Re: Passat Headlight Swap

[tnas@euronet.nl (Tom Nas)]

pbcrane@juno.com (Peter B Crane) wrote:

>I was looking through the January 1997 issue of Complete Car when i came
>across a comparison test between Audi's A4 and the new Passat, both
>equipped with the 1.9 TDI engine.  When I read the first articles about
>the new Volkswagen, they mentioned that the high line model would have a
>gas-discharge headlight option-way cool and great illumination.

>Since the Passat is based on a stretched chassis version of the A4 my
>imagination took over.  After looking at a side-by-side shot (in another
>mag, I forget which) This looked doable, might be just a direct headlight
>swap.

>Has anyone else considered this modification?

Considered, yes. Even looked at. And discarded.
This has been brought up on the list some time ago, and as one of my
neighbours has a '97 Passat, I looked closely at the headlights. Alas, no
go: the Passat's lights are *a lot* bigger, and the curvature is more
pronounced than the A4's.
In short- there are no two dimensions even slightly similar.

Your best bet would be to wait for the new A4-based S4, which -according to
preliminary reports- will have DE projector headlights at least in Euro
spec.
These are awesome lights and should drop right into your A4. This will be
no cheap swap though...

Tom
1988 80 1.8S (lights are somewhat better with H4 Gold bulbs)

 _______________________________________________________________________
 Tom Nas                                          Zeist, The Netherlands
 tnas@euronet.nl

           "The prince wants your daughter for his wife."
              "Well, tell him his wife can't have her."
                                         -- Blackadder III