Olds 88 headlight recommendation

[Hollow]

Howdy all.

We're getting our hand-me-down 1992 Olds 88 next month. Where we live there is decent lighting in the city, and lots of dark once you're out in the mountains again. So, any illumination I can squeeze out within reason (no blue, no HID, no extreme white/blue etc)is a good thing.

Online looking tells me the 88 takes 9006 low beams and 9005 high beams. Good, simple to find type with plenty of good options for improvement over stock. Yay.

Now, our Subaru uses 9005 as high beams, and I've changed those over for the 9011 HIR1 bulb, which really improved my viability. Can anyone comment if it is worth it to do a 9006 to 9012 and 9005 to 9011 conversion on an H body? The more expensive bulb doesn't bother me if improvement is worth it, but I have no experience with early 90's GM headlights.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I would advise against the HIR2 in an H-body like this. The headlamp optics are simply not that good and there's not a good upper cut-off to control glare. So while glare was acceptable with these optics with stock bulbs, it would likely be too much with over-powered bulbs.

For an HB4/9006, I'd recommend the Philips Vision Plus, GE Nighthawk, or Sylvania Xtravision, and probably in that order. The Sylvanias are available just about everywhere, but country of origin is sometimes spotty in the North American bulb specs like this one. The Philips and GE are usually either US-made, German-made, or Hungarian-made.

 

[Hollow]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll probably put a set of Phillips VisionPlus (just put a set in the Outback) in for the 9006 lows, and test the 9011 HIR1 bulbs from the Outback for the highs. If the focus isn't great the extra light won't do me any favors on back roads.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The HIR1 for high beams should be okay I'd think. Beam focus shouldn't change all that much...the filament in an HIR1/2 is in the exact same place as in an HB3/4. The problem is there just isn't a whole lot of it (good beam focus) in those older GM lamps. I had similar lamps on my '97 Cadillac Seville.

 

[Danno]

If the headlights are "frosted" or UV fogged, consider using a head light restore kit.

Some tips here as well.

http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-Oxidized-Cloudy-Headlights-with-a-Headlight-Cleaner

 

[sciphi]

I'd swap over the HIR bulbs and see how they do in those multi-prism lenses. Worst case they don't work.

Given the pathetic wiring that GM used for headlights on that generation and how it's a 22 year old car, I'd upgrade at least the low beams with a wiring harness. $10-15 on Ebay will get a single-relay harness with 9006 plugs on the ends. Hook it to the battery (the terminal end will fit, although some trimming of the rubber boot is necessary) then to the headlights. That made a noticeable difference on my old 1999 LeSabre. I only did low beams since the 9005's (and later 9011's since it was a clear lens) were bright enough by themselves.

If the HIR's don't work out, look into a better 9006 like a few other posters have said.

 

[Hollow]

This car is getting fixed on a budget. It's been pretty well neglected for the past many years being a literal "little old lady's" car to go to church, store, and appointments. I'm getting it as she can no longer drive and has had a few fender benders in the past couple years.

Considering I need to go to a junkyard to find a new front bumper assembly and side mirror, and will probably rattle can them myself to keep costs down...I'm not sure if the cost of HIR bulbs will be justified the more I think about it. By the time I have the new tires, bumper, mirror, and a tune up completed I'll have spent as much on repair as I did on buying it. Hoping to get a few years out of it until my wife and I find steady work.