For those planning a BX trip to the continent

[Philip Chidlow]

Might be useful.

[Vanny]

That's damn handy Phil, i usually dont bother because i've never found a set in the shop that has legible instructions. You couldn't get instructions any more specific i guess.

[citsncycles]

For tightwads like myself, I find a couple of minutes with masking tape over the indicated area works perfectly well as anti-dazzle, albiet at the expense of some overall brightness

[mds141]

Nice one Phil. Looks like the template that Kermit used in Calais for our cars.

[Birotor]

Never done it any other way going back to 1972 when I did buy a pair. I used to make my rally numbers with black Fablon and keep a roll handy and keep the template in the glove compartment permanently. Interestingly the bought ones I remember were shiny silver on the side against the glass no doubt in some futile attempt to bounce the wasted light back onto the reflector. On 1972 French market ie LHD GSs there is no need for them as the lamps have two positions and are rotated to get the appropriate kick up on dip.

[citsncycles]

Yep, I have a tungsten bulb unit spare for mine that does the same. Most A series headlamps do the same thing, or can be made to do so with the careful measuring and cutting of an extra slot for the bulbs locating lug.

I've heard of people doing the same with a halogen unit with the handed glass, but I've not tried it myself

[Birotor]

Mike
Re the GS positionable tungsten bulb - As far as I can see only the 1972 1220 Confort Owners Handbook has instructions on how to do the position of the Tungsten bulbs......

[citsncycles]

I don't know where this particular unit came from originally - it was fitted to my car when I bought it, but the other side was a halogen unit and both had been changed to get it through an MOT 6 months previously. I now have a matched pair of halogen units fitted, but originally it had the twin bulb lamps - I have one in good condition waiting for a match to it so that it can one day be returned to original.

Both my 1973 and 1976 Dyanes have headlights where the bulbs can be positioned for UK or Europe, but there's no mention of it in the handbooks for either. I think the fitting of this facility has more to do with who supplied Citroen the lights than any decision on the part of Citroen itself.

[electrokid]

Cutting off one of the three lugs on the standard bulb (the largest lug IIRC but that might not be right) allows the bulb to be rotated about 20 degrees. This allows the standard UK headlamp to be adjusted to 'vertical dip' without the side lobe to the left. Vertical dip used to be an option (in the 1970s ) for people who regularly drove on the continent.

Modifying to vertical dip would be legal for the UK and for France - but I wouldn't want to argue the case with a french policeman who was itching to relieve the bloody foreigner of some Euros.

Useful info Phil

[mat_fenwick]

It's the middle lug (which I think is the biggest) that needs to be removed. Jaba was showing us youngsters the same trick back in May...

[docchevron]

I have a set of LHD headlamps for such occassions..

[Birotor]

Mike personally I think it applied to all 1972 GS Confort LHD cars irrespective of the headlamp supplier. This was the period of the progress from Tungsten dipping bulbs to the next stage when the mainbeam was a separate H4 bulb and dip was the dipped beam of the tungsten bulb and then to H4 only. My first GS I bought in December 1972 was a six months old ex-demonstrator 1015 Club and had the two separate bulbs. I looked at one of the very first 1972 RHD1220 GSs (only Conforts were available - my wife insisted we bought the 1015 Club) which was in the workshop that December still coated in transit wax. The headlamp with the two bulb H4/Tungsten combo was only available in the Club version. My current October GS 1120 LHD car has little sliders which are moved to provide alternative positions, Rob M of Chevronics had never seen them nor had his MOT garage. Id love to take on les flics if they stopped me in the LHD car minus beam correctors. Besides it has been scrutineered many times by Federation Francaise Sport Auto (the French FIA) for road compliance with the le Code Legal.
I have just been and checked the BX16TGs with its correct left dipping head lamps and the bulb mount moulding simulates the early metal location of the GS in that the bulb looking forward is biased anti clockwise simulating the effect as in the slider days of moving the slider in the direction of the side of the road on which you are driving. Incidentally on DIY fudging, from my historic 911 Porsche experience the company warn against this as the lenses are different and you should swop headlamps complete and not fudge lens location.
My apologies for all this GS stuff but it is where the BX came from - God knows how because the BX is so superior in every respect!

[mat_fenwick]

No need to apologise, it's interesting stuff!

[mds141]

Seconded.

[Birotor]

In line 6 of what I posted at 5:18 today I put 1120 but of course meant 1220! Incidentally my recently acquired BX 16 TGS Estate with its 25,000 miles looks as though it could be an ex Citroen UK fleet car. The Registration Number is West Sussex and the plates are marked CITROEN UK ie not a dealer. Checks are under way to see if this can be verified.