Beam Benders

[PicassoPigeon]

On my last trip to Norway I used the stick on headlamp beam benders, can anyone recomend where to get a good set of these for the Xantia?
Do they make reusable ones?

There are 3 cars going on our Norway trip my Xantia with wife and 3 boys in the back ages 1,3,7. Then my sister and brother in-law in their Ford Focus (57reg) with their 5yr old son and also my Mum,Dad and Auntie in their Nissan Micra (X reg)

My car will be the oldest on the trip we have all done this trip before back in 2005 when the only difference was my sister had a V reg Mondeo.

We will be driving from Plymouth up to the Travelodge Ferrybridge staying overnight.Then on to Newcastle the following day, on the ferry overnight crossing. Come into Stavanger and drive on to Vågå.

gav425

[citronut]

cant you just make your own with black insulation tape, two to three stips cut into a triangle, placed in such a way to eliminate the kick up, you can find this by standding a board in front of each head lamp
regards malcolm

ps.
preferably black board

[Gammy leg]

I've used the black tape method successfully over the years, but I'm now told that if you are stopped by the police abroad, they may not accept this 'heath-robinson' approach as suitable and issue you with a fine. Because of this I invested in a set of beam benders from Halfords last year. They were moderately successful, as I did still get a few flashes from oncoming traffic at night. The application list enclosed with the kit is huge, and, in the case of the Synergie, not particularly clear. A lot is left to your own perception as to where you should stick them because the headlight lens is lacking obvious datum points to work from.
These benders are also meant for single use only unless you can get hold of some kind of clear adhesive that never fully sets. The residue of last years trip is still stuck on my lenses, white spirit and acetone has failed to shift it. Petrol or meths may prove more effective.

Gammy

ps. if you send me a pm with model details I'll send an extract from fitting instructions if you want to try to fabricate something yourself.

[RichardW]

Trouble with Xantia ones is they are like 2 squares joined together by the corners in the middle. Makes the poor MK1 lights even worse.... They really are required on the Xantia though, as the lights (if you put decent bulbs in and / or fit relays) have a very distinct kick up on the nearside kerb that would seriously annoy the oncoming drivers.

[xantia_v6]

Are you talking about the early Mk1 Xantia headlights with lots of vertical fluting on the glass (93-96), or the late Mk1 Xantia headlights with less vertical fluting (96-97)? The later ones seem to respond quite well to a 2" square of black tape in the upper left quadrant, without affecting the the rest of the pattern very much.

[JohnD]

Trouble with Xantia ones is they are like 2 squares joined together by the corners in the middle. .

This is correct! They are the largest masks I've ever seen on a car but when applied properly, they are very effective. I ran a Xantia for eight years and took it abroad sveral times a year, often driving through the night. I made for myself two patterns from sheet aluminium. (Both lamps are different) When I wanted to use the masks, I laid the patterns on a piece of black Fablon and ran a Stanley knife around them. After the journey, I found they peeled off easily.

[KP]

Why not source some spare headlamp units from our foriegn friends and just swap them over as i doubt the police would be that bothered or even notice them in this country on your return for the 1 trip to the ferry and 1 trip back??