So what's the final word on 4 large lights across the grill? I'd heard rumor of overheating problems due to decreased air intake, yada, yada, yada, but has anyone actually seen that?
I can't put them down in front of the lower grill due to being in a state requiring a front plate, and I don't want to do two down and two up (don't like the look). Anybody know anything definitive about any mech problems as a result of this mod?

 

Do what you want. Check the law in NY, might be illegal. I know its probably illegal in EVERY state to have six lights on at once (4 driving plus your highs). I think four across the top is too much but everyone has different tastes. The Brits seem to like them, lots in the MINI2 gallery. Not sure I've ever seen them in the states (on the grille).

 

I love my lightbar. My favorite mod on the car so far, and I have about a dozen or so.

As you can see from the pic, and like JonnieOh has on his car, you can also remove the two middle lights as well, if you don't want to buy the $3 Walmart universal license plate mounting bracket like I did.

 

Wagn, how is ur plate attached? to what?

oh yeah, the wife's rights, it looks MEAN

 

I was looking at your gallery earlier, but didn't see any pics with the plate on. So where exactly is the plate mounted?

 

I picked up a generic license plate bracket from WalMart, about $3. Instead of mounting my plate into the stock holes, I mounted the bottom of the generic bracket to the stock holes, raising the overall location of the plate:



Hehe, thanks.

You were probably looking at the install pics, and I didn't do the license plate bracket until a couple weeks after the lightbar install was done. Sorry, I'll toss a pic w/ the plate mounted into that gallery later.

 

That's very useful, thanks.
What brand of lightbar did you use?

 

[QUOTE=Wagnbat I mounted the bottom of the generic bracket to the stock holes, raising the overall location of the plate:

.[/QUOTE]
Cool, great idea!

 

Is there more than one? I went with the Alta. Good price on NAMotorSports.net.

 

I feel so sorry for all of you that have to drive around with front license plates! What a terrible police state so many of you must endure!

Good creative solution though to have your lights and keep it legal too, wagnbat!

 

Yeah, it really does suck.

While I like Wagnbat's solution and may eventually employ it, I still haven't heard anything about the rumored problems with the grill lights.

Also, does anyone have a mounting guide for the alta bar off the bumper (Wagnbat?)?

 

i have 4 mounted in front of my top grille and have no problems. In fact it solves the problem of not enough light and it looks really cool.

 

Outmotoring sells one.

 

Hmmm... There's a simple install guide which comes with the bar, but here's the breakdown. All estimated times with 2 people with no clue what they're doing except the provided instructions:

Remove the front fender/bumped/big fiberglass part in front of the car. (10 mins)



See that big metal piece going across the front? Drill 4 holes into that. 2 for each L bracket. Top of L mounts to the holes in bumper, right lower side of L's are what the light bar bolts into. About 45 minutes. Takes a while because you want to measure. Measure again. Measure again. And be 100% sure you're drilling your holes in the right place.

If you look at this pic(not posting because it's too big), you can see there 4 holes drilled in the metal, which kind of looks like this
[ : : ]

Thats where the 2 L brackets go. 4 bolts, and the bar is ready to mount.


Run the provided cables, follow the generic instructions. Another 45 mins or so.

After everything is mounted and tested, remove the lights, and go to put the front fiberglass bumper/fender thing back on. The L brackets will not go through the lower grill, but you can use it to see where you need to cut back the plastic grill mesh.

Cut the holes in the lower grill where the brackets will poke through, put the bumper back on, remount the bar to the brackets, reattatch cables, and done.


Bigger pictures of any of the above can be found in my gallery (click my sig banner) under Lightbar install. Once you're on a pic, click it again to make it full size.

Hope that's what you're looking for. Overall install took about 3 hours.

And Chow, I did take a look at the Outmotoring one. I like how it can be configured for different setups instead of striaght across, but it doesn't look very stable imho. I'd worry about shake & rattle if it doesn't bolt down to something. The Alta lightbar is very 'tight'. Can loosen lights, move them, tighten em down, and they don't move.

 

I have the light mounting kit from OutMotoring. No holes to drill in the bumper bar, because the light mounts clamp through existing holes. Totally stable once mounted. Two mounting positions per light. The arms that the lights mount to are removable without pulling the bumper cover off.

IMO an superior product. YMMV, of course.

 

yea but i like alta 4 lights under my grill. I just order the 4 that go over the grill too! 8 lights... mmmmmm

-Josh

 

SpunkytheTuna, what lights are you using with the Outmotoring bracket? How do the lights hook up to the bar? Is it just a generic bracket that any light kit can bolt onto?

 

It just a generic bracket bolted to the holes already in the bumper. You can put them in numerous configurations. Not sure "ANY" light can be bolted on but any that stand upright would be fine.

 

Technically, I'm supposed to have a front license plate too, but we haven't had them on any of our cars and never had an issue (knock on wood)

As for any temperature issues, I auto-x my car regularly and I have taken it to a road course and I have not had any temperature issues. The time I went to the track it wasn't the middle of summer or anything, but my temperatures were low enough that I really wouldn't worry about it during the summer

 

Oh, and thanks to Yucca, I bought clear covers for my lights to replace the white ones that come with the Alta light bar. Here is a link to the place that carries them http://www.4by4connection.com/ipfcllico.html The Alta light bar comes with the 968 lights.

Here's a pic of the lights with the clear covers on

 

I got my 4 like mandaboo and havent had any problems. I just ordered the clear covers even though I have been runnign without any protection for almost 2 weeks. I got the mini madness 4 rally light stuff also on the way so if anyone needs someone to follow at night I will be the leader!

-Josh

PS for most situations the alta rally lights brighten the road up quite well until you get into some big curvey twistys then they arent quite as good as I would like!

 

BattleCattle,

When you get to the twisty roads, adjust your lights so that 2 of the face inward a bit. They will cross in front of you and then illuminate things around corners. . . .

 

8 > 4 > 2

hehe

 

I'm running a pair of Hellas (trying to remember the model number, maybe Hella 500?). The section the lights mount to is basically a tube that threads into the bumper bar mounted support (in one of two holes) with a flat steel angle brace welded flat to the end of the tube. Because you can select how far apart the lights are by where you mount the bumper brace pieces, you could probably mount some truly humongous lights if you really wanted to. As it is, I mounted mine in the place where the manufacturer of the mounts suggested for outside lights and have plenty of room for another pair of lights between them.

Which I think I'm going to do at some point. Just so there's adequate light in case someone needs to perform emergency neurosurgery on the road in front of me.

 

Still waiting for somebody to install and post pics of these
http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell...lack_Magic.jsp

They'd look too cool on Battle Cattle's car.