flush mounted my driving lights - thoughts?
10-11-2006, 06:49 PM
#21
Thanks for the nice words everyone, I was on the fence about trying this.
I bought the Hella Micro DE lights from Tire Rack. I emailed Hella and Piaa asking if they made bezels for any of their lights, I didn't care which ones. Nope. I searched other brands and still couldn't find any special kits, most driving lights on the market seem to be mounted from the sides or top.
I randomly thought of using home recessed lighting, (I know this sounds rice....
) so I went to Home Depot to see what they have. I found a 4" kit for $12 that included the "bezel" and reflector inside. I attached the Hella light to the reflector "cone" with screws.
Next, I bought a small sheet of plexi and traced the outline of the inner part of the bezel and cut a protective cover for the whole assembly.
Then I applied Bat's yellow overlays. (thx Andrew!) I ordered a square foot of his stuff and applied it to the PVC. It turned out pretty good, but next time I might order yellow-tinted industrial plastic. I also drilled 3 holes through the bezel. I was thinking about using adhesive instead of bolts but wanted to be able to remove everything just in case. I bought stainless ones to avoid rust.
Now that everything was assembled, I could begin cutting holes in my bumper. If you cut the circles too high you will encounter the bumper support, which is bad! You really need a dremel for this. I jacked the car up and removed the bumper. I had to "sacrifice" the washer tank (located on the passenger side) and removed a few other plastic pieces. I never used the washer fluid anyway and lost 10lbs of weight. Finally, I ran all the wiring inside to the switch. The Hella kit comes with everything you need, but I'm going to install a nicer switch soon.
I might have them molded, we'll see. I'll try to post a good night pic, but they're definitely noticable and emit a strong yellow light. I'll be happy to make these for anyone or offer advice. I personally think they would look killer on a black car.
I bought the Hella Micro DE lights from Tire Rack. I emailed Hella and Piaa asking if they made bezels for any of their lights, I didn't care which ones. Nope. I searched other brands and still couldn't find any special kits, most driving lights on the market seem to be mounted from the sides or top.
I randomly thought of using home recessed lighting, (I know this sounds rice....
) so I went to Home Depot to see what they have. I found a 4" kit for $12 that included the "bezel" and reflector inside. I attached the Hella light to the reflector "cone" with screws. Next, I bought a small sheet of plexi and traced the outline of the inner part of the bezel and cut a protective cover for the whole assembly.
Then I applied Bat's yellow overlays. (thx Andrew!) I ordered a square foot of his stuff and applied it to the PVC. It turned out pretty good, but next time I might order yellow-tinted industrial plastic. I also drilled 3 holes through the bezel. I was thinking about using adhesive instead of bolts but wanted to be able to remove everything just in case. I bought stainless ones to avoid rust.
Now that everything was assembled, I could begin cutting holes in my bumper. If you cut the circles too high you will encounter the bumper support, which is bad! You really need a dremel for this. I jacked the car up and removed the bumper. I had to "sacrifice" the washer tank (located on the passenger side) and removed a few other plastic pieces. I never used the washer fluid anyway and lost 10lbs of weight. Finally, I ran all the wiring inside to the switch. The Hella kit comes with everything you need, but I'm going to install a nicer switch soon.
I might have them molded, we'll see. I'll try to post a good night pic, but they're definitely noticable and emit a strong yellow light. I'll be happy to make these for anyone or offer advice. I personally think they would look killer on a black car.
10-12-2006, 11:06 AM
#28
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Originally Posted by efx
MOLDED FTW!
What the hell did they do to the side markers... you just turned it into an rx-8
What the hell did they do to the side markers... you just turned it into an rx-8
10-12-2006, 11:10 AM
#29
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Originally Posted by GTNPU Z
LOL. Not sure, guess it's a trend over there in Japan. I love how they integrated the NSX rear fender though.
10-29-2006, 08:40 PM
#31
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Looks nice. It looks as though the fog lights are pointing OUT/to the side of the car, how is it at night? And also waht lights did you use? i might use the same set-up except put the lights in the girll.
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