Toyota MR2 Message Board - View Single Post - MK1 Autopal headlights and Two's R Us Break lines?

FelipeT · 04-20-2009, 02:26 PM

I don't know how much help this will be, but...

I'd be very wary about shopping strictly by price for H4 housings. Keep in mind that this is something that has to be very precisely made, to have a decent beam pattern. This is even more true for the "Diamond Cut" style lamps where the lens doesn't have any of the flutes to fine tune the light pattern. (In other words, the reflector has to be perfect.)

In any case, I don't have any personal experience with the AutoPal lamps, but I have been running a set of Hella H4 lamps in my Probe for the past 12 years or so. They're great. The nice thing about them is that they are all glass (instead of glass and plastic like the AutoPal lamps appear to be) so that you don't have issues with the housings melting if you run higher wattage bulbs.

You can actually order the Hellas through AutoZone for about as much (little) as you can anywhere else when you consider that they don't charge for shipping. Here's the info in case anyone is interested:

003427811 --- 190 x 132mm H4 High/Low Beam Rectangular Headlamp Kit..... $73.99

Yes, pricey, I know but worth it, in my opinion. I plan on getting some for my MR2 after I've finished my 20V swap.

A friend of mine has also run both Hella and Bosch lamps and he tells me that he liked the Bosch better, but they are becoming difficult to find these days.

Also, you're spot-on about the blue bulbs. They are for looks, not for looking. Putting a blue filter on the bulb can only decrease the available light!

04-20-2009, 02:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
FelipeT No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 16 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I don't know how much help this will be, but... I'd be very wary about shopping strictly by price for H4 housings. Keep in mind that this is something that has to be very precisely made, to have a decent beam pattern. This is even more true for the "Diamond Cut" style lamps where the lens doesn't have any of the flutes to fine tune the light pattern. (In other words, the reflector has to be perfect.) In any case, I don't have any personal experience with the AutoPal lamps, but I have been running a set of Hella H4 lamps in my Probe for the past 12 years or so. They're great. The nice thing about them is that they are all glass (instead of glass and plastic like the AutoPal lamps appear to be) so that you don't have issues with the housings melting if you run higher wattage bulbs. You can actually order the Hellas through AutoZone for about as much (little) as you can anywhere else when you consider that they don't charge for shipping. Here's the info in case anyone is interested: 003427811 --- 190 x 132mm H4 High/Low Beam Rectangular Headlamp Kit..... $73.99 Yes, pricey, I know but worth it, in my opinion. I plan on getting some for my MR2 after I've finished my 20V swap. A friend of mine has also run both Hella and Bosch lamps and he tells me that he liked the Bosch better, but they are becoming difficult to find these days. Also, you're spot-on about the blue bulbs. They are for looks, not for looking. Putting a blue filter on the bulb can only decrease the available light!