APF bulb positioning.

[jansens]

I am trying to get the final few details done before I can get my car road legal (I hope!). 

One of the last things it headlamps. Ian kindly provided a nice set of shells I cleaned up and I previously bought new 7 workshop reflectors. These take APF bulbs. These obviously need to go up the right way so the two filaments are positioned correctly. One is flat and the other U shaped. I am guessing the flat is the high beam and goes to the top and the curved is the dipped? Which way up should they go? Or do people just rotate them until they seem right? 

I will eventually look at LED replacements but these can be a bit of a grey area here if they are not 'approved' ones. I suspect for normal WOFs (our MOT) no one would care but as I need my car re-vinned I am sticking to normal bulbs for now since I can be sure they can't complain about them!

Simon

Just editing this: Actually LEDS might be fine in older cars here in NZ. It all gets a bit complicated but I think only cars after a certain age need certified ones. This is where it gets tricky though as it's not based on the age of the car itself but when it was first registered.

[JonE]

Simon - I haven't got a bulb in front of me but I've used those reflectors before. Is there not a tang, albeit small, which determines? Don't know if this helps...

https://aus7in.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/...f-fitting/

I've recently found the motorcycle BPF reflectors which appeared cheaply on ebay WITH lens glass to be far better value, for those of us who aren't too worried about the originality of the glass.

[Colin Reed]

HI Simon,
If the car was built or modified before Jan 1992 does not need to comply 
After that date it does so fitting LED or Standard bulbs will not be a problem.
Am assuming you are dealing with a LVV certifier if not would recommend as you will need one.

Colin
NZ

[Stuart Joseph]

Good morning.

If you look at the bulbs from the front, one filament is on the centre line and one above or below depending on how you are holding it. The filament on the c/l is main the other dip. the dip should be at 12 o'clock which should have the black earth lead pointing upwards.

Regards from the creative county - Staffordshire

Stuart

[jansens]

Thanks for the comments. I think once I have the actual lamp bodies mounted it should be easy enough to rotate them to see what works best. Black lead up seems to be right at the moment.

Colin, one of my jobs this long weekend is sort out who I need to talk to LVV wise in Wellington. I can get the VCC to say the car is period correct, just the rest I am not sure about. My Riley 9 will be more interesting as it has a replica chassis (but everything else period correct) so I definitely need the LVV involved there. I want to get that sorted now at the start of the project so they are involved at all stages. I think there are 4 certfiers in Wellington but I am not sure who is best for vintage cars though. My plan is to ring Rod Brayshaw as I am sure he can point me in the right direction.

Simon

[Colin Reed]

Hi simon,
Only three have certification for scratch built in Wellington
Julian Cheer  0276074969

Marty jones  0274466443

Ken Mc adam 0276744811
Give them a phone and ask if they are conversant with your type of project.
Hope that helps

Colin 
NZ

[jansens]

Just adding this for completeness and for anyone looking in the future. Stuart is correct, the curved filament was the main and the straight one is the dipped and that goes at the top of the bulb in the car. It was hard to tell which was on the centre line so I had to do a few trial fits with a large box sitting in front of the car to see the pattern. Then confirmed it later once it got dark outside. Just have to accurately position them now.

The info is in here: https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/v.../headlamps

Always tricky to understand since they say what makes a car fail not what makes it pass but it has charts there showing the pattern.

Simon