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DVD3500

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Posts posted by DVD3500

  1. Show me your fog lights (front/rear) and/or daytime driving lights (w/ interior switches and wiring if possible)

    in Electrical System

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Mjit said:

     

    Fog Lights
    At the back I know a few people have replaced one of the reversing light bulbs with a red fog light LED, so still looks standard.
    At the front one of my many (many) daydream jobs is to find some suitable modern fog lights and fab. them into the Mk IV/1500 chin spoiler.

    Daytime Running Lights
    The easy option would be to fit some 'halo' headlights.  Well I guess the REALLY easy option would be to rewire so your sidelights via an ignition-switched relay, so they came on as soon as you turned the key in the ignition.  Actually if you did that you might be able to use the now-unused 'sidelight' light swiitch position for your fog lights (either using the sidelight position for headlights/headlight position for headlights+fog lights, or sidelight posiition for fog lights only/headlight position for headlights only - I know in the big saloons the fog light position gave fog lights on/headlights off, which was scary as the fog lights did diddly squat on the illumiination front the one time Ii tried them in actual fog!).

    Do you mean the "side light" is the middle position of the standard switch in the middle of the dash?

    I would have to check if one of the reversing lights can be repurposed legally in Germany. I have seen a youtube video of this but I am fairly certain it is not 100% kosher.

     

    18 hours ago, Josef said:

    Not coming out too well, but here are the bits on original fog lights on the last Spitfires from the John Thomason originally guide. 

    PNG image.png

    image.jpg

    Thanks.. I actually have that book too. Thanks for reminding  me! Do you know if the switch was a button or twist? I presume it lit up when on...

     

  2. Show me your fog lights (front/rear) and/or daytime driving lights (w/ interior switches and wiring if possible)

    in Electrical System

    Posted

    Thanks guys

    Technically LEDs are not allowed on the outside of the car except for rare exceptions.

    osram and Philips habe road legal H4 (and H7) replacements BUT they have to test

    every

    single 

    flipping

    car

    and the  have it approved and added to the documentation.

    now my car will have to go through a special inspection and approval as I am adding things that were not standard (but common) so I will try to add LEDs to the list and get approval.

    worst case is he says no!

    There are LED fog/drl and rear fog/brake lights that are approved…

     

  3. Show me your fog lights (front/rear) and/or daytime driving lights (w/ interior switches and wiring if possible)

    in Electrical System

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I have a problem… as I wait patiently for work to continue on my project my mind wanders.. and then wonders about solutions seeking problems.

    Seriously though, I have always liked fog lights. I live near a forest and it is not uncommon to have fog.

    Also our cars are so small anything to make them stand out is probably a good idea. My plan is to make my car a daily driver so “being seen” is bit of a concern of mine. I am also making more or less a custom dashboard so looking for good places to put switches while keeping things close to original (note: I will not be installing a radio so that space is free).

    Here in the EU a rear fog light has been mandatory since the early 80’s. Daytime running lights since the early 2000’s. Googling has not really brought up a lot of examples, mostly rally cars that are too big and bodacious.

    Can we please not have discussions on whether putting any of these things on a Spitfire is a good idea or not. As I have said often: there are actual people who actually enjoy Morris Dancing; to each his own!

    This is purely a thought exercise. Nothing more nothing less

    Regulations in Germany are over and above those of most EU countries but don’t let that worry you.

    Questions/musings/general inconsequential incoherent ramblings:

    1.     1 I know the last batch of European Spitfires actually had rear fog lights. I think I have a pick in one of the books I have:
    Does anyone have a picture of one that was originally fitted?
    Ideally I would like to see the standard switch on the inside as well as any clues as to how it was wired.

    2.2 Front fog lights were fairly common in the 60s and 70s. I would like something subtle and close to period but I am really open to anything.
    Any pictures appreciated with switches and ideas for wiring.

    3.  3    Daytime running lights tend to be cold blue/white and could clash with the soft warm white/yellow our cars produce (until LEDs become legal where I live).
    Nevertheless I am looking at options.
    Please post. I promise not to judge.

     Thank you all in advance!

  4. Driving in 2022 are standards getting worse?

    in Out and About in my car

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, Gary Flinn said:

    Some interesting comments, it seems a lot of you feel the same about the way driving standards are going.

    The recent changes to the rule with regards to cyclists/pedestrians at Junctions will no doubt cause yet more confusion, confrontations and also probably more accidents🥺 

    I'm a keen cyclist and certainly won't be riding any differently, I try and keep my eyes peeled at all times, especially at junctions and have had a number of near misses and Incidents on the road.

    The new rules regarding junctions and Cars giving way to cyclists/pedestrians seems a recipe for disaster to me.

    Gary   

    I cycle pretty much everywhere under 10k/10 miles... I tell my kids over and over and over "Just cuz you have the right of way does NOT make you right"

     

    • Like 1

  6. Driving in 2022 are standards getting worse?

    in Out and About in my car

    Posted

    Here in Rulesland Germans simply cannot believe that people will not obey the rules.

    When someone signals to leave a roundabout they drive into the roundabout simply assuming the driver is committed to leaving before they enter... when you factor in that up until about 2006 people signaled to ENTER a roundabout there is a non-zero chance that person has forgotten to turn off the indicator and BAM...

    Had they waited 2-3 seconds it would have been avoided...

    I am constantly pointing out to my kids how you can predict other drivers' behavior regardless of what the "rules" are.

    Things like looking at the attitude of the tires as well as the indicator to see if there is discrepancy or trying to get eye contact at an intersection because inevitably the whole right-before-left   could break down when all arrive at once.

    They also seem to have learned to look forward and stop and then inspect the intersection where I learned to know where a car will stop blindfolded.

     

  15. ** 26/02/23 Heading Up ** Probably how not to restore a Herald!

    in My Triumph Restoration Project

    Posted

    15 hours ago, 68vitesse said:

    My cheap 9inch angle grinder stopped working, stripped gearbox, know have Makita soft start as you said chalk and cheese.

    Buy cheap keep buying, buy quality buy once, hopefully.

    Regards

    Paul.

    Oh I agree but for me a lot of times I use a tool for a project and once that project is done I barely need it or don't really need it all.

    For things I know I will be using a LOT like a drill I go for better stuff but other things, like my car trim stripper tools I got the cheapest set I could find as I hope I won't need to strip a car again soon!

     

  18. Electric Herald

    in Engine

    Posted

    I am under no delusion that they will keep the landscape as is as far taxation is concerned.

    How many taxes have been repealed?

    I can't think of a single one...

    There is definitely an anti-car sentiment out there but luckily here in Germany there are several million people dependent on it so they hopefully won't go too far...

  19. Thinking About Alternatives to Rechroming

    in Bodywork & Fittings

    Posted

    Thanks

    Yeah those places exist here too but I have not found any long term reviews of it. Many claim it can't hold up because it is so thin but I figure that is a matter of application...?

    From what I a have seen here the process is only a 100 or 200 of your favorite currency less than  rechroming (usually sent off to Hungary or Poland where such things can still be done...) so I kind of don't see the point...

    There is a place that does vinyl wrap just up the road so maybe I will ask them for some scraps to see how that looks...

     

  20. Electric Herald

    in Engine

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Wagger said:

    Car meets will be 'Bring your spare battery' or fast solar charger. A 'Charger' with four legs maybe.

    You know I seriously wondered about this a while back.

    What do they do? Compare computer readouts of the battery mgmt system?!

    So I went to an "EV" festival.

    It turns out there is a part that DOES do that... BUT there are also groups that talk about wheels, rims, tires, trim, etc.

    The also talking about hacking the software the same way others talk about exhaust headers, ignition or fuel injection.

    There was even a side conversation about upgrading the heating on a Nissan Leaf. Not necessarily adrenaline inducing stuff but the main point is the car has not become a commodity like your smart phone or tablet has... 

    People out there are still tinkering, "improving" and modding ... just in a different way.

    I like to compare to a jam session of Blues versus Rock and Roll. They go about it differently but you can appreciate either if you want to...

    Oh and one other thing: Almost every one that I met had a fossil fuel car of some kind as their toy. From Trabants to V12 Jags so they are kind gender neutral in that sense...

    • Like 1

  22. The joys of the D-i-y mechanic.

    in General

    Posted

    3 hours ago, PeteH said:

    I thought they had got beyond that?. My early Vauxhaul (GM) Astra, had that issue, every time you shut down, the memory records where lost. But later cars retain "flash" memory and could still be interrogated via the OBDI port. Some to the extent that if you swapped out an engine the ECU had to go with it!. Happened with a FIat Punto I had, swapped engines and had to use the ECU from the donor.

    Vehicle battery locations are a nightmare. Fiat (Ducato) are under the cab floor with the Air bag ECU on top, has to be (carefully) removed to swap a a battery. The Sprinter one is likewise under the floor, Many are boxed in under driver/passenger seats, especially on vans. Getting them out without dead shorting the terminals is "tricky"

    Pete.

    I would have thought that as well Pete. But I am not allowed to choose where my car gets service (company car) and the devil in my thinks the workshop gets more for tearing out gubbins and replacing than actually trying to figure out the issue.

    I had a problem with the seat sometimes not moving forward when I got in and shut the door. Again, they seemed clueless.

    I got fed up looked under the seat and found the motor responsible for the movement and told them to replace it...

    Voilà no more probs...

     

  23. Electric Herald

    in Engine

    Posted

    I always thought the methane powered vehicles in the Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome were very cool....

    Top bad it is kind of ozone killery and green house gasey and stuff...

    I remember an article where New Zealand was seriously thinking of exporting it because a football pitch full of sheep made as much methane "an entire stadium of people after eating bratwurst, sauerkraut and free refill beer"... (or something similar..:)

  24. The joys of the D-i-y mechanic.

    in General

    Posted

    Our Renault's battery will die exactly 22 days if I don't drive it.

    They cannot figure it out.

    Partly because a new battery wipes the memory or something.

    There is some sort of circuit that does not allow you to jump start it.

    I thought the ADAC (I think you call  it AA) guy was taking the P!$& when he said I had to walk away from the car so it would lock. come back, open the door, with the door open press the car card against the start button and hold it for ten seconds, then walk away from the car, hook up the battery, wait 10 seconds and then try to start it...

    MAD
     

  25. Electric Herald

    in Engine

    Posted

    I know I have posted somewhere on here the over head charging used by HGVs here in Germany to charge their batteries before they leave the Autobahn so they are emission free in town.

    There was a test several years ago by Renault with induction charging on guard rails along a motor way. It was able to charge the car at 100 kmh but it was pouring down rain and around 10°C. They reckon under better conditions it would be able to charge at 120 (maybe higher if that were allowed on the roads...). Biggest problem is (as with most things) agreeing on a standard for all cars to use.

    The last episode of 5th Gear showed a battery swap scheme that gave you  a fresh battery in about 5 minutes without leaving your car.

    It really isn't a new concept. An ex board member of my company founded a company to do that back in 2008 but he went on a crazy drinking and drugging binge and some investors lost confidence. I wonder why...

    Modern EVs emit a sound under 30 KPH so that they can't sneak up on you... I would use the sound of my dog barking at a plastic bag that invades our yard... Either that or the sound of an elephant flatulating..

    My company is forcing us to get EVs so I had to figure this all out on my own.

    EVs are not perfect and they won't work for everyone. I get it... but they do have a few aspects that are kinda cool...

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