sourdough Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Just added a Carr light wing and a set of Hella 500 Black Magic driving lights to my 07 Legacy GT. Had been wanting to add a set of driving lights as I drive country roads and unlit highways-very little traffic and lots of critters. Ordered from Canadian Tire for $300 incl tax. Had ordered a set from the states for $200 US but then they wanted $150 to ship so cancelled that. Will have them wired to turn on and off with the high beams plus independent switch as well. I like the look of the lights-blacked out when covers off and the black light bar as it blends in nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Wow, that's really awesome! How was the installation? I noted in the .pdf instructions that you'll need to drill into the actual metal bumper beam - I've never done that before: what are the considerations you undertook to avoid the airbag-related components? <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 you should run the wires not through the grille but down behind the plate area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourdough Posted October 3, 2010 Author Share Posted October 3, 2010 Actually it did not feel like I actually hit any metal . You use the existing two license plate holes and simply drill them out to 9/32" and then use the inlcuded self tapping screws. For the third hole in the middle I did the same thing but again it sure did not feel like I was drilling through any metal. I am a bit concerned that it may not be strong enough but it sure feels solid though. I did not even consider any airbag related issues!! Just have to hope on that one I guess. The instructions from Carr said that it was a very straightforward install for the Legacy, nothing out of the ordinary. Yeah I haven't finished getting the wiring done but my intent is to hide them behind the plate holder and go underneath rather than through the grill. Out of site out of mind!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAC5.2 Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 The airbag sensors are actually mounted behind the bumper beam, attached to the frame rail. In reality, they are merely accelerometers, and not in the way of anything where you could really damage them. I'm not a fan of the CARR bar, but at least it looks good. [URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Thanks, sourdough and BAC. I had thought that the some of the electronics related to the airbag mechanism were run through the middle of the bumper beam, but that, obviously, in-retrospect, wouldn't be too smart - i.e. how are techs going to access them. Looks like I know where to spend a $130 or so, now. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 OK, we'll see how this goes - got myself a black powder-coated Light Wing. I wonder if it's low-profile enough that I won't pursue dismounting for the summer months.... My experiment with in-grill lights (I'm using the factory grill on my '05) has left me wanting. The aesthetics are kinda geeky, but I don't mind - it's just that the lighting is really rather compromised, given how recessed the lamps are inside my grill, and that, to me just isn't worth it. It's time to go external. I'll definitely dismount the lamps in the non-dark months, though. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 So, what's everyone's take on the bigger driving lamps? It seems that the Hella 500 has some pretty positive reviews - those Black Magics look pretty nice, too, cosmetically, and certainly, the price is right. Any other good options? I'm not looking at HIDs, since they wouldn't really fulfill my need for "instant on." <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourdough Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 I finally had a chance to try out the new Hella 500's this morning. My initial reaction is a bit of disappoinment. They are not as bright as I was hoping for. They are okay but just okay. I may have to try putting some 100W bulbs in to replace the 55W ones. My question then is what effect putting the 100 w bulbs in would have on the wiring harness that came with the 500's? Would the 100 W bulbs draw too much power for the gauge of wire? Would I have to put in a higher gauge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 A quick Google search shows that it's something that's frequently done. The more cautious have advised upgrading the wiring and relay, but the vast majority are "plug and play" reports, with some reporting in after years of use. There seems to be no trouble with the electronics, from those who've gone with that plug-in, but at least one person reported what seemed to be earlier hazing of the lens than he would have otherwise anticipated, after two years of frequent use. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 The Carr Light Wing arrived in the mail today - free shipping from Amazon took only 3 days from date-of-order, to my door. Cost was $101 and change. I mocked it up against the bumper late tonight, fearing that I might not like the look, after seeing the item in my hands. I was rather relieved to see how low-profile it looks on the car, and FWIW, I actually like the aesthetics of this addition. After some research, I decided to go with a set of Hella FF1000s to begin with. We'll see how this goes.... <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Update: Super-easy install, and thanks for the assurance and technical help, sourdough and BAC5.2. I really like the look - it's quite butch ....OK, so I've got plenty of "black" and CF elements on the front of my BL, so that helps a bit, too. Besides, both Anna and I have a love of police cruisers, and this, well, makes it look like Winky has a push-bar on the front. And speaking of which, the addition of the bar takes away some of the visual cues of my laser jammer heads - but on the other hand, I do not know what, if any, this modification may carry impact to the performance of my primary jammer elements. Lights should be arriving soon. Time to tear into the wiring again, but I'd actually re-wired my junky AutoZone test-set, so it should be fairly easy for me to incorporate this set of lamps, unless I decide to get tricky with the wiring. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Update: the FF1000s ("Driving" pattern) are here. Holy cow, they're as big as my daughter's head. We played around with it in the living room. She thinks they rock. I've sealed the individual light connections to the main "Y" harness, and will finish dressing it up tomorrow. It'll terminate in an automotive grade weatherproof connector, to which I will connect the other side to its mate, onto my pre-wired power/switch setup. This should allow me to easily remove the lights completely for the summer months as well as hopefully minimize weatherseal issues at the electrical connections. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourdough Posted October 9, 2010 Author Share Posted October 9, 2010 Found these Xenon bulbs to replace the stock Hella 500 Black Magic bulbs. They are a compact design so they will work in the Black Magic housing. Does anyone have experience with these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 ^ I'm hesitant to really mess with the color of the light: in reading through a lot of various off-roading communities' past threads, searching for a cost-effective driving lamp solution (hence my arrival at the FF1000s; which the wife finally saw this morning, and went "Holy shit, Allen, WTF is that?! Is that thing even legal? That's ridiculous [when a 30-something midwestern white woman uses that word, with emphasis, you know it's trouble ]!" to which Anna simply replied, matter-of-factly: "It's Winky's new really-dark-out lights." I love my girls), the general consensus seems to be that the higher color-temperatures (i.e. "whiter light") is more fatiguing. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourdough Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Winky I quite agree with you there. From everything I have read the highest I would go would be 4500-5000k. This seems to be the best range. Above that and the light gets a little too blue for my liking and causes more eye fatigue. Besides I personally dislike having them shone in my eyes by other drivers when I am out on the road so do unto others as they say!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zisforzachary Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 reviving a really old thread here, but i was a little curious about the wiring portion on your project. was it pretty easy to make happen? what did this whole project consist of?? just out of curiosity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zisforzachary Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Winky I quite agree with you there. From everything I have read the highest I would go would be 4500-5000k. This seems to be the best range. Above that and the light gets a little too blue for my liking and causes more eye fatigue. Besides I personally dislike having them shone in my eyes by other drivers when I am out on the road so do unto others as they say!! hey, mind to dive into how the wiring went for you? im trying to do a similar install but cant figure out the wiring situation on how to get the wires up to the drives side to install the aux switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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