Pagoda SL Group

W113 Pagoda SL Group => Electrical and Instruments => Topic started by: Kayvan on March 22, 2013, 03:48:33

Title: Headlight Door options (U.S.): Lens / inner Fog / Full Door
Post by: Kayvan on March 22, 2013, 03:48:33

What' are current options for getting a headlight door with clear fog light?

I notice many vendors offer just the lens (ebay) for $250  and others offer a modified / newer version lens with a later style blinker/fog unit?

Buds Benz offers a complete headlight unit again with still another newer internal style fog unit

I know BOSCH and Classic Center offer the OEM U.S. style door with clear fog lens for like $750+

Did vendors come up with an internal fog unit ? it looks different than my fog reflector

So what's the best option folks have used?

Title: Re: Headlight Door options (U.S.): Lens / inner Fog / Full Door
Post by: pagoden on March 24, 2013, 09:52:04

Assuming US-style headlight hardware, it sounds like you're looking for units designated AC, in use up to October of '68, according to our Tech Manual [Lights/Headlight Assembly/ US light assembly, Types, Styles]. I have these on my earlyish 280SL, as assembled in mid-August, and I enjoy using them in the early evening summer hours as well as the occasional fog we see on the mid-Atlantic coast, but for your location it's no doubt a more practical matter.  Beware the AN assemblies, as illustrated in the TM: they look the same externally but don't have the internal fittings for the foggers.  [I imagine they might be retro-fitable if you had the parts, though.]  These designations appear on the plastic lenses.  And, speaking of retro-fitting, check to assure parts-swapping has not resulted in an AC door fitted onto an AN matrix.  For most effective fog-seeing you may need to go to the independent units; our president, Peter van Es, runs them on his Pagoda and drives in serious European rallyes but I'm not sure what combination of lenses he employs.   Good hunting.