bluedot
12-23-2011, 01:37 AM
Ordered a light bar from Rally Innovations for the front of our WRX. They're going to powder coat it white to go with the rex.
http://www.bluedotproductions.com/media/rex/Front_Mounted.png
http://www.bluedotproductions.com/media/rex/Skidplate.JPG
Talked to Daniel Stern about lighting options for it, and have decided on (4) lights, (2) with these housings:
http://www.grote.com/product.php?product_number=64021 with some Cibie and Hella lenses using H1 bulbs.
Found some nice clamps for the lightbar tubing -
http://www.amazon.com/PIAA-74000-1-25-L-Bracket-Twin/dp/B004TXS0SS/ref=reg_hu-rd_dp_img
My partner is afraid of me scraping the bottom or banging the lightbar on stuff when we are on the backroads. I guess the plastic nose is flexible... but damn. I need some more illumination!
Daniel Stern also made recommendations to change out the existing bulbs in the high/low beam headlights with units that are about 800 lumens brighter.
I quote:
"You'll also want to upgrade the existing headlamps with better bulbs. Your low beams take a 1350-lumen H11 bulb. You can easily, safely, and effectively replace this with a 2100-lumen H9 bulb, which you ought to be able to find locally by seeking the high beam bulb for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Use a good brand (GE, Philips, Osram-Sylvania) and stick to colorless clear bulbs, not any kind of "whiter light" bulb such as the Sylvania Silver Star scam. Can also get from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480KOP4 .You may need to shave a small ridge of plastic off the H9 bulb's connector so that the H11 socket will snap on. Other than that, it's a direct swap. The only disadvantage is shorter low beam bulb life — the H11 is optimised for very long life with relatively modest light output, while the H9 is optimised for very high output with relatively short life. Note that the H9 swap is not universal; it works well in projector-type low beams but is not safe in most reflector-type low beams or in fog lamps of any type.
To upgrade the high beams, go to your local Chevrolet dealer (or www.gmpartsdirect.com for a better price)and pick up two part number 15094219. Can also get from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480N154 . That is a Philips 9011 bulb. They are not some tinted or overwattage version of 9005, but share the identical filament geometry and base architecture as well as the same power consumption.
Here's the comparison:
stock: 9005, 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours
new: 9011, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours
The 9011 bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is
to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases.
The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb
fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly
into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on. Please see
http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/HIRmod.html for details."
http://www.bluedotproductions.com/media/rex/Front_Mounted.png
http://www.bluedotproductions.com/media/rex/Skidplate.JPG
Talked to Daniel Stern about lighting options for it, and have decided on (4) lights, (2) with these housings:
http://www.grote.com/product.php?product_number=64021 with some Cibie and Hella lenses using H1 bulbs.
Found some nice clamps for the lightbar tubing -
http://www.amazon.com/PIAA-74000-1-25-L-Bracket-Twin/dp/B004TXS0SS/ref=reg_hu-rd_dp_img
My partner is afraid of me scraping the bottom or banging the lightbar on stuff when we are on the backroads. I guess the plastic nose is flexible... but damn. I need some more illumination!
Daniel Stern also made recommendations to change out the existing bulbs in the high/low beam headlights with units that are about 800 lumens brighter.
I quote:
"You'll also want to upgrade the existing headlamps with better bulbs. Your low beams take a 1350-lumen H11 bulb. You can easily, safely, and effectively replace this with a 2100-lumen H9 bulb, which you ought to be able to find locally by seeking the high beam bulb for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Use a good brand (GE, Philips, Osram-Sylvania) and stick to colorless clear bulbs, not any kind of "whiter light" bulb such as the Sylvania Silver Star scam. Can also get from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480KOP4 .You may need to shave a small ridge of plastic off the H9 bulb's connector so that the H11 socket will snap on. Other than that, it's a direct swap. The only disadvantage is shorter low beam bulb life — the H11 is optimised for very long life with relatively modest light output, while the H9 is optimised for very high output with relatively short life. Note that the H9 swap is not universal; it works well in projector-type low beams but is not safe in most reflector-type low beams or in fog lamps of any type.
To upgrade the high beams, go to your local Chevrolet dealer (or www.gmpartsdirect.com for a better price)and pick up two part number 15094219. Can also get from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480N154 . That is a Philips 9011 bulb. They are not some tinted or overwattage version of 9005, but share the identical filament geometry and base architecture as well as the same power consumption.
Here's the comparison:
stock: 9005, 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours
new: 9011, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours
The 9011 bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is
to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases.
The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb
fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly
into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on. Please see
http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/HIRmod.html for details."