Exterior 2nd Gen DIY Driving Lights Project

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by Metalman, Mar 9, 2013.

  1. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0
    These sweet babies arrived today.... Stainless steel shielded ball joint linkage.... $5.42 each.....:Thumbsup:

    These will be used to allow the light housing to change axis in order to dial in the alignment....

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 6, 2009
    7,422
    1,685
    113
    Ratings:
    +1,685 / 0 / -0
    Oh my gosh. :eek6:

    All I did was bolt mine on and hook up the wires. What was I thinking?????? :incazzato:
     
  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0
    Heh Heh Heh....

    :prrr::prrr::prrr::prrr:
     
  4. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    25,021
    13,497
    113
    Burbs of Philly, PA
    Ratings:
    +14,644 / 10 / -4
    Jim your look JUSTA cool but MM's won't even be able to be moved with a sledge hammer after he is done.
     
  5. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    Trouble is Chuck all the beautiful fab work will be hidden. You need a clear plastic bumper so folks can see your jewel like work. :Thumbsup:

    Jim I like your old school rally lights. :yesnod:
     
  6. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0
    Had a little personal time today to work on my MINI light project and made 8 of these little SS jobbies..... They will be my mounts that will allow the light frame attachment to be made with existing fasteners....:D

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    Man Chuck even the most mundane widgets become art when you make them. :Thumbsup:
     
  8. CHKMINI

    CHKMINI Club Coordinator
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 1, 2009
    9,244
    3,802
    113
    Ratings:
    +3,863 / 0 / -1
    Tommy's in the morning?
     
  9. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0


    You guys go without me...
    I can't make it.... I'll be sitting in HVAC class maintaing my license....
     
  10. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0
    Still under the weather trying to kick this darn cold I have.... Managed to pass it to my wife, which doesn't thrill her at the moment......

    Something along the lines.... What's mine is mine.... And what's your's is mine.... Heh Heh Heh...

    Anyway a little update on my progress....

    I'm at the point where I'm needing to make solid mounts for the lights that will also allow vertical and horizontal aiming adjustment of the beam pattern... I've abandoned two other ideas and have settled on a third idea (Yeah yeah yeah..... Justa Jim.... Something about just drilling a couple of holes to mount your lights sounds real tempting:D)...

    So MINI/BMW was kind enough to place several convenient bolts that are used to mount the bumper beam.... I'm using the same fasteners with my tube mounts, which are deep inside the SS tube extensions I made.... The object is to get a 3 point attachment and these should give me a rock solid mount...:Thumbsup:

    [​IMG]

    The little teardrop opening is the air passage for brake cooling.... I'll need to make sure the air duct will still fit between my standoffs....

    [​IMG]

    The tubes are longer than needed.... I'll just trim them back to the point where they position the lights just behind the bumper cover...

    This is just a template I made that will make it easier for me to find the correct length to cut the tubes.... This light will end up being positioned just in front of the washer fluid bottle....

    [​IMG]

    Which should put the light here...

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    That's some nice figurin & prototyping Chuck. :Thumbsup:
     
  12. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    25,021
    13,497
    113
    Burbs of Philly, PA
    Ratings:
    +14,644 / 10 / -4
    Nice work MM and since you have the front off you could pick up and install a nice HELIX IC. :Thumbsup:
     
  13. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Dec 22, 2009
    5,639
    4,592
    113
    Male
    Overland Park, Ks
    Ratings:
    +5,184 / 1 / -0
    First class work of course.....

    Putting pencil beams down low makes them pretty much useless.....they need to be up high on the bonnet, like the rally guys do it. The only lights that work down low are wide angle fog lights, where you want to light under the fog and mist.

    They will look terrific tho!

    I can't say anything about how long it's taking tho, I started my thread about walnut shell blasting in the fall of 2012, and only actually did them a few weeks ago! :blush2:
     
  14. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    Didn't you have to wait for those walnut trees you planted to grow? :)
     
  15. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Dec 22, 2009
    5,639
    4,592
    113
    Male
    Overland Park, Ks
    Ratings:
    +5,184 / 1 / -0
    Nah, but I did have to wait for Harbor Freight to harvest the walnuts, ship them here from China, crush them, sift them to the right size, then package them so I could buy them!

    I also had to wait for them to ship a load of scrap from the US back to China, and then smelt it into steel so they could build my pressure blaster too! :Thumbsup:

    then I had to get MY butt in gear and wait for an opportunity to take the car up to school to actually do the work.

    Truth be told I could have done it at least a year ago.. :blush2:
     
  16. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    So you are a member of LAME. Lazy Arse MINI Enthusiast. :wink: Welcome brother.....
     
  17. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Dec 22, 2009
    5,639
    4,592
    113
    Male
    Overland Park, Ks
    Ratings:
    +5,184 / 1 / -0
    Charter member!
     
  18. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    I'd argue with you about that, but it's just too much work. :D :beer

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,731
    7,688
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,960 / 1 / -0
    Today was funky bracket day...
    Did a test bracket for the driver's side which is going to be the biggest issue with the washer bottle in the way...

    [​IMG]

    Yet still leave room for the brake duct cooling channel to fit...

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Still have clearance issues with the duct not quite fitting right.... So I'll need to make a few adjustments on the next bracket...
     
  20. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,445
    10,057
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,698 / 2 / -0
    Man Chuck you're a first class metal bending artist. Does your boss let you work on side jobs on company time? :wink:
     

Share This Page