- My model of MX-5 is: 1
- I’m based near: Ely__
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: _a supplier of headlamps as my car has failed it’s Mot and action is to replace headlamps
_
You need 7" H4, without side light (pilot light). Most will stock lamps with the pilot light, because this is what Minis use. You can fit these (my first Eunos Roadster had these, and someone in Japan had actually wired up the useless side lamp).
The easy option is to buy lamps from MX5parts.
I recently changed from a set of Freeform headlamps to Lucas 328 (a more traditional glass unit, as close as I could get, in terms of quality, to Cibie, Hella, which seem to be longer available in RHD beam pattern).
Freeforms appeared about 10 years or so. Normal headlamps have a mirrored reflector (which is probably peeling on yours hence the NOT fail), and the beam direction set in the glass lens. Freeforms have the beam pattern moulded into the reflector, and a clear plastic lens. They have an updated appearance and won’t crack (plastic). Wipac and Ring sell these, the uual default brand now.
After 10 years, by cheap no brand Freeforms were heavily scratched; winter dirt bakes into the plastic, and they easily scratch when cleaning, unlike glass.
So I brought the Lucas 328s from David Manners, for a decent price.
After 25 years, the factory bulb connectors showed signs of shorting (brittle plastic, verdegris all over the connectors) so I also changed the connectors to ceramic ones (Ring)
Pleaed to have the Prince of Darkness on the Mazda.
Link:
MX5parts Wipac freeforms (“Crystal Clear”)
https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/headlamp-crystal-clear-mk1-p-1148.html
Unbranded headlamp, conventional glass
https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/headlamp-standard-halogen-mk1-p-202.html
From my research, the unbranded lamps tend to use Cibie or Hella patterns, but have much thinner glass.
Lucas isn’t Lucas anymore; some UK company brought the brand and designs, so I don’t know where they are made now. But they seem like nice quality.
For my Eunos, I picked up a pair of used Wipac Quadoptics on Ebay that had come off a Defender, still had Land Rover stickers on the back.
Fitted a set of Osram Nightbreakers and they were a massive improvement over the original sealed beam units (which were very poor!) but kept the OEM look.
When buying lights from MX5Parts you need to buy the dust boots separately.