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johnf36 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 1:25pm
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 2:19pm
J:

Which brand of lamp would you recommend?

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 5:34pm
Hellas are nice the PIAA are a little out of my budget
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 7:09pm
J:

Maybe I should have said who makes the BEST lamps?  I want a lamp that gets the edges of the roads for deer encounters and bright enough to see the potholes at a distance.  I think Hella or PIAA make an Off Road Lamp that seems to do both.  I was poking around on the web and ran across them but don't know what company is presently making the BEST lamps.

I live across from the Naval Shipyard and their lamps light up our home at 1-1/2 miles away.  No need for night lights!  A real waste of power/money and a good example of unnecessary glare.  The current NASCAR track lighting is really good and does not throw light where it is not wanted, but the military is apparently not comfortable with the cost.

I have PIAA Extreme White bulbs in the Mini headlamps and they work fairly well, but a little more would be good since they don't seem to light up the potholes as well as I would like in semi-urban environments.

S.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 8:23pm
S:

Okay I am guessing that when you mean Best we are talking about what make you see good? I will go back and look but did I post any of the stuff about lights? Color? Lums? etc.

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 9:58pm
J:

Yes, lumens and color would be helpful.  The manufacturers seem to like watts but that does not tell the entire story.  Another thing to consider is ruggedness.  A Mini does not ride like an off road racer on the street.  Those rigs have real soft suspension and long wheel travel.  The MINI has neither so it shakes the poop out of lamps.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/10 at 11:15pm
Okay I don't know if I can get to it tonight but there are a couple good pages I have on lights, I thougt I posted them but I think it is a good subject as to why those 80 dollar bulbs don't reach out there as far as the stock ones
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 12:57am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 12:04pm
J:

Good reading!  ThanksThumbs Up

With a Degree in electronic systems I too never understood the claim of 55w=85w!!  Light dispersion and the way it plays on the road surface are the real factors.  My Mini does NOT have the Xenon headlamps, or any other HID system, so going to the PIAA bulbs did help a bit but not what a real fine lamp would do but then legal seems to creep into the discussion.

The main reason I wanted rectangular is for aesthetics.  The number of lamps on the front of the vehicle being allowed in whatever State is pretty much up to the cop that pulls you over.  I have been ticketed in other states for wire stone guards, but that was the same state that ticketed me for having a license plate lower than 12 inches to the ground.

I like the placement of your lamps but you must not park on the street much where a parallel parking neophyte could wipe them out.

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 1:41pm
S:

Your welcome, kind of a little different look at lighting. From your answer I take it the readiing helped, I my have one or two more just not sure where I saved them lololol. Being a county set here most of the time I go by 2 county, 1 state and 4 city law enforcement officers on the way to work. In washington state you are allowed a low & high beam, driving and passing lights , plus fogs. That can be as many as 10 lights on the front and still be legal. Now the main issue is that your driving and passing light have to work in conjuntion with the high beams and same same with the fogs working with the low beams. The place lights off the ground is all so an issue. The other thing is these light to be highway legal also have to be between 55 and 65 watts. Now it does not touch on if that applies to HIDs as far as the wattage goes , but I am I not sure if that is a battle one wants to fight. I use my light all the time and have not had any trouble so far. You can mount off road lights if you want but they should be covered when on the highway.

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 6:31pm
Craigsmiller:

I sent you a PM about the lamps you seem to want to sell.

Stephen

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 8:10pm
S:

The lights Craig has are the Rallye 1000, I have not seen them in action but they are a popular light around the great lakes and the are the big brother to mine. My new lights actual put out a rectangle shaped beam.

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 8:17pm
J:

Does that mean that they too have a rectangular beam?  I like the black out look for cosmetic reasons.  Those with a pair of yellow rectangular Hella fogs below them might be a good combination.

S.



Edited by Soggy-1 - March/06/10 at 9:52pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 9:50pm
See if these help




Here is OutMotorings Gen2 with 4 Rallye 1000 on the front.



Edited by johnf36 - March/06/10 at 9:51pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 9:53pm
J:

Very nice!  Thank you.

Did you use the OutMotoring brackets for your Mini?

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/06/10 at 10:18pm
S:
Thanks, no my brackets are of my own design, I was working on a bracket that you did not have to cut out the grill. I believe the bracket Crig has are the out motoring gen1 brackets. I don't know what is under the gen 2 bumper to know if they would work, Okay here are the brackets they used http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-cooper/out_motoring_Gen_2_R56_MID_light_brackets.html

Have you been over to VIP? http://www.vipcustomparts.com/minicooperparts.htm

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/07/10 at 12:45am




This next one has a inside and outside view







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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/07/10 at 1:05am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/07/10 at 6:45am
J:

I had seen the VIP site and was sort of intrigued by their claim of a "2 degree drop in coolant temperature"; so 4 dinner plates in front of the grill somehow sucks in more air!!??!

The 4 lamps in the middle, below the grill, sure looks good but them being first point of impact is unsettling.  Do you parallel park yours?

The light pattern is pretty diffuse, rectangular for sure but seems like it would give upward scatter without a definite cutoff line.  Driving down a country road it seems to turn things to daylight, which is a good thing.

Thanks for all the reading matter.

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/07/10 at 12:22pm
S:

I just brought up they VIP site because sometimes it can be hard to find, they are a small out fit with some different ideas.

Parking, yes from time to time because downtown here has no parking lots. But I worry more about parking at work . The idiots their think the concert parking block dividers between the spot are some kind of bumper stop. So normally when I park I give extra room regardless of the lights.

The color temp matches my stock high beams . Down the road I my bump the color temp up with one of the OSRAM Sylvania bulbs.

Your Welcome, I couldn't find a Pepper White with just 2 black lights 4 was the best I could do, but it gives you an idea what it looks like.

J.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/08/10 at 4:25pm
J:

The 4 black magics look very nice and I see that Hella is offering the Black Magic's in the 500 series.
They do not discuss whether the Black Magics use the Free Form Reflector technology or not but for the Fog Lamps it is an option and one that apparently ensures a good cut off line for less oncoming driver glare.
Have you used the yellow fog lamps?

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/08/10 at 5:31pm
S:

The 500s are what I have. I had some yellow one on my old 69 chev Nova

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/08/10 at 8:26pm
J:

Were the yellow ones an advantage?

I am still curious about the FF reflectors as opposed to the standard (older) parabolic reflector with a fluted lens; I am guessing that the older ones will not cut off light above a given point.

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/08/10 at 8:33pm
S:

I can say down in Oregom in heavy fog a long the river the yellow did help.

I think Adam has the 500 FFs

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/08/10 at 8:46pm
J:

I hope Adam chimes in and gives an honest opinion on the FF lamps.

The ground fog along river banks, the fog  in the central valley of California and the fog on the coast makes them useful.  Another benefit of the fog lamps is lighting the edges of the roadway for the deer that love to leap into harms way.

The long range lamps are just for that singular purpose, like not hitting a large carcass in the middle of the freeway or a black angus steer in the middle of the road, both of which I have had to dodge in the middle of the night where there were no other cars or lights for miles.

S.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/09/10 at 3:02am
S:
Have you considered changing out the current fog lights to yellow?

They 500 FF's you can get at walmart for 60 bucks a set.

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/09/10 at 6:24am
J:

I have thought about it and the only lamps I have are those cheesy parking lamps that do nothing.  Would the wiring take the load?  Mounting a decent fog light into that small hole might be an exercise in futility.

S.



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