I have an 03Z and love everything about the car...except the power output from the headlights. I am considering aftermarket bulbs in that I do not want to pay hundreds of dollars for an HID upgrade.

Do you any of you have any bulb suggestions that would be an improvement over stock?

Thanks

Press

 

Do a search for the HID kits for your car. This will give you all the light you would want!

 

Can't go wrong with this:

http://www.shop.jwmotoring.com/produ...&productId=120

Search me on the forum. I've sold hundreds on here.

I would stick with 4300k or 6000k.

Read up on it here: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...-motoring.html

 

AVOID the bulbs with any sort of blue tinting on them. This tint will significantly reduce your output. You need a bulb with a clear glass to the optimum amount of output from the filimant.

To get more lighting output from your OEM headlights you have 3 realistic options:

1) A higher wattage halogen 9006 bulb. 80-100w will work. This is simple plug and play option and probably the least expensive

2) Use a High beam (9005) bulb in your low beam socket. This may require trimming of the bulb itself or swapping the OEM bulb mounting plates on the back of your headlight reflector. Not exceedingly difficult, but rather time consuming.

3) Toshiba HIR bulb. Stock wattage but is significantly brighter due to bulb design. I currently use these in my reverse lights.... (long story) Plug and play but a rather expensive option.

Mounting HID kits in your OEM housings produces a TON of glare and the pattern is horrible especially with any color temp higher than 4300K.

 

I need a brighter reverse light. What is the part number for what you used?

 

See post #65. It's not "stock" by any means.

Luckly, there's a 3157 halogen bulb that you can use:
http://www.amazon.com/Halogen-Style-.../dp/B0007N207G

You'll need to build and install a relay harness to get the full output from the halogens.

 

Like everyone else, I have some opinions to offer… Take them for what they are worth as I am not trying to sell anything and can only relate from my experience with a few lighting solutions.

I too did not like the lighting that came stock on my C5, especially after hitting a concrete block before I could see it

My first solution was to buy the 6000K HID lights that mount right into the stock bulb housings. These were not too expensive, but led to a few issues. I was blinding just about everyone in front of me and coming at me. The stock light housing is not built for those bulbs and it’s very difficult to aim them so that they do not blind others. That’s why they are not DOT approved for use like that.

Even with those issues, I kept them as I enjoyed the added lighting. But, the lights didn’t last long and turned pink in about two months and then stopped working.

I then broke out the big bucks and bought the ACA HID kit that is DOT approved. There is a long thread about them on the forums that you can view at http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...otsa-pics.html

Overall, these lights are awesome. But, because the reflectors aim them within a tight pattern and the C5 light housing are not rock solid, they tend to bounce around / jiggle a little (even with the fix, which you can view at: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...iggle-fix.html ). So, you may look like one of those motorcycles with the jiggling lights (I do and have yet to correct it). Additionally, for the high price, these units do not come with the best of parts and you’ll need to be ready to deal with relays that fail (truly made in China) and a few tweaks during the install such as getting the wires to fit properly etc. You can read my write up at: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1566061906-post71.html

However, the ACA lights come with your basic high beams, which are not bright at all. So, again I went on a search to find the brightest bulbs I could install for my high beams, that would be DOT compliant (you should not use HIDs for high beams).

I then found the brightest possible non-HID bulbs, which are called HIRs and bought them. You can see these at: http://hirheadlights.com/

Although the HIRs are brighter then the halogens, they are not as bright as HIDs. But, that is where I am now at: ACA 4300k HIDs with HIR high beams, along with the 6000k HIDs for my fog/driving lights.

Let us know what you decide on and how it works out for you, thanks!


Dave

 

I think I paid something like $12 + shipping for a pair of 9006 low beam 80W bulbs from classicgarage.com when I first got my car and was scared driving on the highways with the light that came from the stock vacuum-cleaner headlights that come as stock/OEM on our C5's. The 80W light was a little better but first chance I got, I sprung for TheRadioFlyer-"Light Cannons" at $750, and now with 4300K bulbs, it is the perfect setup for the night-driving that I do.

You don't want to spend much?, get CLEAR/"CLEAR"-as in NO TINT 9006 bulbs for your low beams. Best I could find was 80W clear. It is a bit better and as good as it can get for not much more than maybe $10-15 for the 9006 bulb.

After I switched out to the HID's, I put the bulbs into my wife's RAV4 as her low beams take the 9006's and we are good to go at night in that little truck as in reflector setups with the clear lens, the 25W bump up in Wattage makes a good bit of difference as it does on my pickup, from 55W-80W, good deal for short $.

 

Thanks! I just ordered a pair. With my black outs over the reverse lights, the stock bulbs just do not throw enough light.

 

If you read enough threads on here about headlights, the usual progression is: stock -> Sylvania Silverstars or HIRs -> pnp HIDs, sometimes with Euro lenses -> full HID kits (ACA) -> full-blown custom light cannons (Radioflyer style )

I got the Sylvania Silverstar Ultras last year, and noticed an improvement, but with the brights on, I still wasn't happy, particularly about the low beams going off. So, I did the first mod in this link:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...n-at-once.html

And that seemed to help out alot too. I'm thinking if I ever go to HIDs though, I'd like to get a set of ACAs. I want to keep my popups, and a similar to stock look. I might consider a kit JW motoring is putting together if the deal goes through.

But, there you have it. One more IMO.

 

Thanks for all of the replies. Initially I was reluctant to invest in an HID kit but after seeing the Radio Flyers, I am definitely reconsidering.

BenC5, Were they difficult to install and are the bulbs protected? I'm assuming they are but I just want to be sure.

Thanks

 

ZOCix, like you, I was concerned about the install as I only have had the car for two months, for one month back when I got the lights, but I asked the same question as you and JMc let me know the same thing that I'll let you know.

As long as you can turn some torx T-15/20 drivers and some socket drives, you can do it and it won't take you too long. The whole system takes no cutting, drilling or anything like that and is one of the main reasons I had to have the kit, nothing like something designed to slot right into the stock space with no modifications of any kind, put together by a fellow C5 owner who knows his stuff, plus, the CD you'll get from TheRadioFlyer/George is well done and will guide you step by step through the whole process. Put the CD in your laptop and bring it around anywhere you need the instructions, like having the guy right there showing you what to do.

Your first time will take some time but once finished, the other side is a breeze. I know now, I could put a set in easily and I've had my headlight apart for swapping bulbs and adjustments and stuff like that, easy-peasy.

For the $750, I thought it was worth it as I got the best lighting out there for my car.

The bulbs and lens are protected. I'm not worried at all about a rock or something breaking my lens or housing and if it does, I'll get another but they are heavy duty and can't see them getting busted. Read up on all the threads about the lights and see if you can swing it. If I had to, I'd buy them again as I doubt anything will come out that will be better for the money.