Headlights and fog driving lights

[Member 10617]

One mistake I made when fixing up my 58TR3 was to install high intensity Xenon headlights. True, there are many advantages to these bright lights, but -- frankly -- I don't like the light they give out (greenish!) and they blind oncoming drivers. So, for a number of reasons, I am going to bite the bullet and have them removed and replaced with good quality standard lights. (I'll give the Xenon lights to a friend as a Christmas present!)

But I also want to install good quality fog driving lights to aid with night driving. What is the consensus on the best and most appropriate fog driving lights for the TR3?

 

[DNK]

Super Oscars

 

[Member 10617]

Sorry... I am clueless about these. What is a "Super Oscar"?

 

[DNK]

That's what the "Google" is for.

From one of the Best
Daniel Stern

 

[tdskip]

Super Oscars

Nice! I like it the car, and love seeing it be used.

 

[trrdster2000]

Lextr3, keep an eye on these, they are period correct.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160513972973&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Wayne

 

[vivdownunder]

Moss Motors has a good range of aftermarket headlamps for H4 bulbs and fog/driving lamps that look period original, but with modern candlepower.

Cibie has a good range too, but whatever the choice, consider using a dedicated fuse and relay.

If fitting really high powered spotlights such as aircraft landing lights, an alternator conversion will probably be needed.

Viv.

 

[kodanja]

These Lucas light dont do much but they look kinda cool'

 

[TR4nut]

Not sure about the performance but for the period look I would go with Lucas 576 lamps, here is one example:
Lucas style lamps

 

[Member 10617]

Many thanks. That puts some "light" on the subject!

 

[vagt6]

Lex, for what it's worth, fog lights do little to brighten up the road far ahead for night driving. Properly used, fog lamps should be aimed to the sides of the road, just ahead of the car. They're really designed for use only in low visibility weather conditions to illuminate the sides of the road immediately in front of the car.

Driving lamps are what you need. The standard 45-55W period-correct driving lamps really light up the road far ahead. Driving lamps are supposed to be aimed level with your high beams and wired to be used only with low beams. And, they WILL blind oncoming drivers far ahead of your car. They provide amazing improvement for night driving on these dark VA back roads. In fact, during deer rut season I wouldn't drive at night without them.

I have the period-correct "WIPAC" driving lamps on my Midget (about $100 from Mini Mania). WIPACs were most notably found on Mini Coopers and look fine on most LBCs. They come with nice plastic covers. I also considered the reproduction Lucas SLR's (from Moss) but the price was a bit steep at $90 each, which includes no covers (very useful if a rock hits the lamp).

Let us know . . . :thumbsup:

 

[TR3driver]

FWIW, you can also get H4 bulbs with higher power only on the high beams, and without that space cadet glow. I had some 100/55 watt bulbs that would really light up the road on high beam (and blind anyone looking my way), but look pretty much like regular headlights (except for the sharp cutoff and e-code illumination to the right) on low beam.

Here's a comparison of 55 watt H4 to a standard tungsten bulb:

 

[Andrew Mace]

...Driving lamps are supposed to be aimed level with your high beams and wired to be used only with low beams....

Have I been wrong all these years? That doesn't make sense to me for driving lights. Fog lights and low beams, yes, but driving lights? :confuse:

 

[Don_R]

If I remember the PA inspection code correctly...driving lights are supposed to come on with HIGH beams only and Fogs with low beams...

 

[TR3driver]

Have I been wrong all these years?

No, I'm sure Mark just mis-typed. Driving lights should only be used in combination with high beam headlights. In many states, it is specifically forbidden to have them on with low beams. For example, CA VC 24402 states "Driving lamps are lamps designed for supplementing the upper beam from headlamps and may not be lighted with the lower beam."

But AFAIK most do not require that the switches be arranged that way, only that you observe the rules while operating on a public highway.

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

FWIW, May be different in Canada, but my Ford Explorer works like this.

Lights on, low beam, driving lights on.

Lights on, high beam, driving lights automatically go off.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

 

[TR6BILL]

Super Oscars are the coolest. However, you will need a separate, heavy-duty circuit to run them. And, deep pockets. They ain't cheap. But, they are period correct. You might even need a separate generator to power them up.. Had them on my TR3 years ago. Daylight!

 

[swift6]

FWIW, May be different in Canada, but my Ford Explorer works like this.

Lights on, low beam, driving lights on.

Lights on, high beam, driving lights automatically go off.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

Are they actual "Driving Lights" though or are they "Accessory Lights"? A lot of SUV's have accessory lights that are on with the regular low beams and/or also with the Daylight running lamps. They are not, in function, like the driving lights that throw light so much further down the road than the main beams doon their own.

 

[DNK]

What they are ,are, PITA lights. Wish all SUV's would turn em off.

 

[vagt6]

Have I been wrong all these years?

No, I'm sure Mark just mis-typed. Driving lights should only be used in combination with high beam headlights. In many states, it is specifically forbidden to have them on with low beams. For example, CA VC 24402 states "Driving lamps are lamps designed for supplementing the upper beam from headlamps and may not be lighted with the lower beam."

But AFAIK most do not require that the switches be arranged that way, only that you observe the rules while operating on a public highway.

VA Code doesn't specify how you use auxillary lamps but does dictate that you can't use more than 4 lights any any given time.

My '05 MINI had driving lamps (dealer installed) which did not work with high beams, only low beams. I've installed them on a couple other vehicles as well, always wired to work only with the low beam. Wiring the drivng laimps to work only with low beams gives the best of both worlds: you get great closeup illumination (with your low beam headlights), and your distance illumination comes from the driving lamps (which should be better than your high beams). In fact, if your driving lamps are wired to work only with high beams I think this may, on very dark roads, create an "illumination gap" near the vehicle (e.g., the area normally illuninated by low beams).

Wire your drving lamps either way, or simply wire them on a separate circuit, but I think using them in combo with your low beam headlights renders a greater field of illumination and poses less blinding risk to other drivers.


YMMV.