I really want to chrome my head lights but chrome them for real is something that nobody can do here in my country.

 

If i am not mistaken someone in here has used chrome paint for the job.

 

Do u think its a good idea to use chrome paint or am i going to have any issues later on?

Originally posted by WillieO

So in summary nice looking but no measureable improvement in light on the road!

 

Logical Jim. A reflector needs to be behind and above the light source to reflect it forward and down.

 

Well,

 

Make your own opinions. The bulbs are the same and the beam positions the same too.

 

I have done the videos and they can be found here:-

 

http:// http://bagpuss.swan.ac.uk/dunk300zx/C_T/Z32_H-Lamp_Upgrade/

Apologies

 

This is the correct link.

 

Headlight Upgrade Videos

 

Apologies to you 56K modem people.

 

 

Happy to hear any comments or questions you may have!

 

 

Cos

One person has mentioned that they dont have a very reliable internet connection and are unable to get cable in their area. If this is the same for anyone else, just mail me on cos.theo@mailcity.com and I will mail the videos to you on a CD.

There is NO QUESTION! the lights are brighter with the Foil upgrade,I do most of my driving at night because of my job,anyway ask PaulG he saw the light when I lit up the field at Billing:D

You know in physics at school they tell you the angle of incidence of light hitting a mirror equals the angel of reflection ? Well, I remember reading that this is in fact an oversimplification and UNTRUE. Light hitting even a perfect mirror is scattered over a range of angles. The reason it APPEARS to only reflect off at ONE angle is because the light at other angles 'cancel' each other due to overlapping waves.

 

Could this be a reason for this upgrade making the lights brighter, or am I completely wrong ??:D

Originally posted by Nelson MainFella

You know in physics at school.......................

 

Could this be a reason for this upgrade making the lights brighter, or am I completely wrong ??:D

 

You can remember that far back?

 

I have trouble remembering where I went to school, nevermind what I was taught. We use to call our physics teacher "Chicken" so you can imagine how much work got done in that lesson.

 

However, interesting theory.

Can we can rule out the fact that you will get an improvement anyway just by really cleaning up the lenses and reflectors anyway while you do the upgrade. Is there no chance that that really is the reason for the improvement?

 

Also with video footage (which I havent seen so cant truly comment) doesnt the auto exposure of the camera mean that the brightness thing is not comparable between the before and after or did we get really scientific here with 2 cars side by side one with and one without the mod and the view forward on the same road using the same exposure.

 

I am ready to be convinced but only with clear evidence and an understanding of how it works. It seems to me that the silvering on the bottom of the headlight housing would be more likely to throw light up into the eyes of oncoming drivers. I just cant see how it can get on the road. Hate to think I've a closed mind here - maybe I am like the z lights and just a bit dim!

Originally posted by WillieO

It seems to me that the silvering on the bottom of the headlight housing would be more likely to throw light up into the eyes of oncoming drivers. I just cant see how it can get on the road.

 

Light will be hitting the sides of the light housing and bouncing off at lots of angles. Some will hit it at an angle almost parallel to the road, and this should light the way a little further into the distance. I do, however, agree that there could be excessive glare for other road users from light reflected higher than a certain point.

LMAO:D Ok so why does a torch have bacofoil inside,Is it to make it look nice:D:D:D

Bacofoil is bothering my mind :)

 

Where can i get it?

 

JeffTT gave me those infos

-----------------------------------------------------

Alkor Deco Design

 

Klebefolie

 

Self Adhesive Foil 1.5m long x 45 cm wide

 

Bar code number 4 006765 780153

 

780153 UNI SILBER-GL

----------------------------------------------------

 

Alkor Deco Design is a shop? I searched the Web and found nothng. Any phone numbers/web site of a shop that sells it?

Originally posted by WillieO

Can we can rule out the fact that you will get an improvement anyway just by really cleaning up the lenses and reflectors anyway while you do the upgrade. Is there no chance that that really is the reason for the improvement?

 

Also with video footage (which I havent seen so cant truly comment) doesnt the auto exposure of the camera mean that the brightness thing is not comparable between the before and after or did we get really scientific here with 2 cars side by side one with and one without the mod and the view forward on the same road using the same exposure.

 

I am ready to be convinced but only with clear evidence and an understanding of how it works. It seems to me that the silvering on the bottom of the headlight housing would be more likely to throw light up into the eyes of oncoming drivers. I just cant see how it can get on the road. Hate to think I've a closed mind here - maybe I am like the z lights and just a bit dim!

 

Fair enough - I can understand why you would want an understanding of how it works but I can not gaurantee that I will be able to provide it. As for the evidence, I think you only have to ask the people who have already had the upgarde to know whether it works or not.

 

I was chatting to a forum member last night who blow his lights out with an air gun and is using 130W bulbs without the upgrade and he is not very impressed. I'm sure there will be others on here that are running higher watage bulbs and are quite content. Draw your own conclusions!

 

However, after Gio's and Mainfella's threads, it got me thinking about class room principles and light. I searched high and low on the web but could not find anything specifically to explain the design of a headlight and why the extra reflectiveness would help where its needed most. However, I came across 2 things today that made me think, " hhhmmmm, that kinda makes sense!". The first thing was about a bit of information of light reflection and more importantly REFRACTION.

 

The dome in front of the bulb is abviously designed to control the direction and shape of the beam however, the headlamp glass has lines and groves. Now, whilst being at a motor factors today, I spotted some plastic semi transparent patches called "Beam Benders". They are the type of things that are used when travelling on the continext to make your lights shine to the right instead of the left. There is no reason why the lines and grooves in the headlamp glass are not causing a similar effect.

 

What do you think?

I have been watching this post for while and I feel I need to add my 2p worth.................

 

........refraction? reflection? beam spread? white light? watts? UV-A light? black light? nanometers? micro-Watts per square metre?

 

Whatever it is it works about 20 times better than the plastic insert that comes with the Z!!

 

I had it done I know for a fact it's better than stock, I don't need to know how it works or be an expert in the Electromagnetic spectrum to figure it out...................

 

It's the best upgrade for the Z.............well in the light department anyway. :D

 

Was that worth more than 2p? Any questions on the subject of light I can be found between the times of now and then.....:p

 

Matty.

out of interest, has anybody splashed out for the HID lights from the later model Z's. Just thought it would be interesting to compare while everybody is on the subject of lighting.

 

Obviously there's the small matter of a couple of hours and a roll of foil against a grands worth of your heard earned dough :D

 

Cos/Iain,

So the general opinion is that the bacofoil job works? Reason I ask is I have taken the bumper off mine at the moment and thought I might as well do the lights at the same time.

What bulbs are you using now or plan to use soon?

Sorry cant access the vids as my 56k modem cant handle it and the nice people who control the IT at work wont let us download.

Cheers

Nick

:cool:

ZCar

 

At the moment I am still using the standard 55W bulbs and its heaps better. I intend to get the 100W bulbs but my suplier os out of stock at the mo. I think 130W will be too much. I believe that Macca is using 100W and he's all grins.

 

If you want to see the vids, email me your address and I will send them to you on CD. That goes to anyone else that has the same prob.

 

 

Cheers

Cos

ZCar

 

At the moment I am still using the standard 55W bulbs and its heaps better. I intend to get the 100W bulbs but my suplier os out of stock at the mo. I think 130W will be too much. I believe that Macca is using 100W and he's all grins.

 

If you want to see the vids, email me your address and I will send them to you on CD. That goes to anyone else that has the same prob.

 

 

Cheers

Cos - cos.theo@mailcity.com

Cos,

U got mail m8!

Nick

:cool:

Oh and can the standard wiring manage the 100 watts without an upgrade?

Nick

:cool:

UK yes, but on the J specs, it's better to use a thicker grade wire for your earth and attach it to somewhere solid and reliable.

 

To be safe, it might be worth doing it whether you have a UK or JSpec................... I have!

Well the best way to confirm this would be for someone to take a pick of the car stock (covers) at night from the front, and then once the sandwich wrap has been fitted, take another pic at night fromt he same angle, and put them next to each other, if it was that bright you would notice the difference.

I've just got a spare headlight so I'll do what Warren has suggested.

 

Vijay

Originally posted by 300z

Well the best way to confirm this would be for someone to take a pick of the car stock (covers) at night from the front, and then once the sandwich wrap has been fitted, take another pic at night fromt he same angle, and put them next to each other, if it was that bright you would notice the difference.

 

Wouldn't it be better to take a picture of the road ahead with both setups ? Afterall, that's where the light is required.

Originally posted by Nelson MainFella

Wouldn't it be better to take a picture of the road ahead with both setups ? Afterall, that's where the light is required.

yeah thats what i meant. Would be interesting to see if its there is a difference.

Has anyone bothered cleaning the actual reflector where the bulb sits? wondering if that would make any difference............

 

Vijay

Vijay,

 

I had a go. Obviously the exterior of the dome is easy to clean, which I might add, had virtually no dirt on it - just dust, and the inside, I just I just gave a good blow(OOOOOOOOOOO EEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR). Again nowt much came out.

 

For all the time that it takes to get your headlights out and slip, cleaning the lense covers and expecting a big change is not the way to go - No disrespect meant.

Even cleaning the main beam reflector.