Nabbs,

You're right, that's what i'm facing. As far as retrofits, i'd love to do it for everyone, it's just i can't make each one 100% the same, since each one would be hand made.

As far as what i'm using now, it was 100% home made, no molding or housing was purchased, other than our stock one. Unfortunately, there's no manufacturer that is willing to make individual molds without a huge order. My setup is not that different from GranBichus's, who, if actually manufactured a kit, i would have bought without question.

I am pretty sure i can at least pull through with the basic projectors being built for our cars. If i cannot, i will offer to build each of you that has posted here a set similiar to mine - it will hold you over until a production model is released by someone else, and at which time you could sell the set i made you on ebay for more than you bought them for. At the very least, i can get you HIDs for the price Nabbs mentioned above.

 

I'll try and get some hi beam pics up tonight. The hardest part is finding a part of town that's not lit by streetlights! I had to go to the ghetto to get those shots last night!

whats that all about ? is that your contribution to the "ghetto" go there to find dark streets ?

 

Hey SFengineer,

What do you mean by "Standard Projector"? A brand other than Bosch or one that is not a Bi-Xenon?

If it is just the brand, then I am sure that all of us we be happy with another brand of Bi-Xenon projector. It would sure as hell beat what we have now

If it means that we cannot have a Bi-Xenon projector then I am sure we would be happy with that as well. In fact, it would settle the question of what to place on the other side of the housing

So, in other words, either way would make me happy. As long as we can get a decent HID setup to replace our current stock Halogen lights.

As I said before, I am sure you can find 2000 people that would be willing to upgrade their lighting system if given the chance.

I have already talked the wife into purchasing a set from you as soon as they are ready

 

Seems like we're running into obstacles. Hope not. SFengineer what is the reality of putting together a plug and play HID unit? Really appreciate all your work and comments so far. Do you think this can happen? Whatever the result, thanks for all you've done in educating us low vision drivers

 

Amen. Worst case, I will purchase Euro upgrade if all else fails, but the effort is highly appreciated and I am certainly learning a thing or two watching this develop

 

I am hitting obstacles. I've been doing a ton a research trying to find a quality setup for us, but no luck. The reputable HID forums are saying "kit" lights like the ones i'm looking at use $30 projectors which allow unacceptable levels of glare and poor output. Although it'd still be better than what's out there, i don't want to be associated with a poor product. Even most of the "HID" kits are the same.

The DOT markings are complete BS. Almost all lights with this marking are not tested by the DOT, they're simply built the their standards. Knowing that, almost anyone can put that on a headlight, whether they blind people or not.

You guys have given me great support through the whole ordeal. I will continue to search for a manufacturer, but as i mentioned in the previous post, i can fabricate a set for you if you'd like in the meantime. That's the only way i guarantee good light output and a safe product at the present time. The one advantage to that is you can tell me exactly what you want - the type of projector, angel eyes, the color of them, size, you name it.

I will keep you all updated on my progress, but to be honest, i've switched over most of my efforts towards building retrofits as Nabbs suggested.

 

****THERE IS A PLUG AND PLAY HID SETUP RIGHT NOW****

The problem is NOT the HIDs!! The problem is getting a housing (bucket and lens) WITH a projector in it. Currently there are NO projector equiped replacement pop-up housings for the C5. Getting an HID into the ecode OR the stock headlight, is a 10 minute proceedure. Unless you run H4 bulbs the HIDs require NO wiring modifications (and if you run an H4 bulb, you can buy a plug and play harness). HID bulbs + ballast cost anywhere from 2-$300, so they are also quite inexpensive.

Almost every freaking other car out there has a replacement PROJECTOR housing, but not the C5!! We need a manufacturer to step up and freaking make one already!!

There are a few generic projector housings that might be able to fit with the help of a bracket.

Luke -- if you don't shoot me an IM, I'd love to talk with you.

-N

 

I have H4 HIDs in a euro housing right now, and I can tell you the light is unfocused. The right and only way to run HIDs is with a projector, anything less is just not the right way to do this.

-N

 

someone could get in contact with Specter Werks and see where they got their projectors... cuz thats all it really is! those projector housings were awesome! i debated not even doing the C5R mod and using the projectors as a custom setup on my motorcycle!

i wonder even if SW would give out info on the projectors...

Aj

 

Nabbs is right on this one. Running HIDs in my stock housing didn't do much at all as far as my light production - it was brighter, but had hotspots, which actually make lighting worse - the brighter areas make the dimmer areas even dimmer due to your eyes contracting. This is not speculation, it's been proven by numerous government studies.

A pic from HIDplanet - not taken by me

Another pic from them. A retrofit, running ECE code cutoffs. I cannot tell if it's a valeo or bosch. It's almost idential to my lighting output


In regards to the projectors used by spectre works, i highly doubt they can beat or even match the output of the Bosch's unless that's what they are. By the price though, you think they should. There are only three projectors used on the market today - bosch, hella, and valeo. There's a reason european cars use these, they're the best.

Nabbs, i looked into getting a bracket to fit the lights similiar to the ones on ebay. Problem is, shiniest, the company i was going to go with, manufactured 90% of them. I posted their company on every reputable HID forum, and got mostly negative responses. It makes sense, if middle-men sell them on ebay for $120, imagine how little they bought them for. I was quoted less than $100 for the original set, which i passed because they wouldn't tell the manufacturer of the projector. Later found its one made by china, which goes in almost 100% of aftermarket projectors. Quality? Lets just say the lense is made of plastic. My friend's got a set of his civic, and well, they're terrible. I know it's a civic and all, but the headlights are headlights, the same that'd we'd buy to bracket to our cars. If you know another manufacturer that sells a reputable, already in production model, please let me know. I've got access to almost any kind of fabrication equipment and could have a bracket made very quickly.

Thanks for your continued support Nabbs, with people like you adding to this post, how can we not come up with a good projector hid setup.

 

Im in also

 

SFengineer:
I ran in to an old friend the other day who is now working for Hella here in GA; distribution and marketing guy. If you can tell me what you are looking for, I could see if he has any connections. Shoot me an e-mail...

 

Ok first off, there is NOTHING to sign up for.

Secondly, what is needed is a C5 housing either with a projector or a bucket with a lexan cover NOT attached. I have spoken with mnfr of the OEM and ECode lights, and had no luck. If anyone is going to do it, it would be them, since they already have the molds.

I will try Gunter again at the OEM mnfr and see what he says. If one could get both ecode and oem buckets with cover, it would be a good starting point.

-N

 

Thirdly, Luke, hit me up on IM you bastage.

-N

 

TTT

 

Well it looks like somebody has FINALLY started making C5 projector headlights, albeit at $1,500 a set!!



These look to be pisspoor projectors, so the price seems completely outrageous.

Does anybody have any contact info for a headlight manufacturer named XGL?

-N

 

Where did you see that setup?

 

Ken -- They appeared to manufactured by a company called "XGL" and are now being carried on a number of sites. I am going to do a little digging to see what I can come with.

Again, these are NOT worth 1500 bones. The projectors do not look like anything to write home about. If they were 300-400 I'd be all over them.

But at least it's a first step in mass producing direct replacement projector equipped C5 headlights.

-N

 

Thanks!

 

Good find, i've never seen those before. I see color coming off that reflector though...unless they're shining a colored light into it, it's probably plastic (lense). Does it say what type of bulb it uses? D2s or D1s is the only type worth considering. If it uses a halogen based number, ie H1, H4, 9006, H7, H9, H11, then it's a standard projector that they've deemed "HID" and the focus and glare will be off. Let us know! I've learned a thing about overseas manufacturing in the past few weeks...