IceShark

Matt, I can get the #68137 lenses (which I think is what you wanted to experiment with) dropped shipped to you today if you get back to me quick enough. There is a big shipping charge of $20 to rush this though, charged by Hella USA. Otherwise, I think you will like the cost which I will tell you about in private. Send me an E-mail at wraydan@msn.com and I get things rolling. You can have them by first part of next week.

Bob Ward

I'm, really interested in building fixed headlight too!

Sounds like there are 2 guys how have already "suffered" thru it: nine-44 and Flying V. Sorry as I don't know real names here.

I am willing to help in anyway I can!

I would think that we could get some kind of fiberglass buck mold made. Buy the GT racing covers. and fab out brackets.

Someone here (ICESHARK) is making some kind of wire kit which could be adapted.

COOL WINTER PROJECT!!

Matt H

Bob - I ordered the lenses the other day and IceShark is going to be the man with the wiring. There are a number of different bucket being worked on. I know sh944 has some that he thinks will work. I am fabbing some in about two weeks. The covers are the hard part. Apparently the GT racing covers dont last at all. I dont know that there is a way to make them last longer or not. There are a lot of little stumbling blocks but there are a few of us who will have these come Dec or Jan.
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IceShark

Matt, you need to talk to some plastics guys on these covers. Lexan polycarbonate is probably the way to go because that is what all the big boyz settled on for their modern aerodynamic light assemblies.

But lexan has a few problems when compared to glass. Road rash from sand blasting and UV attack milking. Just look at a car older than 5 years with plastic lens housings and you will see what I mean. You can hardly see with those headlights. The plastics manufacturers will put coatings or laminate a protective layer over the lexan to slow attack down but it is not a complete fix. And bulb manufacturers coat their bulbs with a UV filter to slow down attack from the inside. But none of these measurers lasts forever.

So I guess get your molding down to a fine art so you can sell replacement covers at a reasonable cost. Or switch to glass (now that would be a equipment intensive operation to make) or go with a design that doesn't use a cover. I think you might want to play around with the latter idea.

The other thing against plastic is how much the cover will bend the light beam around. You can make plastic that is optically great, just look at eye glasses. But I think there is a little special effort involved to do it correctly.

Matt H

I think if we got them to last 2 years most would be okay with that. I have heard from some people I asked that the GT racing ones only seem to last about XX long (i.e. until a rock touches them!). I am toying with the glass idea but I am not sure how you would mount them. Open is also being played with.
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IceShark

With glass you would probably have to glue it to a frame of some sort. But you would need a furnace and mold to press these out which would be pretty expensive if you are not set up in the glass biz already.

You should be able to get two years out of a laminated lexan as long as people don't take a scotch brite pad to them cleaning. As long as everyone understands up front that the covers are a maintenance item you should be OK.

Flying V

By the way, if anyone is interested in the GT Racing light brackets and bulbs, I have a set that I'm not going to use. Email me and I can send info/photos. Make me an offer... GT Racing sells them for $175.

tifosiman

Flying V, email me and we'll talk....

Tifo

savage944

What about fitting another Porsche models Lights, like the 968 style or 356, or 996, etc... The biggest obsticle I see is matching the general look, I like the 968 style, but I am not talking about flip up lights, I mean a fixed type setup, their is a company that does 968 conversion on 924/944 models that does a fixed 968 look light, but it has a fixed light housed inside the hosing.

You could do a one piece nose that fills the whole area then mount the lights to that, or mold in the housing, etc...

Or build a housing that fits in the stock pup location, but holds the new lights, I suppose you could borrow from other makes and modesl as long as you are working with a round headlight.

Biggest heartache I see is matching something to the angle of the lights that gives you a good look and is functional if you went in this direction.

I will do some mock ups in photo shop on this, I dont know the sizes of the other models, so I am not sure how doable it is, but you would be keeping within the porsce theme, like some of the 911 models...

Anyone have any thoughts on this type of setup?

I keep thinking that a cross between 968/911 would look nice... maybe it just looks better in a vision that it would in real life...

Bob Ward

I just saw some kind of projection light kit for a 90 300ZX that looks like it might be close and adaptable in one of the import car magazines.

Maybe even something from the twin turbo supra lights?

Just thinking that it is easier to adapt than create from scratch!

*eurospeed951*

These are the things we all want out of a new light setup, correct?
-remove all the motor stuff to loose weight
-no flip up for less drag
-some kind of cover so the appearence is not destroyed
-better light output
If so, anyone have any ideas about haveing all light come from where the stock fog lights are in the 951? You could scrap all of the flip up stuff, but not have the clear boxes. This is the idea that I have been working on. I am just researching right now, but someday I would like to have all my light from down there and eather mold over the flip up lights or get that fyberglass panal with them removed. Any thoughts on this???

Sam Lin

Eurospeed, I have thought about that also, but I fear the lamps will be too low for good beam pattern and distance. It would be ideal and easiest in terms of fit.

Sam

Matt H

You have to run very high wattage pencil beam lights, this will make you VERY unpopular with police and oncoming traffic. It can be done though.
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IceShark

Forget using the fog light pockets for your headlights. You are too low for the beam patterns the manufacturers designed for headlights that actually work. I forget exactly what the minimum legal height requirement (and practical from original design specs) but it is somewhere around 24 to 26 inches. The fog pockets are way lower than that.

This whole idea is cosmetic when you cut to the chase so let looks set the pace. Yes, you can lose some weight and make things less complicated but remember the original idea.

And also that you are going to road rash the lenses far quicker than the flip ups. If you are not into serious track racing this really is a style issue. And style costs a bunch of money.

*eurospeed951*

hmmm, well as I said I am doing research on this presently. I have worked as a production technition for years and know a great deal about theatre and production lights and lighting. I don't see why you couldn't make a beam that would throw the desired pattern at that level. I guess since it doen't realy have a market no one has created it. The only problem I see is the issue of road rash, but that's just one more problem for me so ponder...