Best set-up for Foggies and spotlamps?

[Dom]

What would you recommend as the best way of using fog and spotlamps?
Are there any "rules" or guidelines rally cars have for best results?
Here's a mock-up I've done. Fogs on top, others on sides. Maybe fogs under the number plate? Hmm.



The normal pic if you want to play about.


By the by, that number plate is gonna be changed for the new AA-123-AA style. My new 'un has got my girlfriend's initials in the first bit and the first of mine in the second bit. Wha were the chances!!! ;D

[MrSpeedy]

I'd say fogs underneath and spots on top

[robg2]

Generally...

fogs underneath as they are supposedly better placed for illuminating the road surface (rather than anything above it) when close to the ground.
Best to have fogs independantly switchable as you want to use them instead of headlights when foggy. I think UK Construction & Use Regs insist that any lights which are independantly operable like this need to have an illuminated tell-tale in the driver's view.


Spots higher up and set to operate only with the main beam (but switchable so they don't always have to come on with the main beam). It's a good idea to brace spots to the body from the back of the lamp body - wobbling spotlights aren't good when you're attemting to drive quickly.

Make sure you can't see any 'leaking' light from the back of the lamps, as that can obscure your view.

Power all auxiliary lights via relays, and go up from 55w bulbs if you want decent performance.
Also take the grilles off - they don't provide any real protection anyway (if that's what you're after).

Speaking from 15 years of UK road rally experience...!

[Adam]

Fogs should always be mounted low, spots always high to make the most of them due to the way they spread they beam.

[steveo3002]

as above..fogs low down to cut under the fog

[Dom]

Thanks for all that info.

[skinnylew]

yay i get to use some pics of the GTI



they are mounted using proper rally brackets bought from Demon Tweeks for £45
www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=THED3375&app=Y

p.s. i don't have a build thread on here for it yet, but there is one on the Axownersclub.com site (but you have to be a paid member to see it )

[rmad]

How about putting them on...ebay.

Are they for looks or do you do a lot of night driving in darl lanes? If it's the former then I reckon the best look is with them not on the car at all!

[Dom]

I do like that GTI of yours skinnylew.
Need to get full membership on axoc. I need to find how to wire these up for starters.

rmad, it's for night driving. I often do 60 miles of country road with no lighting whatsoever, between my parents house and my flat. I have to stick right behind other cars to see where the road goes. Lots of dips and hard turns.

And I do like yellow lights.

[PhilA]

Not sure what the rest of .eu regs are like, but .uk follow suit whereby if you have front foglights, the rear foglights must be operable only once the fronts are switched on.

Not sure if it requires a telltale or not but that's sensible. Foglights are best mounted as low as possible, and some sort of a guard is useful, as I've broken far too many foglight glasses with flying rocks and kerbstones in the past. Plastic covers seem pointless until you notice the big divot in the front. You don't need them all the time.

I had wired all my lights in on seperately switched circuits- you may need to check if you are allowed more than one pair of lights on at any one time. I had my Victor pass with the fogs switchable independently from anything (apparently you're allowed that on cars before a certain age) and my Fiat with four spots and a pair of fogs, all of which came on when I flashed the high beam.

Local rules vary. Here any lights mounted above the top of the windshield must be covered for on-road use and switchable if connected to the vehicle's road-lighting system... but you can have as many lights plastered over the front of the vehicle as you like. Check also Wattage ratings, as "off-road" lamps aren't limited on Wattage but .uk regs state anything mounted for on-road use that uses filament bulbs must not exceed 55 Watts, as far as I'm aware.

--Phil

[Dom]

Cheers.

Haven't got a rear foglight. Apparently the cables are in place though.

Will check about telltale but will have it anyway.

Here I think it's anything mounted above the standard lights must be covered.
Yeah 55W it is.

[steveo3002]

if your normal headlamps suck , you may want to look into fitting a relay harness onto those too?

cant say for sure if that age citroen is effected , but my vw's have really poor wiring from new and £10 worth of wire and a relay makes a huuuge differance to the output

would be quiet easy to add , as you will need to relay those spots too

[LowStandards]

don't do it, just don't!

Tw@t lamps are named for a reason! Upgrade your headlights, job done!

[cairyhunt]

I love spots, every car looks better with spots, and I mean every! If I had a veyron (not that I would) I'd have a 4 lamp rally style pod :-) and 20" banded steels! :-D

Back to spots, just think of the roller that Clinger drove in cannonball run :-D

coop

[joda]

bin them square things and get some round ones like the white ax! round spot lamps look much beter and more rally style than the grandad squares!

[popuptoaster]

fogs need to be low down and aimed flat so they cut under the fog to light the road without sending reflections back at you, personally if i have a car with bad lights i like to have one spot lamp and one driving lamp, i aim the spot light straight down the middle of the road and try and get a driving lamp that will light up at least the nearside of the road, preferably both.

We have suicidal deer round here that like to hide in the verges and leap out in front of you, over the 20 odd years i've been driving around our lanes i've had one car written off by a deer and two badly damaged, plus countless near misses.

[robg2]

Jan 22, 2010 9:25:32 GMT LowStandards said:

don't do it, just don't!

Tw@t lamps are named for a reason! Upgrade your headlights, job done!

Oh dear!

I think we're in need of some retro spotlight love...

Has to start with an Escort:


Avenger


Mk1 Fezza, rare sight in rallying


Early Corolla - rare sight anywhere!


World Rally Car anyone?


Classic 2 up 2 down spotlight installation


Brief foray into the 80s


...but not for long





Knightrider


This is apparently an Ascona 400












Another rarity




Harry Potter on his night off
















RWD conversions of these were popular (although I don't think this one is)


No versions of this were popular though!!


Have to admit that I'm not sure what this is (early Corolla?), although I know there's a well-know retro-drift example lurking on here


And this can only end with a couple more Escorts!!



Big lights... it's the way forward!



_{(ps - all photos gladly borrowed from the long running 'old rally photos' thread on the British Rally Forum).}

[LowStandards]

Note how there all rally/race cars and not driven on the public road by either a 17 year old or someone in there 40's going through a midlife crisis! By all means have em on your car, just don't switch em on!

[Team Blitz]

Jan 21, 2010 20:25:50 GMT rmad said:

How about putting them on...ebay.

Are they for looks or do you do a lot of night driving in darl lanes? If it's the former then I reckon the best look is with them not on the car at all!

R! Why are you Mad?

He's modifying an old car. So.........

I mean, we could say if you're not doing a lot of cab fares, then reckon the best look is to leave the taxi plinth off the roof. But we love your plinth, mate!

C'mon, give the boy 55W of love light!

[cairyhunt]

As far as I know the're are no restrictions as too how many lights or where they are situated on the vehicle and can be used on the public road, just think of hgv's with light bars all over them.

Anyone think I could get away with fitting 4 super oscars on my push bike??? :-D

coop