Bulb suggestion for Challenger.

kelfo

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Mar 27, 2017
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Hello,

I been searching for awhile to find the right bulb for my application but I haven't had much luck.

I own a 2015 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Shaker. It's a car we use to attend car shows and summer cruises with here in Wisconsin. My goal with the car is to give it a retro look to harken back to the original 1970's version.

My car has a projector style fog light, that stock has H11 55 watt halogen bulbs. I installed amber lenses over the projector bulb to give the appearance of running lights like a 1970 model. The H11's are too bright for my mod to look right. The old running lights were much dimmer like side marker lights. I tried a pair of lower wattage LED's but the 6000k behind the amber lens is too white/bright and doesn't match the side marker lights.

I'm actually after a dimmer bulb that works in a projector fog housing and casts a light color similar to a halogen. H11's only come in 55 watt bulbs so I think LED's are still the answer.

I don't use the fog's for illumination of the road, and the car is rarely driven at night.

Thanks for any ideas.
Kelfo

734x981 is too tall by 181 pixels
726x869 is too tall by 69 pixels
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-Virgil-

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Mar 26, 2004
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Odd mod, but harmless enough when you dim them down to where they need to be. LEDs are not going to answer the call. You could hook up a voltage-dropping module like this one, using it on your fog lamps instead of on the high beam headlamps. When you get the module set correctly, the appearance should closely mimic the parking lights of the '70s Challenger like you have in mind.
 

-Virgil-

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That's a good idea, Vette. By itself it probably won't take enough brightness out of them, but it would make it easier to attain with that module.
 

Alaric Darconville

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One could uninstall the fog lamps and put the complete lamp assembly that had used those lenses in place.

Hopefully whatever you'd used to attach those amber lenses isn't doing something to damage the factory fog lamps.
 

kelfo

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Mar 27, 2017
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Thanks for ideas so far.

The amber lens is cut to size and plastic welded to the rear of the bezels.
I can easily return it to stock. The lens sits about a 1/2 in front of the projector lens.

I tried a 35 watt H8 yesterday. It fit great with only a minor trim, but I feel it's still to bright and hot.

I'll look into the voltage modulator. My only worry is I don't want to cut into the wiring.

I wasted some money and ordered cheap low output amber LED's to try.
 

Alaric Darconville

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You could really get creative and run the two fog lamps in series-- dropping the voltage in half means dropping down to just under 10% of the original output-- a 1250lm bulb emitting only 118lm. Saves you getting a module. Pair that with using an H8: 67lm, and under 23W for the system.
 

-Virgil-

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Alaric's got a good idea there. And you could do it all without cutting wires. Buy one male H11 plug (the kind that has the two pins, like the H11 bulb itself). Put it onto one of the car's fog lamp sockets. Run one of its wires to one wire of a new H8 socket connected to the H8 bulb on that same side of the car. Run the other wire from that H8 socket to one of the wires on a new H8 female socket on the bulb on the other side of the car. Connect the second wire of that other-side H8 female socket to the second wire of your H11 male plug. Now the bulbs are in series, with lumen output that should make the lights do what you want, without creating any new problems or issues.
 

kelfo

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Mar 27, 2017
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Thanks Alaric and Virgil. That idea may work! I'll have to start looking for adapters. Do you think this will be safe with my cars electrical/computer system?
 

-Virgil-

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Your car shouldn't have any beef with you for doing this, and it won't cause any damage. One source for the plugs and sockets is Headlightplugs.com. They only show the female sockets, not the male plugs, but usually they've had the male plugs in stock when I call or email and ask. You don't need the ceramic ones; regular plastic will be plenty good enough.
 
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