[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ginge
Only problem is I can't fit the 3rd brake light coz you have to take the rear wing off. It looks like it's poppered on but I'm worried if you unpop it you'll need new poppers to refit.

Any joy with fitting the third light yet Ginge??

Any tips??

[Llama]

Can't see any reflectors on this one....

http://www.younguknet.co.uk/justin/b...meet_clear.jpg

[J3T]

Well I had a phone call from Phill at Rydale in Cardiff and my white lights have finally arrived after about six weeks of waiting!!! I am not going to let them fit the reflectors when J3T goes in on saturday, its more than their life is worth to cut holes in my bumpers!!!

Jon

[smiffy]

Quote:

Originally posted by J3T
Well I had a phone call from Phill at Rydale in Cardiff and my white lights have finally arrived after about six weeks of waiting!!! I am not going to let them fit the reflectors when J3T goes in on saturday, its more than their life is worth to cut holes in my bumpers!!!

Jon

Thats mt dealer

What colour is your car

[J3T]

Cosmos Black, can't wait to get the white lights in as I reckon they'll look fabulous against the colour.

Jon

[smiffy]

Quote:

Originally posted by J3T
Cosmos Black, can't wait to get the white lights in as I reckon they'll look fabulous against the colour.

Jon

How about some chrome alloys too

[J3T]

Was kinda thinking of black alloys etc but not sure really!! Never sure about chrome, wanna see someone do it first!!

Jon

[ELISEBOY]

so can we get away with telling the dealer not to fit the reflectors then?
Is he allowed to do that as its illegal?

[J3T]

well as I have dealing been dealing with my dealer since last June, I get on quite well with him and if I don't want the reflectors fitted then I won't have the reflectors fitted - its only illegal in three years in my eyes or whenever its required to have an MOT!! Anyway, they haven't got a leg to stand on in my opinion as I have pictures of MINIs with white lights and no reflectors!!
Can't change their mind dealer to dealer, if one will do then everyone will with a little persuasion!!

Jon

[ELISEBOY]

mine is now going to quote a price without the reflectors
should get that tomorrow

how much are you paying for yours with fitting?

[Viscount Charles]

I think the absence of a red reflector makes a car illegal *right now*

In three years time, you have an authorised inspector who will point that out to you and refuse to issue a test certificate.

For now, you (and your dealer) would be taking a risk. It's the sort of thing the Police will use when they need an excuse to carry out a late night breath test; if you pass, they can always write up the Construction and Use (Lighting) Regulations offence! Taking things to extremes, imagine your car is involved in an accident when I drive into it late one night. Although your car was parked legally, I claim that I could not see the mandatory red reflectors, and sue you (and maybe the dealer too) for an accident that most people would think was my fault! Reckon I'd have a good chance of winning in Court, too - there's plenty of precedent for the owner of an unlit obstruction on the highway bearing the blame!

Ultimately it's your choice whether to drive around in a car which breaches the law - lots of people seem very hapy to drive without insurance, or with a bald tyre. But remember that the absence of a reflector is likely to be seen as a safety issue - more important than the illegally-spaced number plates, for example. IMHO, your dealer should not place himself in the position of complying with your instructions and allowing the vehicle to go out without reflectors - he wouldn't let you drive away with no windscreen and two bald tyres would he? He might also be guilty of supplying an unroadworthy vehicle.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching - I don't mean to. It's just that the decision to run without the right sort of lighting might have consequences that outweigh the aesthetic appeal.

[Llama]

further to the above too it could also invalidate your insurance too if involved in an accident.

[ELISEBOY]

Guys
Please tell me if I am wrong but arnt we taking this problem too serious??

Surely we can just buy a pair of reflectors from Halfords or wherever that will look neat and stick onto the bumper??

Sorry if Im wrong but wont this resolve the issue without affecting the asthetics of the car?

[Viscount Charles]

You'd have to check the Construction and Use Regs (and they're not the easiest of reading) but Halfords' finest stick-on reflectors would probably fit the bill. Note that the Regs specifies the size and the "reflectivity" of the red reflectors as well as the positioning - you'd want to check all of this. If that suits better than the BMW bumper conversion, go for it!

[Llama]

To me though it defies the point of swapping all your lenses over to clear ones.

I was going to get the clear rear lights, now I'm certainly not going to bother...

[rjwatson]

In my opinion the idea of fitting clear lenses is to supposedly enhance the appearance of the car. The addition of these clear lenses is cancelled out my the need to have those awful red reflectors cannabalised into ones bumper. Personally I have to say the car looks worse with this MAX POWER combination of lighting and reflectors. They would possibly be worth having if they were smoked but as they are they are far to bright....in my opinion

Bring on the Nova's and Gaynified Citroen Spaxo's! Is this what you true MINI fan's >>(not me) want... surely not!!!!

He Heh!

[MGB Boy]

Interesting reading, the white/clear lens trend is big here in the U.S. as well. It tends to be most popular among young male drivers of various Japanese/Asian models, i.e. various lower-end Hondas, Acuras, and Toyotas. They take a vanilla Honda Civis, add white lights, low profile tires, huge tailwings, loud buzzy exhausts, and maybe a few stickers proclaiming the brand name of the aforementioned exhaust, low profile tires, etc. The general intention seems to be to make it look and sound faster without actually making it any faster. Anyhow, I've questioned the legality of the white lights as well, I know the U.S. D.O.T. regs for taillamps demands that they include both a red illluminative part and a red reflective part. You can get around the illuminative part by simply adding a red bulb, but they don't have the reflective part accounted for. At the moment, I don't know of any car maker offering white lights in the U.S., and the local paper even did a feature not too long ago about how the police plan on cracking down on illegal add-on accessories such as this. Not that any of this would concern someone in the UK

-Ricardo

[Viscount Charles]

The regs are pretty similar here. Although the clamp-down is unlikely to happen. I'd be more worried about the accident/insurace cancelled scenarios.

[R1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Viscount Charles
The regs are pretty similar here. Although the clamp-down is unlikely to happen.

I'm afraid your probably wrong on this one!
Try riding a sportsbike! Our fine Big Brother law enforcers have even pulled me up on my R1, only to get a tape measure out to check if the numbers on my rear number plate were the correct distance apart!!! (and there is a legal distance, check the DVLA website!! Bloody stupid!!)
Mind you, driving a car seems to warrant a lot more tolerance in the eyes of the law, so you could be right!!

[Clutch Cargo]

I wonder if it would be acceptable to have just the third brake lite lens clear. Against a white roof I think it would look "cleaner" than the red ones.