Appearance Hoods, spoilers, custom mods, accessories, etc.

GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Old Apr 21, 2005 | 11:16 AM
  #226  
pu12en12g's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,007
From: USA
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by Sam95ZNoTop
Hopefully in the next week or two I'll have some time to take some pics and post those...

I have been VERY pleased with the result! Same great beam pattern, just more light! However, it turned out to be a little bit more involving than I thought to modify the housings for HID. I ended up having to experiment with the bulb placement and designing two bulb holders and weatherproofing of the whole thing! I used a bunch of toilet flush tank seals and gaskets for that, so I would not recommend it to anyone not comfortable with some creative hardware use!

Sam
That's why I wouldn't have gone D2S, but H7 instead
Old Apr 21, 2005 | 09:39 PM
  #227  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by pu12en12g
That's why I wouldn't have gone D2S, but H7 instead
If you would be satisfied using an H7 HID kit, then yes. However, I would not recommend it. Those kits are rebased bulbs and are typically not of the same quality as using original OEM D2S capsules that you can also get from any supplier.

I went with the H9 modules because it seemed from all the guides available online that that would be easier to retrofit to D2S than the H7. In the end it turned out it's about the same amount of work.

If you want plug and play and don't mind limiting yourself to only a few (illegal) suppliers for capsules that have been messed with, then H7 is the way to go.

I will try to get some pictures this weekend.

Sam
Old May 8, 2005 | 08:54 AM
  #228  
pu12en12g's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,007
From: USA
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by Z28Nut
This is not an easy, one night conversion.
^^^^ Understatement of the year.

I have the H7 ECE 90mm kit + HID.... I've done alot of custom stuff, and this install is a bitch and 1/2 I'm pretty pissed off that there are only 3 adjusters / screws included when there should be 4.
Old May 9, 2005 | 09:00 PM
  #229  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by pu12en12g
^^^^ Understatement of the year.

I have the H7 ECE 90mm kit + HID.... I've done alot of custom stuff, and this install is a bitch and 1/2 I'm pretty pissed off that there are only 3 adjusters / screws included when there should be 4.
Why do you want 4? Then you would need to adjust 2 screws simultaneously to make any adjustment. With three you use one corner as a gimbal and adjust one of the other screws for side to side and the other for up and down... I thought it made perfect sense. Three points in space define a plane... For my HID retro, I used plain 1/4-20 bolts, nuts and washers. The adjusters were not long enough...

Sam
Old May 23, 2005 | 10:14 AM
  #230  
pu12en12g's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,007
From: USA
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

I'm on week 3 of this install. it sucks and I'm definately starting to regret the $$$ and time involved.

Sam, considering the way you mounted yours, how would you change out the bulbs ?
Old May 24, 2005 | 11:21 AM
  #231  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by pu12en12g
I'm on week 3 of this install. it sucks and I'm definately starting to regret the $$$ and time involved.

Sam, considering the way you mounted yours, how would you change out the bulbs ?
When I still had the halogens (with the supplied adjuster/mounting screws), I was planning to just go in from underneath. Take off the cover under the corner lights and reach up, withing easy reach from there. The highs can be changed from above with small hands. I never had to change my bulbs though, so I don't speak from experience but rather from my plan.

With the HID's, I honestly expect the new D2S bulbs I put in to last until the car falls apart (they are rated for 2000hrs and I don't drive more than 7500 miles a year and more than half is during the day....). If I do need to change them, I can just take off the nuts and slide the light off the bolts relatively easily, I did it when I had to tweak my setup (so I speak from experience here ). If you're careful not to move the backing nut, you don't even have to aim them again after putting them back in. Having used the adjusters that come with the lights and just plain 1/4-20 bolts and nuts, I have to say I actually prefer the bolts and nuts... Much easier to remove the lights and seems a lot sturdier. The highs may burn out at some point since I upgraded to a relayed setup when I put in the HID's, but that shouldn't be very often (they're still the same bulbs that I put in when I first mounted them 2.5 years ago). Still haven't gotten to my FF75 driving lights (100W H7) to replace the stock fogs....

HTH

Sam
Old May 25, 2005 | 09:37 PM
  #232  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Finally got some pics of the D2S retrofit!

Wall pic
Outside pic
Top pic
Road pic

I am still planning to take out the right hand flare because it is a little too high and I end up having to aim the lights too far down. If you aim these lights per the regulations (left hand side down 2.1" @ 25 ft), then the right hand side of the beam is actually going up a little bit. With the halogens this was not that much of a problem, but with the extra light of the HID's it's too much, so I aimed the righ hand side of the beam horizontal and then the left hand side ends up being a little too low... I am planning on making the cutoff flat or having just a little bump in it in the middle...

Hope this shows how this upgrade performs!

Sam
Old May 26, 2005 | 12:48 PM
  #233  
pu12en12g's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,007
From: USA
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Did you cut away any of the bumper ?
Old May 26, 2005 | 04:53 PM
  #234  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by pu12en12g
Did you cut away any of the bumper ?
No, why?
Old May 27, 2005 | 10:37 PM
  #235  
Wraith's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 306
From: now in Sin City :D
Thumbs up Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Originally Posted by Sam95ZNoTop
Finally got some pics of the D2S retrofit!

Wall pic
Outside pic
Top pic
Road pic

I am still planning to take out the right hand flare because it is a little too high and I end up having to aim the lights too far down. If you aim these lights per the regulations (left hand side down 2.1" @ 25 ft), then the right hand side of the beam is actually going up a little bit. With the halogens this was not that much of a problem, but with the extra light of the HID's it's too much, so I aimed the righ hand side of the beam horizontal and then the left hand side ends up being a little too low... I am planning on making the cutoff flat or having just a little bump in it in the middle...

Hope this shows how this upgrade performs!

Sam
Looks good. I hope to begin a 90mm conversion change of my own soon. I will start with the halogen and then later upgrade to the HID. I think my install is going to take a bit longer
Old May 29, 2005 | 09:53 PM
  #236  
Z28Nut's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 472
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Hey Sam, thanks for e-mailing the pics. Been trying to e-mail back but my e-mail seems to be down all weekend. They look seriously bright! Talk to ya later.
Old May 30, 2005 | 03:20 AM
  #237  
30thZ286speed's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,030
From: Frankfort, KY U.S.A.
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

I would love to try something for my headlights, but the thing with all of these installs I've seen is that it leaves huge empty spaces around the new lights and I really don't like the look of that. Has anybody found any lights that really fill the void in the headlight pockets?
Old Jun 30, 2005 | 12:04 PM
  #238  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Quick post to keep this alive!

Sam
Old Jul 9, 2005 | 03:12 PM
  #239  
AlwaysCode390's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 915
From: STL
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Very VERY cool....that will be one of the next mods I perform on my ride now THANKS for the great writeup and everything else!!!
Old Aug 11, 2005 | 01:00 PM
  #240  
Sam95ZNoTop's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 229
From: Winchester, TN
Re: GREAT upgrade for those crappy headlights!! (photos w/ in)

Once a month lifesaver for the thread...

Sam

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:08 AM.