My stock fogs are falling apart after 16 years of use.

Im looking for some rectangle fogs that look similar to the stockers but have much better light output, do any 3rd genners have some recommendations or suggestions or pics of some nice looking ones?

Alex

 

Well, RIMaxMan aka CTS-V told me he liked my fogs and then told me he got "Hella 550s" cuz of me so I went ahead and googled em and they look pretty damn close to stock. I have PIAAs but are rectangular as you can see, my foglight model has been discontinued.

OR you can buy one off Alex V, he just acquired a good condition OEM foglight, I dont know what his plans are for it but I guess he might sell it if you offer just the right amount.

Edit: decided to google pic myself and throw it in, enjoy!

 

I saw some at Autozone for $30 or so that I was thinking about picking up to replace mine, they looked about the same, slightly different lense. I'll probably pick them up when it warms up enough.

 

What model piaa's do uyou have and could u take a pic of them without the lights on so i could see how they look. Also would it be possible to take a beam pattern of your lights and fogs at night?!?!

Thanks.

 

My lights are slightly mis aligned and I'm rocking one silverstar and a regular bulb so it'll look weird but I guess I can do that. I'm not sure on what model fogs I have anymore as the box was kept by the shop that installed em, I looked for them online before and didnt find any and the website stated they were discontinued. Although my fogs dont seem to have the line patterns on them to keep light below a certain point (completely clear glass), they're bright and dont blind uncomming traffic. I've got pics let me just look for them and I'll edit post. meanwhile look at the lighting from my sig picture









Not great pictures but at least you get the idea

 

those are shiny

the rust in mine is showing a lot more now... JOHN!!!!

 

I currently use the HELLA 550's as well, they are barely larger than the stockers but much brighter, Im very happy with them.

 

i think im going to get the hella 550's, i like that they look almost stock but have a much better light output.

Thanks for the help and replies, more pictures of different setups are welcome.
Alex

 

I just checked out the hellas, they look like the perfect replacement.

But on the Hella site, there are 2 beam patterns: fog and driving.
Which to get?

 

You want fog lights? Or driving lights?

 

Well that's the thing, I'm not sure wich beam would be a better compliment to the crappy stock headlight beams.
I was looking for input, advice, experiences, something like that.

 

When I had stockers for headlights I wanted 550 driving lights. Now that I have better head lights that suck in the fog, I'd get fog lights.

I heard alot of good things about 550's and seen them installed, look great, like stock with an edge.

BTW, good to see another VGLSD5!

 

get them as fogs. if u want to upgrade the headlight. E36 depo/zkw. or buy the euro ones for us with a projectr retrofit....

 

Im too poor to do a retrofit and dont have any custom modifying skill... so i might do the driving light to see what it looks like. hopefully ill actually be able to see at night!

 

Maximahappy- check out the 9007 conversion, Im going to do that and put on some stock fogs* while Im broke. I want to do E36's with retrofitted HIDs in a few months when Im not poor.

*maybe I'll take johns when I leave tomorrow

~Alex

 

Are you saying 9007 for my headlights? what does it involve and where do i get more info on it?

 

Theres a free search feature. But basically you put in 9007 bulbs instead of 9004 the cars usually use. And they use more power so you have to get a 9007 harness and rewire them at the same time because of it. But its not that hard and expensive.

~Alex

 

And the benefit is a brighter light output becuase of the use of more power?

 

Yes, they are higher wattage bulbs.

~Alex

 

Fog beam pattern is low and wide for getting under the fog and illuminating the fog lines and edges of the road. They're not designed to go far down the road. Driving lights are more narrow and designed to go further down the road and compliment the standard headlights, but in fog they will just illuminate the fog better and don't help. It all depends on what you wanted the extra lights to do for you.

 

Hmm now that you state it like that, I think I have driving lights.. they're more narrow and spotlight-ish...think its time for hella 550s?

 

i think you just need different bulbs...

http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/Lamp-pages/60xt.html

 

Meh I doubt its the bulbs..

 

man, good responses everybody.
ok, so here goes:
-i want to do the bmw converion, just not right now
-the fogs look like the way to go becasue of the wider beam pattern, i can just aim the stock headlights up a bit.
-i like the hellas over the piaa's because the hellas look like the stockers and like the bmw stockers a little. the piaa's look like they may border on an overly bright, mulicolored ricerish beam. (no offense to anyone that has 'em)
-the 9007 conversion sounds interesting, more light is always better, but one of the reasons the stock 3rd gen headlights suck so much is due to the light beam getting diffused too much, due to the thousands of tiny chips/pits that accumulate over the years.

 

How do my foglights look ricerish?

 

Alex the wattage on the bulbs are about the same...cant remember 100% but know its close enough that you dont have to upgrade your harness.

To do the swap you also have to move the wires around.

Its in a sticky on the 4th gen forum I believe.

The light output is better because of the design of the bulb not the wattage. If it was because of wattage you could just get higher wattage bulbs in the 9004s.

When I sold my car to PA. He said that he would probably put his high wattage bulbs in after he got the car. That was until he drove it at night with the 9007s. He said the 9007 stock bulbs I had in there were superior in every way to his high wattage bulbs.

 

they don't. i have the same style on mine. aslong as they match the headlight section. like my projector fogs match my euro e36 projectors. at some point you will have to match style with preformance. the best projector headlight you can buy/mod is a BLAZER projector off ebay. they are 20$ and have a very wide output with stock bulbs. BUT they are very easy to mod with D2s HID bulbs which make them the best fog light you can buy. Research on HID planet.com forums. there are tons of write ups. here are some pics for you.


output with a stock bulb

output with d2s conversion 4300k

output with a d2s 3000k conversion


keep in mind those pics are of 1 projectors output.

heres a link to the projectors themselves. they are Highly reccomended by the entire hidplanet forums. and have great reviews. and for 30$ shipping included u cant beat it.

 

damn just one?

 

yes sir.

10 char

 

Sorry, I was rash in using that word to describe the look of the piaa's. I didn't mean it that way at all.
Let that be stricken from the record.
Allow me to rephrase:
"I prefer the look of the hellas over the Piaa's due to the horizontal lines in the hella lens matching those of the stock headlight very well; as opposed to the smooth, clear lens of the Piaa."

I was trying to make a point of how I like foglights to match the appearance of the headlights in lens, beam, color, etc. I think they should be comlimentary, not contrasting. Just my opinion, didn't mean to upset anyone with my misuse of the "R" word.

 

lol its cool dude, I just couldnt see how the fogs looked rice and I've never been called rice before but its cool

 

are there any "JDM" third gen fog lights

 

You should be banned for saying that

 

Internetautomart doesn't know what he's talking about.

I have them. Look in my sig...

 

Here is a better shot of the color:




daytime look:

 

they aren't JDM, they are just yellow like any other FOG light. most people buy clear lights which are actually driving lights and call them fog lights.

 

the point of a fog light is 2 things. 1) to be low enough to be under the fog. 2) to have a very wide pattern. not long pattern. Yellow is the best color or orange because it doesnt reflect of the snow or rain or fog and gives you better depth perception. while white/blue lights reflect causing glare and ultimatly reducing your sight in the poor weather conditions. so all those people with 6000+k hid's in their fogs are doing it for looks not for purpose. Although SOME areas like cities have virtually no fog so it is alright.

 

dude, I was just fcking with you. Those are stock fog lights. I just like the yellow and it's all about the look. I am vain like that. I have driven my car about zero times in the fog and I have turned my headlights on maybe 10 times in the last year.

 

It was more of a clarification for teh mad tYtE JayDeeEm and Em types.

I had a JDM climate control head on mine

 

dude it was a joke notice the" "