glass. When I bought my euro 1983 928s it had one of each colour mounted. It did not look good, very obvious as you can see on my car in the old pictures. Will leave some other pictures also as comparison..;







Newer style with the glasspoint..;

 

One car here has the newer style 8". The other two have the old style. I'm not saying the old style is necessarily worth their street price, but I can definitely say that the newer style is not. I cannot stand them. Big quality disparity.

 

If I understand you correctly here, you're saying that these older and newer 8-inch Bosch-produced headlights have clear quality differences? Besides the glass, I have seen them as quite similar. Please do tell me more about these quality-differences, interesting to learn about this..

 

I've never had an old style to fog up, chiefly.
The other big gripe you'll get from me is the brackets.
The u-clips limit the range by which you can adjust the painted covers such that they often require modification after the headlights are properly aimed.

I also don't care for adding shims where there were none previously. The headlight bracket relative to the actual support bracket is often lower in height, as viewed with the headlights up. If you're not careful, they'll rub the fender when they retract or on the way up & out. In that event, it's either shim the support bracket or go fiddling with other adjustments that you otherwise wouldn't need to.

Properly setting the new style can be painless or it can be a huge PITA. I understand the temptation to blame the cars, accident histories, POs, etc. That scoop just doesn't hold water. I've swapped in 3 sets of headlights into 2 different cars before just to verify fitment faults.

When I encounter a big fight trying to dial in fitment & functionality, it is always with what I call the "tall 8 inch" since it has the taller, defined point at 12 o'clock.

 

To clarify the glasspoint is newer style and the plane top is older (perhaps better fitment)?

 

Yes, the glasspoint is newer style. I'm not sure when they started using the newer kind, 1987 maybe? Anyone have info on this?

 

Yes, 1987.

 

I had some like these on my old car. It has to keep the chrome rings unfortunately.This is kind of a hybrid but it looks good with LED bulbs. Notice how this sealed beam edge is raised more like the Euro head






lights

 

Not just wider fitment adaptability..
An original '87-'95 light is miles ahead of the ones that Bosch has since reproduced. Those are the ones that really fog up. I don't even consider buying the later style unless a customer supplies them or I know their history.

With the early lights, it's a simple process. Age-related issues one can verify on a visual inspection & price. That's it.