TVR Griffith Lighting
Driving back from a race meeting at Oulton Park last year it was really difficult to see the road clearly unless main beam was also selected, compared to a modern car the lighting was diabolical so I decided to attempt some improvements. The rear lights on the Griffith are also poor especially the number plate back lighting that renders the plate virtually invisible. A situation that could prove hazardous if following cars cannot see you clearly. As a start I decided to make the number plate more visible.
1. Number Plate Lighting
The current arrangement has two 5 Watt festoon bulbs beneath small plastic panels in the base of the number plate well that is painted body colour (in my case metallic green), there is hardly any reflectance so the result at night is a barely legible number plate.
LED equivalent's are now freely available so the initial thought was to just replace them with LED's but LED's are much larger due to their heat sinks so would not fit below the plastic panels. After pondering for a while I decided to invert the plastic panels so that the LEDs now sit within the well rather than beneath it as seen left below. This did involve drilling a couple of holes in the well base as inverting the panel shifted the Philips screw positions.
1. Number Plate Lighting
The current arrangement has two 5 Watt festoon bulbs beneath small plastic panels in the base of the number plate well that is painted body colour (in my case metallic green), there is hardly any reflectance so the result at night is a barely legible number plate.
LED equivalent's are now freely available so the initial thought was to just replace them with LED's but LED's are much larger due to their heat sinks so would not fit below the plastic panels. After pondering for a while I decided to invert the plastic panels so that the LEDs now sit within the well rather than beneath it as seen left below. This did involve drilling a couple of holes in the well base as inverting the panel shifted the Philips screw positions.
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To increase the reflectance of the well I lined it with ordinary aluminium cooking foil using UHU glue. Angling the LEDs towards the back as in the right hand photo maximises the reflectance of the foil. The end result is seen below looks a bit crude but it certainly does the job.
The result can be judged by the final photo showing a vastly more legible plate but also increasing the visibility of the car from the rear that was the main reason for the change.
2. Interior Lights
The interior roof light and the passenger footwell light are pretty dim so I thought to try some LED bulbs.
Early cars appear to use 5 Watt Festoon fitting lamps but my car ( 1996) uses BA15s 5 Watt bulbs. A couple of standard negative earth LEDs were sourced but failed to operate correctly until I realised that both lights require Positive earth LEDs as earths are used to switch the lights on. Two of the type shown below were installed and have transformed the interior lighting. It is significantly brighter and also white rather than yellow light
Ford Transit Interior Rooflights
A word on the suppliers of LEDs may save a few problems
Ebay and other platforms are awash with all types of LEDs but unfortunately the quality of many leave a lot to be desired, common problems include: rapid unexplained flashing, very short life and indiscriminate beam patterns. Some UK suppliers have gone to the trouble of specifying the design of the LEDs they sell and rigorously testing them to ensure compatibility in Classic vehicles, they may cost a little more but in my book this approach can save you a lot of heart ache. Buying direct from China can prove successful but I prefer to purchase something tried and tested in the UK.
The legality of updating incandescent lighting to LEDs is a grey area but Duncan Rickards of Classic Car LEDs provided what I considered to be a most helpful summary:
"Generally LED conversions are not 100% road legal for all external bulbs, though ours all show the correct output and beam patterns (which many don't) so are not normally picked up by MOT testing and don't give glare to other road users. Many insurers are now becoming tolerant of them though and allowing the use of good quality LEDs such as ours, particularly on classics, as they are CE marked and they see them as a big safety improvement. Changing to LED for external lighting is a vehicle modification that you need to advise your insurer of as with any other modification from factory specification.
The changes made in May 2018 to UK MOT law banned HID conversion for headlamps and some inspectors are treating this as LED too though many customers are reporting passes since the change was made. We will not guarantee a pass though as the pass is at the discretion of the examiner. Other fittings such as sidelights, brake lights and indicators may be OK for MOT purposes but again this is at the discretion of the examiner and this does not make them road legal. A number of clubs we work with on regular basis have contacted their local MOT stations and have been advised that LED upgrades are fine in their view as long as the tests results are satisfactory. A small proportion have advised they would not pass a vehicle fitted with LED conversions."
Duncan Rickards
www.classiccarleds.co.uk
I have no connection with Classic Car LEDs other than being a very satisfied customer
Update
Since installing LED headlights the UK MOT regulations changed in March 2021. Now fitting LED bulbs in a light fitting designed for Quartz Iodine bulbs is an MOT failure. LED bulbs can only be fitted in a lamp unit specifically designed for LED bulbs.
3. Front Side Lights
The standard 5 Watt side lamp bulbs on the Griffith are pathetic reducing the potential visibility of the car to oncoming traffic.
I purchased two LEDS of the type illustrated on the left below:
The standard 5 Watt side lamp bulbs on the Griffith are pathetic reducing the potential visibility of the car to oncoming traffic.
I purchased two LEDS of the type illustrated on the left below:
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I have yet to road test them but the initial results are most impressive, a very bright white light and as with all LEDs the current consumption is a fraction of that taken by conventional incandescent bulbs.
Since fitting the sidelights I am very concerned that they will be too bright and cause glare to oncoming traffic so decided to try some less bright ones and see how they compare. The lower power LEDs shown above on the right were substituted and are producing a much brighter white light than the original incandescent bulbs but are not bright enough to cause glare to other motorists so a better solution.
4. Headlights
The original dipped beam headlights within the nacelles are very poor compared to current practise . Replacing the original bulbs with Night Breakers did offer some improvement but they were still only adequate, Night breakers also seem to have a very short life, I have a feeling that they are over driven i.e. would give the same light output and life as a normal bulb if operated at a lower voltage. TVR wiring in some areas is inadequate I measured a 1.8 volt drop from full battery voltage on the off side and a bit less on the nearside. It you connect full battery volts to the lamp bases the headlights immediately become brighter. Some owners have inserted a relay fed with full battery volts to power the lamps. Even with full voltage the original lamps and even Night Breakers are pitiful in comparison with current practice car lights.
The legal position regarding LED headlights is now clear but due to their far greater light output I decided to try them.
I purchased H1 LEDs from Classic Car LEDs seen above right.
An annoying problem with the Griffith headlamps is having to cut open the fibreglass cover to gain access, if my MOT tester decides that LED headlights are a fail I would then want to substitute ordinary incandescent bulbs to secure a pass. So I decided along with LED bulbs to also fit removable covers.
Several owners have already done this and the information is on "Piston Heads" if you can locate it. I believe the first post was by a Chimera owner several years ago and I remember ordering the same 4" boat hatch covers only to find they were far too small to fit over the Griffith aperture, the 4" measurement refers to the diameter of the actual hole in the hatch, not the external diameter.
I decided to try 5" covers and they seemed to be a good compromise, although the fibreglass inner wing has to be widened in parts to allow the cover to fit snugly. They also require fibre glass patch at the bottom to entirely cover the original aperture. The two photos show the cover loosely fitted to the inner wing with self tappers and the filler piece fashioned from the original fibre glass cover, but inverted to fill the gap. Finally fibreglass filler was used to seal the cover in place.
Another Griffith owner Alex, "Hedgehopper" on PistonHeads has fitted 6" covers and has done a much tidier job. Alex did point out that with his 6" hatches there was enough clearance for standard 15" wheels but that it would be worth checking if larger diameter wheels have been fitted. One advantage of the 5" hatches is that they fit closer to the inner wing. On balance with standard wheels I would have fitted 6" hatches for a neater and easier job. Before ordering hatches if you have larger wheels a quick test will establish if there is enough clearance. The outside diameter of the 5" hatches is 6.5" so the 6" ones would be about 7.5". Cut a thin strip of wood 7.5" long ( an old ruler would be fine) and place it across the headlight aperture it is then straightforward to see if the wheels have enough clearance.
Since fitting the sidelights I am very concerned that they will be too bright and cause glare to oncoming traffic so decided to try some less bright ones and see how they compare. The lower power LEDs shown above on the right were substituted and are producing a much brighter white light than the original incandescent bulbs but are not bright enough to cause glare to other motorists so a better solution.
4. Headlights
The original dipped beam headlights within the nacelles are very poor compared to current practise . Replacing the original bulbs with Night Breakers did offer some improvement but they were still only adequate, Night breakers also seem to have a very short life, I have a feeling that they are over driven i.e. would give the same light output and life as a normal bulb if operated at a lower voltage. TVR wiring in some areas is inadequate I measured a 1.8 volt drop from full battery voltage on the off side and a bit less on the nearside. It you connect full battery volts to the lamp bases the headlights immediately become brighter. Some owners have inserted a relay fed with full battery volts to power the lamps. Even with full voltage the original lamps and even Night Breakers are pitiful in comparison with current practice car lights.
The legal position regarding LED headlights is now clear but due to their far greater light output I decided to try them.
I purchased H1 LEDs from Classic Car LEDs seen above right.
An annoying problem with the Griffith headlamps is having to cut open the fibreglass cover to gain access, if my MOT tester decides that LED headlights are a fail I would then want to substitute ordinary incandescent bulbs to secure a pass. So I decided along with LED bulbs to also fit removable covers.
Several owners have already done this and the information is on "Piston Heads" if you can locate it. I believe the first post was by a Chimera owner several years ago and I remember ordering the same 4" boat hatch covers only to find they were far too small to fit over the Griffith aperture, the 4" measurement refers to the diameter of the actual hole in the hatch, not the external diameter.
I decided to try 5" covers and they seemed to be a good compromise, although the fibreglass inner wing has to be widened in parts to allow the cover to fit snugly. They also require fibre glass patch at the bottom to entirely cover the original aperture. The two photos show the cover loosely fitted to the inner wing with self tappers and the filler piece fashioned from the original fibre glass cover, but inverted to fill the gap. Finally fibreglass filler was used to seal the cover in place.
Another Griffith owner Alex, "Hedgehopper" on PistonHeads has fitted 6" covers and has done a much tidier job. Alex did point out that with his 6" hatches there was enough clearance for standard 15" wheels but that it would be worth checking if larger diameter wheels have been fitted. One advantage of the 5" hatches is that they fit closer to the inner wing. On balance with standard wheels I would have fitted 6" hatches for a neater and easier job. Before ordering hatches if you have larger wheels a quick test will establish if there is enough clearance. The outside diameter of the 5" hatches is 6.5" so the 6" ones would be about 7.5". Cut a thin strip of wood 7.5" long ( an old ruler would be fine) and place it across the headlight aperture it is then straightforward to see if the wheels have enough clearance.
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The LED headlights require a driver shown above on the right and this requires mounting somewhere. I fashioned a simple bracket out of thin brass and fixed the unit to the side of the aperture with two stainless bolts. Seen left below:
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The LED may be seen fitted above right. There is adequate room behind the LED heat sink to the hatch cover, 2.5" on the off side and 1.5" on the nearside. Quite a surprise to see that the layout of the inner wings are so asymmetric. As TVRs were constructed by hand perhaps not quite such a shock, and its very likely that no two cars are exactly the same. As the car is currently off the road for the winter it will be a while before testing the lights in earnest but initial indications are that there will be a significant improvement.
Interestingly when applying full battery volts to the LED drivers no improvement in brightness was noticable presumably for two reasons; the LEDs take significantly less current than original bulbs and the particular H1 type chosen have a wide voltage range from 6 to 24 volts.
5. Reversing Lights
The original reversing lights were OK but I decided to try some LEDs. A couple of 12 volt negative earth bright white BA15s base LEDS as seen left below were installed. The improvement is significant and well worth the effort.
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6. Rear Side/Fog Lights
The existing incandescent BAZ15 bulbs were OK but I decided to try some LEDs. The type above right were installed and although not vastly brighter the overall effect was a more even and rounded light output. Anything that improves the visibility of the rear of the car to following motorists has to be a step in the right direction. These side/fog lights in conjunction with the vastly improved number plate lights will I am sure make night driving a lot safer
The existing incandescent BAZ15 bulbs were OK but I decided to try some LEDs. The type above right were installed and although not vastly brighter the overall effect was a more even and rounded light output. Anything that improves the visibility of the rear of the car to following motorists has to be a step in the right direction. These side/fog lights in conjunction with the vastly improved number plate lights will I am sure make night driving a lot safer
Update To Dipped Lights
As the regulations have now changed regarding the retro-fitting of LED bulbs in non designed LED lamps I decided to look again at the dipped light voltages with a view to improvement. As before the voltage on the off side measured around 10 volts while the near side was slightly higher. Earthing was seen as a possible problem but feeding battery -ve direct to the dipped beam bulbs had no effect. Some owners have fitted relays to feed full battery 12 volts to the dipped beams and I decided to do the same.
Where is the best place to site relays? The fuse box would be ideal but there is no room. The engine bay could be used but without protection the relay would be open to the elements. Another consideration is finding a location convenient for the new 12 volt battery feed and the circuit switching the dipped beams. I decided to opt for the near side inner wing as it was relatively easy to run battery 12 volts to here and it was close to the switching wire for the dipped lamps. A small hole was cut in the inner wing to house a new brass plate with the relay and fuse attached. See photos below:
As the regulations have now changed regarding the retro-fitting of LED bulbs in non designed LED lamps I decided to look again at the dipped light voltages with a view to improvement. As before the voltage on the off side measured around 10 volts while the near side was slightly higher. Earthing was seen as a possible problem but feeding battery -ve direct to the dipped beam bulbs had no effect. Some owners have fitted relays to feed full battery 12 volts to the dipped beams and I decided to do the same.
Where is the best place to site relays? The fuse box would be ideal but there is no room. The engine bay could be used but without protection the relay would be open to the elements. Another consideration is finding a location convenient for the new 12 volt battery feed and the circuit switching the dipped beams. I decided to opt for the near side inner wing as it was relatively easy to run battery 12 volts to here and it was close to the switching wire for the dipped lamps. A small hole was cut in the inner wing to house a new brass plate with the relay and fuse attached. See photos below:
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The original wiring for the dipped headlights runs from the fuse box Relay 2 ( on my car) inside the near side inner wing and terminates on the near side dipped beam bulb holder. There are two Red/blue wires connected to the bulb holder the relay 2 feed ( thicker wire) and a thinner one feeding the off side dipped beam bulb running within the loom behind the front grille. The thicker wire is used to operate the new relay, the relay earth is connected to the dipped beam bulb holder earth. The battery +12 volts is fed from the 50 Amp fuse. I have relocated the 50 Amp fuse on the inner wing see photo above right so it was fairly convenient to drill a hole and pass it through the inner wing. New 2.0mm (25Amp) guage wire was used for the battery feed and for connecting both dipped beam bulbs. This new 12 volt feed is seperately fused at 15 Amps on the relay panel.
The result is considerably brighter dipped beams but compared to modern cars still relatively dim.
Several owners have installed this modification and they may well have arranged things very differently. This is just the way I chose to do it.
The result is considerably brighter dipped beams but compared to modern cars still relatively dim.
Several owners have installed this modification and they may well have arranged things very differently. This is just the way I chose to do it.