Comparing HID's
08-20-2007, 06:13 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
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I know it, I love mine. You just can't imagine the difference until you see for yourself. I should have waited for it to get darker out but I just happen to think about it when I took the pictures.
08-20-2007, 06:18 PM
#23
Burning Brakes
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08-20-2007, 07:08 PM
#24
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
I have the HID conversion in both my Low beams and in the Fogs lights as well...BEST Mod I've EVER done to any car yet...To anyone that has NOT done so yet, you'll be amazed! I can't outrun my lights now and it is sooooo nice to be able to actually SEE whats in the road ahead...saved me from hitting some lumber and a recap that peeled off a truck, THAT alone made it worth EVERY penny it cost! 
~Maverick
~Maverick
08-20-2007, 09:17 PM
#25
Burning Brakes
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could you guys point me to what you're using for your fogs? any idea if it will work in PIAA 1100X housings? not that it really matters since i kept my stockers but the easier the job the better 
08-20-2007, 09:22 PM
#26
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07
I never heard of two HIDs being illegal either.
Usually, when you have seperate low and high beam lights, and the low beam are HID, the high beams are halogen. This is because it takes a while for HIDs to light up AND it shortens their life when they are used for short periods of time (like high beams are). The C6 has this setup, BUT to prevent lower light on high beams, the low beam HIDs stay on all the time and the high beam halogen provide additional light.
Where HIDs use one light for high and low beams, they have a mechanical "shutter" in them that moves to allow more light out up high for high beams. These are effective, my Nissan Murano has them.
BTW, I ran aircraft landing lights as high beams on my 1964 VERT, they were bright.
Usually, when you have seperate low and high beam lights, and the low beam are HID, the high beams are halogen. This is because it takes a while for HIDs to light up AND it shortens their life when they are used for short periods of time (like high beams are). The C6 has this setup, BUT to prevent lower light on high beams, the low beam HIDs stay on all the time and the high beam halogen provide additional light.
Where HIDs use one light for high and low beams, they have a mechanical "shutter" in them that moves to allow more light out up high for high beams. These are effective, my Nissan Murano has them.
BTW, I ran aircraft landing lights as high beams on my 1964 VERT, they were bright.
They are only illegal because they are not the same as the lights they replace. If GM would come out with two HID's in the same housing, it would be fine. It's the change from the standard we are issued from GM to the HID's that is not truly legal. The "bi-xenon" kits you hear about are just as Oldvetter describes above - a single lamp with a shutter. And he is correct about there needing to be a halogen or filament type bulb for short usage, such as flash-to-pass and such - HID's will not stand that kind of abuse.
08-20-2007, 10:00 PM
#27
Tech Contributor
I hear that there are no bulbs available for the PIAA's (other than what you have).
PM me if you want info on the ebay vendor I got mine from.
Toque
08-20-2007, 11:33 PM
#29
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
The 'type' bulb you need to get if you are going to convert the stock corvette Fogs to HID are the 880/881 type. HID's will not tolerate for very long being turned on and not allowed to achieve max. brightness..it takes the lights a few seconds to warm up and get 'brilliant', thus they are bad for High beams because they are often on and off for short periods when on coming traffic is being blinded..the filaments will wear out being treated like this. I'll post some pictures in a second of the kit...I bought mine off the "auction site" for $98. and it came VERY well packaged...Just as with the other HID's, you can get them in whatever brightness you wish...I stayed with 6000k so they would match my 6000k's in the low beams..and boy, do they!! The PIAA's are made in a manner which will allow you to use their bulbs only...these kits will not work in those housings, the 880/881 type bulbs are the ones you need to fit into a stock corvettes Fog light housings...I bought an extra set that I used to make sure before I touched the car, the lenses are like all Corvette Fog light lenses..a little chipped and worn, but they work GREAT! I've actually wondered what to do with the extra housings and think i may buy another kit to go with these housings and mount them on my C4, sort of bring her into todays technology. When I drive the C4 to work I get a reminder of how bad those lights are, and when I drive the C5, I'm still amazed.
Here is the kit as it comes boxed..
Here is the stuff out of the box, it also had some zip ties and 2 sided tape as well..
The type Bulb for the Fogs..as you can see then have alot of different ones available..
And the wattages...I chose 6000k, it is closest to a pure white...
~Maverick
Here is the kit as it comes boxed..
Here is the stuff out of the box, it also had some zip ties and 2 sided tape as well..
The type Bulb for the Fogs..as you can see then have alot of different ones available..
And the wattages...I chose 6000k, it is closest to a pure white...
~Maverick
08-21-2007, 07:36 AM
#30
The 'type' bulb you need to get if you are going to convert the stock corvette Fogs to HID are the 880/881 type. HID's will not tolerate for very long being turned on and not allowed to achieve max. brightness..it takes the lights a few seconds to warm up and get 'brilliant', thus they are bad for High beams because they are often on and off for short periods when on coming traffic is being blinded..the filaments will wear out being treated like this. I'll post some pictures in a second of the kit...I bought mine off the "auction site" for $98. and it came VERY well packaged...Just as with the other HID's, you can get them in whatever brightness you wish...I stayed with 6000k so they would match my 6000k's in the low beams..and boy, do they!! The PIAA's are made in a manner which will allow you to use their bulbs only...these kits will not work in those housings, the 880/881 type bulbs are the ones you need to fit into a stock corvettes Fog light housings...I bought an extra set that I used to make sure before I touched the car, the lenses are like all Corvette Fog light lenses..a little chipped and worn, but they work GREAT! I've actually wondered what to do with the extra housings and think i may buy another kit to go with these housings and mount them on my C4, sort of bring her into todays technology. When I drive the C4 to work I get a reminder of how bad those lights are, and when I drive the C5, I'm still amazed.
<SNIP>
~Maverick
<SNIP>
~Maverick
Mark
Last edited by Suprfun; 08-21-2007 at 07:40 AM.
08-21-2007, 03:03 PM
#31
Burning Brakes
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Maverick, What are you using in the high beams (non HID) for bulbs? Do they match or come close to the color of the HID's you have in your low beams and fogs? I know halogens won't match the output (lumens) of HID's but I'd like the color of all the lights to match. Highs, lows and foglights.
Mark
Mark
not even close...yes i know 6000k is actually beyond white and slightly into the blue spectrum, but the PIAAs actually look yellow when they're both on 
08-21-2007, 03:06 PM
#32
Melting Slicks
what kind of life expectancy can you get out of an HID bulb? and when they do fail can you replace the bulb itself for a reasonable price or are you looking at buying a whole new kit with ballasts and everything?
08-21-2007, 03:08 PM
#33
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Maverick, What are you using in the high beams (non HID) for bulbs? Do they match or come close to the color of the HID's you have in your low beams and fogs? I know halogens won't match the output (lumens) of HID's but I'd like the color of all the lights to match. Highs, lows and foglights.
Mark
Mark
I don't know of ANY bulb that is going to come even close to comparing to how the HID's look....sorry bro! ~Maverick
08-21-2007, 09:41 PM
#34
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Several years, easy. If you get the full projector kit (I can't speak for the other setups discussed here) you get the same D1S bulb that is used in the C6 and other cars. Just replace the bulb. Ballasts can also wear out over time, but should outlive several bulbs.
