The reflection is good, and the beam pattern has potential. The output just sucks. To really improve the beam pattern cutoff, you need something like the Hella 90mm conversion, which is 100x better than the PIAA setup.

So before I would do what you mention, I would consider the Hella 90mm setup. (it is used by Le Mans race cars by the way)

My lighting preferences would be this:

1. Hella 90mm H7 with HID
2. Audi or BMW HID retrofit
3. Hella 90mm H7 with 130w H7 bulbs w/ H.D. harness
4. Hella 90mm H7 w/ H.D. harness
5. Hella FF75 Driving Lights with 130w H7 bulbs w/H.D. harness
6. Stock housings with 130w 9005 / 9006 bulbs w/H.D. harness

 

This is the last time I post in this thread:
YOU posted a ebay auction with a guy selling foglights as headlights that was a rip off and now all of a sudden you pull that
I said something bad about PIAA conversions out of your ***
Yea I don't like the Idea of haveing those things for headlights I much rather pay the extra money and get a full HID kit from Tbryne with stock size housings. I did do the fog light headlight thing already and It didn't light up ****...(not to mention it's illegal)
Hell if 150 bucks for some foglights sounds good to you I got some I'll sell you

If they still made the PIAA conversion I would probably buy it
but they don't so

*End rant*

The thing that pisses me off is that I posted that to try to jokingly let you know that it was a rip off then you come up with a bs story to try and attack me, thanks

 

Sorry I did not realize it was a joke, it sounded more like you were making fun of me for even posting this. Judging from your last post it sounds like you do have some experience in this matter. I do not have any, that is why I was asking for peoples opinions. Your first comment just seemed rude to me, thats all, sorry if I took it the wrong way. Anyways thank you for the advice, I checked on Tbyrnes website and could not find a link to their HID conversion. Do you have a direct link?

 

I know it a lot more money, but have you considered a HID conversion, like from HERE ?

 

http://www.tbyrnemotorsports.com/
bottom left hand corner click on "high intensity lights" link

 

Hey whats up Ken, I thought I saw you on the 5 the other day but I couldn't get close enough to see if the plate said: "You only pulled me over because I let you" Anyways the HID for less are still expensive. I love the Stage II but cannot justify $850 for headlights. I think I am going to look more into the Hella 90mm conversion that Pt is talkin about. See ya round!

 

I was on the 5 for a few miles on Friday night between 7:30-8, and Sunday morning between 7:50-8. You're right, they are costly. I want them badly also, but I know there a lot of things that need to be done before spending $ like that on headlights. Hmm maybe 5 years from now.

 

Ok, let's keep the rumors, "I think" and all around to the fitness threads in the Lounge please. First, the Piaa 1000x are not fog lights, they are a driving pattern ( http://www.piaa.com/driving_lamps.html ). They are substationally better than stock, they are not 35 watts but actually 55. They were available from Carparts.com at the time and they didn't cost me $500 for them.

Regardless of cost, wattage and look they are a big step over stock and a 9005/9006 bulb upgrade (not counting cost factor). They are plenty safe as a primary lamp as I used them for almost 3.5 years now in my daily driver in snow, rain, and doing 100mph.

Are there more cost effective conversions now? Sure there is. Better performing? Yup, barring all the knock off HID conversions using anything resembling the stock housing or in fact the actual stock housing itself.

 

Thank you Wraith for your "educated" response. Much appreciated.

 

Wraith,

No offense, but Brent actually said that the illumination was like stock, if not worse than stock. So this is not BS. I will try and find his post. Keep in mind:

- 55w is no better than stock, although the beam pattern may be more concentrated (better than the stock unmodified bulbs).

- The PIAA kit uses a foglight (H3) bulb

- PIAA sells replacement bulbs for $30-$50 each (because they
sell it as a complete housing)

Wraith,

What bulb upgrade did you actually do on the stock housings ?

I have tried over 15 lighting combinations (with the stock housings alone), and I highly doubt that your PIAA could equal the output of 130w 9006 bulbs in the stock housings and a heavy duty headlight harness.

 

Perhaps that was his impression/experience, I have yet to see him post this type of responce in the nearly 4 years he has had the conversion. If so, so be it. Last time I looked he still had the Piaa's as well as the DG set-up, must not be that bad.

Quote:

Keep in mind:

- 55w is no better than stock, although the beam pattern may be more concentrated (better than the stock unmodified bulbs).

- The PIAA kit uses a foglight (H3) bulb

- PIAA sells replacement bulbs for $30-$50 each (because they
sell it as a complete housing)

Piaa's or any other lamp manufacturer's is better when it is focused correctly, such as having a housing dedicated to the light designed for it.

Regardless of what style bulb the Piaa lamp uses, it's housing and beam pattern in the 1000x used for our conversions are that of a driving pattern. The angles are set for that of a driving beam. That would be like saying I have ballast and xenon charged capsule, so I have HID, even though it is jammed in my Camaro housings.

So Piaa charges $30 for a replacement bulb (of which I have only replaced 1 in the last 3.5 years). It is not because they sell the Piaa 1000x as a complete housing for replacement. You can buy just the bulb in itself. You can buy just a replacement lens by itself for that matter.

Quote:

Wraith,

What bulb upgrade did you actually do on the stock housings ?

I have tried over 15 lighting combinations (with the stock housings alone), and I highly doubt that your PIAA could equal the output of 130w 9006 bulbs in the stock housings and a heavy duty headlight harness.

I tried numerous combinations in the stock housings prior to committing to the Piaa back when Rytek only did it. I went as far as to cut/mold, etc. to the factory housings in an attempt to make a functional conversion that was worth its time in effort ( I wanted to sell it at the time). Soon realizing the biggest limiting factor is that of the housing itself, I looked elsewhere. It's size combined with the recess it is placed in from the factory alone makes it not worth doing a bulb upgrade (aside from saving money of buying a new sealed beam). I also wanted something other than stock in appearance.

I have no doubt a 130 watt bulb would produce more light than a 55, but given you would have a significant amount of wasted light too (partially do to the reasons listed above). I bet if I used a pair of Piaa 910's ( http://www.piaa.com/displayLamp.php3?inc=910.html ) your 130w 9006 upgrade would hardly equal the output all the while being 20 watts less and a lowly H3 bulb. If I was doing the upgrade soley for output, then I would have gone a differnt direction with my choice. I wanted easy to adjust, great total lighting, easy to replace bulbs and something not very many others had.

If it was soley for pissing purposes " my output is bigger than yours"mentality, I would have yanked the factory fogs and put in some 500,000 candle power KC Daylighters in there for damn cheap.

 

Here is the post, just so that bigdreamZ has both perspectives:

 

Didn't mean to start a war with this thread, but some good info seems to be coming from both sides. I think I am going to get the Hella 90mm with HIDs if I ever get the money. Thank you Wraith and pu12en12g, both of you were lots of help to me and hopefully others looking to do a conversion as well

 

I might try proxenon.com

$399...I think I have that to burn. I was going to go for a McCullogh (sp?) until they got banned.

 

Could you provide a direct link for the '93-'97 retro fit kits? I couldn't find anything for around that price.