Hi - I've got a 2005 C6 base model. I bought some aftermarket headlamp fixtures (knockoffs of the Morimoto style lights. They we're excellent, but the problem was the low beam. It called for me to move my D1S bulb from the stock unit to the aftermarket unit.
So I'm scratching my head looking at the stock unit which has a ballast on the cover to the back of the headlamp. Aftermarket unit does not have a ballast and the stock cover with ballast won't fit on the aftermarket unit.

So I sent these back and I'm looking for a new set of headlamps for around $500 - Amazon/Ebay level stuff.

But I saw this on a QA from Amazon:

Answer:
Nope, if your installing them in a 2005 you will need to purchase 2006 and later ballast. I ordered from Amazon vendor don't remember cost but must specify 2006 or later c6 they plug right up.

My question to the experts here is - does the 2005 have a different headlamp than the following years? To upgrade to an aftermarket set of headlamps, do I need to buy a ballast for a 2006?

Better yet, who's got a good plug an play recommendation for a 2005 for around $500?

 

Sorted this. 2005 C6 requires upgrade to 06-13 ballast and new wire from ballast to bulb. $120 all in extra cost to the 05 owner

 

Yep, the 05's use a different ballast than the 06+. I guess with the added costs of the ones you bought, you could have just gotten a set of the Morimoto lights. Here's a write up I did on the ballast, that show the difference between the 05's and 06+ ballasts. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...t-ballast.html

 

Madsonp - wish I had found that before I sent my headlights back. I bloody hate forum search - ran several and came up with sh*t. Last night when I figured this out I bought the 2006+ C6 ballast and the proper ballast to bulb wires so I can use the Morimoto knockoff headlights. Total cost was about $120 + $451 for the knockoffs = $571.

Almost a 1/3 of the cost of the Morimotos which are now retailing around $1400!

The embarrassment of reaching out to the eBay seller to say, "ummmm, jumped the gun on the return and want to buy these again." But I did give him a full writeup on how to handle 2005 C6 customers, so it evened up

 

Had the exact same issue. Bought the headlights (the cheaper ones) and took my lights off only to realize that the 05 in fact has a different ballast. Ordered a set from ebay and bolted everything back on. Huge difference as my stock ones had been painted with tint by the PO.

 

Post up pictures and a quick review after you install. I’m in the same boat, definitely can’t purchase new headlights at almost $1500. Good to know on the 05 ballast.

 

Sure thing - will do a vid and writeup on this. Morimotos are nice but $1400 for headlights? Screw that lol!
Here's what I bought - they're super nice:

 

Good luck with those. I tried two sets and sent them both back. Even if they worked, the gasket is too big and wouldn't fit right on either set.

 

We offer the same headlights lights but if you upgrade to our Bi-LED projector, you won't need to do a ballast swap.

https://sharplightinnovations.com/sh...s-with-led-drl

 

Ogre - did you roll the gasket back during install? Needs to be flipped or rolled back, when I test fit these lights I thought the same thing.

 

Radio Flyer - nice product but nearly $1000. That’s twice the price what I’m paying.

 

Yes, I tried to flip or roll the gasket back but never was able to get it to look similar to the factory gasket look. BTW, the first set I had were defective due to the LED light on one of the lights would not light up the whole side. I also did not like that you could see the light wiring through the gaps between the inner plastic and the light assemblies. The gaskets I tried to install multiple ways, but could never get a "quality" look that I think a Corvette should have. I ordered the second set thinking I may have just got a bad set of gaskets with the original lights, but I was wrong. The second set of lights had gaskets just as bad. Returned them without installing them in the car.

I will say I really liked the look of these lights as I felt they fit the body lines of a C6 better than some other popular aftermarket lights that many use on this site. Plus they were a fraction of the price. I was really disappointed with the quality of these lights, but wished they would have worked for me. I even contacted the manufacturer to give my feedback on the gaskets, but they were not interested in what I had to say.

 

You can see the post/thread here for my feedback on these lights. Like I said, I liked them, and I hope they work for you!

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...or-the-c6.html

 

I am in the process of installing these on my 05. The issue I am having is I am not getting power from main harness to ballast. Do I need to modify any wiring to make them work?

 

I have a 2005 and i am looking for a Morimoto Reproduction from Spyder Products.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...stalled-2.html Starts at Post# 34.

Here is the link to the product on Amazon.



My Question is. Do the 2006 - Up ballast fit in the factory location? Are the connectors on the housings compatible with the aftermarket lights?

Even after the light housings, the ballast upgrade and new bulbs, your still money ahead of the Morimotos. Just a little more work.

 

I belive the 06+ ballasts easily transfer to these lights. If you have an 05 you'll need a 06 type ballast. The connectors in the housings are designed for the OEM 06+ ballast.

You COULD patch the ballast opening with a sheet of hard plastic or sheet metal and use a 55w ballast with a D2S bulb. This would give you about 20-25% more output depending on bulb choice.

 

Cool idea! Looks like it would save money too. Those ballast are costing less than GM '06+ ballast from what I looked at.

 

Would the Vette Lights 55w Ballast upgrade be one to consider?

https://www.vette-lights.com/collect...ghtplug-n-play

 

Just look at Auto Zone or Rock Auto for a replacement ballast, cheaper than OEM.

 

The problem with the HID conversion is that they take a while to come up to full brightness, I originally tried these, but as long as they took to come up to brightness, I hated them for that reason, which is one reason I went with the Morimotos.