Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Head light deflectors - trad Morgan

Unbelievably naive question this!
What part of the headlamps do you put the obscuring tape?
The group of Morgans I travel with put it on in approximately the 8 to 9 o'lock position when viewed from the front. Both lights.
However I've come across photographs in Miscellany where it's on the opposite side, 3 to 4 o'clock position. The number plates are correct so the photogrpa isn't reversed!

Think that it should be 8 to 9. On some headlight lenses there is a triangular marking about where the tape has to go.

People probably put it at 3 to 4 because it is the passenger side that needs to be cut off, but I think that the way the lens works is to invert and reverse the image.

Alb, with the tape you are effectively obscuring the upward flick of lighting on the left hand side of a UK car looking forward.
The upward flick is used in the UK to illuminate the pathway for pedestrians and other obstructions.
Line up the car if front of a wall or garage door, switch on the dipped headlamps
and look for the upward flick of light and then position a piece of card over the lit headlamp to give you an idea of where the tape needs to be positioned.
Failing that buy a set from Halfords, the sets contain a guide to where to position the tape.

The correct position on a trad is the 8 o'clock position. The guide included with "Eurolights" doesn't include Morgan but it does have lots of drawings

8.00 to 9.00 is correct.

If you look at the headlamps from the front there is a triangular mark on the left hand side of the glass which shows correct position.

I just use insulating tape to cover the area, much cheaper than buying a mask

+1

Two wrongs don't make a right etc but we always are warned that it's a requirement and we'll face hefty fines in Europe if we don't alter our lights the authorities will even say you have fitted them incorrectly and fine you, what is the actual law though? the only requirement is so that you don't dazzle on coming drivers bit odd as that is the very job of a DRL - that's another subject though.

In the UK how many LHD vehicles do you see wearing beam adaptors or cut off tapes that are fitted with RHT lights?

I got pulled over by the Police in France because I had UK plates trying to say my headlamps as they didn't have stickers on them were illegal and was going to fine me! erm the smart Roadster has Hella units which you can physically switch to which ever traffic - which is what I do at the ferry terminal it takes about 20 minutes, you can't put stickers on projector lamps effectively! when I showed him the beam was set to RHT the same as their car.

All I got in the way of an apology was a very slow check of my paper work checking my tyres and the rest of the cars lights were functioning some comment about the reversing and rear fog being handed wrongly and then some grumpy dismissal of us.

They were purely being nasty as we were on UK plates.

I wonder if the UK Police targeted foreign vehicles lights in the UK how soon it would be before we got ordered to desist by Europe?

Reading some other forums from Europe to UK a lot take the attitude they don't bother as so many headlights over here are poorly adjusted, others that it's not a requirement as far as they are aware.

One of those subjects that makes my blood boil you may have spotted!


As the Mog uses effectively landrover 7" lamps the cut off would be the same for them tape or adaptor wise.

Careful of the adhesive on the tape used for any period of extended use probably okay on actual glass but it can effect polycarbonate lights.

Another story on the friendlyness of the French Police.

I was stopped in the E Coupe and asked to show I had all the things needed to be carried. I had everything including had a Mercedes bulb kit but the "Officer" said "where is the headlight bulb".
I told him that Mercedes don't sell bulbs as if the HID unit goes it can only be fitted by a garage. I got a tirade about German cars, Germans and a lot of other stuff, but was allowed to go....

I love France but some of the officials can be less than charming....

It is for this reason that I carry a spare HID bulb in the Merc even though it's too fiddley a job to do at the roadside.
It is interesting to note that replacement of the headlamp bulb in the Renault Megane is quoted by dealers as taking about 2 hours, involving removal of bumper or wheel according to model.

Thanks for the advice gentlemen. I'd already put tape on at 8 to 9 when I began to have self doubts! Hence my query.
Off to Spain on Tuesday evening for eight days using the Portsmouth Santander ferry.
Weather there can't be as bad as Cumbria today and tomorrow. Very wet and cold; M6 wont be much fun on Monday.