Light up your way (small novelette)
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Light up your way (small novelette)
I searched for and found some info so please
If I repeat some information bare with me
Background:
I drive almost 100 miles a day on my commute through the mountains of western PA.
Work starts at 6:00 AM so I do a lot of deer dodging.
We work four tens so my home drive is also in the dark
for much of the winter.
My 94GT wagon came with the blanks for the fog lights.
Auxiliary lights defined:
I am aware of the fact that fog lights mounted down low with a sharp cut off
are what the factory intended to be put there.
Fog lights spread the light incorporating a sharp cut off point as to not reflect light back into the driver's eyes.
Where as driving lights point the beam down the road. Sharp and focused pencil light if you will.
I wanted driving lights.
I found a set at Walmart that fit the bill:
1) round glass lens for scratch resistance
2) driving light reflectors for the pencil light beam
3) metal, non melting, housings as I was going to run high wattage lamps
I bought them and a set of 100 watt H4 replacement lamps.
Cost ~ 30 dollars US
Installation:
I pulled the blanks by pealing back the inner fender and removing the screws. I then fastened 0.25 thick aluminum plates across the openings.
To this plate I mounted the new lamps.
I wired the lamps via relay to come on with my high beams.
When adjusted properly they throw a narrow beam that also lights the side
of the road well enough to see my white tail friends.
Mr. MaGoo syndrome:
This was still not enough, you see, I am a bit of a Mr. MaGoo
I had a set of rectangular driving lights (NAPA brand) with 100 w lamps in them. I wanted them mounted higher than the under bumper lights.
I do not like the look of lights mounted on the bumper in front of the grill on our cars – sorry it just ain’t factory.
So I pulled the grill and took a peek. Yep they would fit fine. Two small angle brackets mounted to the existing holes in the rad core support and there they were. Be sure to rotate the lens and reflectors if mounting lamps down side up as is the case here.
Before you get excited, I tested on the road with and with out the grill.
I could detect no difference (I am sure there must be some) as the grill is so close to the lights it acts like a stone guard found on some aftermarket lights.
As for blocking air through the rad.
The temperature gauge showed no difference.
I believe this is due to a large quantity of air is supplied by the opening under the bumper. The bumper it self acts as a splitter and may be designed to cause a laminar air flow over the hood, thus by passing the grill opening.
I also wired these via relay to the high beam switch.
Wiring:
The wiring of both sets and my factory head lamps (equipped with Osram Ultra Vision lamps) has been modified.
I use 12 AWG feed wire to the four relays (two for the factory lamps and one each for the auxiliary lights).
The feed wires for the lamp housings is 14 AWG.
Note: The factory wiring is used only for relay control and does not feed any power to the lamps directly.
Control unit:
I drive quite a few “twisties” on my commute and like two keep two hands
properly positioned on the wheel.
This made it hard for me to keep a finger on the trigger, so to speak, for the big guns I was running up front.
They are a bit blinding to on coming drivers, imagine that?
So I bought a foot control high low beam switch from a 1990 Ford truck.
Ed. Note: for those of you too young…
These were common back in the sixties and seventies for hi/low beam control and are still found on some trucks.
I mounted this via the bolt conveniently provided under the dead pedal, then cut a small circular hole in the carpet.
I angled the switch using a small Plexiglas shim so my foot would push the control inline with it’s intended path.
I wired the new switch so that the “flash to pass” operation of the turn stalk still provided it’s normal function.
Not Happy:
Still not happy. I needed a way to turn on just my under bumper fog position lights.
I flash these at those “geeks” that insist on constantly running their poorly aimed fog lights, thus blinding us on coming drivers.
(pet peeve I know but they need shown they are giving us grief)
I wanted a convenient switch.
My car is an automatic – the “manual” switch fit this bill.
I rewired it to a small toggle on the dash and wired the relay for the lower auxiliary lights to the "manual" switch.
I isolatied this wiring from the other relays via a small signal diode.
Note:
These also work well in some snow storms when the big guns are relected by the fat flakes.
Addendum:
There you have it – one man’s way of lighting his path through the darkness.
Thanks for reading my novelette.
Any questions, comments, or other additions are very welcome,
and........
Be careful – it’s a jungle out there.
If I repeat some information bare with me
Background:
I drive almost 100 miles a day on my commute through the mountains of western PA.
Work starts at 6:00 AM so I do a lot of deer dodging.
We work four tens so my home drive is also in the dark
for much of the winter.
My 94GT wagon came with the blanks for the fog lights.
Auxiliary lights defined:
I am aware of the fact that fog lights mounted down low with a sharp cut off
are what the factory intended to be put there.
Fog lights spread the light incorporating a sharp cut off point as to not reflect light back into the driver's eyes.
Where as driving lights point the beam down the road. Sharp and focused pencil light if you will.
I wanted driving lights.
I found a set at Walmart that fit the bill:
1) round glass lens for scratch resistance
2) driving light reflectors for the pencil light beam
3) metal, non melting, housings as I was going to run high wattage lamps
I bought them and a set of 100 watt H4 replacement lamps.
Cost ~ 30 dollars US
Installation:
I pulled the blanks by pealing back the inner fender and removing the screws. I then fastened 0.25 thick aluminum plates across the openings.
To this plate I mounted the new lamps.
I wired the lamps via relay to come on with my high beams.
When adjusted properly they throw a narrow beam that also lights the side
of the road well enough to see my white tail friends.
Mr. MaGoo syndrome:
This was still not enough, you see, I am a bit of a Mr. MaGoo
I had a set of rectangular driving lights (NAPA brand) with 100 w lamps in them. I wanted them mounted higher than the under bumper lights.
I do not like the look of lights mounted on the bumper in front of the grill on our cars – sorry it just ain’t factory.
So I pulled the grill and took a peek. Yep they would fit fine. Two small angle brackets mounted to the existing holes in the rad core support and there they were. Be sure to rotate the lens and reflectors if mounting lamps down side up as is the case here.
Before you get excited, I tested on the road with and with out the grill.
I could detect no difference (I am sure there must be some) as the grill is so close to the lights it acts like a stone guard found on some aftermarket lights.
As for blocking air through the rad.
The temperature gauge showed no difference.
I believe this is due to a large quantity of air is supplied by the opening under the bumper. The bumper it self acts as a splitter and may be designed to cause a laminar air flow over the hood, thus by passing the grill opening.
I also wired these via relay to the high beam switch.
Wiring:
The wiring of both sets and my factory head lamps (equipped with Osram Ultra Vision lamps) has been modified.
I use 12 AWG feed wire to the four relays (two for the factory lamps and one each for the auxiliary lights).
The feed wires for the lamp housings is 14 AWG.
Note: The factory wiring is used only for relay control and does not feed any power to the lamps directly.
Control unit:
I drive quite a few “twisties” on my commute and like two keep two hands
properly positioned on the wheel.
This made it hard for me to keep a finger on the trigger, so to speak, for the big guns I was running up front.
They are a bit blinding to on coming drivers, imagine that?
So I bought a foot control high low beam switch from a 1990 Ford truck.
Ed. Note: for those of you too young…
These were common back in the sixties and seventies for hi/low beam control and are still found on some trucks.
I mounted this via the bolt conveniently provided under the dead pedal, then cut a small circular hole in the carpet.
I angled the switch using a small Plexiglas shim so my foot would push the control inline with it’s intended path.
I wired the new switch so that the “flash to pass” operation of the turn stalk still provided it’s normal function.
Not Happy:
Still not happy. I needed a way to turn on just my under bumper fog position lights.
I flash these at those “geeks” that insist on constantly running their poorly aimed fog lights, thus blinding us on coming drivers.
(pet peeve I know but they need shown they are giving us grief)
I wanted a convenient switch.
My car is an automatic – the “manual” switch fit this bill.
I rewired it to a small toggle on the dash and wired the relay for the lower auxiliary lights to the "manual" switch.
I isolatied this wiring from the other relays via a small signal diode.
Note:
These also work well in some snow storms when the big guns are relected by the fat flakes.
Addendum:
There you have it – one man’s way of lighting his path through the darkness.
Thanks for reading my novelette.
Any questions, comments, or other additions are very welcome,
and........
Be careful – it’s a jungle out there.
lights
They do a very fine job to my feeble eyes.
I have not run just them as they all come on
any time the high beams are on.
But their addition to the array made a visable difference.
Possibly due to the height they are at.
I have not run just them as they all come on
any time the high beams are on.
But their addition to the array made a visable difference.
Possibly due to the height they are at.
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- Fourth Gear
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- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:53 pm
- Location: USA, PA, Grantham (near Harrisburg)
- Contact:
I would be afraid that those lights would make your engine run hot (less air flowing through the radiator and all).
1995 Polo Green Subaru SVX (189k miles - 08/2007-Present)Manarius wrote:The Neo-Cons would call me a defeatist. I'd call me a realist. I'm realistically saying that a snowball has better chances in the blazes of hell than democracy has in Iraq.
Manarius wrote:I would be afraid that those lights would make your engine run hot (less air flowing through the radiator and all).
As for blocking air through the rad.
The temperature gauge showed no difference.
I believe this is due to a large quantity of air is supplied by the opening under the bumper. The bumper it self acts as a splitter and may be designed to cause a laminar air flow over the hood, thus by passing the grill opening.
98 Steel Widebody RSTi-RA Superbeast
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- Fourth Gear
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:53 pm
- Location: USA, PA, Grantham (near Harrisburg)
- Contact:
Meh, I missed that paragraph. Haven't been able to read so well lately.
1995 Polo Green Subaru SVX (189k miles - 08/2007-Present)Manarius wrote:The Neo-Cons would call me a defeatist. I'd call me a realist. I'm realistically saying that a snowball has better chances in the blazes of hell than democracy has in Iraq.
not to get personal, but I don't suppose you just came off of antidepressants of some kind?Manarius wrote:Meh, I missed that paragraph. Haven't been able to read so well lately.
it happened to my friend matt, he was on antidepressants for a few weeks, screwed with his concentration and made him not the matt I know...
after he came off the pills because they were screwing with him, his concentration still isn't right... can't read, or code, like he used to.... almost back to normal though
sorry that's WWWAAAAAAYYYY OT
Ope, measured the behind the grill lights today
7"W x 4" H x 3" deep
hope that helps
I would like to find three Hella 550 series (I have one)
The retangular units (can't do the 90 new cost).
The turn signals on my SS are moron-ish
A driver viewing from a side angle can't see them.
Plan on wireing the side markers to go both ways
and put two of the Hellas in the turn signal openngs
Other two would be for my turbo wagon
7"W x 4" H x 3" deep
hope that helps
I would like to find three Hella 550 series (I have one)
The retangular units (can't do the 90 new cost).
The turn signals on my SS are moron-ish
A driver viewing from a side angle can't see them.
Plan on wireing the side markers to go both ways
and put two of the Hellas in the turn signal openngs
Other two would be for my turbo wagon
Good choice
The lamps measure 4 11/16" in height x 7 11/16" width with a depth of 3 1/4".
Real close dims to mine
Just remeber if you want
drving lights the part # is 74406
if
fog lights with clear lens - 74605
------------------amber lens - 74606
hope this helps
The lamps measure 4 11/16" in height x 7 11/16" width with a depth of 3 1/4".
Real close dims to mine
Just remeber if you want
drving lights the part # is 74406
if
fog lights with clear lens - 74605
------------------amber lens - 74606
hope this helps
Last edited by Skip on Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Knowledgeable
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- Location: Beverly, MA
The 550's are nice. Had them on my '83 GL. Seemed to be better than the 500's on my Legacy, but that could be relative due to the differnece in headlight power between the cars, not that the Legacy was that great either.
Steve
Steve
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.