[aTOMic]

I'm getting so spoiled by the A8's self-leveling HIDs that I am considering adding a set of driving lights to the B5. I saw a newish Mustang with what appeared to be those black Hellas in the center grille and I wondered if anyone remembers any PWers adding any lights to the center grille? The part is relatively cheap and a badgeless grille might look OK w/a set of lights. Or I noticed my Q-beam is the same OD as the ring around the VW logo... Cyclops?! :lol: It even has flood and spot modes! How weird would THAT look (like a Tucker!)? I searched but too many results...

I just disassembled & polished off the cataracts on both of the B5's headlights (to reattach the metal shields which both fell of within three months of each other)and the lenses are polished to like-new clarity. Put a set of Silverstar Ultras in and it really made a noticeable difference. (BTW the wiring inside the headlamp was baked to crispiness, missing in places, generally FUBAR; I rebuilt one side and tried "liquid electrical tape" on the other. You'd think VW would use heat resistant wiring in there AND something bigger than 20 ga (maybe it's 18 but sure looks like 20 to me.).
Why more light? We got deer really bad here and I'd like to kill them other ways besides wrecking my car! The city is ready to hire Wildlife Resources "sharpshooters" to take them out at night in baited fields with suppressed rifles but as you can imagine every cat lady in town went to the meeting and protested. They are still considering it though. Oh and I asked three separate LEOs if I could shoot them in my yard and they said the same thing: "as long as you have a clear shot and there's not any danger to person, place or property, and all you need is rimfire", which is very true, especially at 20 yards and with a lead poisoning of three CCI Stingers from a semi-auto. My imbecile neighbor actually feeds the friggin things! One I shot ran into her yard and died ; I took the kids to school and when I got back with my parent's 4WD Highlander to tow it to the street, she'd covered it with a sheet! (I admit it looked bad; I probably missed its heart but got it 3 times in the lungs, so its face looked it had been bobbing for apples in foamy ketchup!) It ran about 30 yards and died. The other three I shot didn't get 10 yards. She called the popo on my 12 y/o son who was target shooting with a friggin Red Ryder; two cars came and by the time they left the officers were exchanging venison recipes w/me.
In case any gun-haters need placating; I'm a safety nazi and have extensive experience w/firearms including qualifying as "expert" in ROTC, and a few years' practical pistol competition, and my son had to endure many days of training before I'd let him shoot unsupervised (I still watch him out the window, shhh)...
Wow I gotta cut back on the caffeine!
SOooooooooooooooo, anybody got grille-light pics or wanna photoshop?
Thanks,
Tom

 

[NEWMAN'SOWN]

I didn't read the OP, but I think the basic gist of what you are trying to do is add an auxiliary light system for desolate roads, etc? I think one of those LED light bars mounted behind the front grill would be really cool, and from what I can tell there is plenty of room to do so. The only issue I can think of is that you might have to replace the front grill with a mesh wire system to allow maximum light out.

 

[PZ]

Get a set of HID headlights and you don't have to worry about aux lights.

 

[aTOMic]

I didn't read the OP, but I think the basic gist of what you are trying to do is add an auxiliary light system for desolate roads, etc? I think one of those LED light bars mounted behind the front grill would be really cool, and from what I can tell there is plenty of room to do so. The only issue I can think of is that you might have to replace the front grill with a mesh wire system to allow maximum light out.

Hadn't thought of an LED bar. And for those of you saying "Wouldn't throw a beam"; you'd be surprised how those high-watt SMD LEDs combined with a quality lens array can focus some major lumens! Newman, (or whatever your name is), I think one thin lightbar between slats (with some serious plastic rearrangement) could be a viable idea! It'd look pretty strange if anyone saw it lit, since around here every hillbilly with a lifted 4X4 has one as his DRLs.

Get a set of HID headlights and you don't have to worry about aux lights.

Gawd, you old farts are all the same. Yeah, my perfect solution is to get (another) set of HID headlights, preferably attached to an A8 or S8. Not in the budget right now. And if you are referring to the ricer "HID Conversion Kits", shame on you. They scatter light like a mofo, don't they? Different focal point on the bulbs?! Plus, the original housings barely withstood the heat of the OE H7 & 9003s! HIDs would leave a puddle of polycarbonate!

But thanks for the suggestions. food for thought. I just wanna see pics of a B5 with some 12" HID Hella Rallye 100000s fitted into the grille! (I made those up, but you know what I mean).
For a while I pursued W8 HIDs but for the price of a used pair (and the arguably requisite leveling system) I could buy another car!

Thanks again,
Tom
(Fellow old fart, who still feels 18)

 

[lint601]

Hey, I too was thinking of adding lights to the grill area (either behind the upper [centre] or lower grills) on my B5 to increase my output.
Yes, we have deer here too!
No, I don't want to HID convert the headlights... too much $

Hope someone has some pics to share!!!

 

[PZ]

How much would you spend on aux lights and brackets to hold them? A set of B5 Depo projectors run about $230 and you can get them with HID kits pre-installed for $245.

I am running OEM Hella HID headlights. I bought them used for around $200. They are now old and the chrome inside has faded as they are 15 years old. I have a set of Depo HID projectors from Latvia waiting to be installed when I buy new bulbs and ballasts (and install the Laminex covers). When they were newer, there was no point to using high beams.

The HID put out 2-3 times the light as stock headlights, won't affect mileage or engine cooling.

 

[keithwbloom]

Gawd, you old farts are all the same. Yeah, my perfect solution is to get (another) set of HID headlights, preferably attached to an A8 or S8. Not in the budget right now. And if you are referring to the ricer "HID Conversion Kits", shame on you. They scatter light like a mofo, don't they? Different focal point on the bulbs?! Plus, the original housings barely withstood the heat of the OE H7 & 9003s! HIDs would leave a puddle of polycarbonate!

But thanks for the suggestions. food for thought. I just wanna see pics of a B5 with some 12" HID Hella Rallye 100000s fitted into the grille! (I made those up, but you know what I mean).
For a while I pursued W8 HIDs but for the price of a used pair (and the arguably requisite leveling system) I could buy another car!

Thanks again,
Tom
(Fellow old fart, who still feels 18)

If you pursued W8 bi-xenons, then are you looking for B5.5 solutions? Us "old farts" know keen tricks. B5.5 projectors work wonderfully with H7 HID conversions, provided your adjusters are in working order and you can operate them to "tune" your aim once they are installed. 4000K 55W throw light down range brilliantly. Replace your hi beam bulbs with Sylvania Silverstar Ultra White Halogens, and you'll have the best road going lighting available without extra fixtures, switches and wiring. Total investment? Under $100 and a couple hours of tinkering.

The cut off is focused enough that when I dialed them in, I was illuminating street signs on my side of the center line several blocks away, while the oncoming lane remained in shadow (from stepped cutoff.)

The bug-eyed rally lights look would be cool, but the lines and grille of the sleek B5.5 would be hard to compliment with any add on light sources. Just my 2¢.

 

[aTOMic]

If you pursued W8 bi-xenons, then are you looking for B5.5 solutions? Us "old farts" know keen tricks. B5.5 projectors work wonderfully with H7 HID conversions, provided your adjusters are in working order and you can operate them to "tune" your aim once they are installed. 4000K 55W throw light down range brilliantly. Replace your hi beam bulbs with Sylvania Silverstar Ultra White Halogens, and you'll have the best road going lighting available without extra fixtures, switches and wiring. Total investment? Under $100 and a couple hours of tinkering.

The cut off is focused enough that when I dialed them in, I was illuminating street signs on my side of the center line several blocks away, while the oncoming lane remained in shadow (from stepped cutoff.)

The bug-eyed rally lights look would be cool, but the lines and grille of the sleek B5.5 would be hard to compliment with any add on light sources. Just my 2¢.

Not such a fan of the bug-eyed lights, the black-lensed Hellas looked less conspicous.
To clarify, I was going to recess them into the grille.

After years of lusting after a set, I just got the 5-3/4" round Ecode hi/low Hellas which use H4 bulbs to replace the votive candles (AKA sealed beams) on my '67 Impala. Amazon open box deal - half price! What are the chances? Night and day difference, quite literally! I could not believe the sharp
beam cutoff, as you describe.

Not sure what you meant about the B5.5 lights but no I can't fit them to my B5. Agreed re the silverstars. Replaced all 4 in the passat ($100+, ridiculous) and man what a difference.

Thanks for the input,
Tom