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  • Round headlight conversion

    Hey guys, I decided to do a write-up on my round headlights conversion. I know there is already one by monkeyracing about making some with Rabbit parts, but since I couldn't find Rabbit headlight buckets (all the junkyards sent their Rabbits to the crusher) I settled on Golf GTI MK2 headlights:



    But like I said in another post, the GTI headlights are not sealed beams; it's a headlight with tabs on the reflector, with the adjusting screws going through them to the metal bracket. And best of all, the bulbs are 9004s, like the Festiva, so if you get a nice set, just find a way to mount the brackets on you Festy, plug them in and you're done. But the set I got for real cheap had a cracked lens and the lenses were so aged they looked like they got sandblasted, and I already had brand new 7" halo headlights collecting dust. So I measured and while the GTI headlights may be listed as 7", they are more like 7,5". So the 7" H4 conversions you see for sale on ebay fit perfectly into a GTI reflector, which is what I did, so here's the how-to.

    -First, get some gloves, glasses, and a shirt (not a t-shirt) and using a punch and a hammer, break the glass lens, and make sure to get all the glass and hardened adhesive off. The remaining glass and adhesive comes off easily with a punch and hammer. Also remove the black metal shield that goes over the bulb, inside the reflector. You should be left with this:


    -Next, cut away the bulb's socket, up to between the bulb shield's mounting bosses, like this:





    -Then, you have to grind away the inside ridge were the lens used to sit:


    After:


    And finally, epoxy your 7" H4 conversion of choice in the GTI's bucket, but making sure you have enough room in the back to remove the boot if you ever need to replace the bulb, applying the glue on the lip where the original lens used to sit, clamp everything down and let dry:



    -And here's the final product!!!




    I'll have them mounted on my car in the next few days, so I'll add another part soon, which will be about mounting them, had making the clear covers.
    The left lane? Are you crazy!!! I never drive in the left lane...It's full of freaks driving the wrong way and charging right at you!!!

  • #2
    Outstanding! Very nicely documented! Can't wait to see it in the car.

    Focustiva: Because I was told it was was impossible to fit a Focus bumper on a Festiva.
    In memory of Dean Allen - V8 Festiva 1955-2010

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    • #3
      One thing I want to add, is that in a way, all this work is kinda for nothing, because I saw some halo GTI headlights on ebay but only after I bought all my parts. The only upside is that instead of paying about 80$ US + shipping for the GTI halos, I built my own for 20$ US+ shipping for my 7" universal halo h4 conversion, and 20$ CAN for the VW headlights (around 15$ US) so I saved a few bucks. The only reason that I would be ready to pay more for the VW halos is because they came with a white halo ring, while mine came with a blue ring, which I think looks a bit ricey...
      Last edited by Pocket_Rocket; 11-25-2008, 11:31 PM.
      The left lane? Are you crazy!!! I never drive in the left lane...It's full of freaks driving the wrong way and charging right at you!!!

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      • #4
        Oh and after a little research, it seems like many of the GTI smoke, cross hair, or halo headlights on ebay work with H4 bulbs, so the plug-and-play 9004 bulbs may only be available on OEM GTI headlights after all, kind of like those GTI halos where made like using universal H4 conversions like I did...
        The left lane? Are you crazy!!! I never drive in the left lane...It's full of freaks driving the wrong way and charging right at you!!!

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        • #5
          Nice work, what type of glue did you use?
          Renegade-Midwest Festiva Inc.Illinois Chapter

          93 Festiva L Aspire 5sp Lots of upgrades & mods
          99 Dodge Caravan SE
          95 Taurus SHO auto 265hp
          94 F150 351W auto (for sale)
          78 Chevy elcamino 500hp 383 stroker
          78 Chrysler Cordoba 360 (for sale)
          03 Harley Davidson Electra Glide
          95 Honda 1500 Goldwing SE
          95 F150 4X4 6 inch lift,38" mudders
          95 Iszuzu Trooper LS

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          • #6
            It was called "Gorilla Glue", because it's super strong and waterproof, but mainly because it expands 3 to 4 times its original volume, so it can fill in the imperfections from grinding, and the bit of space between the two parts (7" diameter for the H4 conversion versus about 7,5" for the GTI reflector) and when dry, it looks a lot like urethane foam, but harder, so I guess the excess can be sanded down, but haven't tried it yet.
            The left lane? Are you crazy!!! I never drive in the left lane...It's full of freaks driving the wrong way and charging right at you!!!

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            • #7
              Yeah that stuff is amazing. You should be able to sand it down with no problem.
              Search Master - Honorary Member of Midwest Festiva Inc., Gulf Coast Chapter

              Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.
              - Unknown
              I don't like superstitious people. They're bad luck. - Serge A. Storms

              If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.
              - Quentin Crisp

              God, please save me from your followers!
              - Bumper Sticker

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              • #8
                Originally posted by sam.1956 View Post
                Outstanding! Very nicely documented! Can't wait to see it in the car.
                nice mod!

                -"Hairlipstiva" 1991 GL 5spd (swapped from an auto), rolling on Enkei 14x6 +38 with 195/45/14 Toyo's, Jensen MP5720 CD deck, tach install, LED strip in cluster, down position rear wiper, FMS springs, Gabriel shocks on 4 corners, Acura Integra short shifter
                -Escort GT 91 donor car with BP, G5M-R tranny to be dropped in the little guy...
                -Aspire brake swap COMPLETE!
                https://www.wunderground.com/persona...?ID=KOKOWASS38

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                • #9
                  she'd been nursin also; so hope bambi awrite

                  Wish I'd a had a camera then...

                  In '87 I'd been up near Canada north of Spokena living awhile theer at Onion Creek; ans getting all over the local cash crop, which meant in fact ebing at teh rattlesnake ridge annex a little while previous to comin bak "on da crrek"

                  So, that yeaer the accumulation fo road kill deer had been such that a person easily was never out of site on eny given stretch of roadway of at least one and often two many times; and locals were tanningh hydes illeagal like gonaoutsyl

                  Soo, this onea monin Id beena drivn like thisryfive or along Lake Roseveldt n out froma behin a guard rak this doesom jupm nlike eyney contac was ha for hs hiet me rifhjt frone feneada SMAKK ndie.

                  I'd ahd a 5 pon sdeledge hammerr in board so spene 3 1/2 hours pound that goid Nazi sheet metl on eh VW to me able to dirve away agin...

                  Aneud at Jonh & Linad's there on Onion Creek where I'd been headed I'd fournd a couple of headlkgihts to fix the plaec id had one excpt

                  the one on the top on the right was from a '59 RAMBLER and EDSEL like I'd stacked them with underneath a FIAT all done with rope and wire; but aimed as well as a factory set up so driving thrree eyed all over the place which may still be in existence since sold ASIS($200*) to Todd Molyneux in Spokane the fall of '94 who'd has his own VW little wrecking yard there...even the aluminum Rambler eyebrow....and with a '59 Chevy APACHE chrome fender emblem upside down covering the crease on the top of the '66 VW fender I'd pounded out so nearly a straight line somehow...THOR is ME, BOBSTAD!!!
                  (and wolfed down a venison burger @ that year's next barter faire...you killit you eatit, as my grndfthr oncemorethanmayonce had said?)

                  *first offer a grocery bag of red-dirt marijuana, and the ten twenties instead looked as if each from inside the heel of someone's shuck taylors about a year or two...(not exactly grand theft auto, but with a nearly unused...say less than 300 miles since installed that august by me, ghia III dragster trans-axle from a project car being parted out after seven years of sitting unfinished in a el cerrito, ca garage; with the motor i'd overhauled like ten thousand miles previous, including of course overhaul of both twin carbs and getting sometimes thirty-five mpg and definitely 33 always on the open road, 27 around town, no oil leak and finally the factory oil cooler removed and a remote inside the left rear fender air duct with a Perma-cool replacement included if anyone really wanted to make my ride into the POIFEECT...awesome '50 one ton Chevrolet crummy panel truck front bucket seats with the shotgun a fold up to allow easy rear seat access to a pair of '67 Camero front buckets in the rear bolted to a special bracket I'd fashion ingeniously out of a single piece of flat galvanized[don't forget them gals!] sheet metal, which allowed both seats to tilt forward together so as to allow access to the battery or whatever...seating only once with me, Derrick, Miah/Maya and another adult youth we'd purloined without resistance to drive from Spokaloo to that year's healer's gathering at the Aneas Valley site when I'd initiated the "mudman" craze of full clothing optional fun by laying in the black inky mud of the creek next to the sauna area which caught on like the charred black sticks from the ashes wildfire our numerous cadre' soon became I'd guess in '90; which was most intense coming back on the Republic-Keller Ferry highway, for an intense rainstorm so driving and heavy that many branches had fallen from trees onto the road and we'd sat as we drove with rain pounding like thunder the sheet metal just above our heads and making the air lush with negative ions all around us like towering amongst the treetops with Julia Butterfly peaking...(or is that Bejing?)
                  Last edited by bobstad; 11-26-2008, 08:50 PM. Reason: HMMM..
                  '91 Festiva L/'73 Windsor Carrera Sport custom

                  (aka "Jazz Bobstad," "The BobWhan," etc.)

                  Art is the means whereby(a) society advances: Religion is the definition of the parameters of art. Poetry is the actualization of these...

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                  • #10
                    what is that?
                    92 Festiva - 1.3L 5sp work in progress DD
                    87 MJ - 4.0L AX-15 231 Dual 44's with Detroits and 4.56's TnT Long-Arms and 35x12.5 Claws

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                    • #11
                      more obscure than not I guess?

                      I'd meant to say I'd ran into a deer and put a '59 Rambler headlight where the old '66 VW type III had been, with for good luck a Fiat one underneath like an Edsel; so two on the passenger side which killed the deer, one on top of the other like.

                      My testimonial to the thread as I admire the initiative and ingenuity; and have been looking around at other cars today and noticed a VW like the ones used here, which are massive!

                      I will be glad to see the "after" pics...no, not after a deer, either.(col..."cry out loud"?)



                      BTW goblazer_6: Guess you are there north of Portland a little ways? That is a nice place if you go up the river a little ways, but sort of weird along I-5.
                      '91 Festiva L/'73 Windsor Carrera Sport custom

                      (aka "Jazz Bobstad," "The BobWhan," etc.)

                      Art is the means whereby(a) society advances: Religion is the definition of the parameters of art. Poetry is the actualization of these...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        we want pics of it installed the the car!

                        -"Hairlipstiva" 1991 GL 5spd (swapped from an auto), rolling on Enkei 14x6 +38 with 195/45/14 Toyo's, Jensen MP5720 CD deck, tach install, LED strip in cluster, down position rear wiper, FMS springs, Gabriel shocks on 4 corners, Acura Integra short shifter
                        -Escort GT 91 donor car with BP, G5M-R tranny to be dropped in the little guy...
                        -Aspire brake swap COMPLETE!
                        https://www.wunderground.com/persona...?ID=KOKOWASS38

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Looks good, thanks for the info. Lets see it on the car before I do it, lol.
                          "If you're not first you're last!" -Ricky Bobby

                          -91L "Oliver" Now B6DE swapped with an ATX Capri ECU on a MTX!!!!
                          The little Festy that could...and did!
                          (Gone on to a new life)
                          -90 Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer

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