had a great cruise with the BMW car club of BC up to Harrison Hot Springs today.
Rolf Drommer Memorial Harrison Drive
- Thread starter vanbavaria
- Start date
Lovely, may we see more?
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
The lighting setup on the silver E3 is wicked. I can see the Cibie replacement headlights which function fantastically. Those high beam units with 100w bulbs are incredible pencil beams...simply shocking to see their performance 40+ years ago. I had Cibie 95 fog lights mounted about the same location below the bumper as this car. I had 100w bulbs in them too, and they were angled out to each side about 20 degrees. I had a SPDT switch with a center off controlling them. Up was for coming on with only low beams, down coming on with high beams (which is where I usually left it). I can't write in words how amazing this lighting setup was back then compared to anything else on the road.
With those six lights, four with 100w bulbs, it was a current drain of over 40amps! I had rewired the high beam lights with larger gauge wire too.
On this car above, I see it *also* has Cibie 175 monster lights (I'm assume their driving beam versions)! Crazy.
Is the owner a board member here?
With those six lights, four with 100w bulbs, it was a current drain of over 40amps! I had rewired the high beam lights with larger gauge wire too.
On this car above, I see it *also* has Cibie 175 monster lights (I'm assume their driving beam versions)! Crazy.
Is the owner a board member here?
That’s Dave Beddows ‘72 Alpina edition Bavaria. One of the founding members of the BC BMW club.The lighting setup on the silver E3 is wicked. I can see the Cibie replacement headlights which function fantastically. Those high beam units with 100w bulbs are incredible pencil beams...simply shocking to see their performance 40+ years ago. I had Cibie 95 fog lights mounted about the same location below the bumper as this car. I had 100w bulbs in them too, and they were angled out to each side about 20 degrees. I had a SPDT switch with a center off controlling them. Up was for coming on with only low beams, down coming on with high beams (which is where I usually left it). I can't write in words how amazing this lighting setup was back then compared to anything else on the road.
With those six lights, four with 100w bulbs, it was a current drain of over 40amps! I had rewired the high beam lights with larger gauge wire too.
On this car above, I see it *also* has Cibie 175 monster lights (I'm assume their driving beam versions)! Crazy.
What is an Alpina Edition? Dealer added Alpina parts?
From what Dave said the bavaria was sent to a accredited Alpina shop in California and was fitted with all the Alpina parts. Intake, wheels, steering wheel badges etc etc.
All I know is I couldn’t keep up with him in my bavaria 
Hardy & Beck in the Bay Area And Dietel in Orange County.All I know is I couldn’t keep up with him in my bavaria
Any more pics would be wonderful, of both cars. Great job getting out and ripping it up.....
I’ll make sure to post some more next time I meet up with them.
DaveBeddows
Member
To answer CSBM5
The Cibies are the standard bulb 55/60 on the outer low/high lights. Don't want to dazzle anyone when on low beam. The 9800' inner pencil beams are each 100W. The Series 175 driving lights are 150W each and if pre-selected for use will come on with the high beams and go out when the lights dipped.
The series 35 fog lights have the 90 degree cutoff for no upwards scatter. They are running 60W bulbs. They have 2 pre-selects. One is for assistance to the low beams on dark wet nights where they will come on in sync with the low beams. (As they have a very pronounced cutoff at about a foot of the ground they don't dazzle opposing traffic.) The other pre-select is for very dense fog. In this mode when high beams are selected on the stalk, the regular high beams do not come on. The low beams go out and just the Cibie fog lamps light the way. As they are mounted low they shine under the fog with no reflections coming back at the driver. In this mode the 2 rear fog guard lights in the Bavaria rear light cluster also come to life when running on just the Cibie fog lamps. When the driver selects low beams the front and rear lights return to stock low beam arrangement.
If the stalk is pulled forward which can light everything then there is 850W of light happening. About 70amps at 12V. This car does not see too much night rallying anymore so they are more show than go now. I use to do overnight trips through Northern BC and these were invaluable for spotting moose, deer, etc. long before you rolled up on them at highway speeds.
By the way for anyone driving in dense fog in moose country be aware moose feel safer standing inside a fog patch. At winter when they come to the road to lick road salt they will choose a fog patch if there is one close by. As this is not a winter car, it has never had that type of encounter. It has had a number of close deer encounters one of which I had to reverse down an isolated highway with a buck, bounding like Pepi Le Pew, following me down the road. Maybe it was mating season. The worst was the loose bull encounter. Thought I was going to lose a front fender when it went up to the wheel arch with it's head down. I swear his horn was up against the tire sidewall. Car was parked. On retrospect it probably wasn't wise to run to the car and shout and wave at the bull. I learned that day how quickly I could climb over a fence. Car was safe though.
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the details on that amazing lighting setup! Full high beam activated must be incredible. I can only imagine how useful it is in rural Canada.
Regards,
Chuck
Regards,
Chuck