Someone out there has got to know how this was done....



Not looking at lighting performance from this install, purely cosmetic look of the car.

Can anyone shed any light on this (ouch!)

Any help much appreciated,

Chris.

 

Looks very cool, tho two possible negatives-

Light damage from being closer to the ground
Blocking the cooling intake, which could effect
coolant temps?

 

I know someone in Mexico did it with 2 lights. But my searches are coming up with a blank page?!

As for the 2 concerns I'd get some 3M protective lens stuff, for the lights and Cooling just may be an issue as well....

 

I really don't see the cooling as an issue. The engine coolant radiator has a greater percentage of area dierctly behind the UPPER grille where every one who mounts extra driving lights are placing them. I bellieve the lower is for the transmission. I don't have a car to look at right now so I might be wrong on that tranny cooler.

Check out this thread on metroplexMINI.org on the same subject:

Lower Driving Lights

 

The lower grill is where the condenser for the AC sits I do believe.

I would think mounting might an interesting problem. The lower grill pops out very easy and the aero package does not give any support through that area. What are you going to attach the lights to?

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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. - Frank Zappa

 

I think airflow will be ok, and the point on getting the lenses protected is a good one.

Here's another car with the same configuration



Chris.

 

>>The lower grill is where the condenser for the AC sits I do believe.

THAT'S IT, Thanks for clarifying
>>
>>I would think mounting might an interesting problem. The lower grill pops out very easy and the aero package does not give any support through that area. What are you going to attach the lights to?
>>
My first thought is to have a bracket made and powder coated. I'd run each end of the bar through the grille and attach to the sub bumper(?), the actual structural bumper. I'd even consider having something welded to that, nuts or something like the threaded socket for the tow eye. Any other ideas are welcome!

 

That is badly photoshopped.

 

There's actually a guy on here who did that. I can't remember his name, but he posted pictures of it.
in fact what he did was put 2 lights and there are pics on metroplexmini.com
I'll try to put the image here

His name is Fast1Won on Metroplexmini.com
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Fast1 said he only paid about $15 per light. They're Hella lights. He said there wasn't any performance loss due to the heat, and at $15/light it's cheaper to replace the light than buy the 3M film.

 

For those going for a purely cosmetic install of driving lights, it makes little difference. For those wanting functional driving/rally lights, you are best to install them above the bumper simply because the beam pattern is such that mounting them below the bumper will only end up making a shadowy, poorly lit area in front of the car. True 'rally lights' are mounted as high as practical to cast the light down onto the road and not skim it across the road. Think of how you use a flashlight when outside looking for something; you hold it high, sometimes overhead. If you are looking through fog or smoke, you hold the light low to 'cut under' the visual obstruction.

 

I’m at a loss why someone would want to put four lights so low to the ground. They won’t function as rally lights should and you can’t burn all four at one time anyway or for that fact in town because they should be connected to your hi-beams.

I’m not trying to be a bummer… I just want to understand the function. If you never intend to burn all the lights while driving for expanded vision, then you shouldn’t care if they work. Just stick lights up there and don’t worry about wires at all or film or replacements for non-functioning lights.

 

Greatbear - I must have been reading your mind as I posted.

 

sndwave,

agreed that the position is not good for driving light illumination, or not as good as the above bumper position.

However, it's at the same level as the fog lamps, so could provide useful fog lamp style 'wide' illumination.

Personally, I'm really going for the look, rather than a functional set-up

So it's brackets, lamp types and anchor points that I'm after.....

Anyone know Fast1Won's ID on MINI2?

 

I’d still like to know about the fact you can’t burn all four light at once and why would you think they can replace fog lights.

 

I like the looks too of the driving lamps in lower grille.

I was halfway thinking of doing that myself, and also for looks. I'd personally go with only one pair of lights in the outer corners of the lower grille. I was also thinking of using them not as driving lights (too low), but as foglights, and then removing the current MINI foglights to make way for brake cooling ducts.

The cooling issue is one, as others have pointed out it is actually the AC radiator behind the grille, but behind it sits the lower portion of the engine radiator, so I'm not convinced that flow is not an issue. However, the outer corners of the lower grille are actually solid, and lights in the corners should have less effect on cooling air flow through the lower grille. One downside to the outer position is that on the right (passenger) side of the car in that grille is where the access slot is for the tow hook. To tow the car the light would have to be easily removable.

M.

 

IM SO INTERESTED IN THIS ALSO, I POSETD ABOUT THIS A LONG TIME AGO

however, i want to buy 2 large ones on the outside and 2 smaller ones for the inside

does anyone know where to buy the lights and have a how-to, this is the final mod i want to do to the exterior of my mini! please help me!!

but would it cause harm to the radiator??

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Team MightyMiniz

 

That yeallow MCS almost looks like the lights are pasted onto a picture...

 

I found out they were! :evil:

It's a photoshop job, taking the PIAA 520s from abov ethe bumper to below.... :???:

Still leaves us with the Alta dmo car which has the below bumper fitment, and they're looking at marketing it as a kit next year.

 

>>does anyone know where to buy the lights and have a how-to, this is the final mod i want to do to the exterior of my mini! please help me!!
>>


Watch the Alta web site in the next month or two. They have assured me they are working on this product and will be selling a light kit for below the bumper mounts.
>>_________________
>>Team MightyMiniz
>>
>>

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On order: B/B MCS w/Black interior, custom Leather, 1,2,3, H/K, rain, SSR Comp's w/Yoko's

 

Thanks guys, sounds cool, i like that one, but i would much rather have the lights smaller and then larger... but we will see... i wonder how expensive it will be... might be able to do it myself cheaper

 

Thanks guys, sounds cool, i like that one, but i would much rather have the lights smaller and then larger... but we will see... i wonder how expensive it will be... might be able to do it myself cheaper

anyhow, does anyone know where to buy these lights cheap? cuz i have a body guy who can do the rest
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Team MightyMiniz

 

>>Anyone know Fast1Won's ID on MINI2?

Don't know if he's on MINI2, but you can find him on http://www.metroplexmini.org and it's Fast1Won

 

thanks, keep us updated!

 

I'm not sure i understand the whole "driving lights can only be on with hi-beams" thing. every car i've had with factory driving lights (not yellow or amber fog lights, but white driving lights) have been wired so that they are on with the low beams, and off with the hi beams!? as far as mounting below the bumber, that's the way most driving lights are installed, factory or aftermarket. i think the mounting above the bumper is more the exception than the norm.

And that yellow car in the pic with the four below is a REAL bad photoshop job...look at the upper grill!! Of course, i did this same kind of thing before i striped my '91 Miata.