Switching headlights between MK1s

[cruddler]

Hi,
I've had a quick scour of the forum but dont believe this has been covered.
I have just bought a RHD Mk1 Ford Galaxy to replace my dead Mk1 VW Sharan. As I intend to register it in France, I thought I could swap my LHD headlights from the Sharan on to the Galaxy. As expected they fit nicely but what I didnt realise at first is that the glass is moulded slightly differently meaning that the grill wont attach again. 

So, this is probably a slightly daft question, but what makes the headlights LHD? Is it the lens/glass or is it the orientation of the bulb inside the housing? If it's the latter I can swap them over, if it's the former, I'll need to source new glass

Thanks for any help

[KingyMAK]

I think changing the whole front end would solve the problem! 

I believe the reflectors/projection is different, as UK reflect a lot of light to the left due to driving on the left.

[cruddler]

I did actually consider swapping my Red Sharan grille for the Blue Galaxy grille but decided against it

[brianh]

There are 4 reflectors and 4 lenses listed on microcat, 1 for each side in both LHD and RHD varients. that suggests that those bits would need swapping over.

Realistically your looking at a pair of headlights unless the sharan reflectors can be fitted into the galaxy ones (don't know if that can be done) You'd probably do better to source the correct units and remove the ones off your Sharan and stick them on eBay/flog them elsewhere to get some cash back

[sparky Paul]

After the actual headlamp casing and insides of the Sharan headlamps the same as the Galaxy ones? Is the differences in shape only in the moulding of the glass? Or are they obviously different?

If they are the same, and the units you have are the same as the ones fitted to my old mk.1, what you may be able to do is change the front glasses over - put your Sharan front glasses onto the LHD Galaxy lamps.

I had a stone go through one of mine, and I obtained a cheap secondhand replacement - but it had a mount broke off. I removed the clips holding the glasses on, carefully prised them out and swapped them over. The glasses were not glued in place, only the clips held them in. There is a gasket behind the glass which does hold on to the glass a bit, but if I remember, the glass came out fairly easily.

[brianh]

The glass on the Alhambra (and by extension the Sharan) is a different shape - I know this from the buyer of the old bumper from mine, he had driven into a bollard to try and exit a carpark that he hadn't see and bent his front bumper and smashed the grille. The bumper off mine was fine, but that grille above the bumper is different as the one he had the lower edge of the headlights were different.

If the glass can be removed from the Sharan lights then that should work, but you'd need to take the reflector across as well from the lhd lights else the beam pattern won't be right. Your right, the only things that hold the lenses on are the metal clips, though the gasket can stick it isn't glued in place or anything just requires careful prising.

[sparky Paul]

what you may be able to do is change the front glasses over - put your Sharan front glasses onto the LHD Galaxy lamps.

Of course, what I meant was the other way round  ... put the Galaxy front glasses onto the old Sharan headlamps.

[brianh]

That won't work out to give the right beam if the parts list is correct, both the reflectors and the lenses make it a lhd unit. Taking the Sharan lenses and reflectors and putting them into the Galaxy lights would work, if they will fit (don't know if they will or won't fit, only person that could confirm this is the OP).

It might be easier to look for a Sharan Grille in the right colour and just use the Sharan lights with that. The only problem i can see with that is that I suspect some of the colours only exist in Ford and others only VW/Seat. Don't know that for sure. Of course you could paint your existing grille to match?

[sparky Paul]

Yes, I guess the LHD/RHD lenses will be different too - you forget in these days of clear polycarbonate fronted headlamps.

If that's the case, the whole thing's a non-starter - back to plan A and spraying the old front grille to match the new car. At least it will be different!

[brianh]

Yep, Microcat confirms different numbers against both the lenses and reflectors for LHD Vs RHD