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

Step inside to see the difference HID's can do...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-22-2008, 09:42 PM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Step inside to see the difference HID's can do...

I recently bought some HID's for my 95 Z28 in my sig off of ebay. My particular kit came with the HID bulbs (5000k color/temp), the ballasts, and new housings (stock looking) to put the bulbs through.

Here are some before and after pics for those wondering what the difference is.

All pictures were left in their original raw form (no photoshopping done), and pictures were taken in the exact same spots before and after at the same time of night (not any different lighting other than from the car).

Before (factory Halogens)


After (HID's)


Before


After (minus the empty bags of conrete mix I cleaned up)


Before


After
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-22-2008, 10:57 PM
  #2  
Registered User
 
lt1 beast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: long island , NY
Posts: 321
great looking pics and im amazed with your headlights. I am interested in doing this myself. would it be too much to ask for a write up when you have the time?
lt1 beast is offline  
Old 04-23-2008, 05:51 AM
  #3  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Originally Posted by lt1 beast
great looking pics and im amazed with your headlights. I am interested in doing this myself. would it be too much to ask for a write up when you have the time?
Yeah, I can do a write up, but the kit was really straight forward to install (I think pretty much all of them are), since they are pretty much a plug and play setup. My kit didn't even come with any install instructions, and although I initially had trouble as I had some connecters on backwards, the overall install was fairly simple.

I know some guys have used their stock housings, and just heated the back of them to get the bulbs out and then RTV'd the new HID's in. My kit came with new housings that sealed the bulbs in.

LEDgauges.com has them for like $350 (with new headlight housings). Mine came with everything that the kit from LEDgauges came with but spent half as much. There are other ones out there that you don't get new housings with that would be much less than I even spent, but having sealed housings you don't have to goop on RTV to is the better way IMO.
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-24-2008, 02:16 AM
  #4  
Registered User
 
Brangeta's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 5,556
I see whatcha did buddy... you just aimed them up and turned on the highbeams!

Just kidding! Looks great!
Brangeta is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 06:43 AM
  #5  
Registered User
 
Future_Z_Owner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage.. but currently in Ft. Benning
Posts: 466
Hah. Looks like someone else lost faith in Focuz Tech's little venture.

*Triumph The Insult Comic Dog Voice*
I keed i keed!


Looks good. Id love to see the write up.

Last edited by Future_Z_Owner; 04-27-2008 at 06:45 AM.
Future_Z_Owner is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 10:31 AM
  #6  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Originally Posted by Future_Z_Owner
Hah. Looks like someone else lost faith in Focuz Tech's little venture.

*Triumph The Insult Comic Dog Voice*
I keed i keed!


Looks good. Id love to see the write up.
This actually has nothing to do with FocuzTech's headlamp project. The new headlamps they will be making will have HID's as an option. I figured if I already had the ballasts and the bulbs waiting for the new headlamps I would already have a good start when they become available.
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 11:08 AM
  #7  
Registered User
 
96SilverRam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tejas
Posts: 780
Good job, you will need good lighting in Fort Wayne considering how many damn potholes are everywhere after a northern winter

HID's definitely produce more visible light, but the beam pattern in a stock housing is just whack. I've done the HID's for my main lighting and foglights, I just wish someone would make a true projector housing that is plug and play (and not cost $1000 for the pair of projectors).
96SilverRam is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 02:06 PM
  #8  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Originally Posted by 96SilverRam
Good job, you will need good lighting in Fort Wayne considering how many damn potholes are everywhere after a northern winter

HID's definitely produce more visible light, but the beam pattern in a stock housing is just whack. I've done the HID's for my main lighting and foglights, I just wish someone would make a true projector housing that is plug and play (and not cost $1000 for the pair of projectors).
True, there are no true "plug and play" projector HID kits out there yet. FocuzTech's should be the first one when they do come out. But even then you have to consider that most plain HID kits just on their own with just the ballasts and bulbs cost on average $250+. Now add something like a Hella projector, and then some kind of plug and play housing to go in on top of all that and you definatly won't have an inexpensive kit.

It's just like any other performance mod really. You gotta pay to play!
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 02:19 PM
  #9  
Registered User
 
Zepher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Norfolk, VA. USA
Posts: 1,880
your exposure times were different for your images.
the HID pictures were longer exposures.
Zepher is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 02:35 PM
  #10  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Originally Posted by Zepher
your exposure times were different for your images.
the HID pictures were longer exposures.
I love how people like you just pop in here and tell me what I did.

"No" you are incorrect. The pictures were taken on my Canon Rebel XTi, and the aperture, and ISO (imaging sensor's sensitivity to light) settings were documented from the first Halogen pictures. I then made sure the identical settings were used for the HID after pictures. The photographs were taken at the same time of night, in the same exact spots (within a few feet), and no photoshopping was done.

I did this all because I wanted to show the "true difference", and not a skewed truth by changing different camera settings or photoshopping.
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-27-2008, 03:01 PM
  #11  
Registered User
 
Zepher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Norfolk, VA. USA
Posts: 1,880
Halogen Image:
Exposure Time = 1/2"
F Number = F3.5
Exposure Program = Not defined
ISO Speed Ratings = 400
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2008-04-16 22:16:13
Date Time Digitized = 2008-04-16 22:16:13
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 1 TV
Aperture Value = 3.61 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 18mm
Maker Note = 4876 Byte

HID:
Exposure Time = 1/1"
F Number = F3.5
Exposure Program = Not defined
ISO Speed Ratings = 400
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2008-04-22 22:00:11
Date Time Digitized = 2008-04-22 22:00:11
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 0 TV
Aperture Value = 3.61 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 18mm
Maker Note = 4876 Byte
Zepher is offline  
Old 04-28-2008, 05:22 AM
  #12  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
Nope.
CALL911 is offline  
Old 04-28-2008, 07:52 AM
  #13  
Registered User
 
Zepher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Norfolk, VA. USA
Posts: 1,880
Originally Posted by CALL911
Nope.
Nope what? I can clearly see that you used a .5 sec shutter on the Halogen Photo and a 1 sec shutter speed on the HID Photo.
These are the last 2 images.
Zepher is offline  
Old 04-30-2008, 09:12 PM
  #14  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
CALL911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: IN
Posts: 3,225
I'm not going to waste my thread on arguing with you Zepher.
CALL911 is offline  
Old 05-01-2008, 07:18 PM
  #15  
Registered User
 
Sinister/Rocinrol's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 60
I just installed the true HID Projectors in my car and there really is a difference big time!


Low Beams


High Beams
Sinister/Rocinrol is offline  


Quick Reply: Step inside to see the difference HID's can do...



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:57 PM.