Headlights
Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 2
From: San Clemente CA
Don't do it! Stick with a good set of PIAA or equiv bulbs with a color temperature of around 3900-4300 K. You will LOSE headlight brightness by going to the trendy blue (higher color temp) bulbs. I speak from experience, and losing brightness is NOT a good thing. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,654
Likes: 5
From: Silver Spring MD
go with a inexpensive set of HID's (around 300 bucks from RevXtreme) or the bling bling kit from NOT-MEE (around 1000-1200 bucks) which includes a new DOT approved housing and all the required hardware included!
Here's mine with 6000K HID's installed in the stock housings, one day I'll upgrade to NOT-MEE's kit!
Here's mine with 6000K HID's installed in the stock housings, one day I'll upgrade to NOT-MEE's kit!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 5
From: Lake Oswego, Near Portland Oregon
Even if you put in HID bulbs, you are still stuck with the really crappy plastic headlight lenses. The best lighting for the factory pop-up headlight system is the GM European T-84 glass headlights and Halogen H-4 bulbs. The lowest price I have seen for T-84s is from the guy at www.cibieusa.com, who is also a C5 driver. The T-84s have insanely better light beam shape and control. When I took out my stock headlights I just threw than away as I consider them unsafe with ANYbrightness of bulb. Real crap thanks to our ignorant government with terrible performance specifications and standards.
Unless you want to remove the pop-ups entirely and install a complete HID with projector lens assembly, the only solution is the T-84 with H4 Halogen bulbs. If you decide to rip out the factory style lamps altogether, you can do a custom or semi-custom HID Projector system which can put out about the same amount of light as the T-84 setup. Either way will be MUCH better than the crappy OEM plastic lamps.
Unless you want to remove the pop-ups entirely and install a complete HID with projector lens assembly, the only solution is the T-84 with H4 Halogen bulbs. If you decide to rip out the factory style lamps altogether, you can do a custom or semi-custom HID Projector system which can put out about the same amount of light as the T-84 setup. Either way will be MUCH better than the crappy OEM plastic lamps.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,401
Likes: 3
From: Retired but working
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Originally Posted by FiberglassFan
Even if you put in HID bulbs, you are still stuck with the really crappy plastic headlight lenses. The best lighting for the factory pop-up headlight system is the GM European T-84 glass headlights and Halogen H-4 bulbs. The lowest price I have seen for T-84s is from the guy at www.cibieusa.com, who is also a C5 driver. The T-84s have insanely better light beam shape and control. When I took out my stock headlights I just threw than away as I consider them unsafe with ANYbrightness of bulb. Real crap thanks to our ignorant government with terrible performance specifications and standards.
Unless you want to remove the pop-ups entirely and install a complete HID with projector lens assembly, the only solution is the T-84 with H4 Halogen bulbs. If you decide to rip out the factory style lamps altogether, you can do a custom or semi-custom HID Projector system which can put out about the same amount of light as the T-84 setup. Either way will be MUCH better than the crappy OEM plastic lamps.
Unless you want to remove the pop-ups entirely and install a complete HID with projector lens assembly, the only solution is the T-84 with H4 Halogen bulbs. If you decide to rip out the factory style lamps altogether, you can do a custom or semi-custom HID Projector system which can put out about the same amount of light as the T-84 setup. Either way will be MUCH better than the crappy OEM plastic lamps.
They are on SPECIAL right now too.Corvette C5 European Code Headlight - Regular Price $125 ea. - Special Price $ 69.95 ea.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,266
Likes: 156
From: Galloway Twp. NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
I've been thorugh almost every combination of headlight "upgrades" in my search for better nighttime visability.
I started with the stock US spec housings with a "silverstar" type bulb in it, not much improvement.
I then went to european T-84 glass housings with a higher wattage halogen bulb, better than US spec plastic housings because of the better focus of the light and had a visable cutoff (but still not good enough for me).
then I installed a 6000k HID kit in the T-84 housings, noticeably brighter than the halogen bulbs, but the increased light output caused all kinds of undesireable glare to oncoming traffic due to the fact that the housing ws not designed for HID, plus the light was more intense right in front of the car and not down the road where it needed to be. also I didn't have highbeams, because of the HID bulb, anymore.
finally.... I upgraded to the Vette-HID headlights, a true DOT approved HID projector headlight assy with killer highbeams!
the light is BRIGHT and projected down the road where it needs to be, but because of the very noticeable cutoff, it's not blinding to oncoming traffic. PERFECT!
I started with the stock US spec housings with a "silverstar" type bulb in it, not much improvement.
I then went to european T-84 glass housings with a higher wattage halogen bulb, better than US spec plastic housings because of the better focus of the light and had a visable cutoff (but still not good enough for me).
then I installed a 6000k HID kit in the T-84 housings, noticeably brighter than the halogen bulbs, but the increased light output caused all kinds of undesireable glare to oncoming traffic due to the fact that the housing ws not designed for HID, plus the light was more intense right in front of the car and not down the road where it needed to be. also I didn't have highbeams, because of the HID bulb, anymore.
finally.... I upgraded to the Vette-HID headlights, a true DOT approved HID projector headlight assy with killer highbeams!
the light is BRIGHT and projected down the road where it needs to be, but because of the very noticeable cutoff, it's not blinding to oncoming traffic. PERFECT!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,961
Likes: 2
From: Vette-hid.com Lost in DFW texas
Cruise-In V Veteran
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Checking in thanks for all the kind words guys
Last edited by NOT-MEE; Jun 17, 2006 at 02:28 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 5
From: Lake Oswego, Near Portland Oregon
Originally Posted by RPOZ4Z
I've been thorugh almost every combination of headlight "upgrades" in my search for better nighttime visability.
I started with the stock US spec housings with a "silverstar" type bulb in it, not much improvement.
I then went to european T-84 glass housings with a higher wattage halogen bulb, better than US spec plastic housings because of the better focus of the light and had a visable cutoff (but still not good enough for me).
then I installed a 6000k HID kit in the T-84 housings, noticeably brighter than the halogen bulbs, but the increased light output caused all kinds of undesireable glare to oncoming traffic due to the fact that the housing ws not designed for HID, plus the light was more intense right in front of the car and not down the road where it needed to be. also I didn't have highbeams, because of the HID bulb, anymore.finally.... I upgraded to the Vette-HID headlights, a true DOT approved HID projector headlight assy with killer highbeams!
the light is BRIGHT and projected down the road where it needs to be, but because of the very noticeable cutoff, it's not blinding to oncoming traffic. PERFECT!
I started with the stock US spec housings with a "silverstar" type bulb in it, not much improvement.
I then went to european T-84 glass housings with a higher wattage halogen bulb, better than US spec plastic housings because of the better focus of the light and had a visable cutoff (but still not good enough for me).
then I installed a 6000k HID kit in the T-84 housings, noticeably brighter than the halogen bulbs, but the increased light output caused all kinds of undesireable glare to oncoming traffic due to the fact that the housing ws not designed for HID, plus the light was more intense right in front of the car and not down the road where it needed to be. also I didn't have highbeams, because of the HID bulb, anymore.finally.... I upgraded to the Vette-HID headlights, a true DOT approved HID projector headlight assy with killer highbeams!
the light is BRIGHT and projected down the road where it needs to be, but because of the very noticeable cutoff, it's not blinding to oncoming traffic. PERFECT!
This IS the correct way to use HID lighting, in an engineered projector system. Take this advice to heart! The replacement HID bulbs just don't put the arc light source in the absolute correct place inside the housing for correct beam shaping. An engineered projector assembly corrects the problem with a fully integrated lamp and lens. If you don't do T-84s with H4s, the ONLY other way is to go all out and get a real HID projector system like this guy did. Its big bucks but it works correctly, and that is what is important.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 37,329
Likes: 12
From: Plano Texas
CI 6-7-8-9 Veteran
CI-VI Car Show Winner
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
[QUOTE=FiberglassFan]Even if you put in HID bulbs, you are still stuck with the really crappy plastic headlight lenses. The best lighting for the factory pop-up headlight system is the GM European T-84 glass headlights and Halogen H-4 bulbs. [QUOTE]
If you are interested in the Euros. I have a set!!!!!
The glass housing will make a substantial difference over the OEM domestic ones
These were in my Vert - until I had Not-Mee come to the house and install his (BTW, they are wonderful).
Send a PM if interested (anyone is welcome)
If you are interested in the Euros. I have a set!!!!!
The glass housing will make a substantial difference over the OEM domestic ones
These were in my Vert - until I had Not-Mee come to the house and install his (BTW, they are wonderful).
Send a PM if interested (anyone is welcome)