European Thunderbird Headlamp Assemblies

Digitalchaos

Registered User
Some may recall a thread similar to this in the past dealing with the topic of European Thunderbirds and what they used for headlamps. Unfortunately at that time we were unable to locate additional information.

Hence I would like to raise the subject again:

Does anyone know if a Thunderbird was marketed exclusively to Europe based on the MN12 chassis, and if it had lighting in accordance with their specs?

It seems they are more updated, and the lenses in European cars are a common swap with American cars when available because they exceed DOT standards in performance. I believe they also do this legally...

Opinions / facts anyone?
 
I am fairly certain that regardless of whether or not an item meets or exceeds DOT standards, unless it is DOT certified, it is not legal for on road use...

examples:

Motorcycle Helmets
Car Tires
 
Also-Thunderbirds built in the United States, Canada and Mexico for export all used the same headlamp assembly-if they were modified once they arrived in Europe that was the owner's affair.

You can see Euopean Thunderbirds at the TBird Registry-www.tbirdregistry.com
 
It looks like they are all the same plastic reflector assemblies.

I was hopeing to open an avenue for improving our reflectors!

I know there are aftermarket lenses available for many modern cars, I can never find anything but the factory style for ours though. That would make a good item to sell I think...
 
Main problem is that Ford has not released the rights to produce the headlamps and deck-mount taillamps yet-that won't take place until the end of the 2004 model year.

At that time you'll see aftermarket mfgs produce better lamp assemblies
 
British Headlights

Back in '81 I bought a new Mercury product & shipped it to England. I did have to replace the headlights, ($50 ea.). That was because the law requred "Wrong-Hand-Drive" headlights. The fluting on the lenses needed to direct the light to the opposite side of the road.

I bought LOTS of those $50 headlights! It seems that "the Queens Pheasants" like to commit suicide by leaping in front of speeding American cars!!!!!!

30 days after I took posssesion of my brand new '89 XR-7, I put it on a ship for Germany. There was no requirement to change the headlights there. They just weren't as bright as the headlights on european cars.

68COUGAR
 
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Hello from Norway.
The T-birds I've seen in Norway have the original head lamps.
They do put in European lights when they can.
I have a permit for the head lights, from the Norwegian DMW, to show when I do the smog check every 2nd year on my car.
Vidar.
 
I remember when I lived in France several years ago, all the cars had to have yellow head lights. I guess this was because of the regular fog in the mornings. I guess a old MN12 car would pass inspection with these old yellowed lights :) Total junk lighting...
 
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but in a picture shown on the news of the earthquake in Iran I saw a MN-12 T-bird with rubble on the hood. Who knew?

Ron
 
So concensous I'm getting here is that it isn't possible to get European, non-DOT headlights for the T-bird?

I have a pair of 200mm Cibie headlights for my RX7 with replacement bulbs (80W low beam, 100W high) and I absolutely love them. I hate driving the SC at night because I feel like I can't see anything. With the lensing of the Cibie's, I've never even been "flashed" regarding my low-beams.

If we can't go European, can we at least get some HID xeon lights?
 
Re: 200mm Cibie Headlights

rock5 said:
I have a pair of 200mm Cibie headlights for my RX7

Are you saying that you got have European lenses that fit your Mazda, OR that you have some Auxiliary lights?

68COUGAR
 
SCvidar said:
Hello from Norway.
The T-birds I've seen in Norway have the original head lamps.
They do put in European lights when they can.
I have a permit for the head lights, from the Norwegian DMW, to show when I do the smog check every 2nd year on my car.
Vidar.

Vidar, could we persuade you to call the local Norway Ford dealership and ask if they can get "E" code headlights for your T-bird? Please.
(BTW "E2" should be the German/mainland Europe code)

That should end this debate.

On the other hand if Ford does make the "E" code headlights, expect people to ask you if you could fedex some care packages from Norway. I know I would be one of them.

I looked long and hard for a while but never found out if Ford ever made an MN12 for use outside of North America. Ford would not have been required to make a Euro spec headlight for our cars unless they where offically imported into a country that required Euro spec lights. Mexico and Canada get the same DOT POS as people in the states.
 
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Re: Re: 200mm Cibie Headlights

68COUGAR said:
Are you saying that you got have European lenses that fit your Mazda, OR that you have some Auxiliary lights?

68COUGAR
The RX7 accepts as stock 200mm glass headlamps. Similarly, the Miata accepts glass 7" round lamps. Cibie makes replacement lamps with the same plugs and everything.

Of course, these cars have pop-up lights. The problem is with integrated plastic headlights. Even if you replaced the bulb, the lensing isn't any better. To my knowledge, Cibie only makes standard glass replacement units.
 
RichM said:
On the other hand if Ford does make the "E" code headlights, expect people to ask you if you could fedex some care packages from Norway. I know I would be one of them.

I'd be right behind you.

I want better headlights!!
bouncer.gif
 
Hi
The SC's in Norway are privat import cars, maybe less than 10 cars, so the Norwegian DMW gave these a dispensation for the
headlights from the E-code. I guess they could not find a headlight to fit nice on the car.
Like I told RichM in a PM, there was a guy on this forum that would
try to fit HID lights in the stock units.
I called a dealer in Norway today, and the guy said they have got headlight units from Brazil to some of the cars they had sold.
That was for vans and trucks that has the plastic lenses.
Vidar.:)
 
Vidar, thanks for checking.

I never got around to checking to see if the Headlights from a 96' CrownVictoria would fit in the 89-93 T-birds. The shapes are very similar. That may be one option, if the mounting is the same in the back. I'm fairly sure that Ford exported the Crown Victoria to at least to some Middle East countries.
 
I havnt read the posts so I may be just saying what someone else has already stated..However..Cars made in the US and sent overseas retain the same headlights as far as i know..Only european cars comming to the US need to change the headlighst to meet dot specs
 
You could try custom mounting a set of JDM Integra Type R headlamps. They're a little longer than ours so you'd have to cut the center of your hood a little and maybe a little shorter. But you can get them w/ or w/o HID.

ITRclip_1a.jpg
 
I tried to match the Crown Vic headlights to my '92 at one time. The crown Vic headlight is longer than the SC headlight - even though they look the same. The mounts will not line up to the headlamp mount panel.

I guess if you have a fiberglass hood it could be done with a little shaving. But there's the issue of the headlamp mount panel.

It's a shame they won't go in cause they look nicer that our headlamps.

Has anyone gotten their hands on the Integra Type R headlamp houning to see if it can be installed?

Mark
'93 SC
 
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