jcrow

Okay guys I am looking at getting a light bar to mount in the grille. Thinking about hanging it off the metal portion of the bumper, but this post isn't about that. It' about the switch location, I have an 04 base (no options at all from what I can tell) i was thinking about trying to put the switch in what appers to be the stock location for other switches either on the dash near the gas door button or on the consol where the factory heated seats button is. My questions are #1 which location is easier to install the switch? #2 should I try to find a set of factory switches or is the hole able to accept other switch styles?

Edit: Yes, I am willing to consider any other mounting locations you guys may have previously come up with. I do prefer not to go cutting new holes in my dash, but if I like the location enough I will.

Atreyu'z 350

I'd say to the left of your steering column where your tcs botton would be if you had it.. btw, what made you want to install a lightbar on your Z?

Atreyu'z 350

..You can get universal toggle switches at Lowe's or Home Depot. They'll fit. You don't have to go factory. But it's your choice.

jcrow

Well a few reasons really.
#1 I'm a pipe layer so sometimes we have to work into the night if say we break a water line or something like that. We normally have to wait on upper management to go rent us a light tower and bring it out and we lose so much time we could be working. So when that happens just pull my car up (were normally working in the road).

#2 I do some driving at night on private roads where I can legally use it. Already hit one deer don't want that to happen again, glad I have insurance it was a little over 3k in repairs. I would never use it on a public road tho.

#3 Just cause I think it will be useful and add a touch of cool factor.

Edit: Thanks, I wasn't sure if the universal ones would fit in the hole

VondruZ Racing

Left of the steering wheel is the best place. I installed one also. I do a lot of late night canyon runs with my buddies and it lights up the whole canyon like it’s day time wayyyy better than the headlights.

VondruZ Racing

jcrow

pretty freaking sweet man! That's almost exacly what I had in mind and may actually mount there instead! I was gonna hang it from the metal bumper above the grille. Got more pics of the install process?

Atreyu'z 350

Hmmm.. I kinda' like it. Didn't think I would though. Good stuff.

VondruZ Racing

This is the only other pic I have. I used 6” long bolts and drilled through the bumper. And mounted it upside down there basically suspended. I could have used much shorter bolts. But I over compensated. Then I ran the power wire up the passenger side of the car. And then ran on/off wire through the wire cluster behind the battery and over to the switch.

jcrow

freaking sweet thanks man! I'm thinking about measuring how far down I would have to mount it to have it just below my license plate bracket and use a peice of metal tube with some kind of filler to keep it in place to kinda make a spacer. I dont know yet the idea is only starting to form.

Edit: Just took a closer look at your pics with the bumper cover off and actually that exact set up might work for me I think it's low enough to be below my bracket
I know the angle is bad but that's the most forward pic I have access to right this moment

VondruZ Racing

Possibly yeah, in your state can you remove your front license plate? You don't have to have a front license plate in Utah.
If you can still access your stock tow hook with your license plate on then your good. Feel free to message me if you have further questions or need additional pictures. the hardest part was finding a drill bit long enough to go through the thick crash bar.

CK_32

iTrader: (1)

Tho that might look cool guys, just realize you are really taking a lot of air flow out of that grill for cooling for your radiator which on the Z is already very small.

Also I saw you said you want to use this as you work on pipes. Just realize this will drain and kill your battery in minutes if you use it for that. Let your job pay the costs not you and your personal car.

VondruZ Racing

MicVelo

Looks like an LED set-up so I wouldn't worry too much about pulling down the battery (unless the battery was going already and you do leave them on for a really extended period of time). LEDs draw ROUGHLY a tenth of what an incandescent does so even with an array of 20 bulbs like this one, I'd guess the current draw down is not much more than 60-70w (or so, obviously depending on the total light output and individual "bulb" size.)

That's a very slick light bar. Was it purchased OTC or did you have to fab it up? I don't do night runs anymore but it's a very interesting concept that maybe I can use to advantage on another of my projects.

VondruZ Racing

It is LED and truthfully it’s a $50 22” 300W Amazon bar. I wanted to test this out see how it would hold up and fit. And it’s preformed better than expected. I’m retro spec. I would have mounted it just a hair further back on the crash bar itself. So I can aim a it a little further up. I also might get a slightly wider one than the 22” I think it fits well but a 24” or 30” would be a little brighter of course and that’s what I was going for extra light. No custom fav at all other then drrilling into the crash bar and putting the 6” bolts through it with a nut on it. When it’s off day or night you can’t even see it unless you really get down and look.

jcrow

Sadly I can not remove it in my state, (I wish I legally could I think it looks much cleaner without it) but yes i can still access the tow hook. And the drill bit won't be a problem for me

achampagne

You could relocate the license plate to the right, or is that illegal in your state? I think that would look much nicer than right in the middle.