[B]DON'T BOTHER/B] While replacing the bushings in the motors of the headlights, I took some advice from a fellow forum member, and bought the Pilot Headlight conversion kit and Silverstar 9003ST bulbs from AutoZone. After finishing the pass side, I wanted to compare it to the OEM light. The OEM light was much better. The light pattern the kit puts out is not focused as good as the glass sealed beam. As you look at the light it looks cool, but that doesn't cut it when it's dark and no street lights. More wasted money :banghead:

 

I thought that was the whole point. The OEM lights are focused where as the newer H-3 conversion lights are more spread out putting more light on the road in a broader form. I have a set on my 89 chevy 1500 and love them. I've been looking for a set for my 96 vette, but I haven't decided on what brand. You didn't have to do any mods to the houseing to get the new lights to fit did you? I had to cut out a big hole in my radiator support on my truck to get the conversion lights to fit and that was another reason I haven't bought the h-3 conversion kit for the vette.

 

The whole point for me was to have better light further down the road. No, the kit fits without any mod at all. The kit with bulb takes up the same amount of room as a OEM seal beam light. I was excited while installing them as they look very well made for the price ($39.95) The bulbs $19,95 each. I'd go with another brand of conversion kit.

 

Cool. Thanks for the info. I've seen the ones at autozone...They look like a regual sealedbeam don't they. The diamond back conversion lamps must be a lot better.

 

Now you got me curious. Diamond back conversion. Is that the brand name? What else do you know about them?

 

I used the Hella kit. Very happy... uses an H2 bulb.

 

This is the kit I'm looking at for the Vette. They're similar to the ones on my truck.
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/diamheadlam7.html

 

Do these put out that cool bluish light like HIDs?

 

It all depends on what bulb you use. I got the superwhites, which do have a light blue tint, but it's not that annoying fake blue you see on the ricers, nor is it as blue as the hids. They definately put some light on the road.

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/eurfush4.html
"Produces a bright white beam with a hint of blue which simulates the HID look."

These aren't the same brand as mine, but look similar. I'll have to see if I can find the box mine came in, cause I really like the ones I have now. I also haven't checked the clearance on the vette bezels yet. The houseing on the back of these lights a kind of big. I'll measure my truck's headlights and the vette bezels this weekend (I'd swap'em, but I just realigned my headlights).


[Modified by shakedown067, 10:41 AM 1/2/2004]

 

i just did that headlight swap i love it i did the tyc clear headlights like in the pic and the 9003 silverstar lights i love it i will post pics soon

 

Thanks for the link to the conversion kits. Does your light pattern focus further down the road than your OEM lights? I'm not looking for a fog light diffused pattern. I want a focused beam that shines further down the road, more concentrated for better distance. Am I repeating myself? :crazy:

 

Strick,

Ive been through the same dilemma as you, heres what all I have went through.

BTW, the best word I have heard to describe stock Corvette lighting is 'criminal'.

I have been through 4 sets of headlights to find the right/perfect lighting.
I made a lot of returns. wasted some money, spent a lot of time, etc.

Headlights #1
OEM stock....sucked

2. Matrix Diamond Conversion with Matrix 90/100w simulated HID bulbs
even worse $90

3. Hella E-spec headlights with the same bulbs as in 2.
ok. lighting. good hi-beams, inadequete low beams

4. Sylvania/Osram Xenarc true HID kits with ballast
horrible lighting, worse than stock (HID light source is so shielded to prevent glare to oncoming drivers, I stuck the light source in the Hella Espec housings and got flashed by everyone for blinding them, got good upclose vision,. awful distance (false sense of security) $220

5. Daniel Stern Bosch E-spec housings, Narva clear 90/100w halogen bulbs
rewired headlights using 10 gauge wires off battery to headlight connector, relays.
Excellent lighting. lows amazing (no one flashes me due to the especs cutoff in the approaching lane), highs amazing. It turns night into day. Can feel confident driving 100 MPH at night with this type of illumination.
Cost $190

See the problem about the Corvette is its so low to the ground. Very tricky to get good lighting (and not to mention the stock lights are crap)....

There is a lot of junk out there in aftermarket automotive lighting. SAE standards are ****-poor. IMHO someone at GM should have been fired or GM should have been fined for putting unsafe headlights in a passenger vehicle on a public roadway. Really, the SAE standards need updated. Think the C4 headlights are bad, the C5 are even worse.


Good luck. BTW if anyone wants pictures of the illumination I got with my Daniel Stern setup, please send me your email address. They are just a little blurry (engine vibration at idle as I am holding my camera), but give you the idea of the kind of light these put out.

 

Quote: Diamond back conversion

Absolute $hhit, crap

More specifics: Very unfocused beams, too much seperation between his and los for the Corvettes low mount height(you can adjust your lows to illuminate the road, but the highs will illluminate treetops).

Those are the Matrix housings I had in mine (or are made by Matrix).

Total cheap AutoZone garbage.

 

Thanks Diz, When you say rewired, did you mean everything? Was it a bear getting 10g wire into the swival part of the headlamp housing? I'd like to see the light pattern. Tomdank@aol.com Thanks again for your time.

 

Strick,

ask yourself.
1. Do you want lighting where you can see the road ?
2. or your headlights to look cool to other drivers. ?

The Matrix diamond conversion kit I had (Which sold for about $28 a headlight) no doubt looked cool. But it did not provide adequete downroad, confidence-inspiring lighting.

The only headlights I know of, through Daniel Stern that work, are the Bosch E-specs (mine which i can attest work great, and are well suited for low mounting height), and the CIBIE E-specs (CIBIE is very hi-quality lighting, just to give you an example...Ferrari used to use CIBIE).

Also, those stupid bluish tint bulbs, detract from lo-beam lighting performance. Although my Matrix Ultimate Whites did a great job of simulating HID.

Daniel Stern
Bosch E-specs $55 x 2
Relay kit $40
Narva clear glass 90w/100w bulbs $50
Your own 10 gauge wire $10
Total cost:
$210

 

Thanks for all the great info dizwiz24. I'll hold out on the ole headlight swap. I'll probably just wait till I have to replace a headlight and then do a little upgrading.

 

Thanks Diz and to all that pitched in. I guess I'll just go with the Bosch set up. Do they offer a good set of instructions?

 

Great info. How do I get in touch with Daniel Stern? Tha ks.

 

Have the Hella kit with the h2 bulbs in mine, the difference is incredible. :cool:

 

Difference from what? The OEM lights? Is this a diamond back reflective type conversion kit?