HLS30-08077 Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 picked up a set of AutoPals for $30 +S/H And a set of 6000K HID's. got them both from ebay and they were US based company's so only 3 days to my door. only in it for $100 so I can't complain too much. I wouldn't anyways as they Rock!!. Obviously much brighter, cleaner and I can see things that my normal 90/100 H4's wouldn't light up. I obviously don't need my "Daves Headlight Upgrade Harness" in conjunction with the HID's cause they have their own ballasts and relay and are only 35 watts. The H4 Housings on my Red 70' are from "FantasticBuyz" on Ebay but I can't find them anymore. No real name on them but they have a Euro look with a solid round back (NO Diamond Cut Crap)and a Lined surface of Vertical and horizontal lines like a regular bulb. I use this with my HID's and the Autopals have the 90/100 watt H4's on the 72' Green Bean. I have no real opinion on either bulb housing as long as the price is minimal and they won't melt or distort my light too much. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FricFrac Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 I honestly hate the look of projectors... they look really tacky to me. You can't help but notice when looking at an old school classic.. and then seeing this bug-eye looking projector. I mean that's why there are D2S bulbs vs. the D2R shielded bulbs that help focus light on the correct housings. I agree - I personally dislike the bug eyed look and it is really hard to disguise in the 7" lens. Its possible to make a custom HID projector lens that fits in the sugar scoop but it would have to be without the 7" reflector to look good IMHO. J. Soileau has the best looking HID in the 7" lens that I've seen so far but personally its not the route I'd go if I was to go with a projector HID. Instead I went with a quality H4 lens and a H4 HID conversion kit to keep the retro look rather than an insect space ship look. Its pretty simple to go that route and it keeps everything fairly stock increases your light output (in a controlled and safe manner) and reduces your electrical load on the generator and the 40 year old wiring. I did a little write up over here. There is a bit of a comprimise with looks as you need the hood to direct the light properly with both the H4 and the H4 HID lights but its as close to stock as you can get while having more than a candle/pie plate lighting setup that the stock lights give you It seems that with the H4 housing you really do get what you pay for and the Hella's at $50 are probably the way to go. I had Hellas in my 280ZX 17 years ago and I really liked them.... of course that was before HIDs were out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 8, 2010 Author Share Posted June 8, 2010 Is anyone running hi/lo HIDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 Is anyone running hi/lo HIDs? I am.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie05 Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 I'm very happy with my hella housings. I took them off a 944 that had been retrofitted. I don't feel the need to upgrade either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 Austin (240Hoke) says the Hellas from Rallylights are real... and I've watched their price drop over the years! (If I had known H4Lights sold things other than AutoPal earlier I might have just picked them up from him! Oh well..) You don't go to his website? It's been under 'special' forever... If you don't want the bulbs, the housings are $50 as I recall. Like on his website homepage: "If you know what your lighting goals are we can help you get there. Bulbs, Harnesses, Relays, Switches and Housings. What do you need?" Non-Rocket Scientists Click This Link for H4 Light's Homepage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 9, 2010 Author Share Posted June 9, 2010 You don't go to his website? It's been under 'special' forever... If you don't want the bulbs, the housings are $50 as I recall. Like on his website homepage: "If you know what your lighting goals are we can help you get there. Bulbs, Harnesses, Relays, Switches and Housings. What do you need?" Non-Rocket Scientists Click This Link for H4 Light's Homepage Yeah I don't see the Hellas under special... I didn't even know he carried them to begin with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 You never know unless you call. He is an area master Hella distributor and has been for over 15 years as I recall. He just advertises Autopal because most car people are cheap bottom feeding scum looking for the cheapest thing they can get regardless of quality. The Autopals are high quality, low cost (a.k.a. Hella Knockoffs) and work just fine for people who aren't stuck on brand names. I know when I got a rock through my Autopal, I was not NEARLY as upset as when the same thing happened and I trashed a $100 Hella housing. As a matter of fact, let me say this about H4Lights: I JUST (as in Sunday Night) replaced the 80/100 H4 Bulbs in my 260Z. I was not using relays, and these bulbs have been in this car since JULY 1995. The low beams burned out first right, then left. I have been running them on highbeam with duct tape over the top for a while, and they show no indications of giving up the ghost but it's not particularly 'right' to run that way... So my Autopals have been in service on this car since July 1995. The date code on the back of the lights is June 1995. I put the reflectors and no-name Autopal 80/100 H4 Capsules in the same time, and then promptly drove to the convention in ABQ. Used these lights driving across the country 2X (Kingston Ontario Convention, Trip through the SE and up the Eastern Seaboard one year.) So for the $35 I paid (COMPLETE AND DELIVERED) in 1995 I think I got pretty good service out of the lights. ESPECIALLY since I didn't have relays and they were obviously running at less than optimal voltage most of the time. I don't know if anybody else here has that kind of track record with their lights, or even Autopal in particular, but this is my experience with them. I bought my first set of Hella H4 E-Code Lights for a Corvair in 1979, followed by SEV Marchal and Cibie's for my VW Bus that same year. Until Autopal came onto the scene the pricing on Hella was NOT competitive like it is now. Like I said, I don't know how long Autopal has been available, and maybe someone here has had them longer than me, but I've been using H4's now since 1979, and when the price of $35 a PAIR, LOADED AND DELIVERED was presented to me in 1995....I JUMPED AT IT! I could buy a pair of loaded reflectors for what one stolen Hella Reflector would cost at the time. To that point I was dyed in the wool Hella/Cibie user. But price lured me away, and the outstanding long term performance has kept me in that new camp. Having them side by side, and now knowing that after 15 (egads) years the reflectors (metal if you have to know) look just as good as the Hellas did after the same time period, I'm sold they are quality and don't really see the need to 'spend up' for something that will likely get a stone through it more often than not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 (edited) I did not get any positive vibes from John @ H4Lights... The Hella Housing units he quoted me $139.98, so I asked what else he had... he mentioned some Bosch units for $60/pair w/bulbs, I mentioned I didn't want bulbs and was just trying to buy housings so I can drop HID's in, then he ranted that HID's scatter light yadda yadda, (as research has shown properly aimed and properly designed housings with cut offs and what not will work perfectly well)... then the guy never responded back to me. If it was up to me... I wouldn't recommend this guy to anyone. $0.02 <Photo from FricFrac> Edited June 16, 2010 by 240Z_Master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneStarS30Z Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 So is that picture you included of your Hellas? If so what's your opinion? I'm looking to purchase a set from the Rallylights too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 (edited) So is that picture you included of your Hellas? If so what's your opinion? I'm looking to purchase a set from the Rallylights too. That's not my setup, that's FricFrac's setup using Visionxusa VX-7RD housings with HIDs. My recommendation before ordering from Rallylights is calling them to check if they have housings in stock... I ordered mine mid-May and they are back ordered. /product_info.html"]Visionxusa Housing Edited June 16, 2010 by 240Z_Master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneStarS30Z Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Ok thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Interesting characterization of what undoubtedly was agitated ramblings of an aged member of the populace... I don't know if I'd call him a 'ranter' though he does know his lights. I guess people will hear what they want, and both parties have the ability to not do business if one party doesn't see a mutual benefit. From my reviewing of people dealing with him, you're the exception to the rule of recommendation. To each his own I guess. I never had a problem, and like I said, the 'cheapies' I bought lasted 15 years. Worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 I tried getting a price and emailed/called him but I just didn't get a response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Your own qualifications say you weren't in the market for his product. He doesn't sell "properly aimed and properly designed housings with cut offs and what not" for an HID 'conversion', he sells H4 Lights and Reflectors for H4 Lights. Like I said, people hear what they want to hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H4 LIGHTS Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 I tried getting a price and emailed/called him but I just didn't get a response. Quoc: You may have called but I did not talk to you and you left no message. I did respond to your emails. My primary business is wholesale sales to other wholesalers and some retail operations. IMO; Since your emails focused on price I was trying to help you purchase a quality housing, Bosch, that is considered equal to or superior to Hella by those in the car biz. These became available from an importer/end user that had a cancellation after warehousing the delivery on a purchase order, (vehicle manufacturer went out of business, so much for long term relationships in this economy, eh?), and was forced to sell en masse to wholesalers that could buy/pay in quantity. These lights were not retail boxed but palletized for assembly line installation. Very limited quantity at the price I quoted and with or without bulbs is not going to influence the price. I now see you had already ordered from someone else and were unhappy with their delivery speed. Sometimes there's more to the equation than just price. As most of the Z community knows the price I give the Z guys includes shipping to the 48 states. Yup, I have an opinion on cheap HID 'kits' from where ever. I get calls daily from my retail folks that have installed the 'kits' and have installation adjustment issues which the offshore manufacturers and their retail agents do not address. As Tony stated I've been doing this for a long time I do not ascribe to BS puffery to make a sale and do not engage in a here today gone tomorrow business model. To paraphrase what I stated to you in one of my email responses to you there are plenty of folks out there that sell anything for cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the response John, I wasn't sure of what services you offered and will keep your business in mind for any future purchases if I'm in the market for specifically what you specialize in. I may have been misinformed of what you do or do not offer. My apologies. Edited June 17, 2010 by 240Z_Master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted July 1, 2010 Author Share Posted July 1, 2010 Hella ECE Housing, with step on the right side (for left side driven vehicles) Re-using my previous H4 Piaa Bulbs, and NOT HIDs (for now... still deciding) As for a previous picture to compare I didn't take one (doh!) Low Beam High Beam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 I'll clarify your statement as to 'right drive' and 'left drive' meaning where the car is on the roadway... The beam pattern you have is Continental (and USA/Canada) meaning for cars intended to be driven on the LEFT side of the road. Where the driver is seated (RHD or LHD) will not make a difference in beam pattern selection (low beam) as it's road position of the vehicle which will dictate the pattern required. Nothing like having to pull out perfectly good Koito Housings because they were Right-Drive pattern... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z_Master Posted July 1, 2010 Author Share Posted July 1, 2010 I'll clarify your statement as to 'right drive' and 'left drive' meaning where the car is on the roadway... The beam pattern you have is Continental (and USA/Canada) meaning for cars intended to be driven on the LEFT side of the road. Where the driver is seated (RHD or LHD) will not make a difference in beam pattern selection (low beam) as it's road position of the vehicle which will dictate the pattern required. Nothing like having to pull out perfectly good Koito Housings because they were Right-Drive pattern... Yeah I was meaning to say Left Hand Drive vehicles... but I just was in a clusterfck for words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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