T4 Quad Headlight Project .......... latest update

[TURK]

You're right Jay ......... this is why I have Jim standing by



TURK

[jaymarley]

my middle names jim does that count

[slimjim]

my middle names jim does that count

Nope!

[jaymarley]

lol child

[slimjim]

lol child

I see why you would offer (I mean, I'd try it on too!) but there are over 100 people in front of you who would also love to get their hands on the prototypes.
Can't blame a guy for trying.

Luckily for me, Turk and I go quite a way back. Talking on this thread, as well as the original 4 year old thread on the "other" forum, following all the trials and tribulations. Mostly cheering on when things go wrong but also helping with idea bouncing and chatting problems through on the very long road he has been plodding along.
I'm also lucky enough to have not only a set of original lights and 'eBay special' foggy DRLs to compare these to but also the set of ProjectZwo's I am running at the moment. Which is the kind of market the 'quads' are aiming for. Letting me do a four way comparison on the mostly used and commonly available illumination options.

Along with that, there is my prolific blogging... not only on here but also at T17.club and T17 on Facebook. Added to that, my semi-regular writer contributions to the VWBusT4/5+ Magazine put me in a good position to spread the news nationally and internationally.

Plus... I was here first, so nerrr!

[TURK]

Hi guys,


You make some very interesting points there Jim .......... particularly one that astonishes me ........ it's been FOUR years !? : o

Indeed it has, the project started four years ago when I refused to pay over £400 for a badly beaten-up set of ProjektZwo's. Back then I was in full time employment and I could only work on the project at weekends, then the sale of my apartment and my move to France ........... my God, time does fly doesn't it !? It's only been in the last year that the project has really come together, I understand that many people would of thought that a mere DIY'er wouldn't pull this off and were quite sceptical about buying into such a project, and that's understandable. But some members saw the potential of such a product and got in early, the amount of support and encouragement I received throughout from those members, are the reason why this project is turning out to be a great success.

Don't worry Jay, once everything is setup it shouldn't take me too long to get through the list.


I'll be doing all the vigorous testing myself, I've been researching how the manufacturers test their products and I'm pretty sure I can duplicate many of them in real time. But it's also a good idea ( and I think a must ) to have an independent tester who will give his unbiased opinion on the product. As Jim and I have been sharing information over the years, it's become clear that he is in an ideal situation ......... he's experienced the OE headlights, the appalling DRL type headlights and he's now running the ProjektZwo's. So no doubt he'll be giving his own opinions to forum members and corroborate my findings ( or not ! ).




TURK

[TURK]

Hi folks,




Just a quick update on the project .........




I finally managed to get round to a fitting test onto Lulu last week. Things are beginning to look rather good I think, but there are a few issues ( aren't there always ! ) ........ minor adjustments for the final fit are now mere millimetres, but that' proving to be quite difficult.


So this is what the quad headlight system looked like before >>







And now with the repositioning of the headlight units ........ inboard further down and outboard moved up a bit >>







The difference may look very subtle on the images above, but here you can definitely see the 'improvement'. The biggest difference is behind the actual units, by moving the units slightly I managed to gain a few millimetres, particularly where the adjuster screws are located >>









Not only does it look better, but I think that addition of the optional headlight 'eye-browse' will give the front end more of a cats-eye look ......... a bit like the front end of the long nose version of the T4.




Fabricating wooden plugs, silicone moulds and resin tooling plugs is a difficult and expensive procedure, so having to design and construct set upon set of plugs and moulds and improving on the design would take a fair bit of time, not to mention the cost. The 'tooling plugs' I currently have and as you've witnessed the construction of, have set me back just over 400 quid !


I decided to try and modify the 'tooling plugs' I have, instead of starting over. As the dimensions are mere millimetres it seems logical that I should at least try. There is absolutely nothing on the Internet about these procedures, so it's all trial and error. I'll go into greater detail at a later date, but as an example, in this picture I've added a 2mm footing at the base of the tooling plug >>







So far it seems to be working out OK, time will tell if this works or not.






Until next time ........ Salut !










TURK

[jaymarley]

did I hear you say final fit

[jaymarley]

nice wheels on your bus turk wot are they

[TURK]

did I hear you say final fit

Yes, correct Jay

What I'm finding very difficult to get right is the fit between the actual assembly, and what will be the headlight covers.
At the moment, the headlight covers are just prototypes, that's the main reason why they're transparent. Vacuum formed 1mm PETG, it basically helps me to align things correctly, but I have to make allowances for a 3mm or 4mm headlight cover. The tolerances are down to a mere 0.5mm ....... they have to be, or you'll get vibrations from the assembled parts if they don't fit together properly. And for structural integrity, they also need to 'lock' into one another making the entire assembly much stronger.

Before I move onto the actually design of the headlight covers I need this final fit of the headlight mounting brackets ........ if the new positioning of the headlight units isn't very obvious now, it certainly will be when I make the twin aperture headlight covers.




TURK

[TURK]

nice wheels on your bus turk wot are they

Thanks Jay......

I tried to identify them a long time ago, as originally when I bought Lulu I was told they were Porsche alloys ! Obviously they're not as they don't have adaptors.
There's a better photo of them here >

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554 ( half way down the page )


After quite a bit of research and asking about, somebody thought that they may be 'Team Dynamics' ....... no longer available though.





TURK

[Cpwood32]

Hi Turk ,

Lights are looking good please add me to waiting list as i would live to fit them to my van and support your project

Thanks
Chris

Sent from my SM-G920F using Just T4s

[TURK]

Hi Turk ,

Lights are looking good please add me to waiting list as i would live to fit them to my van and support your project

Thanks
Chris

Thanks Chris ....... and consider it done mate

Judging from your avatar, short nose ? what year ?





TURK

[Cpwood32]

Yes short nose and its one of the first 1998

Thanks
Chris

Sent from my SM-G920F using Just T4s

[TURK]

Thanks Chris

Now updated the 'Pre-Order List' ....... take a look here > http://just-t4s.co.uk/showthread.php...1851#post11851 almost at the bottom of the page.


Also, the short nose T4 has been about since 1990, then with a slight update in 1996 and the introduction of the long nose T4 to accomodate the VR6 engine.
It's the slight difference between the 'earlier' versions and what really happened in early 1996 that has me a little concerned. Not the introduction of the long nose, but what VW did to the existing T4 short nose. Apparently, they installed larger radiators, which may mean there's a slight difference in the dimensions of the slam panel. That's why I'm making a note of the manufacturer year of members vans.

You'll be fine mate, as yours will be the exact same as mine, as it come after the 1996 change ....... the entire quad headlight project and headlight assembly is based on my van which is a late 2003.




TURK