Just drove 200 miles on a misty night. The stock headlights are really bad. About 30 miles was new pavement. Could not see a thing. My old 77 has better lights ( upgraded to Halogen). Any one have any advice on a good fix?

 

HIDs are brighter, but the real issue is the housing. The fix is to get some sort of projectors.

I have my eye on the black housing (formerly ACA) setup. JW Motoring sells them, $5-600 I think.

 

I have the ACA projectors from eBay with JWM plug 'n play HID's. Works great!

 

There are only 2 real options here. The ACA projectors or radioflyer's LightCannons. The LightCannons are more expensive but better quality. Don't stick HIDs in your stock housings. They throw light everywhere but where you want it and blind anyone in front of you.

 

I agree with going with the ACA lights, but they can be bought brand new in box ob ebay for under 300 dollars.

Fwiw the ebay and JW lights are exactly the same, with the exception of the price.

If you need help with installation there are a couple very well written threads here detailing the job.

 

I have the ACA's off eBay. They are a huge upgrade. If I hadn't just dropped a ton of cash on my S/C and clutch, I would have gone with the LightCannons, they do look top notch.

I do think you will be happy with the ACA's though (nothing agains RadioFlyer)...

 

I haven't done a lot of night driving yet with my Z but I've done enough to know the headlights suck! I think the HID option would be the best way to go if you have the money. Before I'm going to go that route I'm going to try swapping the bulbs out for Sylvania SilverStar bulbs. I've been running these in my motorcycle for a few years now and they are a huge step up from the stock bulbs. I haven't tried them yet on the Z but I'm sure they'll be a big improvement over stock and a much cheaper alternative to the HIDs.

 

I had the SilverStars in mine, they were a marginal improvement but nowhere near what the car needs for night driving at the speeds it is capable of. I don't think the bulbs are the issue, it's the stock housings puking light all over the road. The life of these bulbs also sucks (in my experience).

If you figure that putting Silverstar highs/lows in a C5 will cost you close to a hundred bucks, the $300 you will spend on the ACA HID setup starts to look alot better.

I regularly drive over 100mph at night and there's no way I'd do that without the setup I've got.

 

Well that's good to hear, or not. Sounds like they aren't much of an improvement in the vette. Yeah, I agree about the life with the SilverStars - around 1 season per low beam bulb on my bike. I don't use the high beam that much so it has lasted quite a while.

I'll probably still go this route at first as all extra cash is first going to other improvements like brakes, suspension and engine. No 100+ mph night driving for me.

 

Listen man.. I bought a HID kit from a company I now have bought 4 kits from. Truly the best money spent on my C5!!! Pm me for the name and details. $100 a set and I swear you will be blown away!!

 

Light cannons. You can option these however you want. HID low beam, HID high beam, halo rings...

Check out radioflyer's thread for the many, many, many details.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...ts-gp-7-a.html





ACAs





There is a problem with the ACAs. The high beams are aimed far too high and cannot be adjusted independently of the low beams. So when you've leveled your HID low beams, the high beams will light up the sky.

 

I like the looks of the light cannons, but time I get them to Canada I will be into them for at least $1200. Duty and freight add up. I would like to find something a little cheaper. I will check out the more reasonable options. Thanks for all the input.....Very helpfull.

 

wow that is bad news...bout the high beams lack of adjustment..is that even on the newer ones being sold on fleebay? and where ever else ?

 

My Son installed a set of after market lights in his 96 shortbox chevy. The left headlight would adjust , the right was imposable to adjust so it was right on high and low. We finally sent them back. Maybe the light cannons are the only way to go.

 

I honestly believe, and I have no dog in this fight, as I don't know radioflyer or even own a C5, that the Light Cannons are the best product available. They come with projectors that are specifically designed for HIDs, as opposed to the halogen projectors in the ACAs that do not distribute light evenly. You can get optional bi-xenon (the cutoff moves up to use the lowbeam HID for the high-beam) or/in addition to conventional halogen high beams, which are, in and of themselves, just fine.

I would personally pass on the HID highbeam option and even the bi-xenon because, often, you'll be flashing your high beams, and the quick on/off with HIDs is bad for the ballasts. HIDs should not be flashed. They should be allowed to warm up every time they're ignited. If you flash your bi-xenons during the day, you're putting that strain on your lowbeam ballasts because the low beam has to fire and the cutoff shield move for your flash-to-pass/say hello/tell someone to get the eff out of your way function. IF you must have HID everything, stick with the standard projector and the HID in the high beam.

Personally, I'd have the base model, no angel-eye, standard projector HID low beam, halogen high beam light cannons. Everything you need, nothing you don't, and when you flash your high beams, day or night, you aren't putting any strain on an HID ballast.