I know I'm late coming into this thread but I wanted to throw in my experiences with the Alta light bar. Which I love by the way! I'm not sure if some of you who have them ran into this or not but I had to put washers and change the bolt out to get mine away frmm the bumper. I decided to go with 2 ion yellows and 2 white ones which I can turn on independently. I run the middle fogs most of the time and switch on the whites when I need them. I agree these are not true rally style lights because they are lower that than the middle of the bumper. (sndwave, you need to take a spin with me at our next meet so you can see just how much illumination these lights project.... it's impressive) Wagnbat and Mandaboo, thanks for the inspiration on the light bar!

 

You guys and gals running the Alta lower bar, can the bar be modified to 3 lights? I would really like to get the Hella Black Magic Lights but they are running 7" and from the looks of your pics that won't fly unless the lights can be spread out some more? Thank you.

 

The light bar is designed for 4 - 6" lights, but if you took it to a weld shop the could probably fabricate a mount for the middle. The concern I would have is the depth of the Black Magics. You can get another 1/2 inch using a longer bolt and washers, but i'm not sure if that will be enough to stop them from rubbing on the bumper...

Anyone else have that issue?

 

I've uploaded some pics of my Hella 500 lights on OutMotoring brackets and M7 grille to my gallery. There is about an inch and a half clearance between the back to the lamp housing and the grille, and about three inches between the hole in the lamp mounting bracket and the grille, depending of course on how deeply you mount the M7 grille.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the pics! Now exactly how deeply did you mount your M7 grill? Mine is about 1/8" from being flush on the sides and between 1/4"-1/2" from being flush on the top. I'm planning on getting the ff200 series (3" depth) instead of the 500's (2 5/8" depth). If my grill is close to yours, it should fit with a little over an inch to spare.

 

You can with the outmotoring brackets. You can Also set them high or low. Go look at their website.

 

Thanks for the help with the pictures and the tape measure. The only way to get HID driving lamps looks like the pricey FF200 :(

 

I don't. My two middles butt up against my plate mod, but the other two don't touch the bumper. Did you go back in with a screwdriver and tighten down the left and right screws of each light?

 

here are the brackets that have been mentioned..

http://outmotoring.com/mini_cooper_d..._brackets.html

 

Hella 500's on the outside and Piia's on the inside. I have the M7 grille and just took some tinsnips to it after fitting the Alta light bar.

 

Interesting setup. Is there a functional reasoning behind it, or is it strictly the aesthetic you were looking for?

 

I also had to install some extra washers for my Alta light bar. I found that the lights were pushed as far back as possible, (hitting the bumper), and were still aimed too low.

So I bought some washers, and that brought the lights out another 1/4", just enough to allow the lights to pivot back further, and finally be aimed correctly.

Also, for all you Alta light bar fans, I HIGHLY recommend ditching the ugleee plain white lamp covers that come with the IPF lights. They're cheap, and you have to remove them to use the lights.

There are clear covers made by IPF that allow you to keep them on all the time, and still use the lights. They're absolutely awesome. Plus, they have 4 stronger tabs that ensure they stay on, and don't move around at all...

Here's where I got mine...

http://www.4by4connection.com/ipfcllico.html

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=16662&cat=981
These lights I got from a company called minisport in the UK. I love the look of the bottom mount lights, but they wouldn't last to long in winter up here. I have had them on since August, and I have had no issues with over heating.

Edit - can't get the picture to show, but the link goes to the shot of my car in the gallery.

 

REBUTTAL #1. On the contrary, my Alta lights survive winter just fine, knock on wood. I live in the lake-effect snow belts west of Lake Ontario in New York State, and see tons of snow each winter. Worse, my car gets pelted with salt from following plows and salt trucks. Yet, my lights take anything that comes at them. But, I recommend a set of the clear IPF 968 light covers though, just for a bit of insurance.

REBUTTAL #2. As for the fellow who strongly criticized the Alta lights, claiming that they're just useless bling... Umm, you're just plain wrong. Do you have these lights? How can you claim this???

Keep in mind, that I have only 2 of the 4 that normally come with the setup, and I cannot sing their praises enough! My nightly commute would be much darker, if it werent for these lights. Like Mandaboo, I have been saved several times from hitting deer, thanks to them.

No, they're not true driving lamps, but if you have ever actually researched the beam pattering of the IPF 968 light, you'd know that it is a unique dual-purpose light. The reflector is shaped like a fog lamp lens near the bulb, but then becomes a deep parabolic spot beam towards the outer edges. This gives you the best of both worlds; a diffused fog beam up close, and a long-distance spot beam far out in front of you.

They are not merely bling, just the opposite. I chose them for their functionality, and I am very impressed with them. I recommend them constantly to other MINI owners, and will continue to do so.

 

This just a thought, plz dont take as criticism. I'm talking about the Lens.

If the lens tries to do both things, then it will do neither well. Its physically impossible. Too bad you couldnt have gotten four on cause then you could have gotten the light bar and just added a real set of fogs and a real set of driving lights.

Again, this is just an observation of the lens pattern, nothing more.

 

I wanted ambers for the fogs, and I had the Piia's left over from another car. so, it was a combo, of looks and cost of shelling out for another pair of Piaa's. Works for me, the covers are different but dont really care too much.

 

I can see how you, and others, could jump to the conclusion that the IPF 968 lens might not work well, because it is trying to be two totally different lamps at once.

Your negative opinion as to their lens design illustrates that you're just arguing, for the sake of arguing. The problem is that you have no argument, unless you've actually driven on a dark country road with them. If you haven't seen them in action, what basis do you have to give them any performance review? Not trying to shove a broom stick into a hornet's nest here; I'm just saying that you need to experience them before judging.

I defend them, and recommend them because they are good, quality lamps, that perform as they are advertised to perform. And like I said, I have only 2 of the 4 lamps installed. I can only imagine how much more impressive FOUR would be!

 

I said: This just a thought, plz dont take as criticism.

It was just a thought. ... Here is another way to look at it.

If the lens design was so good to do the job of two different light patterns, Why don't companies like Hella sell them?

It doesnt matter ... as long as your happy, thats all that counts

 

I don't know why Hella doesn't sell similar lens designs, except that maybe they're patented???

 

Maybe. PIAA sells dual, Triple, and Quad lights in one lamp but each is really two or three separate lens in a single housing.

Maybe it is patented.

 

Thats what I did, the Hellas are the fogs and the Piaas are some flamethrower pencile beams - not really street legal.

 

Glad to hear you haven't lost them yet. But I should have mentioned I prefer the above-bumper look of the lights, as well as the concerns regarding longevity. I do agree with the comments regarding visibility - I never use my high beams anymore, and as I have the furthest right light set to sweep the roadside ahead, I can see deer at the side of the rode from a much greater distance.

 

As I might agree with you... for most people ALTA lights will be... useless... Yes they throw a bright beam straight infront of you that seems endless but... it does nothing outside the scope of your lowbeams except the glow on the trees etc.... Now if you want to illuminate the edges of the road I would suggest getting the Mini-Maddness 4 lights.... same 6in lights solid metal construction (unlike the plastic ALTA ones) but the Mini-Madness ones also provide up and down adjustment as well as side to side adjustment which the ALTAs do not. Take it from someone the knows about light on the front of his car... for the everyday driver I would suggest either the 2 or 4 Mini-Madness light setup..

both links are included if you want to check them out

-Josh

 

Interesting. One looks just like a broad low beam, the second looks like fogs aimed too high

Traditional "driving lights" were Pencil beams that throw out a 5 degree beam WAY down the road to assist the HIgh Beams.

Looks like lamp makers are making adjuncts to low beams now. Thats not to say a broad beam is bad, its just not a pencil beam.

Look here. http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/580.html
Piaa calls the first ones "flood" and you can also the the Pencil beam at 5 degrees.

Look here http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell...000/FF1000.jsp
click on pencil beam pattern to see the pattern of a true "pencil beam"

They both have the purposes.