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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

My Twin Headlight Intake Build


Noz
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So... I had this crazy idea. If I relocate the battery, and had 2 headlight intakes, I could supply my single turbo filter with more air... sorted...

 

BUT... problem I have with my current headlight intake is I can't use it at night... ooops.

 

There may not be an actual requirement to use both headlights, but I need a new product. And over the winter I'm hoping to finished the pre-facelight rear lights Im working on but want to start something new.

 

The concept: to have 2x headlight intakes, with a large intake cone for maximum air volume while being able to drive at night.

 

Solution:

  • relocate the dipped beam unit in the headlight to the current fog light position.
  • Sand the lines from inside the glass to allow for maximum equal coverage per beam.
  • Keep beams level. Remove side light unit, fog light unit and main beam unit.
  • With dipped beam unit being relocated into fog light area, the remaining area can be used for a fibreglass intake, which should be equal both sides.

 

 

Initial idea problems:

  • Keeping beam equal, level and supporting dipped beam unit in headlight.
  • Unsure what to put on the headlight on the transition line of lense-> fibreglass.
  • How much of the lense to leave to allow full range of light, while using as much as possible for an intake per unit.
  • Air direction after being fed into engine bay; battery relocation will be required, and ducting will be required for passenger side headlight.
  • Colour coded intake, or different colour code to car.
  • Brackets to be made for headlight construction; should be able to design something from sheet metal to ensure both units are supported well, and have exactly the same funnel per unit.
  • Do I spray the units myself, or send them away for professional spraying.

 

Things to consider from peoples comments on previous headlight unit:

    [*]Larger intake for more air

    [*]Use mesh for intake construction

    [*]Reduce weight (reduce materials required - mesh / moulded fibreglass instead of filling materials)

     

    I am doing this project to design and make something different and because headlight intakes have such a tiny range in the market, pretty much anything custom done to a headlight makes it unique.

     

    It might look aweful... it might make NO difference to performance... but thats not the point. It will help air flow slightly, and even if it doesn't, the idea and concept gives me something to keep me off the streets :D I made a build thread of my headlight after production, but this time I want to make it before so I can update it.

     

    Stu kindly gave me these set of headlights (thanks mate, your a true legend), so they are in help of some noz love at this point. But this only raises the bar for me, as if I had perfect condition headlights, this would be easier.

     

    Here are the first photos of the headlights, I will update pics as I work on these units. I will be hoping to split them sometime next week...

     

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I have no idea what the MOT regulations are on lighting, but it might be worthwhile checking. Then again, I dont know of many cars that meet strict MOT guidelines. Good luck with this, like you said it keeps you off the streets, and it doesnt even matter too much if you balls the headlights up

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Really don't see the point in headlamp mods like this for the street. Just take the light out while at the strip/track. It's a 5 min job.

All it's going to do on the street is

a) Attract attention from the police

b) make no difference from how fast it takes to get to tesco ;)

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The lensing on the glass will be way off as foglights point almost immediately in front of the car :) Plus are they adjustable...?

 

And has been said, has one headlight vent even proven to increase power, never mind two?

 

Still, if you're just doing it for looks, well, it's your car, go for it.

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I'm doing this just for something to build, wheres the fun in just buying something that everyone else can buy? Or just removing the headlight.

 

It won't pass MOT regulation as you need a full and dipped beam, I can't find a unit that include both with projector type lense, so I'll just go with being able to drive with the units at night. Its not designed to be put through MOT's, just to be intake able to be used at night time.

 

Having a single headlight intake has been shown to head reduce intake temperature, but at this level of power (400hp max) it probably won't make a huge amount of difference.

 

Idea for this is for fun and to be different. A respray won't make any different to performance, but people still do it, so going to look against this as the same concept. If it work, great. If it doesn't, as least I'll have fun making something different.

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Best to get a scrap one to practice on mate if your unsure. Im purely doing a twin headlight setup for fun as from what I can see, its never been done. Probably due to it not being a requirement or being a scientific improvement to power. But I need to keep myself busy.

 

I'd definitely recommend trying to do it yourself. Definitely makes you more proud than paying someone :)

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You will prob find the fog light is too far from the edge of the car to be legal as a dipped beam, asking for trouble from the traffic police if you ask me and causes em to dig deeper and find other stuff, result prohibition on the car !!!

 

I won't be using the actual fog light mate, I will re-locate the dipped beam unit into the fog light position and use clear lense. The fog light unit will be completely removed from the light.

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I won't be using the actual fog light mate, I will re-locate the dipped beam unit into the fog light position and use clear lense. The fog light unit will be completely removed from the light.

 

No you missunderstand, the dipped beam needs to be within a certain distance of the side of the car to be legal, I dont see why you would want to lose the main beam on a car with such bad dipped beam !!! You prob would not keep up with an NA down a dark back road cause you wont be able to see where you are going, cold air feed to the air box from under the light is just as effective and doesnt make it look like a boy racers dream come true.

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No you missunderstand, the dipped beam needs to be within a certain distance of the side of the car to be legal, I dont see why you would want to lose the main beam on a car with such bad dipped beam !!! You prob would not keep up with an NA down a dark back road cause you wont be able to see where you are going, cold air feed to the air box from under the light is just as effective and doesnt make it look like a boy racers dream come true.

 

lol you've such a way with words mate. i dont want to boy it up i just fancied a challenge to make something different. and yes the dipped beam isn't great. i tried to find a headlight unit which includes both dipped and main beam in a projector style unit. most the ones i could find only had dipped beam or were old school style having a large reflector behind the bulb which would take up too much room.

 

as i commented before the function of the units may be debatable, but i need something to keep me busy and make something thats not be done, bought, tried or made before.

 

i can fully understand there is reasons no one has done it already, but i like to try new things. i was originally thinking of modifying a OEM airbox and carbon skin the whole lot, but this will be more of a challenge.

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From my perspective, this country doesn't get hot enough to justify a cold air / ram air intake.

Sure a single turbo will cause high underbonnet temps, but that should be dealt with separately (via shielding / heat-coating / wrapping) instead of simply hoping that colder air will compensate. And in a non-turbo, there are many higher priority solutions that influence performance than a headlight with a hole in it.

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From my perspective, this country doesn't get hot enough to justify a cold air / ram air intake.

Sure a single turbo will cause high underbonnet temps, but that should be dealt with separately (via shielding / heat-coating / wrapping) instead of simply hoping that colder air will compensate. And in a non-turbo, there are many higher priority solutions that influence performance than a headlight with a hole in it.

 

I'm going to have a turbo in 2 weeks. And like I keep saying, this is for something fun to do, not to solve a problem. The supra has been around long enough for most problems to have many solutions on the market. Heat soak is not a huge issue, but with the single filter having no air box, it gave me the idea. I'm not trying to solve a known problem. I have a turbo blanket, and I will have manifold heat wrap. I've not seen this done before and think the process would be enjoyable.

 

Where would the fun be if everyone liked the same thing. Clearly this project has brought up opinions the idea isn't a good one, but peole need to try and understand this idea was a thought of from a manufacturing point of view and the challenges involved, rather than driving around with a big hole in my headlight.

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