Welloilbeefhooked

iTrader: (3)

Ok, I'm a little out of date with lighting. The last car I fitted new lights (read driving lamps) to was my MK2 RS2000!

The wiring side of things I can deal with, but I just dont know what new lamps to buy.

1) The head lamps are poor even when running higher wattage bulbs. I have seen the OE crystal lamps from the 99-00 cars, the Non OE crsytal lamps and the morrettes. I have also seen the people here have fitted HID's to there original lamps? Does this sound right?

So whats my best option for under £300? And can someone explain HID to me please?

2) I never use the front fog lamps and have asked before about upgrading these to driving lamps. Just about every type of after market lamp comes with the age old fixing at the bottom. I used to make a tie bar/bracket to attach to the top of this style of lamp to stop movement, but is there room on the old 3 slat front bumper to do this?
The way the OE ones fit looks to be the best option, although I can't seem to find after market lamps with this style of mounting.

What does everyone else use? Also, do Subaru supply replacement lenses for the fogs that convert them into driving lamps?

I am able to fabricate brackets so have no issues there.

Thanks for any advice.

Wayne.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Those WERE the days, Ford Escorts running four cibies or four Lucas Flamethrowers, all on 100W bulbs, on two up, two down brackets My Mexico had to have it's 28A alternator swapped for a 45A one to produce sufficient current. Good job I knew a lad who was an auto electricics warehouseman!

The OE headlamps are CRAP, to put no too fine a point on it! It's the design of the reflector/lens that's the problem, spreading the available light every which way except where it OUGHT to be. Unfortunately, this means that higher wattage bulbs are not the answer.
Neither, in the OE lights, is HID, IMHO. Same reason as above.

I like Morettes, which use trusted Cibie lights, no problems with crap design there, then. There are cheaper copies, but be careful, you get what you pay for I've got GE Megalights 60% uprated bulbs in the outer main/dip units, and standard 55W bulbs in the inner main beam units.

HID? Basically it consists of an ignitor which takes the place of the bulb in halogen units, and a ballast unit. The ballast converts the 12V supplied to it from the car electrics to around 28,000V to "excite" Xenon gas in the excitor to a higher energy state. When the molecules of Xenon return to their original energy state, they give the energy back out, this time as light. There is little heat produced, so a Xenon "bulb" is only 35W, but produces the equivalent of 300W halogen light. Kits USED to be in the order of £400 plus, but are available a LOT cheaper now, see the group buy on them

The drawback for you is that lights on the classic cars use an H4 bulb, which is twin filament, one for dip, one for main beam. Xenon "bulbs" cannot yet be made to replace that, so a compromise is made, in which the SINGLE Xenon "bulb" either moves slightly to do both, or a shield moves to do both. Either way, you can have perfect dips, imperfect main beam, or vice-versa, or SLIGHTLY imperfect both. Many people do use HID since the extra light, in their opinion, overcomes the problem, but COMPOUND the problem with crap lights........ it's also the reason why I've not bought HID for my Morettes...............yet

Where to start? Yes, almost all aftermarket driving lights use the bottom, pedestal fitting, and yes, most will then suffer from vibration, which is a halogen bulb's worst enemy. I have read threads on here where people have fabricated bits to steady the lights, most notably Cibies. However, the Cibie light that fits best, (the Oscar Plus), uses an H2 bulb, not my favourite as it can suffer from overheating of the connectors leading to premature bulb failure, especially if higher wattage bulbs are in use.;(

If you want to fit the lights that were fitted to the P1, these are available from Hella, (I have part numbers), they are 90mm in diameter, and GOOD brackets with adjusters are available from Scoob dealers, (for which I DON'T have aprt numbers, sorry), at a reasonable price. Those lights are VERY good, and available in Halogen and HID. The only problem you MIGHT have, is that the P1 had covers for them, with a 90mm hole in for the light to "look" through. I don't know if those are available for the older three-slat bumper, the P1 was the newer two slat type. Without the covers they look a bit odd, and you can see the brackets........

Next, and most expensive would be Hella 1000FF driving lights in HID configuration. Mine came from the now defunct Scoobysport. They use a VERY clever bracket that uses all three of the OE foglight mounting holes, and grips the light unit via the extension at the rear of the HID version which houses the HID "bulb". Very rigid! It CAN'T be used to hold the Halogen version. I have these, so could send you details of how to make the brackets, light alloy would be excellent, mine are 6mm steel, with 1.5 mm steel lugs to hold the light to the bracket, four off per bracket. No bending needed, just cutting out, drilling holes and a bit of filing. The lights are phenomenal!

Nope, sorry. The lenses are bonded to the bodies anyway, removing the lens would almost certainly destroy the light. Unfortunately, the lights seem to be made specially for Subaru, in Fog only. Prodrive did a PIAA driving light kit, also a Hella 1000FF driving light kit and several people do Cibies, but see previous comments.

Let me know if you want details of the 1000FF HID brackets.

A word of warning: be sitting down when/if you enquire after prices for HID driving lights



Alcazar

Welloilbeefhooked

iTrader: (3)

Ive had a look into the prices and think that a pair of Hella 3000's might be the option for me with a set of morrettes at a later date. Are these 9" or 7"?

Anyway, I have a couple of questions about the brackets and the alignment.

When you have removed the original fog lamp, is the mounting surface where the original mounts horizontal to the front of the car? or are they at an angle?
What I need to know is whether or not I am having to deal with only up and down alignment or side to side as well.

I'm wanting to make a bracket that fixes to the original 3 mounting holes and holes the lower mount of the spot lamp. It will then have the bracket with some type of adjustable mounting to the top of the lamp.

What brackets have others fabricated? Any pics would be good.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I don't think the mounting surface is horizontal, but could be mistaken. The reason I DON'T think it is, is because OE foglights are handed.

Can you not remove one and check?

I've got a mate who fitted Hella 3000's to an STi5, but did it via home made brackets off the bumper with bracing rods to just under the bonnet.

Alcazar

Welloilbeefhooked

iTrader: (3)

Could you send me the details of how to make the brackets you use?

Cheers,

Wayne.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'll take one off later today. How do you want it sent? I'm not that good on computers, but can produce a drawing. PM me an addy to send it to, or I could scan it and attach it to an e-mail.

Alcazar

silent running

Not sure whether this has been answered above - would the later classic 'crystal' lights be an improvement at all on the crappy ones up to MY98? Or do they just look fancy without any real improvement in the lenses?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Very little improvement, if any. Sorry.

Alcazar

silent running

Oh well that'll save me the bother of changing to crystals then.