Hi JR,

Very good article.  The vanagon has a particular problem with sharp-cutoff
lens assemblies.   You have to compromise the aiming to accommodate the
position of the lens with respect to the road.

That's probably why the separate high beam system was included in the
design.

The aiming tradeoff works like this.  To achieve optimum sharp-cutoff low
beam pattern on the road of course not on the garage wall, you must aim the
headlight slightly higher than it's original design height.  This puts your
high beam pattern too high for best road use.  The article mentions the
excellent Marchal Ampilux 7" dual reflector lens assemblies that provide
independently aimable high and low beam reflectors.

Of course if you keep the original headlight lenses you don't have an aiming
problem, you just have terrible headlight patterns no matter what you try.
PP design of the lenses in my exalted and enlightnened opinion.  Adding more
intensity via a more powerful bulb is like pouring coffee into a drunk.  You
start with a stumbly sleepy drunk and end up with a wired, hyperactive, even
more obnoxious drunk.  Neither is a desirable result IMEAEO.

Ampilux are NLA for decades and priced accordingly on the auction market.
(>100USD per used lens)  but they are the answer for the particular vanagon
problem.

Of course you could use the shotgun on the mouse approach popular with the
jacked up truck or FJ crowd.  Just add more lights...lots more lights and
...

Light em all up, Leroy.

Pensionerd.  Has one set of NLA Vintage Bi Oscars for sale at 250 USD /
pair. Ideal for your unimog, snowplow or vintage UrQ
  On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:00 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:

> Here is a really good discussion with diagrams on headlight
> construction, installations, alignment, and operation. Goes well with
> Daniel Sterns discussion on headlights.
>
> http://what-when-how.com/**automobile/headlight-**automobile/<http://what-when-how.com/automobile/headlight-automobile/>
>
> John
>
> --
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com <http://www.moldhaus.com/>
>