S4 with Foglights

[collins_dan]

My S4 has an unusual front light set up as can be seen in the attached picture. Just curious if this was a factory option or a PO change? Since a repaint (and possibly a change back to original factory configuration) is a couple of years away, I'm thinking about swapping out the dated looking rectangular foglights for some round ones like the Mini uses, which are PIAA 510's (4" round). Thoughts? Dan

[cbxbikenut]

When I bought my 1972 Sprint it had the same driving lights installed in the same fashion. I was told the original owner, a serviceman, bought the car in England from the factory. He wanted driving lights. The car was taken "around back" to the service area, and modified. When he came to pick it up later the change was done. A molded in recess in the apron area with Lucas Square 8s and the original blinkers installed. The only problem I found was the use of plastic housings on the Square 8s. If the car is not moving for a time the lamps heat up and melt the housings. They should have used the metal housing versions. All my indications are that they are original, from the factory, modifications.

Hope this helps.

Herb

[trw99]

Herb

Interesting mod and one I have not come across before. The factory would often get the service department to do extra work on customers cars, as Lotus were then as accommodating as they could be with special requests. Equally, they would often get dealers with whom they had a close relationship to do work for them. Ken Myers was often used to remove the gold Sprint decals from the sides of mono coloured cars after they had left the factory and prior to delivery, for example.

Tim

[collins_dan]

I originally thought that it was a PO mod, but when I was looking at it from the inside, the fiberglass looked very uniform/original.

Dan

[stugilmour]

All personal preference for sure Dan, but can't say I see the PIAA 510's as a first choice. I think a more rectangular shape would look nicer with your configuration, particularly if you are leaving the indent deal in place (now that you know it is "factory" ). How about the 1400 series Dichroic Fog, or is the concern perhaps the mounting depth and to much protrusion? No personal experience with any of the PIAA offerings, but reading over their info I thought a Dichroic would fill in the limitations of Lotus lighting the best. If it would fit, I would really like the P300 Tri-beam idea as it gives all the lighting imagined by man in one housing

Am just going through trying to select auxiliary lights for my Plus 2, which did not come with them stock. I am going with the PIAA 1100X Platinum, which as a Dichroic Driving lamp should give a nice pattern on high beam. Generally I have not found fog lamps that handy, so we may be after something different here. As I don't have the indented mounting spot like on your car or the Later Plus 2's, plan is to mount them behind the grille opening, so mounting depth is not an issue.

Cheers! Car looks very nice.

[collins_dan]

Stu, I'm thinking driving lights as well. I was leaning towards the round, because they offer a more classic look. I've held up some covers of similar size and I think they will still look OK with the squared off recess. If I was going to put them behind the grill, where they would be less noticed, the 1400's would be very good. Thanks, Dan

[bcmc33]

Dan,

Where are the front side lights?

BTW, you referred to them as fog lights and Herb as driving lights. I don't know the legal situation in the US, but in the UK any lights below the level of the headlights are considered to be fog lights and it is a traffic offence to use them in non-foggy situations.

[collins_dan]

Front side lights are integrated into where the front bumper wraps around the sides. A location which I personally thinks looks terrible. In the US, most under the bumper lights come as either fog lights or driving lights or both.

Dan

[frearther]

Dan,

BTW, you referred to them as fog lights and Herb as driving lights. I don't know the legal situation in the US, but in the UK any lights below the level of the headlights are considered to be fog lights and it is a traffic offence to use them in non-foggy situations.

I found the below-the-bumper mounting to be less than desirable for a driving light. They are so close to the road that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to get any sort of usable beam onto the road. That's why so many rally cars had/have lights on the roof - at that angle, they illuminate the road surface better (think visibility at noon vs. visibility at sunset).

BTW (again), the spell checker doesn't like the British spelling of "offense"; it suggests the American spelling as well as "Offenbach"