Highlight with Lowlight grill

Post by **tortron** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:11 am

I am requesting photos of minors with highlight wings and lowlight grills.
Will the lowlight grill bolt on in place of the cheese cutter style?
I am toying with the idea of rather than running spotlights on the bumper installing the lowlight grill. Then replacing the 5inch lights with some halogen spotlights. Then making up some kind of custom bit to fill in the radiator gap.

Good idea? Bad idea? any pictures?

Post by **d_harris** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:13 am

Its not quite a straight swap. Its easy enough to do but requires a bit of cutting to the inner wings. There are people on here who have done it before so no doubt their expertise will be forthcoming shortly.

Post by **tortron** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:24 am

i have a 1951 side valve.
After a bit of post searching on here it may well also have the lowlight style inner wings? (it has the square bulkhead and the engine bay "floors" are hole less).

Post by **d_harris** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:40 am

I'd have to look that up I'm afraid, but 51 would be a very early highlight so there is the possibility.

Post by **RobThomas** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:51 am

2 main probs, I think.

1: Front most 1/4 of inner wings on lowlight are 'belled' out with a bolt on panel to allow lamps to fit within. You'd need to make 3D panels to fit here. Not easy and hard to find.

2: Finding a lowlight front panel.

Easies bet is to have sidelight lenses in your headlamps and to put those snazzy little spotlamps in the area where the sidelights are on a highlight MM, assuming that you aren't talking about a later bodyshell.

Post by **tortron** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:54 am

i currently have my eye on a couple of panels, so finding them isnt the problem

This bolt on panel, would it require cutting of my inner wings?

Post by **plastic_orange** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:47 am

2 problems as far as I see.
1. If your inner wings (front portion) are not already cut away to allow for headlamps, you will have to do this, then fit shrouds. Alternatively don't bother with shrouds, but the lights will get pretty mucky (unless cleaned very regularly).
2. Later front wings (non cheesgrater grille) will have to be re radiased to fit around the front panel and you will have to source new chromework to match.

Make sure you get all the lighting bracketry to go with any panel you buy. Any 5 3/4 inch light unit fits using W clips.

Pete

Post by **tortron** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:11 pm

Yep i have the cheese grater style grill
so the lights themselves wont foul anything? If thats the case i would imagine "half" shrouds could be fiberglassed up to suit. So nothing would need to be cut

Post by **plastic_orange** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:57 pm

Lights will clear only if you have the cut aways in the inner wing (or do this). Wings should fit lowlight front panel if your car is an early highlight.

Pete

Post by **motherofgod** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:36 pm

as pete say's your only problem is cuting/fitting inner wing shrouds

the only other thing is headlight bezels, lights are readly available but the bezels are differcult

someone on here had pictures of a highlight with lowlight grill maybe onne?

james

Post by **FrankM83** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:56 pm

saw this at the national this year I think it looked fantastic!

Post by **DAVIDMCCULLOUGH** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:27 pm

Sorry this isnt a great pic, but its shows the cut away for the head light clearly on the drivers side. The is then bolted on between the front panel and the flitch panel. Like James says, the headlight rims are unique to lowlights and now very difficult to find. The last pair I saw on ebay made well over the £100 mark!

Post by **mike.perry** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:19 pm

If your car is a 1951 model it will have the short bonnet as in the photograph. Your inner wings will therefore be shaped to take the lowlight grill.
Your problem will be finding a grill that is not falling apart with rust for a sensible price. Think 3 figures + rechroming.

Post by **tortron** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:37 am

hmm, perhaps i should start exporting them over to you guys

(im in new zealand by the way)

Post by **PSL184** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:19 pm

FrankM83 wrote:saw this at the national this year I think it looked fantastic!

I love the look of this car at the front but does anyone know why it's registered as a 1978 vehicle?

Post by **DAVIDMCCULLOUGH** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:52 pm

This is John Fryes car, hes the national club chairman. I believe this car was imported from South Africia.

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:15 am

A similar, but much simpler and lower tech way of doing this is to fit a pair of surface mount spotlights in the side light holes of the Series 2 front panel. Not as neat as recessed lowlight lights, but gives the same effect when viewed head on.
However, apparently the surface mount spots are quite a rare thing these days. The Mini folk want them for rally style boot mounted reversing lights, and I keep getting asked if i I want to sell them....

Post by **tortron** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:10 am

well i just got a lowlight grill
very good nick - chrome insert is nice
even has the lights and all the other little bits

Post by **plastic_orange** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:07 am

Well done.

Pete

Post by **motherofgod** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:55 pm

piks,piks,piks

james