33 replies to this topic

[rawky]

Hi There,

Did my second road rally yesterday, starting to think I'd like to do more, but the thing that is slowing me down I reckon is a lack of light. At the moment I have standard driving lamps (as well as my headlamps) in the black plastic housing. I have already upgraded my headlamps to halogens.

I can't change the lamps, for insurance reasons, so I need to get more powerful bulbs instead. I however don't want to melt the housing or the wires!

Anyone know what I can upgrade? I can change wiring and bulbs, but just not the housing! Also, could a stronger bulb be put in the headlamps without any problems?

Cheers

[Jordie]

why cant u change the lights? surely 2 spots are 2 spots according to insurance?

best thing would be to change and fit cibies etc?

Otherwise, yeah better bulbs. OSRAM night breakers prehaps? and fit beefier wiring with a relay to save melting any wiring etc.

PS. wheres these rallies....local?

[rawky]

The insurance docs state that the car is standard, so I don't want to get into the grey area of "well its two spotlights", "but they're not standard" etc etc

How do I fit this wiring and relay? I'm a dunce with electrics. Does the switch for them need to be separate to the light stalk? etc?

Yeah, this one started at the airport and went up to Rothbury and back. With the Mini Cooper Register, but I am gonna start doing ones with Hexham DMC this year with any luck...

[Jordie]

you can use a seperate switch or use the "full" beam

you need a 4 pin relay. and some heavier wiring them standard. Basically theres a feed from your switch or stalk, a feed from the battery, an earth and a feed to the lights.

you can take the power from the starter solenoid (instead of battery ) since its at the front of the car



battery feed to 30 on relay
87 to your lights
85 to earth
86 to your switch or stalk

[northern-cooper]

you will also need a good reversing light

[minispaniard]

mind that while competing you are not covered by you normal "day to day" insurance and you are asked to sign for the event insurance scheme (Lockton or whatever?, which surely allows you to fit non standard lamps...

if you're really worried about that get a couple of good spots (cibie, hellas...) and you can swap them with the original just before the start of the rallys. bullet connectors are great for these things!!

[rawky]

mind that while competing you are not covered by you normal "day to day" insurance and you are asked to sign for the event insurance scheme (Lockton or whatever?, which surely allows you to fit non standard lamps... if you're really worried about that get a couple of good spots (cibie, hellas...) and you can swap them with the original just before the start of the rallys. bullet connectors are great for these things!!

Good point, I'm with Lockton. I might ring up my regular insurer to ask...

you can use a seperate switch or use the "full" beam you need a 4 pin relay. and some heavier wiring them standard. Basically theres a feed from your switch or stalk, a feed from the battery, an earth and a feed to the lights. you can take the power from the starter solenoid (instead of battery ) since its at the front of the car battery feed to 30 on relay 87 to your lights 85 to earth 86 to your switch or stalk

Smashing, just what I was after cheers!!

[minispaniard]

... Yeah, this one started at the airport and went up to Rothbury and back. With the Mini Cooper Register, but I am gonna start doing ones with Hexham DMC this year with any luck...

I recently started with the Chelmsford Motor Club 12 car rallies, it´s great fun, isn't it?

[minisi35]

Any damage you do on road rallies isn't covered by normal insurance anyway as said before. The insurance you take out on the rallies is basically a public liability insurance and covers what damage you cause to other things apart from your car.
You could have the spotlights on a bracket so you can remove them during normal driving then put them on for the rallies.
I would have thought the best way to avoid an accident is to have better lights but worth checking with the insurance to see if this is covered
Also not all areas allow spotlights for road rallies so this may be a consideration, I've found my wipac freeforms are awesome with xenon plus 90 bulbs are great for road events

[Cooperman]

This is what you need. Aair of Cibie Super Oscars on a quick-remove bracket.

[rawky]

... Yeah, this one started at the airport and went up to Rothbury and back. With the Mini Cooper Register, but I am gonna start doing ones with Hexham DMC this year with any luck...

I recently started with the Chelmsford Motor Club 12 car rallies, it´s great fun, isn't it?

Yes! But the tulip diagrams take some getting used to!

Any damage you do on road rallies isn't covered by normal insurance anyway as said before. The insurance you take out on the rallies is basically a public liability insurance and covers what damage you cause to other things apart from your car.
You could have the spotlights on a bracket so you can remove them during normal driving then put them on for the rallies.
I would have thought the best way to avoid an accident is to have better lights but worth checking with the insurance to see if this is covered
Also not all areas allow spotlights for road rallies so this may be a consideration, I've found my wipac freeforms are awesome with xenon plus 90 bulbs are great for road events

ok cheers!

This is what you need. Aair of Cibie Super Oscars on a quick-remove bracket.

Certainly looks the part. Are the standard brackets I have welded on, or can I unbolt them and use new ones for Cibies and Wipacs?

[oliver122]

http://www.moss-euro...375&SortOrder=1 this is a relay kit moss do for your headlight :)

[Cooperman]

... Yeah, this one started at the airport and went up to Rothbury and back. With the Mini Cooper Register, but I am gonna start doing ones with Hexham DMC this year with any luck...

I recently started with the Chelmsford Motor Club 12 car rallies, it´s great fun, isn't it?

Yes! But the tulip diagrams take some getting used to!

Any damage you do on road rallies isn't covered by normal insurance anyway as said before. The insurance you take out on the rallies is basically a public liability insurance and covers what damage you cause to other things apart from your car.
You could have the spotlights on a bracket so you can remove them during normal driving then put them on for the rallies.
I would have thought the best way to avoid an accident is to have better lights but worth checking with the insurance to see if this is covered
Also not all areas allow spotlights for road rallies so this may be a consideration, I've found my wipac freeforms are awesome with xenon plus 90 bulbs are great for road events

ok cheers!

This is what you need. Aair of Cibie Super Oscars on a quick-remove bracket.

Certainly looks the part. Are the standard brackets I have welded on, or can I unbolt them and use new ones for Cibies and Wipacs?

The standard brackets won't be up to the job and the lights wil be too deep to fit onto them.
The bracket in the photo is the one I always make up. I use a 2.5" wide x 1/4" thick aluminium strip with 16 swg (1.5 mm) brackets. The lamps are steadied by opened out jubilee clips which go onto the front panel. The centre bracket is 1" wide and goes right down onto the front panel behind the sump guard for extra support.
The lights have 100 w bulbs, as do the headlights (100/80 watt). Use white bulbs not blue, as some people find the blue tinge can make it difficult to define the green banks and road edges and in snow they are not good either.
When you get more into it you'll probably find you need a sump guard and the lines running inside the car.
Glad someone else is joining the 'rally clan' on here. Good luck with it.

[Furyblade_Lee]

Just ring the insurance company and say you would like to upgrade your lights as this us 2012 and your lights are 80's technology. Same configuration, just modern equivalents. Don't mention rallies, you are doing it (quite rightly ) because a mini's lights are rubbish and it us a safety thing. I doubt they will even sweat about it. Then buy some of those MONSTERS Cooperman has!

[Cooperman]

At one point I had a pair of the PIAA 180's which were, if anything, better than the Super Oscars. However, I 'wiped them out' on one rally and I had that pair which I got for £15 each from a friend and they have proved great. I have a pair of those PIAA's on my Rover 214SI rally car.