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Hi there,



I have posted this on some other forums as well so you may have already seen it. In that case sorry for wasting your time. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



So I decided to try and make new headlights for my turboed 968. In addition to save some weight and get a "personal" look, it was now possible to install bigger oil cooler in the space previously occupied by the headlight mechanism. I also removed the power steering cooling loop and replaced it with small Mocal unit. Also now I was able to fit a large K&N air filter under the driver's side headlight.

What I have now is 40 row Setrab for oil cooling and 13 Row Mocal for power steering fluid. I still need to work with the ducting for the oil cooler. I already made a duct to direct the airflow to the cooler but it seems it's not enough. I may install a fan to better the airflow through it. Here are some pictures:



Oil cooler





Power steering fluid cooler





Headlight bucket







Relays





Overview







Headlights are Hella H7 bi-halogen units. These have both the hi and low beam, lens is 90mm in diameter. Buckets are aluminium and fiberglass, covers are polycarbonate. Supporting structure is very lightweight and made of aluminium. I used mostly stock attaching points so it's possible to go back to original if desired.

Headlights are locked in place with one bolt accessed by removal of brake cooling duct. After that it's easy to slide the bucket out and change the bulb.



Lights turned out quite ok I think but I really want to make those covers curved. I made several attemps already which weren't very succesfull. Will try again using vacuum forming at work. I haven't actually weighed the new lights yet but I'll update this thread when I have. For sure they are a lot lighter compared to stock.



Cheers

Jarmo

Looks great Jarmo!

I agree that a curved lens cover could improve the appearance, as well as painting the rim to the body color. Great work! Maybe something to be produced in small batches in the future?

Wow - nicely done!

That one feature which is cool makes the car look even newer than a well maintained car looks. Great job!

Looks awesome! Gonna do something like that someday..........when my mod fund permits. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

yep, would like to have a piece of that small quality production run.

Nice...... When will the mod kit be available?

<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

I would sign up for a pair ONLY because "it's possible to go back to original if desired"!

Nice job on the lights, and all-around, very cool car.



How involved was it to do the lights? Did you fabricate entirely new custom buckets, or did you source from existing components?



Thanks!



-Scott

Awesome! I like the flat fronts but would suggest a smaller surround - or body color as Blau noted.



BTW Jarmol that is overall one nice looking piece.

Yes, very nice indeed. I love the form-follows-function approach - anything that takes weight off the front of these cars is a good thing, and the way you made use of the space for improved oil cooling is outstanding. I didn't know the power steering fluid was in need of additional cooling, though - yet another thing to worry about, I guess.

Great!



Is that your blue 993?

Thanks for interest guys!

I did all the work by myself. Shaping the buckets took some time.. I used pieces of blue styrofoam sheet glued together and then carved the required shape. I then covered the foam with packaging tape to protect it from melting in the next phase. I put some autowax on top of the tape and then laid the glassfibr over it. After it was cured I just ripped the foam off. You cant't get very good surface with this method but it's ok for a one off project like this. To finish the inside of the buckets I sprayed them with black bumper paint. It gives you a nice rough factory like finish.



The black outside edging is actually a piece of rubber gasket material. It's nice to have some cushion so the lights don't rub the paint on the fender openings. I chose the edging to be black as Porsche usually did that in their past race cars. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Oh..The blue 911 in the reflection is my brothers Riviera blue 3.2 built to look like a 964 RS.

Headlamps look good - no hacking of paint or sheet metal - can be converted back to stock.



My kind of modification! Wanna send me a set??? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

[quote name='Cloud9...68' timestamp='1312587023' post='113855']

Yes, very nice indeed. I love the form-follows-function approach - anything that takes weight off the front of these cars is a good thing, and the way you made use of the space for improved oil cooling is outstanding. I didn't know the power steering fluid was in need of additional cooling, though - yet another thing to worry about, I guess.

[/quote]



I wouldn't be too worried about power steering fluid temps. While they get rather hot at the track on warm days, I don't have any data of the actual temps. Removing the original cooling loop gave more room for the oil cooler so that's mostly why I did it like that. It has to be said that these pumps/racks/fluid bottles are prone to leak when old though. Maybe better(?) cooling will help on that? I think I need to try to measure and compare those temps to stock system somehow.

JarmoL,



I admire and respect your skills; wish I had the know-how and patience to come up with something like that. Seriously, I think there would be some interest on this board in your conversion, especially from the racers and track day guys.

The best job I have seen , yet still not my cup of tea for the 968- I think it takes away it,s entire character, but if I used primarily as a track car, this would be a no-brainer. It does make it look more like a respectable race car

Yes, I totally agree. Not sure I would want a conversion like this for a street car, but for a track car, it definitely looks the business, and any weight savings off the front of the car are, as I said, elusive, and therefore highly desirable.

if it had an occluded lens, so that it looked OEM, then i'd like it for sure - i just don't like looking in and seeing a small light like that - new cars have that, but then the inside of the housing is also silver or something - maybe if that were the case.......



but i have to give a LOT of credit for the workmanship - it's outstanding

How do they work for, well, lighting? Cool project!