I want to make the plunge and get them. I love the look...

However, $400 is a lot to spend from the dealer - I';m aware of Classis MINI selling the exact same ones for about $320 - but I'm wondering if there is a better deal that I am unaware of...

They dont have to be the mini specific ones - but i want an "easy" install (defining easy as - no harder that the mini install and with instructions)

Also, I'm not that concerned with their quality of brightness as i really want them for the look - i live right outside the city so I would hardly get to use them, my high beams rarely ever go on.

 

there have been a million posts about this.

search it up!

i had those driving lights. Got rid of them, now i have a 4 Hella lamp set up. Much brighter, and cheaper ($60 for two!).

Danny

 

Yeah, i read all the past posts regarding it... they were helpful - but there is no substitute for asking yourself, sstating your exact personal wants and getting the help of this board...

where did you get the mounting brackets?

 

Could I get the bracket and harness OEM from classic Mini and then buy a pair of lamps from PIAA or Cibie or JC Whitney or whatever I choose...

Would it be hard to get tehm mounted on the OEM brackets?

 

>>Could I get the bracket and harness OEM from classic Mini and then buy a pair of lamps from PIAA or Cibie or JC Whitney or whatever I choose...
>>
>>Would it be hard to get tehm mounted on the OEM brackets?


i'm bumping this up because this is what i'd like to know as well..

 

>>Could I get the bracket and harness OEM from classic Mini and then buy a pair of lamps from PIAA or Cibie or JC Whitney or whatever I choose...
>>
>>Would it be hard to get tehm mounted on the OEM brackets?

I can't answer your exact question, but PIAA sells a kit (p/n 5430) specifically for the Mini Cooper. It consists of their 540 light kit and the correct brackets to mount them (just like the factory kit mounts). Turner Minisport currently has them for sale at $250.

See here: PIAA lights

 

In answer to your question, yes, Classic MINI will sell you everything you need to mount the lights. Don't quote me on the figure because it's been a while since I checked into it, but I think it'll total around $200 for everything but the lights.

 

Here's an alternative to driving lamps. Try replacing the High Beams with Ostram
H-7 65 watt Rallye lamps and save about $700 over installed factory driving lights.
If there still isn't enough light, then opt for some auxiliary lights, either all or part of the factory kit from Brian at Classic Parts.

The bulbs are availabe from Danlel L. Stern Lighting, dastern@torque.net

They are $19 each, and are awesome, IMHO !

Charlie

 

>>Here's an alternative to driving lamps. Try replacing the High Beams with Ostram
>> H-7 65 watt Rallye lamps and save about $700 over installed factory driving lights.
>>If there still isn't enough light, then opt for some auxiliary lights, either all or part of the factory kit from Brian at Classic Parts.
>>
>>The bulbs are availabe from Danlel L. Stern Lighting, dastern@torque.net
>>
>>They are $19 each, and are awesome, IMHO !
>>
>>Charlie
>>

Does he have a website? How much more output do these bulbs put out over standard?



Thanks,
Sid
Always looking for more

_________________

 

Silver,

His website is: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

His comments make sense. I was ready to spend twice as much for PIAA Extreme White Plus H-7's, but a post by another reader on NAM steered me to Daniel. Take a look at the site.

Here's what his web site lists for H-7's under "Products"

55W Osram Super High Efficiency Plus 50: $17.50/ea
65W Osram Ultra High Output (2100 lumen, race and special-purpose use): $29.50/ea (Price reduced to $19 each)

The 55W were rated #1 by Autosport Magazine in England when compared to Sylvania Super Stars. He suggested the Ultra HO Rallye H-7's at $19 each/$38 a pair.
These won't impact your high beam electrical circuit. And they are AWESOME!!

Take a look at his site and email him with questions. I believe he's in Toronto.

Charlie

 

FWIW the price sheet now refers to the $19 price you mention. Try hitting "reload" in your browser.

 

I like these 65W rallye bulbs. Some research suggests they are an H-9 filament-and-glass assembly on an H-7 base. The H-9 bulb is a new (last few years) extremely high output bulb intended specially for high beam usage, but it has a unique base so it is not compatible with a lamp designed for anything other than an H-9 bulb. But, the dimensions and placement of the filament within the glass are identical between H-7 and H-9...hence this product, which is more efficient than the other rallye H-7 bulbs I have found.

From comparing manufacturer data for H-7 and H-9 comes the following:

H-7 55W: 1400 lumen

H-9 65W: 2100 lumen

H-7 65W Rallye: 2100 lumen

H-7 80W Rallye by Phillips: 2000 lumen (less light and more heat...no thanks)

H-7 80W Rallye by Eiko/Wiko: 1900 lumen (less light, more heat, cruddy quality...hell no!)

There are warnings against using the rallye 65W bulbs in low beams, and I would heed them...this is a LOT of light to be throwing around, and blinding glare is rude and dangerously unsafe.

SWAMmy

 

Thanks Chief_Charlie



Sid

_________________

 

I haven't tried the Osram bulbs yet, but I have bought from Daniel Stern in the past. He knows his stuff and is a good person to business with.

 

Ok now with the Stern lighting bulb/lamp upgrades is this applicable to XENON equipped Coopers, or are you just changing out a component within and keeping the XENON lamps, please pardon my ignorance.

Also, Coopin in DC where did you get your light setup with the larger and two smaller drivng lights? and did you get OEM brackets? Well done.

FYI Mini-Madness will sell their bracket kit only for I think $70 /pair. Call them. They report that their bracket is substantially better than the OEM, i.e. less vibration, but with the same appearance.

 

Here is a related but very slightly off-topic question...

How do the lights function with the oem harness? Do they always automatically come on with the high-beams...unless you have the override switch off? Or do you have to switch the drving lamps on an off with the switch each time you want to use them? Having them go on and off with the highs each time would be nice. I know that is how the euro-oem harness works. I just want to understand the funtionality of the oem harness better before I choose a kit like the PIAAs where you have to switch them off and on each time (not tied to the high beams). Or am I wrong there too? Do some of the aftermarket kits tie into the high beams also?

-J

_________________
2003 MCS, Indi Blue, Black Roof

 

Marcomini,
The 65 watt Ostrams are for the high beams in your MINI, whether or not you have the Xenon low beams. I've got a MCS with Xenons and I put the Ostrams in the high beam portion of the headlight unit, below the Xenon portion. They work just as well with the Non-Xenon headlights, but are for the high beams only.
Charlie

 

Veak,

Each time you turn on the lgnition, you have to push the driving light ON switch. Then, every time you turn on your high beams, the driving lights will come on also. This lasts for as long as the ignition switch is on. When you turn off the car and re-start it later, you then have to push the Driving Lights switch ON again.

Charlie

 

>>Veak,
>>
>>Each time you turn on the lgnition, you have to push the driving light ON switch. Then, every time you turn on your high beams, the driving lights will come on also. This lasts for as long as the ignition switch is on. When you turn off the car and re-start it later, you then have to push the Driving Lights switch ON again.
>>
>>Charlie

Thanks for the description... Many years ago I had a volvo p1800 with driving lights with an independant switch. It was a real hassle to dip the high beams and turn off the driving lights in a hurry. Even though I am going to get aftermarket lights...the oem harness sounds like the way to go.


_________________
2003 MCS, Indi Blue, Black Roof

 

FWIWand for those who care, anything over 55w. is technically illegal to run on the highway in the U.S.. That's the reason they're marked "race and special-purpose". I doubt you'll ever have a problem in this respect, but I wanted to mention it.

 

Veak,

You can wire aftermarket driving lights so that they will only work with high beams. In this configuration, you turn the aftermarket switch to the on position. When you hit the high beams, the aftermarket lights turn on as well. When you dip the high beams for oncoming traffic, the aftermarket lights turn off also.

If you are going to be using the covers, turn the aftermarket lights' switch to the off position and they will not turn on, regardless of the high beam setting.

The benefit (as I see it) to the "factory" harness is that the lights are reset each time you switch the car off. This way, the default position is off and you must consciously decide to turn on the driving lights each time you start up the car.

 

if you go for 4 i like the look of 2 small ones on the edges and 2 large ones in the center

if you go for 2 be sure to get the large ones mucho machismo eh

 

>>FWIWand for those who care, anything over 55w. is technically illegal to run on the highway in the U.S.. That's the reason they're marked "race and special-purpose". I doubt you'll ever have a problem in this respect, but I wanted to mention it.

That's actually not true. Otherwise all the people with factory 9005 (65W), H-9 (65W), 9004 (45/65W), 9007 (55/65W), 9011 (65W) and new H-13 (55/65W) bulbs in their factory headlights...wouldn't have those factory bulbs in their factory headlights!

The Ostram 65W H-7s are "race only" because there is a wattage specification for each and every different kind of bulb. An H-7 bulb is by legal definition a 55W bulb. (Even this is not quite correct...the 55W is a so-called "nominal" specification, the actual wattage tolerance in the law is 55W plus or minus 10 per cent). Therefore, any H-7 that does not adhere to this wattage specification is not a legal H-7 bulb. Therefore: Race only. It is a common mis-conception that "anything over 55W is illegal", but it's not that simple.

But yes, those 65W H-7s are technically illegal. If your headlights take a 9005 bulb or any of the other ones listed above you're "allowed" to have 65W on high beam, but if they take an H-7 you're "allowed" 55W. When's the last time a cop did a wattage calculation on your high beam bulbs? (Hint: If you get caught for running too-bright high beams, you deserve the ticket because high beams should only ever be used when tehre's nobody in front of you to be blinded!)

 

I have not seen anyone talk about the driving lights I have: They are Cibie Type 40-Tango. Sturdy chrome housings 120mm in diameter with the H2 bulb which is said to be better than H1, H3, etc., and I think they look nicer and more "appropriate" (???) to the MC than the Hella or PIAA lights. I got them as a birthday present, but I'm pretty sure Stern has them. I think they also come in black powder coat in addition to chrome. One thing I like about them way better than the low quality junk MINI wanted to sell me is that the Cibies do not shake-rattle-and-roll on their mounts with road and motor vibrations.

Plus they came with cool "CIBIE" covers

 

Schein....
How about some pics? I'm interested in the Cibies and would really appreciate more info including how they mount, if they have a switch, etc..
thanks