Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Daytime Running Lights

I would like to fit some sort of daytime running lights to my 1996 plus 4. It would be good to hear what TM people have to say about the rights and wrongs of doing this.

Strictly speaking it seems virtually impossible to comply with all legislation when modifying an old car that hasn’t got type approval for the change. However people are doing it, with decent results, making it work as it should and turning them off automatically or dimming them, etc., etc.

At least one Morgan dealer is offering a conversion – see Miscellany.

I can see that there are a number of ways of doing it to consider:

The simplest, and possibly best, way might be to fit the 7” replacement headlight units offered on e-bay and having ‘angel eyes’ halo rings. Look under things for Landrover Defender. About £40 and sold as a direct replacement for 7” Wipac or Lucas units. It says 'will pass MOT'.

Another way is to change the headlights to units with sidelights (mine do not have them) and modify the wing-mounted lights to take LEDs. I believe there is an EU requirement for 25sq cm of area that this might not meet - but I'm not sure.

Yet again, a similar approach could be fitting LEDs in the sidelight part of the headlight and leaving the wing-mounted lights unchanged might work too.

There are also spot/driving laps offered with integral angel eyes – but I don’t want spotlights at all.

I have seen a control box on offer to do some of the switching and dimming needed within the circuitry for running lights, so there are even more combinations possible. Relays are probably needed with any arrangement but that is fairly easy to do.

What does everyone think about the subject? We fit more powerful headlamp bulbs than were envisaged when the car was designed and carry out lots of small changes that don’t meet regulations. Is this much different? Has anyone experience of what the powers that be, including insurance companies, think about it?

Comments, information and opinions welcomed.

Wouldn't it be a great deal simpler just to drive around with your headlights or sidelights on? It's dead easy to stick LED 'bulbs' in the wing lights.

In Italy it is actually required by law to have your headlights on or daytime running lights outside of urban areas. Many Italians are not even aware of this and think it only applies on the Autostrada when in fact it applies on any non-urban road.

I run my headlights all the time but the circuitry of the Morgan leaves the sidelights on when the ignition is off but the headlights left turned on. I am thinking of fitting a relay to make sure that the sidelights turn off too.

I fitted the "7 inch Angle Ring" headlights plus LEDs in the wing lights to Aldermog the Roadster. It wasn't a success, the LEDs are just not bright enough in daylight.

If you don't want to run with headlights on then the only solution, it seems to me, is to fit something like these, from WIPAC:

Circular DLR

instead of auxiliary lights.

DLRs must be wired to go off when the sidelights and headlights go on, as they are too bright for night use.

There are plenty of other DLR kits, but they seem all straight bars of LEDs and I can't see anywhere they might look acceptable on a Mog.

So, I drive with lights on when I feel people might not see me.

I have fited the defender type LED headlights to my Roadster and they work very well. It has since passed the MOT, so it does not appear to be an issue. As Peter J states, you need to wire in a relay to ensure the DRL switch off when the sidelights are switched on. Fairly simple and straight forward to do.

Neil

Having a black 2014 4/4 with quite a narrow profile I always run with headlights on....had some near misses on motorways with people drifting too close whilst trying to take photos with mobiles !!!!
Perhaps some people have not seen a Morgan before !!!

Headlights work for me


Regards

There are 3 and 9 watt eagle eye LEDs that may be mountable in the wing top lamps I don't have the assembly to play with though.

My thoughts exactly.

If someone's not looking, you could be lit up like a Christmas tree & they'd still ignore you..

I would have thought we could get LED's in the sidelights that would be bright enough.. after all the ones used by some cyclists are positively blinding!

May I add my twopenneth here? I think we need to think about driving. So for example on narrow roads here I use headlights and use all the road so that I can see and be seen. Similarly if the roads are overshaddowed by trees in summer. I don't use them all the time but try to plan far enough ahead to put them on, or sound the horn when a hazard (junction, wandering vehicle, bend with tractor approaching, because there's always a chance of finding someone overtaking on the bend) the list can be extensive but my point is that there is too much visual clutter on our roads and we need to act accordingly and not rely on the equipment. As others have said, people don't look, drive passively, and we all have to think for two or more. Hope that was alright.