teaser...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 761
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, CA
Have your wife drive towards you in her car and you will quickly realize why this is the worst solution. xenon lights are designed to work with a projector, or at the VERY least, a reflector with a clear lense. The purpose of the projector is control the increased output of the light (done with precise geometry within the projector and with cutoff shields). Some manufacturers take the cheap way out and use a reflector, but at least they have a clear lense on the headlight to not make the scattering of light even worse. The C5 corvette has neither a projector nor a clear headlight. You might as well have told your wife to just keep her high beams on all the time. The output would have been pretty much the same.
This is what you get if you throw HIDs into a housing not designed for them:
This is what it should be like:
To the OP: The C5s never came with HID (xenon) lights from the factory. The only way to do it (correctly) is to either retrofit projectors into the stock housing (Check out hidplanet.com. There are people there that offer retrofitting services.) or to buy an aftermarket housing with projectors (They have these in both pop-up and fixed housings.) From what I've seen, the projectors are higher quality in the pop-up aftermarket headlights, but you'll get the best results with a retrofit using OEM projectors from another company.
This is what you get if you throw HIDs into a housing not designed for them:
This is what it should be like:
To the OP: The C5s never came with HID (xenon) lights from the factory. The only way to do it (correctly) is to either retrofit projectors into the stock housing (Check out hidplanet.com. There are people there that offer retrofitting services.) or to buy an aftermarket housing with projectors (They have these in both pop-up and fixed housings.) From what I've seen, the projectors are higher quality in the pop-up aftermarket headlights, but you'll get the best results with a retrofit using OEM projectors from another company.
EDIT: a little bit more info...
ever noticed that little carbon coating on the tip of low beam halogens that isnt on high beam halogens? it's there to control where the light shines. the same applies to HID bulbs.
this is what you get with a plug and play ebay hid kit:
See? no carbon coating... nothing to limit where the light comes out from, just like your halogen high beam bulb. these bulbs are exactly like the D2S bulbs used in most HID applications where there is a cutoff shield to limit where the light is aimed, except you dont have the cutoff shield.
When a company creates an OEM hid reflector headlight, they ALWAYS use a D2R bulb. D2R bulbs have a carbon coating on them that acts as a cutoff shield. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing.
Last edited by carnut101; Jan 19, 2008 at 04:44 AM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
3/4"? wow. mine stuck out less than 1/4". what im thinking of doing is... when i make the shroud to cover the projector, i'll extend it to the bucket trim, and then make a clear piece thats part of the bucket trim.
By the way, rather than worrying about having the headlight completely sealed to avoid condensation, I've just left enough openings for it to be so vented that it wont condensate. Think that'll work?
By the way, rather than worrying about having the headlight completely sealed to avoid condensation, I've just left enough openings for it to be so vented that it wont condensate. Think that'll work?
Ventings should work. just make sure you have vents on the lower-most section of the reflector so when the water condenses it has a place to drain.
Projectors focus the light then use a large lens to spread it out into an even pattern with a sharp cutoff significantly reducing/eleminating glare and hot spots.
Here's a before and after of mine (first with the reflectors and a 9006 HID conversion)
now with Hella 90mm projectors and D2s HID bulbs
Here's a side-by-side comparison shot when i did the retrofit:
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,333
Likes: 6
From: Louisville Kentucky
Okay, that makes a whole lot of sense. However, you are significantly more talented in the fabrication and figurization (one of my custom words) of this stuff than most. Although there's a significant amount of savings going the route you're going, I think a lot of guys here would rather go with one of the true HID packages offered by some of the supporting vendors, just to alleviate the headache we normal guys would probably encounter. I couldn't imagine taking a Dremel tool to my stock housing and accidentally destroying them, which would probably be my experience.
But you're good man, you're good.
But you're good man, you're good.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Okay, that makes a whole lot of sense. However, you are significantly more talented in the fabrication and figurization (one of my custom words) of this stuff than most. Although there's a significant amount of savings going the route you're going, I think a lot of guys here would rather go with one of the true HID packages offered by some of the supporting vendors, just to alleviate the headache we normal guys would probably encounter. I couldn't imagine taking a Dremel tool to my stock housing and accidentally destroying them, which would probably be my experience.
But you're good man, you're good.
But you're good man, you're good.
The expensive part was finding a set of projectors that fit, and getting a hold of BPP fixed headlight lenses.
Here's more info on that one:
http://www.cat-co-ltd.co.jp/hashimot...t_nonpopup.htm
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
the wired thing is that the OEM lens is angled. it sticks out more at the mottom bottom than at the top. I know jrprich will be interested to know what you use for a shroud/bezel. I would be hesitant to make a lens that attaches to the bucket trim because the plast trim isn't the sturdyist of mouting points.
As to your front lens, what I thought when I looked at yours was to fit a flat lexan lens with a precision cut hole that allows the projector lens to protrude through the lexan. Of course making the hole and getting it right would be hell, not to mention sealing the lexan to the projector
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
carnut; but you'll get the best results with a retrofit using OEM projectors from another company.
I would disagree with this statement. I think it will be pretty hard to beat an ACA set up with a retrofit set..........but as they say, just my opinion, I could be wrong
I would disagree with this statement. I think it will be pretty hard to beat an ACA set up with a retrofit set..........but as they say, just my opinion, I could be wrong
Last edited by jrprich; Jan 21, 2008 at 01:59 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 761
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, CA
jrprich, they are definitely a great upgrade, but they use what seems like valeo projectors (same as the C6). Those projectors are about on par with my TSXs, but there's no way they will ever match a TL or s2k, let alone a TL/ZKW hybrid, in intensity, sharpness, or width.
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Night Owl for life
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 24,721
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From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
jrprich, they are definitely a great upgrade, but they use what seems like valeo projectors (same as the C6). Those projectors are about on par with my TSXs, but there's no way they will ever match a TL or s2k, let alone a TL/ZKW hybrid, in intensity, sharpness, or width.
are they manufacturered differently compared to the valeo projecors? is there a way to modify the valeo-style to compare to the TL-type?
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Most of the difference in the high end projectors are focused in 3 areas: reflector, Lens style and type. OEM projectors for Lexus, BMW and other luxery cars have finely tuned optics that create a razor sharp cutoff even at a distance. The result of such optics is a pattern that has absolutly NO hot/dim spots whatsoever. Even my Hella 90's have some "warmer" spots but it just so happens that they're dead center so it helps the light go further down the road.
for WAY more info than i can offer, look here: http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,333
Likes: 6
From: Louisville Kentucky
I haven't seen the ACA's in person, but just from looking at the pictures of them, I would probably drive around with my lights up and off all the time if I had them on my car. They are simply gorgeous.
Here's a shot of Jason's (JDMVette) ride with ACA's for those who don't know what we're talking about:
Here's a shot of Jason's (JDMVette) ride with ACA's for those who don't know what we're talking about:
Night Owl for life
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 761
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, CA
Here's the post from hidplanet.com
Originally Posted by haknslash
Both bulbs used are older and have about the same hours of use on them since bought new.
Now lets let the pics do the rest of the talkin'! And this is for all of those out there that say TL's are over rated or don't put out more light than TSX's
Same shutter priority settings on the camera.
Now lets let the pics do the rest of the talkin'! And this is for all of those out there that say TL's are over rated or don't put out more light than TSX's
Same shutter priority settings on the camera.
Night Owl for life
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 24,721
Likes: 4,557
From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
now you got me thinking about putting a set from a TL in my ACAs.
i see they take a D2S bulb. i wonder if they make a conversion kit to a D1S ballast.
i see they take a D2S bulb. i wonder if they make a conversion kit to a D1S ballast.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 761
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, CA
that would look really good and perform well, but i highly doubt they'd fit. TLs are bixenons. they're bigger than my TSX projectors (single xenon), and i struggled with mine. you have a high beam anyways. check out the older s2000 projectors (the first gen ones actually had a sharper cutoff)
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 761
Likes: 1
From: Glendale, CA
Almost forgot. I found a solution to making a cover. The stock ones barely clear, believe it or not. I'm going to try sanding down and polishing the spare ones that I've got first. If that doesnt work, then I'll make my own out of lexan.
Here's a shot of the output from just the passenger side on the freeway (dark section with no street lights and no cars around me):
Here's a shot of the output from just the passenger side on the freeway (dark section with no street lights and no cars around me):