S.2/Turbo 'Audi style' sidelight conversion

wolfie308 · Mar 7, 2009

Paul, it's difficult to accurately capture on a simple digi camera, but take my word, the standard amber or quality chrome bulb is still well visible in day or night. The old sidelight is currently without a bulb at all, and fitting an amber 4W replacement would be pretty pointless - a backward step if anything. I've ordered a pair of the 1W BA9S single LED's from Hong Kong which I hope to have by next weekend.

I have still to try mounting a strip of amber LED's as well as the white ones. Retaining the 21W amber/chrome bulb will prevent problem with flasher relay and provide super visible indication. However, I think that could look a bit OTT

sawood12 · Mar 8, 2009

One more convert here! It looks great. I still think that it needs a row of indicator LED's as well so would like to see how that works, but even in its current form a step forward in terms of styling and visibility. When can I get some?!

I guess the redundant sidelight can be used as a small brake cooling duct location alongside a smaller fog light unit to retain the fog light.

millimeep · Mar 9, 2009

ORIGINAL: John Sims

I'm not completely avers to them.

I prefer running "pods down" in poor light (not dark) and the front sidelights are pretty poor in such conditions. These would probably get around that issue so I would perhaps consider them on function over form grounds.

ORIGINAL: poprock

I've spent ages trying to get the "˜no popup' parking lights hack to work on my car. Still no luck.

How do you do this? I'm intrigued as the headlights pop up even with the sidelights?

John Sims · Mar 10, 2009

ORIGINAL: sawood12

....I guess the redundant sidelight can be used as a small brake cooling duct location alongside a smaller fog light unit to retain the fog light.

I'm considering such myself, or going Ollies route. I am not that wedded to fog lights and wouldn't miss mine.

My main concern is the lower driving lamps act a "flashers" for the head lamps. If we do away with them how do we flash people?

John Sims · Mar 10, 2009

ORIGINAL: millimeep

.........How do you do this? I'm intrigued as the headlights pop up even with the sidelights?

This only happened on the cars around 87 88 fitted with dim dip. It can be disabled. Do a long date search on this forum and it should bring it up.

os951 · Mar 11, 2009

My main concern is the lower driving lamps act a "flashers" for the head lamps. If we do away with them how do we flash people?

Brake ducts have plenty of room to add for example round high beam units. Most likely i am going to fabricate such a ducts soon. Just have to locate suitable light units first.
Here's few self made items, made them for a friends S2:

peanut · Mar 11, 2009

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

Sorry, that'll be a 'No' from me as well. Seeing the cars that these are often attached to, and the way they are driven, and the types that drive them, if I had an Audi with them as standard kit then I'd be thinking about a way to remove them.

They're up there with 'Body Styling Kits', chrome spinner wheels, ironing-board spoilers and ear-bleeding "ICE" systems in my book.

Oli.

+1
could be a slippery slope to chav 'bling it large'
although I confess I have thought about changing my front indicator lens for clear but resisted so far [

]

zcacogp · Mar 11, 2009

ORIGINAL: peanut

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

Sorry, that'll be a 'No' from me as well. Seeing the cars that these are often attached to, and the way they are driven, and the types that drive them, if I had an Audi with them as standard kit then I'd be thinking about a way to remove them.

They're up there with 'Body Styling Kits', chrome spinner wheels, ironing-board spoilers and ear-bleeding "ICE" systems in my book.

Oli.

Click to expand...

+1
could be a slippery slope to chav 'bling it large'
although I confess I have thought about changing my front indicator lens for clear but resisted so far []

Ha! I have had the same temptation, but similarly resisted! Although I have to say I am warming to the LED lights ...

It's a shame. Objectively, such modifications do look better. No doubt about it. And they are probably a safety and usability improvement as well. They are a Good Idea.

But I am put off by the associations they have - "chav", "bling", "council-estate-modifications" etc etc etc.

Interestingly, the same thing applied when I bought my S2. I wanted a BMW 3-series, probably an M3. However, living in East London, they have a certain 'image' which I categorically don't fit into. I spent 15 minutes one Saturday morning standing on the Roman Road, close to where we live, looking out for 3-series. I saw eight of them (six of which had M3 badges or bodykits despite not being M3s) , and each one of them was driven by someone of the 'relevant demographic'. So, on the basis of the associations the 3-series has I went for a 944 instead.

Oli.

wolfie308 · Mar 11, 2009

Clear front lenses....how things have changed....I bought mine nearly 5 years ago when they were only available from one source at £120 [:-]. Got them off eBay for £95 second hand and they weren't that great, but I liked them better than amber. The latest ones again from one of many eBay vendors for less than £30 delivered with bulbs.

Regards the LED's.... I have to say I wasn't sure myself at first, but have grown to rather like them. I think that because they are within the lens they work okay. If they'd been just stuck on in the aperture in the P.U, then that would definitely be very wrong. There can be a very thin line between styling enhancement and Chavdom, and not everyone will agree where the line should drawn.

In the meantime, let's see what the amber strip looks like as well. Hope to have some pics later

Hilux · Mar 11, 2009

Paul, it's difficult to accurately capture on a simple digi camera, but take my word, the standard amber or quality chrome bulb is still well visible in day or night.

Ok

os951 · Mar 11, 2009

he latest ones again from one of many eBay vendors for less than £30 delivered with bulbs.

And if you buy directly from the manufacturer they are $13. You just need to buy 10 pairs....

wolfie308 · Mar 11, 2009

Okay....here's the first pic...I only used a bit of Sellotape to hold the LED strip in place so it's drooping a bit which I'm about to sort and fit the other side. In daylight, the white LED's have similar brightness to the amber, so we need some dusk shots to get a better idea with both.

John Sims · Mar 11, 2009

[&:] I'm afraid that's not doing it for me.

Another 944 owning Director of the Club has, apparently, introduced 4 hi output white LED's in the area next to the indicator bulb. He is a very conservative chap but suggests they look rather good. I am looking forward to seeing the results.

While not struck on the LED strip indicator - white LED strips top and bottom of the lens could look pretty fair with all the practical advantages as noted previously.

wolfie308 · Mar 11, 2009

Totally agree John, like the whites, they didn't really work for me either in daylight, but as dusk approaches, the look is transformed, and any arguements about clear lenses with amber or chromed bulbs not being so easily visible are dispelled......these I like...quite a lot [8D]

I'd be very interested to see the other take on the sidelights - I did consider something similar, but thought this was easier to mock up first.

Peter Empson · Mar 11, 2009

That does remind me a bit too much of Kitt from Knightrider I'm afraid.

Sorry! [

]

zcacogp · Mar 11, 2009

ORIGINAL: wolfie308

OK, sorry for not reading more closely before, but what are we looking at here?

Is that a strip of orange LED's on each side? In which case, why is it brighter at one end? Or are the little 'dots' the clear (sidelight) LED's catching the orange light from another source?

Oli.

wolfie308 · Mar 11, 2009

No offence taken Peter, I can see what you mean - some difussion may . In my defence, it also shows the extra brightness, partly from the bulb, by having removed the baffle inside.

Olli....please try to keep up [8|] [

].....this is showing the amber strip + amber/chrome bulb. The amber LED is mounted at the top of the lens and the white sidelight LED(unlit) strip at the bottom. In combination, I'm not at all sure about them, but some of our friends across the pond may like them.

My preference would be for the white LED sidelights to switch off when the pods come up and switch to single high power LED bulbs in the original sidelight position.....Olli are you still with me?

I'm glad it's provoked the level of interest/comment, and at the end of the day it's all easily converted back to standard - I've even kept the amber lenses for posterity.

zcacogp · Mar 11, 2009

Roger ... copy that.

How about a shot with the amber strip on, the silvered bulb on and the LED sidelights on?

Also, where are you getting the LED's from? I could possibly find a use for some decent high-power LED's in white (diffused, not water clear.)

Oli.

wolfie308 · Mar 12, 2009

Oli - this is about the best I could manage, not sure if the bulb is captured at it's brightest, but I think if you look back at earlier pics of the sidelights only, you'll see the difference. Take my word, they are very visible[

] Not available frosted/diffused. If you're thinking of something not required to be weather proof, you could look at cold cathode.....but they definitely do have Chavvy associations.

John - from this pic I think you can see that with another white strip mounted at the top instead of the amber, that would actually compromise visibility IMO