LocostUSA.com

For your and others' clarification, DOT does not approve anything. Any DOT markings on headlights are completely at the discretion of the manufacturer. Presumably they have tested them and know they meet the requirements. There is no such thing as "DOT Appproved" and there is no certificate. SAE and DOT are simply organizations that write the specifications.

SAE and DOT are almost like UL, but the difference is that in addition to writing the specifications, UL also tests or oversees the testing products to their specifications. There are also 3rd party companies that will also test to UL standards, such as ETL.

I too got an eMail. Presumably, you are in possession of Jack's eMail list as part of the sale and are contacting his past customers. I am not planning on building another Locost. As a result, I doubt if I will be ordering. Good luck with your new venture.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I have already placed a tiny order. Great site Ryan. I love that I can place an order online.
I also would like to find out about the GAZ coilovers as well, you will be selling them?
Since we are talking about DOT stuff, what kind of lights do I need to be legal? Only factory made lights(front and rear)?

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Tibor


'20 Alfa Romeo Stelvio daily
Locost/442E in progress

I guess there is a difference between legal and acceptable.

Headlight Revolution says. "In the United States, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment are regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Even though these types of LED lights can be used in place of an original halogen light bulb, it is not legal to use on vehicles registered for on-street use. This type of modification can only be done when used in a fog lamp application, dedicated off-road application, or in a jurisdiction outside the USA where this is allowed. For more information on how to determine if this type of product is safe to use, and legal to use on public roadways in the USA, Click Here for a more detailed breakdown of compliance."

Another answer

Any LED bulb, retrofit, or just an OEM swap, will not be DOT-approved in a headlight application. Typically fog lights, front/rear signals, and brake lights are the only exterior lights that are able to be LED retrofitted without worrying about their legality.

But let's be honest and real, I know a lot of people running aftermarket LED headlights, myself included in many vehicles I have owned. I have not been stopped for it, or ticketed or questioned. I assume that the only people who have to worry are those who need DOT inspections, like big rigs and commercial vehicles. Even they run aftermarket LED lights, I see them on the highway all the time.

So it is your choice if you want to see better at night or stay technically legal. From what I see on the roads around here, hundreds of people choose aftermarket LED lights, Almost every Jeep running around has some weird looking LED headlight in it.

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http://www.kineticvehicles.com

Jack here, and glad you asked.

I have retained the GAZ distributorship, and intend to put up a <GAZUSA.com> site in the near future. Until then, I will check my messages on LocostUSA.com daily. It's a job I can handle at the desk, and provide a service to both shock buyers and the guys and gals at GAZ. "Guys and gals at GAZ," say that one three times fast!

_________________
Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

Thanks for both of you.
I have asked about the lights, just until I register the car, after that I will be swapping out the lights to LEDs for sure.

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Tibor


'20 Alfa Romeo Stelvio daily
Locost/442E in progress

Another voice in the LED headlight/ DOT discussion..

If you're still running the old-school sealed beam 7" lights, you owe it to yourself to look into an LED alternative for your custom ride, legal or not. I swapped semi-sealed Amazon Special LED headlights (5.75") into my current microcar project, and the difference is simply amazing. The LEDs give a very sharp horizontal cutoff, and have drastically improved my confidence when driving at night. I was concerned about a sloppy pattern that might blind oncoming traffic (we've all seen that guy coming at us!), but I'm not him- I've never been flashed with these.. LED headlights are amazing, and while they're not all created equally, it's worth the time and effort to experiment with them.

I know my retrofitted LEDs are not "legal," but my car is illegal in at least a half-dozen other ways, so I know the score.. As I'm aging, I'm becoming less and less comfortable driving at night.. These little wonder LEDs have gotten me home comfortably several times.. I figure if the man wants to ticket me for my 'illegal' headlights while the rest of the world is buzzing around with their legal, albeit retina-searing LED stock headlights, then so be it..

--ccrunner

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Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

ccrunner, any particular recommendations for 5.75" dual beam?? Do they require any wiring changes? Russ

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You meet the nicest people in a Locost Se7en.

Here's what I used** Russ:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002 ... =UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/AUXITO-H4-Bright ... 172&sr=8-1

**These are not the exact H4 bulbs I used (-but they're close... it's been a few years and my exact vendor/ product can no longer be found).. The bulbs are where you need to experiment a bit.. Some have a better patten than others.. The set I used were 'plug and play' (like the link above).. no changes in wiring at all.. I got lucky and I'm perfectly happy with the first set of bulbs I tried. I can be overly frugal (read: cheap) at times, but this is one area I'd do all over again at double the cost.. It's wonderful to be able to actually see in the dark!

Aside/bonus: My car has a bike engine, so I have to be careful counting Watts so I don't overtax the charging system.. LEDs of course draw relatively little power, and using LED headlights has allowed me to ALSO run a pair of very bright LED yellow fog lights in the 'always on' position.. I did this because my car is quite low and small and hard to see.. With all of my LED lights on the front of the car, it's almost impossible NOT to see my car, even on a bright day.. My microcar is still quite dangerous to drive, but at least now I know they can see me coming..

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com