LOL at the notion of free time. Y'wanna know why my name seems to pop up everywhere when the topic of car lights comes up? Because I'm one of not a whole lot of experts on the subject. I'm a task force chairman in the SAE Lighting Systems Group, helping write and update the technical standards for vehicle lighting devices and systems. I'm an appointed member of the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board, helping steer and review research on matters related to driver vision. I'm General Editor of DrivingVisionNews.com , the global vehicle lighting industry's technical and trade journal. I help organise symposiums and technical conferences, I serve as a go-to answer man in reputable news media (example, example), I've been hired by Canadian provinces and US states to write (or re-write) their vehicle lighting inspection protocols (example). I've contributed text to US, Canadian, and international vehicle lighting regulations. I've served as an expert witness and as a consultant. I've written enormous market analysis reports all about vehicle lighting, because that's my professional field and area of expertise. Any of that sound to you like a shady dude with tons of spare time?
Go look at post № 11 (and others I've made) in this thread. Links, lots of 'em, to pages I don't own where you can buy specific lamps and bulbs complete with actual, real part numbers!
I've gotten in discussions about past-model lights from time to time, but they're of limited practical value; discontinued lights are well discontinued! Most people want lamps they can actually buy without a hassle or an extended hunting trip. Take another look at the links in my posts in this thread, for example they're all live links to "buy it now" pages on Amazon and other places, and a recommendation for Crackedback's relay setups. Point, click, buy, done. Break one? Point, click, buy, done. Where's the problem?
Oh, shoot, the jig is up you've caught me. I have a collection of old stuff and sometimes I sell some of it. I guess there's no point in trying to pretend any more; it was a vast conspiracy involving me, myself (the ringleader), and I to clear some space in my garage and basement and raise some cash. :twisted:
Y'see, people collect stuff. Some people collect model cars (or real ones). Some people collect baseball cards. Some people collect beer bottles. Me, I collect headlamps (don't judge me!) Seriously, though, I can think of a few times where a few guys on a Jeep forum had a hard-on for a particularly good (and sadly discontinued) headlamp. I didn't have enough of them for everyone who wanted a pair, but I pointed to other stashes other people had and I think most people got what they wanted. And from time to time someone doing a big-bucks resto of a fancy car wants a specific, particular set of lights. If I have them, great, everyone's happy. If I don't have them but I know where they can get 'em, I point them there, great, everyone's happy. Kind of like I donno just about any other kind of part for just about any kind of old car. That's why we have swap meets and online classifieds. Some people just wanna keep it driveable, and some people are doing 200-point restorations, and all god's critters got a place in the choir.
Very true. I seem to recall saying something very similar in post № 11 of this very thread.
Now: What do you do for a living, sir? I'm asking for a friend who doesn't know anything about you, but thinks you're kinda shady. :D
