so um, I need some new lights...

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Aaron Luptak

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aj_johnson
or if you are really thrifty you can scrounge them from wrecked ricer cars at the junkyard

what cars have H3 bulbs on them?

I snagged an aftermarket set off a civic, carved up my fog lights and made them work on my daily (my old 4Runner) Downside was they were brighter and better than the headlights.

edit: oh I snagged h4's not h3's



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2011 10:20AM by aj_johnson.

What I have done, and did in the Merkur, scrounge broken HID headlamps from the bodyshop. Since both of my cars use 7.25 round headlamps, I cut a round hole in the back, and bond the complete HID projector style reflector, complete with the small lens, to the back, that way you get the correct light spread. If you just put HID bulbs in the incandescent lenses, the light pattern is terrible.

I'm using a $230 light solution i got a set of 130 watt driving watts from summit racing for $130 and i got a set of 100 watt spot lights for $100 .

Its Cheap, and Reliable. and .. ya.. I think i choose poorly for mysetup. I think maybe the driving pattern combined with flood lights would have been better. (but really not sure)

I'll post up some in car and you can see what i see (and don't see) hehehe part of it was probably an aiming problem.

I just watched our in-car of the night stages and it was scary how little was visible.

PIAA stuff has been really good for us, their HID 800's are by far the best, but $800+ EACH a bit much for anything but pro guys that are loaded..6 of those, a pod, labor to fit everything...one slight tap on the front end and you've spent $6k easy....on light alone!!

The best bang for the buck is the PIAA XT80's, 4 or even 2 of them are tits.

http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/80proxt.html

Like Sean said, the cheap ass HID converions are not worth it, horrible pattern. The HID bulbs need to go into a lens/reflector that is designed for them.

I used to be a HELLA guy, but the light output is no where close to the PIAA, and the HELLA harness are the same shit from 1979, looks like VW rabbit crap. The PIAA looms are nice modern stuff.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2011 03:04PM by Gravel Spray.

$600 too much? Just grab some 12V PAR36 aircraft landing lights for $30/pair.... Or buy a box of them because they're not all about efficiency. You'll need a way to dump alot of heat, you'll tax the alternator, and be changing bulbs often.

Aircraft landing lights are a good market segment to look for alternatives to rally lights. The reflector designs (of HIDs and LEDs) are quite a bit more advanced than most of the offroad stuff I've seen.

There are a couple of Hella HIDs for sale for I think around $350 on the other board in the classifieds.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KCC-633/

$10 more than i paid 2 years ago.. (damn shrinking dollar, or added fuel costs for delivery)

but look at my in car first... I do really a buddy of mine bought 2 HIDs from kragen (now orielly) and i was impressed that his light output was the same as mine. he got the $99 per light model.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/CSM0/99000.oap?ck=Search_auxiliary+lighting_N0394_-1_3524&keyword=auxiliary+lighting&pt=N0394&ppt=C0335 hmm.. I think they were on sale when his GF bought them for him. sadly he crashed his WRX playing on a dirt road, totaled the car and totaled the lights.

I bought 2 sets of $30 a pair harbor freight lights, they were just OK, then put $80 woth of bulbs in them, and doubled the light output, and halved the current input (went from 100w to 55w) They are still on the light bar for the rally car. They work OK.

what is this fancy bulb you speak of?

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phlat65
I bought 2 sets of $30 a pair harbor freight lights, they were just OK, then put $80 woth of bulbs in them, and doubled the light output, and halved the current input (went from 100w to 55w) They are still on the light bar for the rally car. They work OK.

Sean, do you have any details about this hybrid you built?

I love my IPF lights. Two HIDs (spot and flood) in the center with two normal (spot and driving) lights on the outside. Mounted on an aluminum frame bolted to the bumper beam. Very sturdy and stable. The HIDs also have turnbuckles on top to the rad. support for additional stability.

Nothing fancy, Sylvania silver star bulbs. Night and day difference. I really like those bulbs.

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fliz
I love my IPF lights. Two HIDs (spot and flood) in the center with two normal (spot and driving) lights on the outside. Mounted on an aluminum frame bolted to the bumper beam. Very sturdy and stable. The HIDs also have turnbuckles on top to the rad. support for additional stability.

where did you buy the IPFs?

been looking at this setup:
http://www.nickygrist.com/900-super-rally-lamp-pod-kit-449-p.asp

the whole thing, including the subaru specific pod isn't too bad for ~$1050. H9 bulbs are better than H3 or H4, I assume?

The HID option is out of my price range.

They came with the car. Art Burmeister put them on...probably about 8-10 years ago. Car originally had PIAA (harness is still PIAA) and he switched to these.

I was looking around, seems a few different 4x4 stores carry them online. My only problem has been the wire on one of the bulbs came loose. Luckily, I had a spare.

Why a pod? Looking online, the 900XS are around $300/pr.

Not sure on the bulb...I think it's just style. Mine use H3, but the bulbs are very long and slender, not like the auto parts H3.