rmrc51 Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Does anyone have suggestions regarding adding after market driving lights to a 2005 Forester? Like many other parts of our country, the deer population down here is totally out of control! This is the reason we now have a new car. Totaled the last one on route 64 when a very large buck decided to jump out!! I would like to add extra lighting on these dark country roads to, hopefully see these furry car killers. Too bad they don't make after market steel bumpers for our Subaru's like they have for the Dodge, Ford & Chevy heavy duty pickups! Those bumpers take deer hits with no damage to the trucks. I know, I have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 As far as lighting, I would recommend Hella. They seem to work well and are usually reasonably priced. Also if you talk to Mudrat79, he might be able to fab you a steel bumper for your 'ru. Many complement his work and my lifted hatch is soon to have one ot his bumpers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Yeah, Hella FF75 are compact and provide a lot of light for the price. Easy to install, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmrc51 Posted December 6, 2004 Author Share Posted December 6, 2004 Yeah, Hella FF75 are compact and provide a lot of light for the price. Easy to install, too. Thanks for the tip. Those Hella FF75's look like a perfect fit for the Forester! Do ya think my wife would like the idea of getting those for a Christmas present???????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyKeith Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 http://www.rallylights.com The biggest Hella Dealer on the east coast and probably two days max Shipping time to VA. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coloradosubarules Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 They are Hella good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Aside from lighting, have you considered a rallycross type bumper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonP Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I have a similar need for my 93 Legacy Wagon. The original lights are plastic, largely scratched and more dim that I'd like for night driving here in the country. I'd like to add a pair 100 watt driving lamps, but it's not obvious that there's an easy way to do so. The front bumper is plastic, so it's not a great mounting place. Any one done something similar to this? Or is there a good replacement for the original lights? Ron - Northern Calif 93 Legacy Wagon, 235K, going great 86 VW Vanagon with EJ22 motor; why didn't the VW factory do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Try replacing your bulbs with Silvania XtraVsion - $19 per pair at WalMart and a buck more elsewhere. They are noticably brighter than the stock bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmrc51 Posted December 8, 2004 Author Share Posted December 8, 2004 As to the Sylvania XtraVision bulbs,,,, will the factory harness handle the increased wattage these bulbs might draw????? I know that this is a consideration in other vehicles when installing a brighter bulb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 DONT put 10watt bulbs in standard lamps. The 1993 Legacy is perfect for extra lighting. Look underneath the leading edge, you should find four bolts that hold the bumper to the rail underneath. These can be swapped with slightly longer bolts and a lamp housing inbetween! Like so: http://www.geocities.com/vik2r/Sube/ff75close.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklaine Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 Headlight sprayers? (oh, Denmark. Makes sense). Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonP Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 DONT put 10watt bulbs in standard lamps. The 1993 Legacy is perfect for extra lighting. Look underneath the leading edge, you should find four bolts that hold the bumper to the rail underneath. These can be swapped with slightly longer bolts and a lamp housing inbetween! Like so: http://www.geocities.com/vik2r/Sube/ff75close.jpg Thanks very much; this looks like an easy solution. Do you have a light you'd recommend which fits there? I'd like a long-range driving lamp rather than a wide-beam fog lamp. Long-range lamps are typically larger and are circular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonP Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Thanks very much; this looks like an easy solution. Do you have a light you'd recommend which fits there? I'd like a long-range driving lamp rather than a wide-beam fog lamp. Long-range lamps are typically larger and are circular. Dear SETRIGHT... My bumper has a different opening than yours. Where your light is mounted, there is a plastic plate moulded into the bumper that looks like it's designed to be cut out and make room for a fog lamp. Your opening gets larger (the bottom of the opening drops a bit); mine is the same width all the way across. I've had this car only a short time, so I have not gotten into the body parts - yet. I suspect the bolt you refer to is in back of the plastic plate. If you have the interest to look at mine and offer a comment, I'd appreciate it. I can take a picture and send to you as an attachment. You can pmail me your email address at: terrano1@earthlink.net Ron - California Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 RonP, what part of NorCal are you in? I'm in Oakley (think "Antioch"), and would be willing to eyeball the mounting options for your Legacy. I have a 92 wagon and I'm thinking hard about a similar light in a similar place for mine. PM me if you would like me to take a look for you. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Sorry Ron, didn't recall they were that different. As you say, the bolt is probably in there, so you are guaranteed a "hard point" for mounting if you dare to cut of the fog blanking plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 As to the Sylvania XtraVision bulbs,,,, will the factory harness handle the increased wattage these bulbs might draw????? I know that this is a consideration in other vehicles when installing a brighter bulb. They don't draw any additional current. I'd try them first before you do anything else, it might meet your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenner55 Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Have the same issue with wildlife on the roads up here in Vermont. I have added aftermarket driving lights mounted on top of the bumper of my 98 Legacy GT wagon. They are wired to a seperate switch and tied into the high beam circuit hence they will only run when I am on the high beam settings and "dip" with the high beams so as not to blind oncoming traffic. With the switch in the off position I only get high beams for when the extra light is not needed. Lights are Cibie Oscar Plus long range (longue portee) driving with a clear lens and 55 watt H2 bulbs. Because the reflector is so big (8" diameter) they throw LOTS of light yet don't tax the electrical system and are wired through a relay. Have used Cibie lights on and off for twenty years and nothing else even comes close. A bit hard to find but can be had on-line from Daniel Stern lighting or Cibie USA in California. Second option is a BIG set of round Hella light, the new designer series looks nice but doesn't put out much light as there is no substitution for the large surface area of the round reflectors. They've saved me several times as they lights up the road for about a half mile and are great at picking up deer and moose at night. Be sure to mount to a solid surface to avoid vibration or brace them with an extra support off the grille. I use the Xtrvision bulbs for my headlights, which are standard wattage, they do increase distance a bit but typically not enough to get you real long range coverage. Glenn Does anyone have suggestions regarding adding after market driving lights to a 2005 Forester? Like many other parts of our country, the deer population down here is totally out of control! This is the reason we now have a new car. Totaled the last one on route 64 when a very large buck decided to jump out!! I would like to add extra lighting on these dark country roads to, hopefully see these furry car killers. Too bad they don't make after market steel bumpers for our Subaru's like they have for the Dodge, Ford & Chevy heavy duty pickups! Those bumpers take deer hits with no damage to the trucks. I know, I have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Just for the record, those Hella FF75 ARE driving lights, they cast a long straight beam, not quite a "pencil" though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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