my mini cooper doesnt have the xenon headlight option and i wish it did. i love the looks of the blue lights. does anyone know if i can get a bulb that would make my 02 mini look like it has xenons? or is there a conversion kit i should think of getting? would it be worth it?

 

Blue bulbs may look OK at the auto show, but they are lousy lighting, and may get you a ticket.

Daniel Stern is a lighting consultant who has testified before the DOT on auto lighting. He is a recognized article on the topic.

Read the two articles on this page: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...blue/blue.html

 

There are blue halogens. A quick search gave this http://www.luminicsbulbs.com/MINI/

OldRick, your link does not work.

 

if you take the shortcuts and cheap out, its noticeable, especially to those who actually have HIDs. I can pick cars out all night long who have real HID, and who have blue bulbs or kits. Try not to buy the cheap conversion kits you find on eBay, they will just blind other drivers. Look for a set of xenons on here or eBay. they are all over the place, especially the 02-04 style. you can find complete sets with headlamps, bulbs, ballasts, etc. for less than $300.

 

I don't get the impression the OP is very interested in performance or whether his car has authentic HIDs - he just wants the cool "blue" look. In this regard, why not "cheap out" and just get the HID-look bulbs?

- Mark

 

where can i get the cheap blue bulbs?

 

Panties were bunched.



Mad JDM bulbs for your car.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-TO...spagenameZWDVW

 

 

You don't want anything that is "blue" maybe just a hint. With halogens, go with the PIAA Extreme White H7 Plus. These are not HID/Xenons, just super bright white halogens. I have them installed right now, and they are extremely bright, and have a nice cut off. You can get them at outmotoring.com or you can pick up a pair of Sylvania Stars at your local Autozone etc.

A halogen will never ever look like a HID/Xenon. Not even close. Different types of bulbs and burns differently. It is not reccomended and often illegal to instal aftermarket HID conversion kits on halogen designed head lamps. You'd need to retrofit HID projectors so that the light from the HID bulb is focused and produces sharp, clear, and a bright light with distinctive cut offs. If you install HID's on a halogen head lamp, your light would only scatter, and you'd put risk of incoming drivers. You won't even get the HID look as your light would not be focused. It ends up looking like a flood light, and could possibly cost you a ticket from law enforcement officers.

I have heard that 02 MINI's use the same headlamp for both HID and Halogen. If this is the case, then you could probably use a HID conversion kit and not have a problem. I'm working on a project of retrofitting a Acura TSX HID projector/ballast and lighting on a aftermarket halo designed head lamp. There are still complications as you have to adjust and aim the head lights properly.

As some posters have said the best route is to go and buy some used HID head lamps from eBay or on NAM and have them installed on your car or just stick with a set of good quality halogen lights. You can always get the blue tinted halogen lights, but they would end up making the MINI look cheap and fall into the category of home chopped Civics and Integras. Your decision.

As for everyone else. This guy just joined Dec. 2008. Let's not give him a bad first impression on NAM. Just help him with information or guide him towards that way as you've done to me when I had the same exact question before.

 

I've corrected the link - my mistake, I pasted it twice.

Lots of good info there.

not-so is being very rude for no apparent reason - as Thumper the Rabbit, in Bambi, said "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all."

 

That's right. I joined about July and in my estimation people are generally considerate and tolerant of others. If this gentleman wants blue lights, that is up to him.

No one has to post and IMHO, if you think a post is beneath you, then pass it over.

I have many thousands of posts on auto, cigar, MC, firearms and other forums and the best ones are those that are tolerant of others. As I tell my graduate students, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

Some people need to talk through their thoughts and get feedback from others about how they want their cars to be. cmartyna, mod your car to your liking.

 

No-so-something, it is not up to you to call anyone "dumb". That is both arrogant, rude, and disrespectful on your part, and violates site guidelines.

 

I think the OP wants that HID glimmer with a hint of blue, not necessarily a full blue light bulb. He's probably just unaware of the difference of halogen vs HID.

 

Have you actually tried xenons?

I recognize that they are brighter than the stock halogens. However (I did a few night-time test-drives) I found I could "see" better with the halogens (better, once I replaced them with Sylvania SilverStar bulbs).

The cut-off of the xenons is very sharp, and my eyes adjust to the brightness of the road the xenons illuminate, so I can't see as well in areas the xenons do not illuminate. Also to do with

Xenons do throw farther though. It's dependant on your type of driving... on the mountain road I drive five times a week, at night on my way home, I just can't give up that peripheral vision as deer have a tendency to lurk in the woods at the roadside.

The xenon clusters look much nicer than the halogen clusters, though.

 

I had zenons in my 08 Cooper. Terrible unless on high beam. I much prefer the more gradual cutoff of halogens than the black blanket/sudden darkness effect that the low beams gave.

 

Tell you what.. Rick (aka Not-So-red-n-whitecooper). If you want to illustrate you're tolerant of new members I'll give you a chance to re-edit your post and take out the offending comments towards Cmartyna. Otherwise, I'll issue a strike and award points for violating the following NAM rule which I quoth:

RESPECT
When posting, both members and vendors must ALWAYS be respectful of fellow members and vendors. Personal attacks, trolling/baiting, deliberate antagonizing, and flaming will not be tolerated. If you feel you are being attacked, report the post or private message rather than replying or flaming back. However, do not use the report bad post feature to "cry wolf" when you are in fact the instigator of the demise of a discussion. Doing so will result in an infraction or strike.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-TO...spagenameZWDVW

 

Thanks not-so-rednwhitecooper - I've taken the liberty of closing the thread so everyone can calm the heck down. I'll reopen it if the Mods/Admin team deem it necessary.