LED Headlamps

Finished the wiring for the headlights, whether they are MOT legal or not is yet to be tested.

The LED headlight lamps I chose had a built in quirk that they would not light full beam and dip beam at the same time. My loom tried to illuminate both when on full beam - and for a long while I've just planned the fix.

The LED bulbs have deflectors for dip/main to move the light generation point appropriately for my lenses. LED pictured top using the same connector and a built in fan, high intensity halogen H4 bottom.

Two choices - dive into the fusebox again and adjust the headlight circuit or, what I decided on, a flying loom in the front of the car to cut the dip beam when full beam is on. The circuit is designed to be non-destructive by plugging into the existing loom and will still work with normal H4 bulbs:

Picked up on the same colour scheme as the existing loom with high enough gauge to also support normal bulbs, if the LEDS don't make it through MOT then I can simply revert the bulbs and leave this circuit in place.

My least favourite part of the car, I just can't seem to make it look tidy - the new flying loom plugs into one side of the headlight feed then connects to the headlight leads. The relay mounted to the existing horn attachment point.

Works well enough - the relay on the flying loom simply cuts power to dip when it sees main, no changes required to existing switches or fusebox, the dip pattern seems to work - although not completely visible on these pictures - horizontal top with a kick up to the near side.

Dip, Full beams, lenses themselves look like they need rotating to get a level output.

Next step is run the lights through an alignment test and confirm if I'm legal.
To be continued...

Update - Bigclive.com Youtube channel just did a teardown and explanation of these bulbs, bears our my experience with them not supporting main and dip on at the same time. Very interesting.

Seven badge

At last! 

Decent outside temperatures, no snow, and I'm in the mood for a little tinkering.

I've had the battery on trickle charge since Vienna and run the engine up to temperature every 6 weeks or so but the car hasn't been out, hasn't even been washed. Sometimes the weather and life just conspire against you.

Seven

A chrome 'Seven' badge originally designed for the boot of an Austin Mini installed on the grille.

I wouldn't put a lotus badge on the Zero, it just isn't one nor trying to be one, but I think 'Seven' is now a generic enough term for this style of car. No offence intended to original Lotus Seven, Caterham Seven or Austin Seven owners!

Just need to paint the aluminium support under the radiator black and job is a goodun!

While the nose is off for this job, I need to finish the headlights with a small additional loom, and potentially reinstall the timing belt cover behind the balancing pulley.