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The Ultimate HID Headlight Upgrade the easy way!


FricFrac

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Again these are "just" high quality HID's in a quality H4 housing. Don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against projectors - I love how they look. I just don't want people to think that a reflector is inferior to a projector. The problem with a projector is that they are difficult/expensive to get and for me the best performance for the $$ was the H4 lens. There are tons of different ones and if you get yours locally if it doesn't work for you then you can take it back and try a different style. I would stay away from the cheap plastic lens/plastic reflector as they are typically cheaply made and poorly designed. I like where you are going on your posted thread because its hard to find a good projector if there isn't anything available at the local wreaking yard can be difficult. Its also hard to replicate something that someone else has done. Personally I'm looking to build a custom headlight for a friend's 240Z with projectors and a custom headlight bucket but finding parts are challenging. Keep up the good work on this front - I'm watching to see what happens with this.

 

Until someone like Bens1088 can provide the end user with a quality product its difficult to reproduce some of the HID setups. This setup is easily reproduced and you know what you are paying, what you are getting out of it and the benefits that comes along with switching to HID.

 

I apologize for the criticism before. Your lights have a great cutoff. I still think projectors are the way to go to get the "newest" tech into our old cars. My projectors have a flap that drop down to show the brights. This is the best solution without buying bi-xenon HIDs (which = more $$).

 

Let me know if you need some HQ projectors for your build. Good quality projectors are ridiculously overpriced. I will be also importing projectors by themselves. Check out my forum for pics.

 

Usually when we hear the words H4 and HID in the same sentence, we automatically assume they are shi*ty ebay lights.

 

Great job!

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I apologize for the criticism before. Your lights have a great cutoff. I still think projectors are the way to go to get the "newest" tech into our old cars. My projectors have a flap that drop down to show the brights. This is the best solution without buying bi-xenon HIDs (which = more $$).

 

Let me know if you need some HQ projectors for your build. Good quality projectors are ridiculously overpriced. I will be also importing projectors by themselves. Check out my forum for pics.

 

Usually when we hear the words H4 and HID in the same sentence, we automatically assume they are shi*ty ebay lights.

 

Great job!

 

No worries. I just have a basic knowledge of mechanics (which is quickly expanding thanks to this site) so I have little to offer the the forum in that regard. I've been doing electronics since I was eight so that stuff comes pretty easy to me. One of the local fellow Z guys said I should post on Hybrid about how to do the conversion so I though I'd do a little write up to help people without that experience get up and running. Even I had a pile of crap to wade through to get to where I came to a solution so I figured if I could build a bridge over that crap everyone else wouldn't have to wade through it ;) Hopefully others will be able to add to this thread though if there is another kit, etc that works well as a combo, better pricing, group buys, etc.

 

Personally I think the H4 set up suits a stock or mildly modified body but for a more modern look I like the projectors too. I agree with the bug eye comment. I would like to do a large and small projector for another car with a curved plexi lens similar to the lexan covers that go over the sugar scoops but more filled in from the base. That would make it look less bug eyed and more modern. The halo is fadish but I like the look. Can we use coloured LEDs in the halo? I've got some really cool colour changing ones and I'm working on some RGB as well.

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WOW I love it when people are put in their place....... or respectfuly humbled. (nothing against any one, but this could have turned sour FAST!)

 

I like that they keep the stock look without the projector. Great find and comparison and what a BEAUTIFUL 240 you have, love the color!

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Thanks for the info! Good to see another victoria person on this site :)

 

Good write up, even though i already bought Dave's headlight harness upgrade and new bulbs, so too late to change my alleged mind. will look out for your 240 in town: will recognize you by the bright headlights.....:mrgreen:

 

Ahhh it just clicked in. I met you at the QA car show and on the ferry on the way to the show in Van. Didn't have the lights in at the QA show. Once I noticed you had the 260Z 2+2 both of my brain cells starting firing :) Anyhow if you get stuck with the headlight harness let me know and I'll give you a hand.

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Hmmm... Might be something to look into for this winter. Thanks for the info.

 

I'm currentlyrunning H4 bulbs in the Autopal housings and (while better than stock) they are less than adequate...

 

H4 halogen should be pretty good. Are you running a relay? HID are brighter but you should get decent performance from halogen if they are wired through a relay and proper connectors. If you don't have a relay and want to go with HID the kit I used comes with a relay for the system. Adding a relay if you don't have one then switching to the HID just means you bypass the relay and use the one with the HID wiring harness.

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This topic is actully quite involved. The fact is, you can obtain a sharp, bright, high quality beam from a reflector, a reflector with a lens, or a projector. The results you get are, like most things, proportional to the money you spend. The laws of physics apply, and good engineering makes all the difference. Furthermore, the "no free lunch" dictim applies: each solution involves trade-offs.

 

A couple of folks above seem certain projectors are the only way to go. Here's a cut-and-paste from the Wikipedia article on headlamps:

 

"Headlamps using projector optics cause much worse dazzle to oncoming traffic than those using reflectors for the same light output. Dazzle from the headlights of a distant oncoming vehicle is caused by the extreme contrast between the intense spot of light and the darkness of the background. Projector optics emit the light through a much smaller area than reflector optics do; therefore, for the same total light output, the light spot of a projector headlamp is much more intense and more dazzling than the larger, dimmer light spot of a reflector lamp."

 

"It is sometimes argued that the more tightly controlled beam pattern of projector optics reduces dazzle. In fact the beam pattern is irrelevant, since unless the headlamps are misaligned, an oncoming vehicle is sufficiently far off the beam axis as to be completely outside the beam in both reflector and projector cases. The dazzle is caused by the off-axis emission arising from such factors as scattering from optical imperfections in the lamp surface, and is worse where the more concentrated output of projector optics causes that emission to be more intense."

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I have been trying to say this in the past few hid threads... But well said. I guess I lack in the explaining part...

 

On a side note... heres mine. Could possibly work? Is an autoloc housing with an integrated clear turn signal...

 

32184010098_large.jpg

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I have been trying to say this in the past few hid threads... But well said. I guess I lack in the explaining part...

 

On a side note... heres mine. Could possibly work? Is an autoloc housing with an integrated clear turn signal...

 

32184010098_large.jpg

 

If you are happy with the H4 beam pattern the HID kit should give you the same results. If not you'll need to get a new quality H4 lens. Keep us posted with your results if you try this method.

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One more ...I love being Canadian and being ripped off be the retail industry. Found this seller in BC.... http://www.604racing.com/index.php?cmd=products&sub=499483b242fd7&p=

 

$409 Canadian! Arghhhhh!

 

Looks like the ballast is available as a replacement part. http://www.604racing.com/index.php?cmd=products&sub=49949f67f3566&p=

 

FricFrac.....is this in fact the same unit you installed?

 

Thanx again for bringing this to our attention.

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One more ...I love being Canadian and being ripped off be the retail industry. Found this seller in BC.... http://www.604racing.com/index.php?cmd=products&sub=499483b242fd7&p=

 

$409 Canadian! Arghhhhh!

 

Looks like the ballast is available as a replacement part. http://www.604racing.com/index.php?cmd=products&sub=49949f67f3566&p=

 

FricFrac.....is this in fact the same unit you installed?

 

Thanx again for bringing this to our attention.

 

Yes that is the H4 version I got. Our local Lordco auto parts shop has them for $330 (or less if you have some sort of discount) so pretty much anyone can walk in and get them for $330 CND here in BC (lower mainland, Victoria, etc, etc). If you can't find them locally you might want to contact them and have it mailed out to you...

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