So, i received and applied my FlyEyes kit last night whilst at work.

 

The material itself is very strange! its a plastic film with holes in it and sticky backed its stretchy and stinks!

in the box you also get a scalpel for trimming and a little card with a fabric edge to smooth ofver and push in to small gaps.

 

The look is still growing on me, from a distance it suits the car IMO but not sure when you get up close to it.

 

Installing was quite easy, i bought the biggest size they did, 45cm x 150cm, this gave me enough to be able to do 3 rear lights incase i messed it up.

 

Applying the first piece started ok, i unrolled the material to the size of the light +1 inch on each end, it took some time to get a feel for the stuff and how it reacts but once going it was pretty easy! i started from the bottom left and gently stretched and smoothed my way up to the top right corner, the material is very stretchy and pliable.

 

Next came the trimming, i first got rid of the excess leaving approx 1 inch around the whole light. dot throw this away! i stuck it back on the white card it originally came on, i then proceeded to push the material in around the light itself, this is where it got a little tatty. i pushed on and completed the first light and was pleased with it (it was my first go)

 

I then moved on to the second light, this time i tried a few slightly diffrent techniques from the first, When applying the material i found that if i gripped the material between both hands one on top and other on the bottom and stretched/pulled the material this way it gave a MUCH better and faster application of the sticky stuff. once in the right place i used my hand to smooth it all in to place.

after the difficulty of achieving a nice finish around the edge of the light, i decided to remove the light unit, suoper easy to do, unscrew the nut found inside the wheel arch in the boot and just wiggle the light free. this then gave me the ability to get a much nicer finish to the edge, alloying me to peel back the rubber seal and overlap the material on the light.

 

I then went with the heat gun @ 170oC firstly warming the overlapped material and using the supplied card to smooth it in to place, before heating the rest of the light and smoothing over.

 

I was so pleased with the 2nd attempt that i peeled off the material on the first light and went at it again with the spare piece of material using the same process as i did for light 2. and it came out great.

 

Things to note:

 

1) dont pull to hard in a specific spot on the material, because of the holes in it it tears very easy!

2) dont use the card supplied whilst putting the material in to place, i did this on the first light and it gave a poor finish! i only used it to roll the edges round and then smooth over once heated at the end.

3) be generous with how much overhang you leave! you can always cut more off later! i found out thye hard way on the first light, bearly leaving enough to roll over the edge.

4)Dont get to close withy the heat gun/hair dryer as it shrivels rapidly in a short space of time!

 

i used a small piece of the spare tuff to cove the high level break light so it didnt look odd!

 

It takes some getting used to once done and from a distance does look really good, but when you get close (arms wide) you can see the holes quite well and it looks odd! also if you run your hand over the light you can feel the holes.

 

ill get some picture up later for you.

 

Ill trial it over a week before deciding to keep it on or not!

 

 

The big question is though - Insurance - Do i need to tell them? if i do what do i tell them?

 

Its not a tinting kit and it does not affect the light output from the rear lights, as stated on there website, so its literally there for looks!

 

Any ideas?

 

Cheers

Yes you need to tell them, you have modified the car, even cosmetic modifications count.

 

Light output has of course been effected, since you have covered some of the surface area with a solid object which obstructs light.

 

This is a direct quote from the mg rover owners forum.

 

When my MOT tester checked the light output, he found the fly eyes had reduced the light output enough to become a fail. The only reason he passed the car with the fly eyes, is because he thought the head lights looked cool with them on!!!

As with all insurance questions, if you need to ask, the answer is yes, you need to tell them.

 

You will have reduced output, regardless of what the manufacturer says and reduced your visibility.

Yes you need to tell them, you have modified the car, even cosmetic modifications count.

 

Light output has of course been effected, since you have covered some of the surface area with a solid object which obstructs light.

 

This is a direct quote from the mg rover owners forum.

 

 

If i was this guy i would of gone back to FlyEyes and had a word as they state all over the website its not an MOT fail for having them on! 

Was the MOT carried out before Jan 2012? as on there website it quotes the regulations from Jan 2012 for the use of fly eyes not being illegal.

 

ill give insurance a call today and see how much it will be to add. I wont mention its already on! 

 

Thanks

Edited 2 October, 201312 yr by GLENT54321

I've had "contact" with a local copper, he was perfectly happy with the lights.... edit: I used spi vision, so maybe not the same....

 

and Glen, PICS! :P

I've had "contact" with a local copper    :p

 

 

Hello, Hello, whats been going on 'ear then   :think:

So heres a few pictures of the FlyEyes kit in place on the rear lights. i tried to get as many lights on as possible ( the only one not showing is the break lights!)

 

I do like it, but not up close!

Hello, Hello, whats been going on 'ear then   :think:

PM'd, not very exciting! lol...

 

looks good glen, even in daylight the lights look bright enough, in the dark they will be clear...

 

I'm of the same opinion as you though, i think they look good from a didtance, but a bit  crappy up close! here's mine...

 

 

 

 

Looks good. I used Spi Vision on my rear lights and found similar results. Good from a distance but just not right up close. Also, the holes seem to trap dirt and feathers etc.

Light output does not seem effected but as said above anything over the lens will have some impact regardless of how much.

Tail lights in dark

Tail lights and indicators

Tail lights and reflectors

The darker lights do look a lot more suited to the car.

Jon

Looks good. I used Spi Vision on my rear lights and found similar results. Good from a distance but just not right up close. Also, the holes seem to trap dirt and feathers etc.

Light output does not seem effected but as said above anything over the lens will have some impact regardless of how much.

Tail lights in dark

Tail lights and indicators

Tail lights and reflectors

The darker lights do look a lot more suited to the car.

Jon

Have you guys both told your insurance about the kits? Did you say it was tinting or something else?

Thanks

I haven't declared it yet. ...didn't think it was required......

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What is it then?  I can't see a before and after - does it just make it look like Flies Eyes?  All compartmentalised?

 

And Glen - good work on the DIY improvements!

What is it then?  I can't see a before and after - does it just make it look like Flies Eyes?  All compartmentalised?

 

And Glen - good work on the DIY improvements!

 

Its like a plastic sheet full of holes and sticky on one side. Heres some pictures:

 

I don't know how to tell my insurance about it! because im sure they will call it a tint but its not....the glass isn't tinted. a tint affects ALL the light produced by the light, where this stuff only stops 10% of light the other 90% is uninterrupted light. 

 

PDIBK:    thanks, i'm pleased witht he DIY improvements  there small but make the car a little different  my next little tweak is the rear tow eye, its currently whit, like the car, but i think it looks ridiculous as it sticks out with the black bumper above. i plan to clean it of wax and then paint with the hammerite i have left from doing the rear drums! 

 

I have also sprayed the seats with 3m Scotch guard, £16 for 3 tins (i used 1 tin on the whole car), just a bit cheaper than a dealership.......

 

I have also put the side trims on, and IMO it completely changes the look of the car completely it helps break up the white canvas on the side! 

 

1 also changed the headlights to phillips extreme vision, what an incredible improvement!

 

I am waiting for the boot sill protector to arrive and that will be fitted.

 

90%  of my improvements are for functionality as, having a 2 year old and 2 collie's (and a wife), the car ends up taking a lot of stick from them!

Will probably get shot down in a ball of flames..

I didn't tell my insurance on my old LCR..

As for being legal...I doubt it very much.

"Should" fail a MOT because your not allowed to modify the lights in any way shape or form,something to do with the stamp mark being void as it's been tampered with..

(Not saying you shouldn't do it..just saying like)

And yes both my cars have them fitted..

:-)

Edited 3 October, 201312 yr by swedey

Will probably get shot down in a ball of flames..

I didn't tell my insurance on my old LCR..

As for being legal...I doubt it very much.

"Should" fail a MOT because your not allowed to modify the lights in any way shape or form,something to do with the stamp mark being void as it's been tampered with..

(Not saying you shouldn't do it..just saying like)

And yes both my cars have them fitted..

:-)

 

 

Its all very confusing! How can they sell it as completely legal and not an MOT fail for people then to find out it is a fail and illegal?!?!?!?

 

Im worried that if i get shunted from behind that insurance will turn around and say ' you modified your lights so the driver couldn't see you breaking and i have modified them!' or something along that line!

 

I like the look, its growing on me, but i don't like the worry i have! 

Its all very confusing! How can they sell it as completely legal and not an MOT fail for people then to find out it is a fail and illegal?!?!?!?

 

Im worried that if i get shunted from behind that insurance will turn around and say ' you modified your lights so the driver couldn't see you breaking and i have modified them!' or something along that line!

 

I like the look, its growing on me, but i don't like the worry i have! 

 

Sounds like you should ring them and ask. 

 

I don't get the current craze of smoking/tinting/fly eyeing lights. I want people to see me and my lights so they don't hit me! I regularly see a beat up old saxo with smoked lights and you can hardly tell the lights are on. All very dangerous. 

 

The fact that once you get within 10 ft of the car you can see the pattern just makes it look cack (imo)

Its all very confusing! How can they sell it as completely legal and not an MOT fail for people then to find out it is a fail and illegal?!?!?!?

 

Im worried that if i get shunted from behind that insurance will turn around and say ' you modified your lights so the driver couldn't see you breaking and i have modified them!' or something along that line!

 

I like the look, its growing on me, but i don't like the worry i have!

Beats me mate...I have no idea.

Probably so people will buy them I guess.

RE post above..agreed I've seen many cars with the rears "sprayed" way too dark...IMHO this is dangerous..

Flyeyes does let a good bit of light out..unlike spraying them...

Comparison photo. ...

The saxo mentioned probably has a spray tint on it. ... completely illegal, no question.

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Ill call the insurance company now and mention i'm THINKING of doing it. and see what they put it down as! 

Ill call the insurance company now and mention i'm THINKING of doing it. and see what they put it down as!

Don't forget to feed back. .....if they answer!

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So i asked the question. Im with admiral multicar:

 

They don't see it as a specific change but just an external modification (im guessing the add this for each change). Total charge  to premium £20.21! 

 

I think ill go ahead and tell them about the modification! seems worth it in the long run just in case, if anything comes back if the worse does happen then it falls back to the company who state its completely legal and MOT Pass still! (Thats how i see it anyway)

 

Hope that helps

Comparison photo. ...

The saxo mentioned probably has a spray tint on it. ... completely illegal, no question.

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Each to their own but the OE one looks better imo. 

 

A rather ropey BMW E46 3 series coupe was outside a neighbours house in our road with fly eyes on the front and a) the job was poor and they looked rubbish up close

Each to their own but the OE one looks better imo.

A rather ropey BMW E46 3 series coupe was outside a neighbours house in our road with fly eyes on the front and a) the job was poor and they looked rubbish up close

Have to say I agree...

Why not tint the white red...would look nice seeing as the cars red.

Each it there own though..

:-)

Edited 3 October, 201312 yr by swedey

Here mine fitted..

Must say i personally prefer Lamin-X as doesn't have the silly little holes in it and dependant on tint is not illegal.