I get that guys want to enter, help me figure out how to not end up with 3 winners and every body else unhappy. And all that will be needed is front end shots with a decent grille.
I hate halo headlights and LED’s don’t perform as well as halogens. - I might be the first one to request that you don’t include me in the draw
Program a random number generator to come up with a random vin for each year. Whoever has a vin closest to it wins.
Everyone who enters gets to use the headlights for one month, then you have to send them to the next guy on the list. Lol
Maybe hold a photo contest where everyone has to emulate one of the required photos with their current headlights, then choose from those entries.
In terms of entry qualifiers, it sounds like each entrant would need to meet the following criteria (in addition to model year):
- Car in condition to take a glamour shot of the front end (which likely means some hood and fender exposure)
- Willing and able to install the lights and submit pictures within two weeks (my sense of reasonable time frame) of receiving lights
IMHO there needs to be a specific agreement on what is a reasonable time frame since folks can have very elastic definitions of that.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to develop a selection method that will please everyone, but some eligibility rules would address the “insider” issue for those that have that concern. Examples could include excluding former or current CCOA officers, CCC.com administrators and moderators, current registrars, etc. I personally don’t care if one of those folks wins but it would eliminate most of the people that could be considered insiders. You’ll need to decide if that concern is important enough to disqualify folks who would otherwise like to participate.
The drawing could simply be to have each qualified entrant submit the VIN of the car they are entering and pull the winning VIN from a hat. That makes it easy to group entrants according to application. People need to trust that the process will be fair and random but I can’t really see anyone seriously thinking that you (Bill B.) or Jay wouldn’t conduct a fair drawing.
Umm…not sure what LED’s you’ve been looking at but the hierarchy of top end automotive lighting is now clearly LED > HID > halogen. Of course all of that is subject to correct reflector and lens design. No telling what these have in that regard.
I like the idea of everyone that meets the criteria of car year, car condition, and willingness to do the work should go into a random draw.
I think the easiest/most fair way to go is to draw names/VINs from a hat for each model year range. I don’t think there is anyone on this forum that doesn’t trust you to do a legitimate drawing, at least none I am aware of. If the draw is done in an above board manner then there should not be any exclusion of past club volunteers. Most club volunteers do not get enough recognition and swag for their efforts and they should not be excluded because of that.
I do think that their should be an installation time frame and condition of car. The company donating these want to have them installed and functioning with pictures in hand so they can use them for promotional purposes. I’m sure they have some ideas on when they need to go to press with the completed kits. They will also want to see them being promoted on cars that look like they are in good usable shape, not on a car that can not turn a wheel under it’s own power, or has no completion time before the deadline (whatever that will be).
This modification is probably not going to be done on a concours car, but I would think their market is going to be resto-mods, occasional drivers, and daily drivers looking for a safety upgrade.
You guys have some really great ideas. Thanks! I think many of you will see your suggestions reflected in this.
Here is what I am coming up with:
I will start a thread for each set/generation. In the first post I will spell out the required shot list and the time frame and the requirement that your grill looks better than a broken fence. The shot list will be pretty specific so you won’t have to do a bunch of re-shoots. To enter all you have to do is verify that the email address you used for the site is current so we can contact you, and then put “I Agree” in a post in that thread.
There will be a start date, when I post the threads, and an end date. One entry per person. Once all the entries are in I will number the entry posts in each thread. The first entry will be number 1 second entry number 2 and so on.
I will use the random number generator posted above and record the screen while I do it and then post the video to show it the results. I might be able to do it live on Youtube if I can figure that one out.
I will disqualify Jay and myself (we are the only two people that have any form of moderator administrator capability) from the contest. I don’t think it is fair to disqualify any one else, fair is fair. I brought up the insider thing and I am sensitive to the “optics”. If I take one of my cars to a show I only put it in the “Display Only” class because, right or wrong, I do have undue influence through the forums and the magazine. However, I think about how much fun I have had at CCOA events like Dearborn and it doesn’t seem fair that we exclude the people who worked so hard to put those events on. At best they have an equal chance of winning. So there will be a chance that an insider might win, but no better chance than any one else. I can be persuaded if some one can make the case or sees something I am missing.
What do you folks think? I am sure that I have left something out.
Hmm… Perhaps something similar to the WCCC Giveaway cars a few years back?
Each entrant provides a write up and “justification” as to why their car should be considered for the LED Headlight conversion? Entrants could submit a few example pics of their grille, and describe how they would put the LED Headlight kit to good use, etc. Start a contest thread for each year category ~ entrants post in the thread they want to compete in (many folks have multiple cars).
For judging, you could send the entries back to NPD for them to decide, or at least give some feedback on.
Alternatively, if there are LOTS of entries, you could post them as a poll for forum members to vote on to whittle down to the top 3 or so in each category (although I recall that gave us some uneven results in a past, where folks were having their friends sign up just to vote).
Sure, this option is more “labor intensive”, but I think it would make for a more balanced contest where entrants are more invested - and interested - beyond a simple luck-of-the-draw. Also, it would be really cool if we could actually get some feedback from NPD - if they choose the winners then how could anyone justify complaining?
Also… I was looking on the NPD site and it looks like there are 2 styles of Halo LED kits: single color and multi-color. I imagine the kits are the single color? Would be good to know exactly what is being given away so we can figure out the best method of converting our wiring harnesses in advance.
https://www.npdlink.com/product/bulb-set-halo-led-5-34-inch-single/185222
In truth, NPD just wanted to send me the headlights, get them installed in cars, and then photographed well for promo uses. I sort of had to talk them into the contest so I don’t think they want to get really involved. I need to make this painless for them so they will do it more often. You have a good idea but it doesn’t fit well this time. This needs to be pretty well figured out and done pretty quickly. I do appreciate the thinking.
These are new, and there may be three versions, they have a new black one that is supposed to be really cool looking.
I’m good with your plan. Thanks for setting this up Bill.
I wanted to respond to some specific questions:
Can they be sent to Canada? I would have the pictures back the next day in my restored G, or the one in pieces but i don’t thing that’s what they want.
They might want you to cover the extra shipping and so on, would you be willing to do that? If so I would say hell ya! Same thing for Australia and England and really any where else in the world people are posting from.
I think they should go in daily driver cars for some valuable real world testing.
They would like that. These are supposed to be the very latest technology.
Also is it just for the low beams or both low and high beams.
This is for all four headlights.
my car has all the paint work and trim done but roller wheels and tires along with no glass in the car. I could get a great front end shot with the head lights
You will need to be able to move the car into a good location for the photos, I think the windshield would show. I think the golden rule applies, if you were in their shoes would you be happy with the results? If so then definitely yes.
LED’s don’t perform as well as halogens.
The technology has been changing fast and these are brand new. They are selling really well but It will be interesting to see how well they work.
Everyone who enters gets to use the headlights for one month, then you have to send them to the next guy on the list. Lol
You guys crack me up! Thanks for the laugh!
Willing and able to install the lights and submit pictures within two weeks (my sense of reasonable time frame) of receiving lights
A very good point! Time is of the essence.
pull the winning VIN from a hat.
Mr. Brown caught hell for that when he did the Eliminator give away. Lots of suspicion these days… And thanks for the vote of confidence!
Most club volunteers do not get enough recognition and swag for their efforts and they should not be excluded because of that.
Good point. Noting happens without those volunteers.
Really, there is a lot of good thinking here and I appreciate it.
I think your plan is on point, Bill.
+1
Bill, I think you have this figured out at this point. You just have to determine when all the entries have to be in by and when an installation would need to be completed by (taking in the shipping/distance factor for those not in the lower 48).
Good luck to all the entrants.
Good point on the shipping! I will do that. I will firm all this up with NPD on Monday and we will go forward is they are happy and I am sure they will be. I want to make the this the first of many of these.
ALSO Jay in His infinite goodness was able to get post numbering to work automatically. (look at the top left corner just in front of your user name) I suppose that it might not work for everyone just yet, once your browser updates the cache it should. Any way, that part is ready to go.
Are these lights road legal in all 50 states?
For the non USA folks, are these lights road legal in your country?
I have no dog in this hunt, but do want to add a few cents.
I propose that whoever wants to have these headlights installed should provide a couple of photos of their cars as though the new headlights were installed. I’m sure NPD would love to have some great shots of good looking vehicles, so why not submit candidate photos showing what could be shown in the “best light”, pun intended?