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Old Nov 23, 2019 | 07:52 PM
  #1  
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Default HID Headlights

Are HID headlights worth the money with the stock housing?

https://www.corvettemods.com/C5-Corv...it_p_5530.html
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Old Nov 23, 2019 | 11:01 PM
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Yes. But they bring their own problems.
Lighting pattern is wilder than stock.
Lamps don't flip up and down without help.
Non OEM quality bulbs and ballasts can be iffy.
But they are brighter!
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Old Nov 23, 2019 | 11:08 PM
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i have them.. no issues, and i love them
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Old Nov 24, 2019 | 06:18 AM
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https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...he-plague.html

Might want to think about them. My experience with HID headlights is that you won't be satisfied until you buy a setup with projector housings. Good luck.
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Old Nov 24, 2019 | 06:33 AM
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Better than stock? Absolutely.
Good? Certainly not.

You'll be "that guy" blinding oncoming traffic, pretty much no matter what you think you see. The open/close issues can be solved with a little $10 resistor pack. I have LEDs in mine which are better and run cooler, but the eventual goal is a set of proper projectors.
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Old Nov 24, 2019 | 08:23 AM
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The biggest issues you'll have are:

1) pattern: The OEM housing was designed around the 1000 lumen output of the 9006 low beam bulb and to focus it's output just in front of the car enough just far enough to be able to see to meet DOT standards. When you put HID bulbs in, you're tripling the output to the same area but the also the fresnel lens causes scattering. With the halogen bulb this is not to much of an issue, but with the HID bulb it's a major issue. Layman's terms: not enough light where you need it and too much light where you do

2) Door function. Most HID systems draw less than the required current to correctly operate the headlight control module to close the headlight doors. This can be "solved" by turning on your high beams then turning off your headlights, installing a resistor or capacitor pack or getting high quality 55w HID ballasts.

The proper solution is a projector based HID headlight solution: The projector optics properly focus and spread the light so the pattern is
a) limited to a specific height not to blind oncoming traffic
b) intense at top-center enough to see far down the road
c) wide to see easily to both sides of the road.

The below example is our Bi-xenon ACA headlight system available here:
https://sharplightinnovations.com/sh...aca-headlights


Low beam



High beam

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Old Nov 25, 2019 | 05:46 PM
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Please don't be that guy. As said above, you'll be blinding oncoming traffic as well as blinding people passing you via their mirrors. I can't stop you from being one of the "f*** everyone else, I do what I want" type of guys, but if you're here asking, I sincerely hope that you will consider how your choice will affect other people on the road.
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Old Nov 25, 2019 | 08:57 PM
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Plainly put as some have stated, but HID were never designed to be installed in halogen housings. Not in terms of the technology. Light scatter and uneven forward to side light. And here in Florida, running HID in halogen housings is technically illegal. I'm not aware of anyone I know getting a ticket for it, just saying. Check your local laws on it.

I installed HID in 2007 on my C5. Switched to projection housings a few years later. Much improved. I'm running the same lighting assemblies and ballasts too, but I rarely drive at night, so figure that for longevity.
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Old Nov 25, 2019 | 10:42 PM
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ummm ya, not without projector housing.
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Old Nov 25, 2019 | 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Bills01vett
Are HID headlights worth the money with the stock housing?

https://www.corvettemods.com/C5-Corv...it_p_5530.html
Save your money and whatever you do, don't give any of your hard-earned money to CorvetteMods.
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Old Dec 8, 2019 | 04:39 AM
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I had 55 watt HIDs in some cheap chinese headlights then I got these projectors from Radioflyer about 5 years ago.

They're awesome!

The HID hi beams take under 2 seconds the first time but after that they're almost instant







Last edited by StrangelovesM6Vert; Dec 8, 2019 at 04:45 AM.
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