I agree with your desire to see farther/better than the wimpish DOT approved
bulbs provide . . . the Europeans have a much better idea here (and DOT
probably hasn't changed their max allowed wattage since they raised the
national speed limit above 30mph <vbg>)!
That said, I also agree with others that warn you to kill the Hi Beams if
you can see any cars coming toward you or going away (in front of you) as
really good bulbs are blinding to drivers hit with them (even in the rear
view mirror).
My previous solution (late 1980s when the large bulb units were installed)
was to buy Hella headlights from some very helpful folks in FL (can't recall
who I bought them from). They were made for the replaceable high power bulbs
that came with it AND they were a special focused lens that dropped off the
light drastically 3' above ground to maximize "throw" but minimize blinding
hazard. They worked great. I will also say that they were NOT DOT approved,
but they were Canadian DOT approved (and due to a reciprocal agreement with
Canada-USA, they were street-legal in US).
Now that I have two Honda Civic EXs (2001 and 1999) with the fancy headlamp
structure, I'll probably look to get some higher power bulbs myself. I have
not done any homework here with these new headlamp structures yet.
Another word of caution: Don't go nuts here, as the lamp structure needs to
be able to handle the heat of the higher wattage bulb without melting the
plastic headlamp structure or wiring! Talk with someone knowledgeable before
buying bulbs to make sure it won't damage your car and that they are made to
"minimize lighting up the sky" and blinding people.
I don't think that the "blue light" bulbs gives any more usable distance
than the standard bulbs, but I could be wrong here. Start by looking at
lamps at www.jcwhitney.com to see some of what might be available.
