Gauging interest on light bars for MKIV platform. Please give me feedback!

[BobnOH]

Bob, I think I will try prototyping a bar light that this weekend to see how it looks. I am going to create yet another thread once I am registered as a vendor to take orders, in which I will list whether or not I am offering two different models of bars. I will keep this thread updated too.
If I were to produce a bar like the one in the drawing, what are the chances you would buy something like that? Just gauging interest, not commitment.

'proly not. I live in the city

 

[gallaj01]

Joe, have you check to see where the upper mounts will hit (need to be cut) on a Jetta grill since the Jetta and Golf have different grills?

Also, I like others' suggestions about bending the the lower portion to follow the curvature of the bumper more. Time to play with the:

 

[Joester]

Do-able, but would raise the price a bit. Compound bends are not fun!

 

[Countryboy12v]

I would be down to by the one in the sketch. I like the shorter design. I'm wantin to mount an led bar in the bottom center valance in the bumper. But I think your bar would get the bar higher and project the light better.
Awesome idea bud. Defiantly gonna follow this thread.
Keith.

 

[TomJD]

Is you LED light the combo, flood, or spot one offered on their website?

I think this bar is great and just what dozens of our members have been wanting for a while.

The guy who made this is no longer on the forum but everyone liked it:

 

[Zedbra]

^ that's a great design. I have been thinking about running a light along the bottom part of the bumper, under the plate and that bar would do the job great.

 

[G Men 08]

Way to help out the community, Joe!

I personally like the original bar. But I do believe you would have more buyers if the design was changed a little, like the one above my post, on the Jetta. Don't get me wrong, I certainly understand you are trying to be cost effective. That it's where materials used, and difficulty of design play a factor.

Maybe you could spend a little time, when you get it, to mock up something like the above bar, just to see how much more out would cost.

Keep up the great work!

 

[TomJD]

See the nice thing about Joe's is the light bar is on there very well. The problem with design I posted above is I can see the lights getting off center and point every which way.

 

[1.9glstdi]

I am a welder by trade I may get into more exoitic metals aluminam and stainless steel. I will be getting a pipe bender and cnc water jet. I like that thicker jetta bar on this page. I make boat bimini tops and any thing needed. I also like you alternate design.

 

[Joester]

Thank you again for all of your input guys. I have a few things to say about progress and different designs.

-I spent 16 hours this weekend fabbing up 5 original light bars, they aren't quite done, but will be next weekend. Not much left to do.

-Next weekend I am going to re-think the lower mounting system I'm using at it takes FOREVER to manufacture a lower mount for my current design. The lower mount I've got now works great, don't get me wrong, but it really takes too long to make. I think I've got a few ideas in mind, we'll see if it works.

-I understand that my original design may not look good to some people, and is really only of use to those with a rectangle light bar light mine, so I'm going to also prototype two different designs.
-One will be a lower/smaller version just like the one in the sketch in my original posting. Like this

-The other will be a very low light bar that only utilizes the lower mounts like this

So stay tuned! I know the interest is there, I just need to make a bar that satisfies the many criteria of both the buyer and myself.

 

[Countryboy12v]

Great stuff. I will be buyin one from you.
Keith.

 

[BlankThis]

T

This is perfection. Shame shipping would kill me.

 

[Joester]

This is perfection. Shame shipping would kill me.

The thing I don't understand about that design is that him and I use the exact same mounting point and I don't think it will be strong enough to support the lights, but he did it and says it is, so we will see. That's why I like to use some form of upper mount on my bar.

 

[TomJD]

The thing I don't understand about that design is that him and I use the exact same mounting point and I don't think it will be strong enough to support the lights, but he did it and says it is, so we will see. That's why I like to use some form of upper mount on my bar.

I bet it bounces around a lot.

 

[BlankThis]

The bottom mounts are on a 45 degree angle if I remember correctly. I can see it being steady if you tightened the beans out of them but I don't know how the bumper tabs would like that.

 

[Joester]

The bottom mounts are on a 45 degree angle if I remember correctly. I can see it being steady if you tightened the beans out of them but I don't know how the bumper tabs would like that.

The mounts I use are not the bolts that hold the bumper cover on. They are vertical faces, no angles.

 

[BlankThis]

Gotcha!

 

[Joester]

Here is the latest and greatest mounting system that takes not as much effort to make. I'll be heading home again from college tomorrow to trash the mounts i spent 16 hours on and make more new bars. I definitely jumped the gun on the old mounting system and didnt think about it enough.

I'll be posting more information when I have it!

-Joe

 

[NB_TDi]

I would be interested in the small one actually. Be nice to have some "off-road" lights for the night-drive home.

 

[cbalthazor]

Count me in for the tall style one, not painted. Thanks!
chad
chad.balthazor@gmail.com

 

[professorxjosh]

Wow this is super cool. I'd probably be up for getting one of these. I do a lot of scuba diving in places that don't have much light/ back roads with lots of critters and would be nice to have the extra light. Additionally, it looks awesome and will give me the "off-road vehicle" look I like. Very much looking forward to seeing how these turn out.

 

[Joester]

Thanks again for all the kind words, people. As an engineering-to-be, there's not much better than seeing people like something you designed. I'm looking forward to getting these out there! As always, I'll keep this thread updated with progress. 4 hours of class today and then a drive back to my parents house to keep working on these!

 

[Redneck Truck]

Something else to consider: ease of servicing and removal, yet security against thieves. Those LED light bars have a way of disappearing around here.

Have we considered stuffing one of the large, rectangular led bars in the lower grill such that the bumper cover must first be removed to access it?

 

[Joester]

Something else to consider: ease of servicing and removal, yet security against thieves. Those LED light bars have a way of disappearing around here.

Have we considered stuffing one of the large, rectangular led bars in the lower grill such that the bumper cover must first be removed to access it?

My 20" LED bar definitely won't fit behind the center grille. The heat sink fins are just too big. I'd also rather have it further up to project light better, which is the reason behind my original design.

As for thieves, the bar itself is difficult to remove unless you can open the hood, or rip out the grille. I'm betting they'll steal your rims or mudflaps before they steal this bar. As for my actual LED light, it is just bolted onto my personal bar. Yeah, someone can steal it, but that's a risk with most/all of my material possessions.

 

[oilhammer]

No worries about thieves stealing the light bar with me, they can just take the whole car.... key is in it.

 

[NB_TDi]

Are light-bar thefts a real concern in the USA? Maybe you guys should get a Government appointed task force together. Try to make sense of this thing.

 

[Redneck Truck]

Hey, don't say that too loudly, or it might happen! I guess there's something appealing about an expensive block of LEDs with a certain market value hanging on the outside of a car. I'm just saying that the closer the install gets to a quick release plug and wing nuts, the more likely it is to walk away. Heavy mounting, hidden hardware, and protected or obscured wiring should be cursory to such an installation.

I'm still in for buying one; I'll find a way to secure it, because I know my government can't!

 

[deejaaa]

use security screws/bolts. drill some holes in the nuts/bolt and add cotter pins/tie wire.

 

[Joester]

First bar done, and I'm very satisfied with the mounting system. Pretty easy for me to make, and an infant could install the thing.

AAAAAND check it out. There should be a thing next to my name that says "vendor" now! Neat!

Pics and more details to come tomorrow!

 

[Redneck Truck]

Congrats!