Well, Daniel Stern has convinced me (and certainly created the definitive web site on automotive headlight bulbs) that all this hype about tinted blue/green/purple bulbs represents an infatuation of HID wannabes with the color output of HID headlights. The placebo effect:"I paid $39.95 for a pair of 'Kool Vision' bulbs so it HAS to be good." I wonder how many MINI owners out there are actually driving around with illegal headlight bulbs.

Then there is this insane get-into-the-bandwagon trend of adding bar lamps (PIAA and the like) in the belief that more is better. Again, read what the NHTSA has to say about glare and safety, the subject of a hearing about headlights.

Oh I know I'm going to make enemies from all those MINI fans out there who think I'm a killjoy or some old fart who doesn't know how to enjoy Motoring. The sad thing is that this infatuation with excess spans both side of the pond. Nobody can argue with improved driving illumination, within mandated safety standards, and certainly there are some good manufacturers of CLEAR bulbs who make improved bulbs compared to the standard MINI bulb, but think again. Browse Stern's web site : http://lighting.mbz.org/home.html.

Next time I read another post abaout tinted light bulbs, I'll just pass. Or barf.

 

>> I wonder how many MINI owners out there are actually driving around with illegal headlight bulbs.
>>
>>


i would venture to say a very FEW mini owners are doing that..

there seem to be two types, some with the xenon, and some wtihout xenons
most of these colored bulbs or tinted light covers are on hondas/neons/focuses

usually younger kids buy these, and most mini people are not very young or rice :smile:

mini people have class :smile:

_________________

 

i have some blue lights in my car. they are philips blue vision 5w5, i got from england :smile:

_________________

 

BACK on topic, I dont really have blue bulbs but I do want to get the philips bulbs like yours, where did you get em again?

_________________

Don't drink and drift!

 

ray

anways..my uncle brought me some from england

but u can buy them here http://www.powerbulbs.com/ they are really good, ,my friends have bought them here..i know them from club lexus

also if u want to check them out before you buy, i can show youu the ones on my car :smile:

_________________

 

No prob ryan...Thanks for the link, theyre giving away a free set of 5w5 bulbs when you order any bulb from them! I think I'll order some H7's from them so I get the 5w5 bulbs with them. I'd like to see them on your car ryan, maybe at the next meet.

Are these the bulbs you have ryan?

 

Woah! this post is ALL OVER the place!

Just to chime in on the "expert" I'd say YES. Many want to look like they have the expensive cooler looking lights. But in general I find that the "blue" replacement lights are brigher and have a "whiter" light to them, making it easier to see things (in general).

I like the look and clarity that I went with the REAL Xenon headlights when I got my MINI.

Ready for the Flames:

 

Wasn't this thread about light bulbs?

 

This thread has been edited

The topic was taken way off topic to the point where the original question, which was being discussed beforehand, was no longer being constructively added to. In an attempt to get this topic back on track, all other content has been removed.

The topic at hand is related to tinted bulbs and their effect on light quality (and driver visibility).

Dave

 

hey ray

those are the ones i have
i had them on my lexus as well

they work very well with the XENONS

ur welcome to check them out at the next meet :smile:

and whats funny is after the thread has been edited, all my posts remain, must mean, i am getting better with my quality posts

or the scientist had to much to drink

 

I'm gonna order them soon, while they still have the free philips bulbs deal. How hard were the indicator lights to install? Did you have to take the bumper off?

 

no

ray you can do them from the inside
no reason to take ur bumper off, unless u need to install the aero grilles

 

>>Wasn't this thread about light bulbs?
_________________
It is, and bbmykal is not off the mark. Many owners want to get "cooler"(trendier) looking bulbs so that, among other things, they look like the more expensive (and cooler, color temperaturewise) HID Xenons. This is a common affectation of rice racers who can be seen driving around in poorly maintained Honda Civics and Acura Integras with oversized exhaust tips and sporting VTEC vinyl peel off decals.

One point made by Stern in his web site is that some of these tinted bulbs may in fact give out MORE lumens, but at the expense of higher voltage requirements. This higher voltage draw would result in a shorter life for the bulb.

As for those four rally lights, I can't see the point in having them for everyday (night) driving. Just because it was very British to have them on rally events doesn't mean anything more than sticking with a tradition that, IMHO, is outmoded, given modern headlamp design. It's like **** on a boar hog. If one has to spend money, spend it on something to truly improve performance, not something that is superficial. So why does MINI sport these rally lights in some of their photographs? Why, to sell you all the more,

 

>>no
>>
>>ray you can do them from the inside
>>no reason to take ur bumper off, unless u need to install the aero grilles

Oh ok, thanks ryan. I might have to remove the lower grill for a cool foglight setup I'm planning, as soon as my funds will allow me

zgo, are you saying that all aftermarket bulbs are inferior to the Xenons and if we get some we are rice? I'm getting some, thats because my mini didnt come with the Xenons so I want to get some bulbs that have the clearer whiter look and are safer at night. And not all 'ricers' and hondas are poorly maintained. I saw quite a bit of nice 'ricers' at hot import nights last saturday in LA, thats an import car show if no one knew.

 

"zgo, are you saying that all aftermarket bulbs are inferior to the Xenons and if we get some we are rice? "

Not at all. If you already have Xenons why would you want aftermarket bulbs? Are you talking about those extra bar(rally) lamps? All I'm saying is that there is a downside to most tinted bulbs, and in some cases, they are not legal. As for the extra bar lights, I think they're superfluous. Spend your money on real mod improvements.

And not all 'ricers' and hondas are poorly maintained."

True. My point is that many people make superficial "improvements" to their cars (and lets face it, Honda is a very popular car with a large OEM market appeal). IMHO it's a macho perception thing.

 

Wow. That comment about the rally lights was kind of rough. I have four lights, and no, I don't use them for daily driving. They are ridiculously bright, not to mention illegal. On rare occasions, I use them when there is no one else around, and I really need the brightness (lower Wacker drive late at night!).

The main reason I have them is because I think they look cool. I also have four mirrors on my Vespa. So sue me. I get some things for performance, and other things for looks...it's all just part of the fun!

Cheers!

Maxwell

(PS: I'm hurt that all of my original posts from this thread got axed! )

 

PS: I'm hurt that all of my original posts from this thread got axed! :smile:

 

Flaunting it:

 

>>"zgo, are you saying that all aftermarket bulbs are inferior to the Xenons and if we get some we are rice? "
>>
>>Not at all. If you already have Xenons why would you want aftermarket bulbs? Are you talking about those extra bar(rally) lamps? All I'm saying is that there is a downside to most tinted bulbs, and in some cases, they are not legal. As for the extra bar lights, I think they're superfluous. Spend your money on real mod improvements.
>>
>>And not all 'ricers' and hondas are poorly maintained."
>>
>>True. My point is that many people make superficial "improvements" to their cars (and lets face it, Honda is a very popular car with a large OEM market appeal). IMHO it's a macho perception thing.

I wasnt talking about the rally lamps, i like the rally lamps. I think they look awesome! I was talking about the headlight bulbs, my mini didnt come with the Xenons so I want to upgrade to a bulb thats similar.

 

Gee, sounds like a good old-fashioned knock-down-drag-'em-out brouhaha. Kinda makes me wish I'd seen this thread the other day before the edits. Anyone got it cached?

No, not all aftermarket bulbs are crap. But there's a huge array of performance-decreasing, dangerous and/or pointless bulbs and lamps readily available for sale. There are also performance-increasing, safe and useful lamps and bulbs, but you have to look harder to find them because they're generally not advertised with the fancy packaging and glossy brochures and breathless hype.

What's MINI getting for their cheesy third-world "Rally" lights these days, or have they finally started furnishing a unit of half-decent quality? About a year ago, an almost identically sized and shaped lamp, much better built lamp with hugely better performance from a ninety-year-established lighting manufacturer, cost about 1/4 what MINI wanted.

And then there are the high-output but safe upgrade bulbs for the brake lights, rear turn signals and reversing lamps. They exist, and they're not very expensive, and you won't find 'em on the auto parts store shelf, but you will find glossy boxes containing ineffective and dangerous 50W halogen items sold for the purpose.

DS

 

why dont you guys link to some of these "good" products you reference. i want them