Miata headlight options

In the pursuit of adding lightness to my rallycross Miata I am thinking about what to do about the headlights.

It is becoming more stripped out, I am doing a half dash and removing the HVAC so it wouldn't really see a whole lot of nighttime driving. What are some options for lighter headlight assemblies?

I would like to try something like the Group B MR2 but not sure how it would look on the Miata.

Remove the motors, rig the doors so they stay up at all times, maybe with a metal dowel of some sort.

That was actually done to my 93... don't know if i still have the dowel or not.

It's an NA, right?

Pull the motors and headlight mechanisms. Rivet the door to the hood.

Now gut the turn indicator assemblies and put either a set of 3rd gen Camaro headlights in their place (old school 90's Miata stuff there) or put in an LED light bar (my current preference). If you use LED monopods, you could get high/low beams. Put an LED "DRL" strip along the bottom for turn indicators or just wave your arms out the window like you were taught in Driver's Ed.

Keith Tanner wrote: or put in an LED light bar (my current preference). If you use LED monopods, you could get high/low beams.

I really like that idea. I had thought about something in the turn signal holes but didn't think of LED bars.

you didn't give the greatest image to start with... but:

TADA!

Use a few of these, then you can get your high/low.
http://store.langracing.com/10w-2-6-scalable-mono-led-pods/

The 949 Racing team guts the NB headlight assemblies and puts an array of monopods plus a light bar behind them. Works really nicely on the track, would be obnoxious on the road.

Lighter option: plastic fog lights in the mouth for low beams, installed when required and removed when not. I'm assuming that this is a "road use when required" car, not a DD.

I think I would gut the mechanisms and make it so you could either lock the doors up or down depending on need.

To keep up with Evan I'll also be headed down this road. How many of the momopods would one need?

Just two if all you wanted was high and low beams, I guess. Depends how much light you want to throw down the road. I've never played with just one. You could compare the light diagrams to a typical H4 setup, I'm sure.

The stock mechanism could be lighter, that's why I'd pull it out if I was looking to minimize weight. But if you're going to keep it, I'd see if I could find some H4 housings with plastic lenses. I'm sure they exist.

I suspect you might have found what i'm doing to the ms3.

mndsm wrote: I suspect you might have found what i'm doing to the ms3.

I have not, link?

In reply to mazdeuce:

Does this mean you are giving me a run for the Mazda money next year?

Shame there was not some way to retrofit something like the headlights from the Fiat Coupe'

Swank Force One wrote: Remove the motors, rig the doors so they stay up at all times, maybe with a metal dowel of some sort. That was actually done to my 93... don't know if i still have the dowel or not.

One of my friends did that with his RX-7. Piece of aluminum stock held the lights up fulltime. He also gutted the headlight assemblies so it was just the light, lid, and outer cover.

He says it saved a whopping five pounds.

Long story short, I nixed my plans to do something similar. I'll take the convenience of working motors over five pounds. The weight savings is on par with leaving the coolant overflow empty.

That's why I would pull the whole mechanism. For bonus, make some aluminum replacements for the covers, as they are amazingly burly. I think Mazda claimed a 25 lb savings with the NB headlights.

There have been fixed light kits available on and off over the years. Until the advent of led light bars, they sucked. I have considered pulling the whole headlight assembly and installing bars instead, it could work. Bonus points for duplicating the light covers in plexi.

SCARR wrote: you didn't give the greatest image to start with... but: TADA!

me likey

SCARR wrote: you didn't give the greatest image to start with... but: TADA!

lol aw11 MR2 rally car headlights. I would like to see an MR2 setup like this TBH.

EvanB wrote: In reply to mazdeuce: Does this mean you are giving me a run for the Mazda money next year?

We'll be at the same event in the same class, but I'm not sure if 'giving you a run for the Mazda money' is exactly accurate. MR needs back markers too.