Cibie headlights--"Z-beam" or regular?

Daniel Joshua Stern

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Oct 7, 1994, 9:02:34 PM10/7/94

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I want to install the seven-inch Cibie headlights on my 1965 Dodge. I
note that they make two styles, one called the "Z-beam" and a "regular"
H-4 style. Does anyone have any experience with either or both of
these? How do Cibie lights compare to Hella?

Please e-mail and/or post.

Thanks Much.
SL6 Dan
Daniel Stern
das...@gladstone.uoregon.edu

bob prohaska

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Oct 8, 1994, 3:33:32 AM10/8/94

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For my money, I'd go for the "regular" H4.

I've bought Zbeams, and H4 is better in all respects.
When halogen lights were rare, Zbeam had the advvantage
of formal legality, but modern lights are quite diverse
and H4 is better in terms of light control. H4's no longer
attract unwanted attention and are better lights.

Lee Levitt

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Oct 10, 1994, 9:44:10 PM10/10/94

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You're thinking of the Cibie Bobie, not the Zbeam. The difference
between the regular h4 and the Zbeam is the beam pattern. Most
h4s have a flat cutoff on th left side of the beam pattern and
a rise to the right. The Zbeam truncates the rise on the right
with a second higher flat cutoff:
/
/ --------
/ /
-----/ -------
regular Zbeam

The bobie, OTOH, was an early attempt at a sealed h4 setup.

Lots of people like the beam pattern of the Zbeam. I haven't
used them in a while and haven't had any problems with the
regular pattern.

Wheelman

Johann Schubert

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Oct 11, 1994, 7:01:23 PM10/11/94

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Daniel Joshua Stern (dastern@gladstone) wrote:
> I want to install the seven-inch Cibie headlights on my 1965 Dodge. I
> note that they make two styles, one called the "Z-beam" and a "regular"
> H-4 style. Does anyone have any experience with either or both of
> these? How do Cibie lights compare to Hella?

I've always preferred Cibie' to Hella and have been using them in various cars
since '72... The last I heard the was a problem getting Cibie' in the US.
If you've found a source, can you share it with us?

jes
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Daniel J. Stern

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Oct 11, 1994, 9:26:44 PM10/11/94

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I have two sources in Denver--it seems that the best places to look are
those places with names like "Euro-Sport" "Euro-Motor Enterprises" "Autohaus"
and other european-specialty places.

I'll get numbers on those Denver sources when I go back to Denver.

SL6 Dan

Lee Levitt

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Oct 12, 1994, 9:35:06 AM10/12/94

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In <CxJ6...@cup.hp.com> j...@hpamsh4.ptp.hp.com (Johann Schubert) writes:

>I've always preferred Cibie' to Hella and have been using them in various cars
>since '72... The last I heard the was a problem getting Cibie' in the US.
>If you've found a source, can you share it with us?

I believe that ipd in Portland Oregon offers Cibie headlamps, along with lots of
goodies for Volvos (suspension, engine, etc). Their number is 800 444-6473.

Wheelman