Trans Am Sleepy Eyes
09-26-2005, 10:58 AM
#61
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 53
Re: Trans Am Sleepy Eyes
is there any way, i could see your design to stop the headlights from going all the way up. Might try fabbing something up over the winter time...Im me if you don't want to post it...Thanks
09-28-2005, 12:21 AM
#62
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Valley Village, CA
Posts: 1,156
Re: Trans Am Sleepy Eyes
GREAT VIDEO! Good job for doing something different!!!
I did something similar on my 1995 Trans-Am.
I used a lens/housing that was half the height of the normal Trans-Am headlight. Epoxied a low beam and a high-beam bulb in there and made a new stop.
Just picture a stock headlight coming up only as far as the one in the video and that's pretty much what it looked like.
I did something similar on my 1995 Trans-Am.
I used a lens/housing that was half the height of the normal Trans-Am headlight. Epoxied a low beam and a high-beam bulb in there and made a new stop.
Just picture a stock headlight coming up only as far as the one in the video and that's pretty much what it looked like.
08-09-2006, 09:37 PM
#64
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 175
Re: Trans Am Sleepy Eyes
both sides are complete, and they are on my car, and they both work just like the factory, almost (meaning that when you flip the switch on, they pop up and the lows are on, slip the blinker switch, and the highs kick on with the lows still on). I also still have the switches that came with the Piaa's on there, so I could turn them off or on whenever I wanted, but only when the factory switch is in the "on" position. I had posted up in in the Central forum on here for a local volunteer to try these out, since my car currently has no interior, no engine, no tranny, no rear end, no gas tank or fuel lines, etc...you get the picture! Anyone want to come to Omaha and get these hooked up in their car by me? I have to drill two holes in the front bumper support for the new stops and splice into two wires under your dash, but other than that, it is simple as hell to hook up. And, if you like it, and would be willing to do some sort of trade, I would consider trading them (plus some cash) for your old headlight parts, but really, I only need three of the pieces!
As a rundown of how much this really cost me:
2 sets of Piaas: $199 each (they might be less now)
some aluminum: $40
getting it tig'd: $40
total: $478 give or take
Total time I need to actually make a set now that I know what I am doing, including drive time: about 4 hours (installed ready to go)
this was VERY easy, now that it is complete, but before, not so easy.
on the trade part, I would like to add that I bought off of HERE, one headlight assembly for $40! complete, with painted lid, and all hardware, even had a bulb in it! I also tried for a patton on this, but I dont have that kind of money! Oh yeah, I never did get the surround made that looked ok, nothing ever looks good, still working on that!
As a rundown of how much this really cost me:
2 sets of Piaas: $199 each (they might be less now)
some aluminum: $40
getting it tig'd: $40
total: $478 give or take
Total time I need to actually make a set now that I know what I am doing, including drive time: about 4 hours (installed ready to go)
this was VERY easy, now that it is complete, but before, not so easy.
on the trade part, I would like to add that I bought off of HERE, one headlight assembly for $40! complete, with painted lid, and all hardware, even had a bulb in it! I also tried for a patton on this, but I dont have that kind of money! Oh yeah, I never did get the surround made that looked ok, nothing ever looks good, still working on that!
08-10-2006, 02:31 PM
#66
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Piscataway, NJ USA
Posts: 616
Re: Trans Am Sleepy Eyes
looks incredible...I wish I had the skills to get that fabbed up. May not really be all that difficult but something I just don't have the resources to take care of. The way you have it is the way to go in my opinion. I'm going the very simple way and purchased hella free-form housings and an Hid H4 hi/low kit. I will have to see how the glare is with the lights in these housings. I will snap some pics when done. It may not come out bad. No where near projector perf but I will know soon enough.
-Brian
-Brian
01-31-2008, 09:58 AM
#70
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: somewhere over the pond
Posts: 153
Over at Pennocks Fiero forum theres a guy who sells new buckets for a twin round low rise conversion. Looks much better than the stock lights and works better. I assume there can be done something similar to the bird.
thats how it looks on mine:
http://groups.msn.com/CamarosFriends...to&PhotoID=149
02-22-2008, 12:55 AM
#73
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 175
these are installed on my car, they work just like the factory lights did. Turn the dial, the lights pop up and low beams on, click the stalk, highs kick on. I also left the switches for the lights in the run so I can turn them off myself as well. I however, have never driven the car with these in, since the car has not run for about 3 1/2-4 years now, so I do not know if they will bounce. I know that the grinding motor problem I had on the one side is now gone because of the smaller amount of travel. I have looked into a surround for these, but nothing really works out. I also have contemplated scrapping these Piaa's, and getting some true HID style bulbs, but it is so cold here of late, there is no ambition to do such foolish things.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
02-22-2008, 10:28 AM
#74
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 451
these are installed on my car, they work just like the factory lights did. Turn the dial, the lights pop up and low beams on, click the stalk, highs kick on. I also left the switches for the lights in the run so I can turn them off myself as well. I however, have never driven the car with these in, since the car has not run for about 3 1/2-4 years now, so I do not know if they will bounce. I know that the grinding motor problem I had on the one side is now gone because of the smaller amount of travel. I have looked into a surround for these, but nothing really works out. I also have contemplated scrapping these Piaa's, and getting some true HID style bulbs, but it is so cold here of late, there is no ambition to do such foolish things.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
03-03-2008, 11:41 PM
#75
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Jonesboro, AR
Posts: 209
these are installed on my car, they work just like the factory lights did. Turn the dial, the lights pop up and low beams on, click the stalk, highs kick on. I also left the switches for the lights in the run so I can turn them off myself as well. I however, have never driven the car with these in, since the car has not run for about 3 1/2-4 years now, so I do not know if they will bounce. I know that the grinding motor problem I had on the one side is now gone because of the smaller amount of travel. I have looked into a surround for these, but nothing really works out. I also have contemplated scrapping these Piaa's, and getting some true HID style bulbs, but it is so cold here of late, there is no ambition to do such foolish things.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
Just for those wondering, I figured out a way to trim the plastic holder from the stock lights to fit in these Piaa's, and with drilling out a couple rivets, I could switch back to the square lights with adjustments and all. I am pretty sure that I am going to change the platform that the lights sit on. Right now it is two pieces, but the plane across them is pretty level , enough I could use one piece and that would make things ALOT easier. I think it would make the whole set up alot more stable as well, and easier to mass produce on the water jet. My biggest hang up is the surround around the lights. Nothing I have tried really looked good, not in aluminum, not in fiberglass (I really suck at that as far as I can tell compared to alot of what I have seen from some people on here and LS1 tech).
This really is a simple project after one gets done "over-thinking" the whole thing. I over complicated this many times over, and now that I have what I have, looking at it, I can see just how much I over shot what I was trying to accomplish.
How did you limit the amount of travel? Is it as simple as adding a stop to limit the travel of the arm as it moves the headlight up (since the stock configuration uses the same stop for both full up and full down positions), or does it also involve "reprogramming" the headlight motor? Could you shed a little light on the technical wizardry involved, no pun intended
?