HID Bulbs & Headlight Housing

[CrossOver]

Hey guys, I would like to install some HIDs on my 88 MKIII but I wanna do it right so I'm here to find out what's the best headlight housing to get for them and which HID bulbs I need to get. I already have the HID kit I just need to get the different bulbs because I know the H11s don't fit. I also don't want any off the wall lookin hosuing either lol. Please point me in the correct direction. Thanx guys!

 

[GrimJack]

Check out theretrofitsource.com. To do this right, you need a set of cheap ebay H4 7x6 diamond cut housings, a set of projectors, and HID bulbs / ballasts / wiring. You can get everything but the housings from their site.

Then, pull apart the cheap housings, chop up the reflector, mount the projectors in there, modify your actual popup assembly for the extra room required, add wiring, aim the results properly, and welcome to the best headlighting system around.

 

[dubsupra209]

^ thanks for the site i had the same question.

 

[GotTurbos?]

To everyone: pleeease don't come in here and post about how you have a plug in play kit in your ebay housings, and you think they look awesome. Its complete bullshit and you're probably blinding everyone else. Do a REAL retrofit with projectors made for an hid bulb and you will have twice the light output, a beautiful cut-off, and everyone else on the road will be able to see. The argument is always that you don't have enough money for a real retrofit, in which case stick to a good set of housings and a decent halogen bulb, your output will still look better than the plug n play hid kit and will be the same price.

 

[kotu100]

X2, i have TSX projectors in mine

 

[MikesFixedRoof]

I put HIDs in mine last winter. Got a pair of diamond cut H4 housings off Ebay like GrimJack mentioned for under 30 bucks. I'm pretty sure I saw projector style housings on there too, which might make things a little easier for you. I just went with the regular diamond cut because I didn't like the idea of a little projector lens inside our big ass square old school headlight housings. I know a projector headlight is really ideal for HIDs, but the housings I bought at least have a reflector cup that covers the tip of the bulb inside the housing. And there ARE cars factory equipped with HIDs that don't have projectors. I'm not a prick. I don't tailgate, and I have my lights aimed properly. My cutoff is honestly pretty nice all things considering, and they certainly aren't blinding. I'll post a couple pics. Also, keep in mind that our stock sealed beams are high beam and low beam in one. Unless you get dual filament HID bulbs, you won't have high beams after install. It's up to you. I just got a kit for H4 so I got standard HID bulbs. Don't really miss my high beams.

 

[GrimJack]

I put HIDs in mine last winter. Got a pair of diamond cut H4 housings off Ebay like GrimJack mentioned for under 30 bucks. I'm pretty sure I saw projector style housings on there too, which might make things a little easier for you. I just went with the regular diamond cut because I didn't like the idea of a little projector lens inside our big ass square old school headlight housings. I know a projector headlight is really ideal for HIDs, but the housings I bought at least have a reflector cup that covers the tip of the bulb inside the housing. And there ARE cars factory equipped with HIDs that don't have projectors. I'm not a prick. I don't tailgate, and I have my lights aimed properly. My cutoff is honestly pretty nice all things considering, and they certainly aren't blinding. I'll post a couple pics. Also, keep in mind that our stock sealed beams are high beam and low beam in one. Unless you get dual filament HID bulbs, you won't have high beams after install. It's up to you. I just got a kit for H4 so I got standard HID bulbs. Don't really miss my high beams.

Post a pic of your cutoff pattern... even aimed properly, HID's in crappy housings put too much scatter above the line that blinds oncoming traffic. That level of scatter is acceptable when you are using halogens, simply because they don't output anywhere near as much light.

The ebay housings with 'projector' setups inside them are just as much junk.

There is no such thing as a dual filament HID. Hell, HIDs don't even have a single filament. Hi / lo beam duties are accomplished by moving a reflector shield to block a certain portion of the light pattern, but the same bulb is used. Unless you are using crappy HID retrofit kits, in which case they move the actual bulb. More poor engineering - this leaves the bulbs loose, and the light shakes a significant amount when going over bumps. Or you can get the kit with only a low beam, or the kit with a low beam HID and a high beam halogen - also a bad idea, as switching from the HID bulb to the halogen filament and back prematurely ages the HID bulb.

 

[CrossOver]

thanx all who answered I've found the info to be quite useful. Thanx grimjack

 

[CrossOver]

Also a few friends of mine reccomended the Hella H4 housings. Are they worth the 85 bucks?

 

[GotTurbos?]

Depends on what you're doing with your setup. If you're retrofitting projectors, then no they aren't worth it, all you need is a pair with clear front lenses (preferably glass) and you don't have to worry about the reflector or anything since the projector takes care of everything. If you're staying halogen, then yes they are worth it.

 

[CrossOver]

ok as far as the "retroftitting" goes what all do i have to do to get this lookin and performing the way they should? sorry if my questions are a lil on the retarded side lol.

 

[GrimJack]

ok as far as the "retroftitting" goes what all do i have to do to get this lookin and performing the way they should? sorry if my questions are a lil on the retarded side lol.

If you want to do a proper retrofit, it's a bit complex, but not impossible by a long shot.

You pick up a projector kit, first of all. I bought mine from http://theretrofitsource.com however there are many places you can go. I went here on a recommendation from another member here, and was not at all unhappy with the service they gave. Personally, I went with a pair of Infinity FX projectors, bulbs, ballasts, and a wiring kit. I also picked up a set of shrouds, which are purely cosmetic. There are both low beam and hi / lo beam options, personally, I don't like the idea of driving without high beams - I drive in the countryside a lot, at night, and I've already been attacked by a moose on the freeway once. Not an experience I'm eager to repeat, as I'm lucky to be alive after the first time.

Then, you get a set of 7x6 "diamond cut" - meaning, clear glass fronts, housings from, well, anywhere. I bought mine off ebay. They are available at many automotive places in the USA from what I hear, but in Canada they are tough to get - probably because they suck bigtime when used as designed.

Pull the housings apart - they are usually a plastic reflector glued onto a clear glass lens. Be careful, it's easy to chip the glass. Now there is some fab work. Chop up the reflector so the projectors fit inside, and fab a mount so the front of the glass projector is as close to the glass lens on the housing as you can get it. Personally, I used fiberglass for this step. If you pick up shrouds, they'll likely need to be modified to fit both the projector (which is easy) and inside the housing, which is a little more complex.

Next, you'll need to modify the 'buckets' in the car that hold the stock lights. The rear end of your new lights is going to be significantly larger than your old tungsten filament bulbs, so you'll need to dig out the dremel and modify this as well. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds.

From here, it's all easy... drop in the new housings with the projectors mounted inside, mount the ballasts, mount and connect the wiring, test, and go.

 

[CrossOver]

Ok thanx a lot for the info dude I really appreciate the help. Now all there is left to do is try it. Thanx again grimjack!

 

[MikesFixedRoof]

Post a pic of your cutoff pattern... even aimed properly, HID's in crappy housings put too much scatter above the line that blinds oncoming traffic. That level of scatter is acceptable when you are using halogens, simply because they don't output anywhere near as much light.

The ebay housings with 'projector' setups inside them are just as much junk.

There is no such thing as a dual filament HID. Hell, HIDs don't even have a single filament. Hi / lo beam duties are accomplished by moving a reflector shield to block a certain portion of the light pattern, but the same bulb is used. Unless you are using crappy HID retrofit kits, in which case they move the actual bulb. More poor engineering - this leaves the bulbs loose, and the light shakes a significant amount when going over bumps. Or you can get the kit with only a low beam, or the kit with a low beam HID and a high beam halogen - also a bad idea, as switching from the HID bulb to the halogen filament and back prematurely ages the HID bulb.

I'll take pics and post tonight. Here, in the NYC area, Cops LOVE to give equipment violation summonses, and that of course includes illegal HID kits. I've driven through checkpoints, behind cop cars, and along side them, and my car is fairly loud. I think if my lights were so blinding, they wouldn't hesitate to pull me over and break my balls. But I've never had an issue. As far as the Ebay projector housings being junk, I can't say I haven't used them. I was just saying they're out there. All headlights, tail lights etc. come from China anyway, be it for an Acura or an aftermarket company.

I'm well aware that HID bulbs don't have an actual 'filament'. The dual 'filament' bulbs I was referring to was the kind with a halogen high beam inside. I didn't care to get them, but I know people who have. One benefit of these is that guys who have not done the fog light rewire (meaning your low beams have to be on for the fog lights to come on) will still have working fog lights after because they connect to the stock headlight harness just like a sealed beam headlight. My low beam only kit meant I had no fog lights until I did the rewire.

I have no moving reflectors, no moving bulbs, and my headlights don't shake over bumps either. If they did, I would take them right out. Over a year I've had them in and no reliability problems.

 

[SupraTrey]

If you want to do a proper retrofit, it's a bit complex, but not impossible by a long shot.

You pick up a projector kit, first of all. I bought mine from http://theretrofitsource.com however there are many places you can go. I went here on a recommendation from another member here, and was not at all unhappy with the service they gave. Personally, I went with a pair of Infinity FX projectors, bulbs, ballasts, and a wiring kit. I also picked up a set of shrouds, which are purely cosmetic. There are both low beam and hi / lo beam options, personally, I don't like the idea of driving without high beams - I drive in the countryside a lot, at night, and I've already been attacked by a moose on the freeway once. Not an experience I'm eager to repeat, as I'm lucky to be alive after the first time.

Then, you get a set of 7x6 "diamond cut" - meaning, clear glass fronts, housings from, well, anywhere. I bought mine off ebay. They are available at many automotive places in the USA from what I hear, but in Canada they are tough to get - probably because they suck bigtime when used as designed.

Pull the housings apart - they are usually a plastic reflector glued onto a clear glass lens. Be careful, it's easy to chip the glass. Now there is some fab work. Chop up the reflector so the projectors fit inside, and fab a mount so the front of the glass projector is as close to the glass lens on the housing as you can get it. Personally, I used fiberglass for this step. If you pick up shrouds, they'll likely need to be modified to fit both the projector (which is easy) and inside the housing, which is a little more complex.

Next, you'll need to modify the 'buckets' in the car that hold the stock lights. The rear end of your new lights is going to be significantly larger than your old tungsten filament bulbs, so you'll need to dig out the dremel and modify this as well. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds.

From here, it's all easy... drop in the new housings with the projectors mounted inside, mount the ballasts, mount and connect the wiring, test, and go.

Very good info. To add, I can confirm the Ebay kits are crap. I have gone through 3 in my Tahoe. Looking for a good kit it is best to go off someone elses experiences or proven realiability/production.

 

[CrossOver]

so tru bro

 

[GotTurbos?]

I'll take pics and post tonight. Here, in the NYC area, Cops LOVE to give equipment violation summonses, and that of course includes illegal HID kits. I've driven through checkpoints, behind cop cars, and along side them, and my car is fairly loud. I think if my lights were so blinding, they wouldn't hesitate to pull me over and break my balls. But I've never had an issue. As far as the Ebay projector housings being junk, I can't say I haven't used them. I was just saying they're out there. All headlights, tail lights etc. come from China anyway, be it for an Acura or an aftermarket company.

I'm well aware that HID bulbs don't have an actual 'filament'. The dual 'filament' bulbs I was referring to was the kind with a halogen high beam inside. I didn't care to get them, but I know people who have. One benefit of these is that guys who have not done the fog light rewire (meaning your low beams have to be on for the fog lights to come on) will still have working fog lights after because they connect to the stock headlight harness just like a sealed beam headlight. My low beam only kit meant I had no fog lights until I did the rewire.

I have no moving reflectors, no moving bulbs, and my headlights don't shake over bumps either. If they did, I would take them right out. Over a year I've had them in and no reliability problems.

Please post the picture, I'm 100% sure there is going to be a ton of glare off the lights. The ebay "projector" housings, aren't projector housings. They are normal housings with a piece of dome shaped glass mounted in the center, they are by far the worst as far as glare goes because it just shoots light everywhere. A vast majority of these lights come from china however there is a HUGE difference in quality depending on which one you go with.

 

[Niero]

I Also would love to see the pictures myself. Just to confirming MikesFixedRoof, you have these here http://www.speedzonemotorsports.com/product.php?productid=879&cat=346&page=1 or these here http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H605...Accessories&hash=item439ed15e56#ht_7996wt_948 . Just wanting to clarify this. If you could post the beaming pattern I would be most intrigued to see it. To be truly honest, sounds a touch too good to be true - but in this case I would really like to be proven wrong.

Nikolai

 

[iwannadie]

Check out theretrofitsource.com. To do this right, you need a set of cheap ebay H4 7x6 diamond cut housings, a set of projectors, and HID bulbs / ballasts / wiring. You can get everything but the housings from their site.

Then, pull apart the cheap housings, chop up the reflector, mount the projectors in there, modify your actual popup assembly for the extra room required, add wiring, aim the results properly, and welcome to the best headlighting system around.

Any place with pictures of a cut up housing. I know it will be different for each car/projector/housing but how about a common tsx projector in an h4 ecode housing? I am wanting to do a setup but just not sure how the housing has to be worked to make them fit and be sturdy.

 

[Pyrite]

I must be 'tarded or they are not posted. Pictures of GrimJacks finished headlights. I read The Mistress as well and saw the pictures of the pieces but no product. Just curious.