Hella hid driving light install

[dicklague]

I decided to move my Hella driving lights down to the splitter on my '73 911.

I had them mounted up in the vent grilles on the stock 1973 mounts, but I always thought it would be cleaner if they were mounted down lower sort of on the bumper.

These lights are Hella 500s modified with HID bulbs instead of the halogen bulbs. This modification requires that the rear of the plastic housing be "blistered" a bit to fit the longer HID bulbs. I used a heat gun and a ball peen hammer head to form the round Blister in the plastic enclosure.

I am running 35 watt HID bulbs with external ballasts. The lights put out a ton of light I have not tested the lumens, but there is a huge difference.


The Hellas cost $80 to $100/pair and they are good quality. HID mod is another $30 to 40.

I will post photos in a bit. Looks like I have to cut down the file size to post.

[TRE Cup]

excellent ! can't wait to see them

[dicklague]

Well Dave, here they are....and that is the carbon fiber splitter you sold me 10 years ago!!

By the way the splitter has an aluminum skid plate under it. This is needed because the car is so low. The plate is 1/8" thick aluminum with Stair tread. It is bolted to the center section of the splitter and the light mount bolt goes through the aluminum as well as the carbon splitter.

Also the oil cooler opening is framed internally with 1/4 and 3/8: chromalloy welded tubing frame that is bonded into the fiberglass bumper. This means the load on the splitter and skiplate from driveway impacts go to the bumper mounts and frame and are not absorbed by the fiberglass bumper. The bumper is still in good shape after 9 years or so of 10K miles a year street driving. You can see the skid plate a bit in the head on shot.

The aluminum bracket on top of the splitter in the center of the oil cooler opening is the license plate mount by the way.

With lights on. By the way the H4 headlights are HID Bi-Xenon as well, with a shutter for high and low beam







Detail of light

[dicklague]

That chipped black paint on the edge will be cleaned up. It is left over from the higher mounting. The glass edge would give me a glare because in the high mount you were looking at the edge when lit at night






Wiring detail. the balast box is in the frunk


You can see he round blister in the center for the extra long HID bulb.

[TRE Cup]

Richard has skillzz ;-)

looks well integrated
thanks for sharing

[blucille]

it's a good look, nicely done....can't wait for the next time to go bombing around mulholland with you....won't be for a while, tho.

[dicklague]

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

Richard has skillzz ;-)

looks well integrated
thanks for sharing

Thanks Dave.......thanks for getting me into this 911 world!!

I just tried them tonight on a trip to the ocean....Need some tweaking on the aiming.....but you do get a lot of light on the road with the low mounting position.....the beam goes down the road a long distance, and it does light up the road as well.

[dicklague]

Originally Posted by sonett43

it's a good look, nicely done....can't wait for the next time to go bombing around mulholland with you....won't be for a while, tho.

Thanks for the kind words. Bet you are cold and a bit snowed in there....come on out any time. Been nice and warm here.

By the way I have been scheming this mod for along time and finally got some time to do it.

The center grille is out because a hidden remote radar detector head is going in there sometime this week. That too has been on the shelf for while waiting to be installed. I have one in my Saab Aero and feel naked in the 911 without it. Cops around here are very aggressive.