Many people ask us if they can get brighter bulbs for their Lucas fog or spot lamps. In the past, we have recommended a pair of our high-output halogen BPF bulbs, which we have sold for several years. But lately we have had several complaints from customers whose spot lamps (which they purchased from us) have cracked, possibly due to the heat generated by halogen bulbs.
One theory about this is that the bulb shield on Lucas accessory lamps is usually affixed to the glass by a screw, which goes into a chrome nipple on the outside of the glass. The heat from the halogen bulb, which is far greater than that produced by the original tungsten bulb, is transferred through the bulb shield to the glass, causing differential expansion of the brittle glass and then a crack.
The glass on reproduction lamps is also a good deal thinner than the original material, which may make these lamps more prone to damage from the high heat generated by halogen bulbs.
We no longer recommend the use of halogen bulbs in Lucas accessory lamps. We will be conducting research into the use of halogen bulbs in our lamps in the spring and summer but for the moment, DON'T USE HALOGEN BULBS IN YOUR LUCAS FOG OR SPOT LAMPS!
For more light output, we recommend the use of a relay and/or the use of an alternator, as the old generators do not out out a high enough voltage to compete with the lighting systems used on modern cars. Rogers Motors offers alternator conversion kits for most common generator-equipped British cars, at 10 percent off the Moss Motors list price. Contact us for details!
In the coming year, Rogers Motors expects to offer relay kits for headlamps and accessory lamps in the correct color codes for Lucas electrical systems, protected with a fuse and sold with or without a period-correct switch and switch panel.