So all this talk about HIDs in the stock housing has me asking the question: How bad is the coverage from HIDs in the stock headlamp housing with our cars?
I wanted to get the HIDs, my b-day is in two weeks and I have a choice between that or water injection.
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[12-30-2007 07:47 AM] essareteesicks: if i ever am in need you can be my official boob carrier
Er, let me be more clear, is the light output and direction of that light in the stock housings going to be a big problem, i.e. with cops, oncoming drivers, etc.?
I know there are projectors in the works, but they're twice the cost of the HID lights themselves, and don't include HID lights. I'd pay $600 for HID projectors, but not $900 to make that setup work.
So is it possible to aim the HIDs properly in our stock housing to prevent that too-bright head-on look, and unwarranted attention from the 5-Oh?
Hey, i have the 8000K ones, and man are they nice...the light output is amazing. you can adjust the headlights left, right, and up and down. Mine were a little to high, so i pointed them down a little bit.
The higher you go in kelvin the lower your lumens (useable light output). Going with a "kit" in your existing housing is just asking for trouble. You WILL have excessive glare and also have hotspots too. Your beam width and pattern won't be any different than what you have now. I have extensive HID knowledge and I've seen what HID looks like in our factory housings and its not that great. Our headlights in stock form have plenty of glare from the get go and throwing HID into it is about the worst thing you can do for oncomers who have to deal with it.
A retro is the route you should take. HID projectors will give you a distinct cut-off beam and all the pretty color flicker you see on Audi's BMW's and such. They are also designed from the ground up with the use of HID in mind.
This isn't our car but it goes to show just how much glare is produced just by adding HID into a halogen designed housing. The car here is a Lexus GS 300. As you can see below, the only light w/o glare is the halogen stock one. The rest are HID (in the driverside fog light too) and you can see the glare it creates.
Here is another example of HID in a halogen designed housing. [Notice all the stray light going all over the place] That is the glare that blinds the hell out of everyone.
Now here is an example of the way HID was intended for. A S2000 projector is shown here with modded shields for even more color flicker.
I'm not trying to tell you which one to go with. I'm just pointing out some facts that you might or might not already know. I'm a moderator over on hidplanet.com so if anyone needs any assistance with purchasing brand new oem HID equipment just visit the main site or feel free to check out our forums and poruse thru the thousands of informative posts about HID, halogen, and LED technology. Feel free to PM me anytime if you ever need assistance or help with lighting in general.
That may have been the MOST intelligent response we have ever gotten to this question here on the forums. Thank you, seriously!!! I thought about HIDS, but no mas. gotta look into retrofitting projector hids now.... yar!
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Jake Esterly
04 E Blue
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That may have been the MOST intelligent response we have ever gotten to this question here on the forums. Thank you, seriously!!! I thought about HIDS, but no mas. gotta look into retrofitting projector hids now.... yar!
Thanks!! I appreciate that lol . If your interested in learning all there is to know about HID and the proper way of doing things, you can visit us here http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/.
Here is a write up I did for newbs wanting to learn the basics and it has a plethora of links to other retro plus you can visit the photo/video section on there to see even more retros done by our members. http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2080
Sorry, But I am personally quite satisfied with my X-Tec 5000's and get a lot better light coverage on the road than the Silverstars. This was an issue with me on my road trip last Feb. and wished, many times, that I had High Beams and Fogs at the same time. That was the only thing that was bright enough on them dark British Columbian roads.
Granted, the 5000's are MUCH brighter but i just don't see the scattered (stray) light that you are suggestion is any different than the Silverstars or the OEM equipment for that matter.
Obviously there is no comparison between these and the retrofitting projector hids especially $$$cost!
Thank You for your input kaknslash. It's good to have another knowledgable HID guy on board.
Sorry, But I am personally quite satisfied with my X-Tec 5000's and get a lot better light coverage on the road than the Silverstars. This was an issue with me on my road trip last Feb. and wished, many times, that I had High Beams and Fogs at the same time. That was the only thing that was bright enough on them dark British Columbian roads.
Granted, the 5000's are MUCH brighter but i just don't see the scattered (stray) light that you are suggestion is any different than the Silverstars or the OEM equipment for that matter.
Obviously there is no comparison between these and the retrofitting projector hids especially $$$cost!
Thank You for your input kaknslash. It's good to have another knowledgable HID guy on board.
Its all good spc! I'm sure for some out there, that a kit is a better choice for them. Usually this is because they don't feel confident opening up their headlights to retro in a projector. also, depending on which projector, shrouds might also have to be implemented as well to block any stray light escaping from the sides of the projector and to complete a "oem look". Check this thread out.. http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/view...highlight=srt4 (might be a member here). Anyways, from this pic you can see his ultinons are very bright at all on the ground. This is due to our oem housings. Granted its a poor pic because he took it on black pavement which eats up output, but it still shows that even though he has HID in his halogen housing, the lighting isn't all that great or atleast not IMO.
Here is a pic with just HID on in his headlights...
[img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0PgDZG!QRlx1QzVpvtyV2XnUV3ZtlAXP2J*qn2C1mt7Ptgh4TT vt2MSf!CVfDcYSTfmAcfe1ZdKrLBd4f7yiieZQjRqHupXQx/SRT77.jpg[/img]
Here is a pic of his fogs retroed with HID projectors. Notice how much more light is being thrown out? Also that is just one projector being lit.
Excellent information, thanks Hak! I'll probably put off the HIDs for now until i can afford to do a retrofit with HID projectors. That may be a long time though, since the only prices I've seen on HALOGEN projectors thus far was $560-600, and then the cost of the HIDs on top is $300-500... that's about a grand for some pretty headlights... a little rich for a $20k sport compact =[
Excellent information, thanks Hak! I'll probably put off the HIDs for now until i can afford to do a retrofit with HID projectors. That may be a long time though, since the only prices I've seen on HALOGEN projectors thus far was $560-600, and then the cost of the HIDs on top is $300-500... that's about a grand for some pretty headlights... a little rich for a $20k sport compact =[
Who gives a fuck if you blind people. If you know how to drive, you can drive all night long with every person driving with their high beams on. Simple as that.
Who gives a fuck if you blind people. If you know how to drive, you can drive all night long with every person driving with their high beams on. Simple as that.
This is just a plain dumb ass comment. Okay, good you can drive when people have their highbeams on. Whoop de do.
Now, when some poor old lady or whoever gets blinded and hits you head on. I'll read about you in the newspaper.
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06 WW EVO IX
Flash, Espelir DP, Test pipe/w exhaust cutout, Megan Racing Catback, Apexi Power Intake, Licp, Walbro 255, Greddy Profec EBC, ZT-2
This is just a plain dumb ass comment. Okay, good you can drive when people have their highbeams on. Whoop de do.
Now, when some poor old lady or whoever gets blinded and hits you head on. I'll read about you in the newspaper.
No, it is a smart comment. If you don't know how to drive your car with blinding light coming at you, you are a poor driver. It's actually pretty simple but I'll let you crash some day when you get annoyed by bright lights.
No, it is a smart comment. If you don't know how to drive your car with blinding light coming at you, you are a poor driver. It's actually pretty simple but I'll let you crash some day when you get annoyed by bright lights.
Bet you will not think that when you blind a 60 year old man who then smashes in to your car.
I'm going the projector route in the future. I like the way the beams are focused and I won't have to worry about offending other drivers who may not be in as good of shape as I am. I'm not the only person on the road. If I want people to respect my car for what it is, then I have to be respectful to others. I don't want to be known as the dickhead who drives the SRT-4.
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