Fairings and bulbs

[SGirl]

Hi everyone,

The saga of the front end of my Griff continues...

I've discovered now that one of the fairings is cracked. Nothing too major, but being a fussy individual I would like it to look nice!

So I was wondering whether any of you know a good source for smoked fairings? I could just replace both fairings with the plain transparent variant I suppose, but the rear lights are smoked too and I don't really want to replace the plastic on all four corners for the sake of one cosmetic detail.

Oh, and since we're on headlights - has anyone had any experience of bulb upgrades? Nothing too major requiring rewiring, just up a step from what the car already has. Worth doing?

Thanks in advance for all help and advice!

[Ballistic Banana]

Hi SGirl,

I would also be interested in the smoked fairings if anyone has sourced some but only after a Bulb upgrade or Mod-wise upgrade as they are dim enough as it is now.

I Know a lot Motorbike companys do the light covers in allsorts of colours(illegal with lights on)so are the smoked ones illegal,MADCOP where are you)?????

I sourced my carbon dash through a company who did a lot of carbon stuff for bikes so might be the way in finding some and getting them cut to shape yourselve.

BB

[SGirl]

Ballistic Banana said:I Know a lot Motorbike companys do the light covers in allsorts of colours(illegal with lights on)so are the smoked ones illegal,MADCOP where are you)?????

Hi BB,

I don't think the smoked fairings are illegal - I hope not, anyway!! They're not really all that dark, just slightly tinted. The light shines through with no problems - it's just I find the lights are dim after upgrading the bulbs in the other two cars. It's fine with the driving lights on, just hard work to see where I'm going with just dips!

[Ballistic Banana]

B0315 HEAD LIGHT SEAL COVER L/H EACH £ 27.44 £ 32.24

Found this at TMS in bodyworks section but it doesnt say weather they are tinted or not.
i wont comment on the Price

All the best

BB

[shpub]

The price is pretty good... You obviously haven't done low production quantity polycarbonate moulding recently...

I would strongly advise against smoked light covers on the front. They dramatically reduce the light availability and as they get dirty they make things worse. Fitting bigger bulbs to compensate is just stupid. Its like fitting bigger brakes and then swapping the tyres for Goodyear NCTs just to make the the braking performance the same...

Steve

[shpub]

The price is pretty good... You obviously haven't done low production quantity polycarbonate moulding recently...

I would strongly advise against smoked light covers on the front. They dramatically reduce the light availability and as they get dirty they make things worse. Fitting bigger bulbs to compensate is just stupid. Its like fitting bigger brakes and then swapping the tyres for Goodyear NCTs just to make the the braking performance the same...

Steve

[mickypee]

In your opinion !!

I think its a fine idea,wouldn't mind some myself.

[SGirl]

shpub said: I would strongly advise against smoked light covers on the front. They dramatically reduce the light availability and as they get dirty they make things worse.

I haven't had a problem with what's on the car so far (fitted when the car was supplied new). I just find them dim compared with my other cars with the slightly uprated bulbs. Seems a tad extravagant to change the rear light clusters (also smoked) as well when all I need is one smoked fairing for the front!

Fitting bigger bulbs to compensate is just stupid.

Nothing to do with compensating, Steve. I'd want the bigger bulbs even if I had no fairings on the car at all. As I said, I have them on my other cars and I like them.

Mike, I'll get in touch with TMS ASAP (not sure if they're open this week) - do you want me to order you a couple while I'm there?

>> Edited by SGirl on Sunday 29th December 10:10

[shpub]

OK if you want to fit smoked fairings then it is personal choice but any tinting or smoking effect will reduce the light output so in the case where most owners want as much as they can get, it does not seem to be logical.

There are other factors as well. The light from the Griff headlamp has to go through two panels: the headlamp cover and the perspex fairing. So the light suffers from two tranmsission losses instead of one. The fairing is not very good at light transmission because of its curves which can start making the plastic act like a mirror and reflect the light back. This effect from my days in the physics lamp gets worse as the material is darkened. Look at a smoked panel at an angle and you will see what I means. All that reflected light means the effective output is reduced even further.

Might be worth experimenting with before spending any real money.

Also in my Demon Tweeks Book of Car styling it states that the use of colouring products to colour lens is illegal in some EU contries and should be for show use only.

Steve

[SGirl]

shpub said: OK if you want to fit smoked fairings then it is personal choice but any tinting or smoking effect will reduce the light output so in the case where most owners want as much as they can get, it does not seem to be logical.

Maybe it's not logical - but it's what's on the car and I have to live with it! As I said, the first owner fitted smoked fairings when he bought it. I'm just trying to avoid the expense of replacing both fairings and both rear light clusters so that they're all matching. And since the car is rarely used in the dark anyway, it's not really an issue. I ought to mention that they're not black-tinted, more a kind of smokey browny colour - quite discreet really to blend in with the paintwork.

As for experimenting - that's a very good point. If anyone wants to see how the smoked fairings on my car affect the light output, they're welcome to come and have a look, or else catch me at one of the PH/TVRCC get-togethers.

>> Edited by SGirl on Tuesday 31st December 09:40

[GasBlaster]

Headlights a definite weak point on my Griff too - I'd be better off holding a jam jar of glowworms out of the window for all the light they give off.

Leaving aside the smoked fairing question - how can headlights be made brighter?????

HAppy new year everybody!!

[shpub]

I must apologise Sgirl as I must have misread things.

I thought that you were going to fit new fairings. In which case ignore most of the things I said. The bigger better bulb is probably the only way forward except for replacement.

Sorry for the confusion.

Steve

[simpo one]

I purchased smoked headlamp covers from Tower View a few years ago. As for the rears, that's Cavalier GSi and I believe now discontinued. However, you could use smoked film instead...

[SGirl]

shpub said: I must apologise Sgirl as I must have misread things.

I thought that you were going to fit new fairings. In which case ignore most of the things I said. The bigger better bulb is probably the only way forward except for replacement.

Sorry for the confusion.

Steve

No problem Steve. Happy New Year!

[icamm]

GasBlaster said: Headlights a definite weak point on my Griff too - I'd be better off holding a jam jar of glowworms out of the window for all the light they give off.

Leaving aside the smoked fairing question - how can headlights be made brighter?????

HAppy new year everybody!!

Mod Wise do a wiring conversion kit that is supposed to work. Try www.mod-wise.com/ for details. Unfortunately it's a feature of the Griff partly for the reasons Steve mentioned and partly 'cos TVR didn't build them with enough electrical oomph (hence the Mod Wise kit). They also do an improved radio aerial kit as well which is supposed to extend the range of a Griff's radio to more than the standard 300m

[RichB]

I can vouch for the amplified aerial kit - works a treat. Rich...