re: Higher Wattage Bulbs

[jkerouac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

re: Higher Wattage Bulbs
      Though the request is for greater brightness, sounds like the 
desire is for deeper penetration.
      For the E36,  the way I found to go was to install the European 
ellipsoid setup.  $400. or less for the whole setup.  I got mine form a 
Quantity purchase brought in by Rogue Engineering.  Zionsville, 
Bavarian, etc. all sell them, and have angel eyes options too.  Just to 
buy some of the S_uper HI_gh T_ech bulbs can run 2/3 or more of that.
      With the standard 50 watt H1 bulb, these projectors are superior 
to _any us spec headlight/foglight/100 watt bulb combination in overall 
road illumination.  With ellipsoids + 100 watt H1 bulbs in them, they 
light up the night like the deflector dish on the Starship Enterprise.
      These H1 bulbs are <$8. each to replace.  Glitzy marketed US spec 
H Whatevers at super bright level run much more.  You still are stuck 
with the obnoxious glare and yellowing plastic cover of the US spec 
chrome plated plastic reflector flashlights BMW gives our market as a 
poor excuse for a headlight.  100 watters in a factory fog are good for 
only one thing.  Blinding an oncoming driver, who, hopefully, will not 
be a police officer.  Brightness and glare give the impression of 
greater speed even if you're going slower.  A precise beam with deeper 
penetration from a normal spectrum bulb looks much more 'middle of the 
road' at any speed.
      Also, after five broken foglights due to road debris, I got sick 
of them.  The last straw was with a set of guards installed over them, 
and a bolt punched a hole right through the middle of the guards and 
took out the foglight behind it.  Seemed Jack (my //M3) was trying to 
tell me something.
      So I removed the foglights and replaced them with the plastic hole 
cover, painted to match the car.  On the driver side this gives you an 
opportunity as I did to make a fresh air duct right through the old 
foglight mounting bracket on up to the inlet for the air filter box.
      With the ellipsoids, especially with 100 watt H1 bulbs, there is 
no need for the foglights anymore anyway.  Unless you enjoy attracting 
attention from oncoming cars including cops.
Without foglights installed,  the front appearance of an //M3 looks more 
normal and stealthy.  The less attention I draw to my car, the better.
      So, no fogs, cover the holes with the plastic covers, European 
ellipsoids, 100 watt H1 bulbs.  If 150+mph visibility is your thing, do
perform this light conversion.
Enjoy,

'jk

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