2012 PMM Sedan

Dar-Dar

Dar-Dar

Mordorator
19,329
9,900
North NJ
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Fiji Blue Pearl Coupe Coolest Member Since: May 15, 2011
Wow, nice!
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Contemplating real bright LED reverse lights, on a semi-DIY basis. Thinking 2 of these 7 LED assemblies:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/Neutral-White-4100K-7-LED-CoolBase-Assembly-p/sr-02-wn300.htm

1610 lumens @ 700 ma drive current, since it's relatively short duration use, I see no issue with cooling, even with a small heatsink.

SR-02-WN300-2.jpg

2 of these 12 degree collimator optics:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/Polymer-Optics-7-LED-Cluster-12-Optic-p/261.htm

261-2T.jpg

Two of these LED driver modules:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/700mA-Externally-Dimmable-FlexBlock-Driver-p/a011-d-v-700.htm
A011-D-V-700-2T.jpg

And two of these heatsinks:




http://www.luxeonstar.com/40mm-Round-Alpha-Heat-Sink-p/cn40-15b.htm

This would be a fairly expensive project, but let's face it, have you ever had too much lighting while backing up? I pulled back the trunk lining today, measured up the diameter of the through hole in the body, the outside dimension of the reverse lamp portion, and so on. It looks like it will fit fine with no need to cut any metal, just the tail lamp rear housing.

If you can solder, use a dremel tool or other, a hot melt glue gun and use a test light to identify the correct wire polarity and splice wiring, you could do this mod without any issue.

I know a 12 degree beam isn't very wide, but the stock lens will help spread that out. If it were clear, from my angle calculators and lumens / lux calculator... a 22-25 degree beam would be mint.

http://ledstuff.co.nz/data_calculators.php?osCsid=evocmopzepnozrsa

Entering the raw lumens, and the 12 degree beam, with a perfectly clear optical lens, you would still have 4.678 lux at 100 meters ( 328 feet ) with a 21 meter diameter coverage pattern!!!! That is SICK! :leghump:

Edit: might have to include a wire to a switch in the front for those idiots that feel the need to follow you at 2 car lengths with their high beams on..... :lildevil:
 
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C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Here's a picture from their website with the assembly lit up in an already well lit room....

261-5T.jpg
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Just did some more calculation... in the roughly 3 inches deep housing ( to the outer lens ) the circular spot beam from the 12 degree lens should be concentrated to around 0.826 inches at the lens face.

A normal 9006 low beam headlight is 1000 lumens total, this is going to be 1610 lumens concentrated in a much tighter beam... that would be a lot of light with more distance. This sounds like a good summer weekend project.
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Marchael said:
like the LED work, looks good. any more plans besides lighting??
Click to expand...

Once I can get in my brother's garage for one weekend without interruption, I should have power wire run to the trunk, and a JL Stealthbox bolted in. Still deciding which amp I want to run, and if I should include a DSP unit and amp for the other 4 speakers, to better integrate the sub. ( add delay to the 4 stock speakers to get the phase correct ) Had to work 8 hours overtime last weekend, and 5 hours overtime today, plus I hit up a movie tonight.

Would like to get some better sticky performance rubber for summer, and move to a shorter sidewall tire. ( bigger wheels ) With other projects as well as trying to save money, not sure if that will be this summer or not.

Other items I would like to address would be reduce the amount of jounce ( rebound ) in the suspension... but lighter wheels and tires may negate that as I currently roll on the stock steel wheels.... well at the moment, I am on winter steel wheels and studded tires. Better dampers and stiffer springs as well as a rear sway bar may be in the future, but that all depends on finances, if overtime work keeps up, may be sooner than later.

When the weather warms up, and I can shoot paint, I have new emblems and a grille bar to paint. Thinking satin black for the H emblems, and color matched grille bar with a matte clear.
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Should have mentioned I have been thinking of adding some under hood lighting as well, have to search out an old school mercury switch though for it, if my other plan for automatic switching doesn't pan out. ( have to mock it up and measure clearances )
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Well I didn't agitate the matte clear enough, and I mixed in a bit of regular clear to move towards a satin finish from dead matte. Unfortunately it turned out pretty much full gloss, so I may have to scuff and shoot the grille again, here's a look at the emblems and grille. I can live with the emblems the way they are. 2013-04-27 20.40.43.jpg2013-04-27 22.27.46.jpg2013-04-27 22.27.48.jpg
 
C

CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
I looked at shooting the emblems satin black, but there wouldn't be much contrast to the portion behind the emblem on the front. It would have looked sweet on the back though. I mixed up a couple of shades of blue to create the color I used, a dark blue almost purple base and a light blue metallic with red and blue pearls.
 
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CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Going out of the country next weekend, and the weekend after that a friend of mine is coming in, so these parts may not get installed for 3 weeks. Boo.
 
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CivicCanuck

Well-Known Member
782
853
North
Vehicle Model
Civic
Installed stock wheels and tires today, swapped emblems and grille bar. Installed the grille bar without removing the bumper, and it was a pain... I recommend removing the bumper to do that job. The gloss died out a bit while curing, which is fine by me. Contemplating a light smoke on the headlights, would give the front end a bit of attitude.... look a bit more sinister.

2013-05-12 16.08.08R.jpg2013-05-12 16.08.23R.jpg2013-05-12 16.08.43R.jpg
 
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