fast377

iTrader: (52)

HIDs don't necessarily have to be in projector housings to work right. As far as OEM HIDs are concerned, there are two part numbers (well three if you count the D1S): D2R and D2S...one is for projector housings, and one is for standard housings. BUT most of the aftermarket "retro fit" HIDs need to be in projector housings.

michaelg589

iTrader: (1)

thats the oldest frickin story in the world. if anything like that was true, lemme tell ya id be dead, i get some serious road rage.

VIP1

HID retrofits are technically illegal.

HID in a HID projector is the optimal solution because it will focus and spead the light evenly without glare to other drivers. Some halogen projectors also do decently with HID.

HID should never be put into a halogen reflector housing. Those housings can't properly handle the light and almost always produce a bad beam pattern with glare. This doesnt stop some people though.

You can argue all you want, but those are the facts. Check out HIDPlanet's forums for plenty more info on HID and retrofits

This topic comes up often and gets into a heated argument. Do a search and you'll find other threads like this one with pictures.

Shockwave179

iTrader: (7)

I still don't agree with the majority of you. I don't think there is a comparison here. Like I said before HID kits in reflector housings that aren't originally meant for HID lights blind people and can't compare to the visibility increase of a real retrofit.

Compare this to..


this..


and this..

infinite_one

iTrader: (3)

you dont have anything to worry about until they quit making them standard on cars they cant just say you cant have them if the escalade down the street cam factory and you wont beleive how much better you can see with them anyone that doesnt think so needs a set of them to find out

98 WS6

iTrader: (20)

Does that look like **** to you?
Since I had my stock headlights in the car, I couldn't even tell they were ON. Now, I can see a stop sign fully illuminated 6 blocks down, which is a HUUUUGE improvement. Mine are aimed way down also, and i've never had a problem.
When it comes down to it, in a projector or reflective housing, they will still be bright regardless. Infiniti G35's blind the crap out of me, too.

01CaMMMaro

iTrader: (25)

not a very good comparison considering the two projector housing pictures are aimed at a wall so you can clearly see the cutoff... the other is in the middle of a parking lot!

98 WS6

iTrader: (20)

^I'm not trying to see through walls with HIDs like that either. Jesus

Shockwave179

iTrader: (7)

Taken from the thread where you first posted your setup.


It looks like its going to totally blind me if you're driving the other way in the oncoming lane, that's what it looks like. Just because you "aimed them down" doesn't mean you still aren't blinding people with glare. Either way you cut it you still don't have the proper cutoff hence the glare.

Obviously when cars come stock with a setup that produces more light and better visibility it’s going to be brighter than a halogen setup there’s no way to get around that.

Fine you want a better comparison you got it. Let’s try these on for size.

More from 98 WS6 where you can clearly see the glare going up towards the top of the fence.





and another from someone else’s car where the light is refracting all over the place.



Then we’ll just throw these in for good measure.













EDIT: I'll throw this into the mix too just to show you what the light pattern on a tsx projector retrofitted fbody looks like.

HibachiZ28

iTrader: (5)

Hey look, I'm in another one of these threads and Brian can start bitching.

He spoke to one of the people I've spoken with. Why am I a retard for stating facts? Obviously I'm not the only one saying this.

If you go HID's, please try to do it correct. Get some projectors. Look at the conversion VIP1 did. He did it right. Projectors & a crappy HID kit are magnanimously better than dropping HID's into a reflector housing. You're going to blind oncoming drivers, produce a crappy light output, and just **** people off at night.

Just save up some extra cash and do the correct conversion. EVERYONE will be happier.

Since my other post, I've talked to local and state Law Enforcement Officers. It seems to vary by department and location. Most state that if they aren't doing anything important, if they are being blinded by an oncoming driver, they will pull them over and most likely cite them or give them a "fix-it" ticket. They will also pull over/cite you if the headlights are "blue" .. aka, take a blank piece of white paper, put it in front of your headlights, and if the paper is anything other than white, it's illegal. So if you do go the HID route, I'd keep it to 4300K-5000K.

I don't need to say anymore for the moment.

96blackta

iTrader: (7)

Hahaha... how can someone say that HID bulbs don't improve visibility?!? I replaced the halogens on my mom's Ford Escape with HIDs, and the beams are brighter, reach farther, and go wider.

Super white > Halogen

HibachiZ28

iTrader: (5)

All quotes are per one of the best resources for lighting. Period. Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy & Suppy.

"When designing the optics (lens and/or reflector) for a lamp, the Characteristics of the light source are the driving factor around which everything else must be engineered. If you go and change the light source, you've done the equivalent of putting on somebody else's eyeglasses: You can probably make them fit on your face OK, but you won't see properly."

Uhm, because they really don't? It's a trick on your eyes.

"The most dangerous part of the attempt to "retrofit" Xenon headlamps is that sometimes you get a deceptive and illusory "improvement" in the performance of the headlamp. The performance of the headlamp is perceived to be "better" because of the much higher level of foreground lighting (on the road immediately in front of the car). However, the beam patterns produced by this kind of "conversion" virtually always give less distance light, and often an alarming lack of light where there's meant to be a relative maximum in light intensity. The result is the illusion that you can see better than you actually can, and that's not safe.

It's tricky to judge headlamp beam performance without a lot of knowledge, a lot of training and a lot of special equipment, because subjective perceptions are very misleading. Having a lot of strong light in the foreground, that is on the road close to the car and out to the sides, is very comforting and reliably produces a strong impression of "good headlights". The problem is that not only is foreground lighting of decidedly secondary importance when travelling much above 30 mph, but having a very strong pool of light close to the car causes your pupils to close down, worsening your distance vision...all the while giving you this false sense of security. This is to say nothing of the massive amounts of glare to other road users and backdazzle to you, the driver, that results from these "retrofits"."

VIP1

You should see a cut off line across the truck. Instead, the entire truck is lit up like the high beams are one. That is why its a bad idea to put HID in a Halogen Reflector housing.

And they shoot much higher than they are supposed to ....much like having the high beams stuck on.

96blackta

iTrader: (7)

Yea, our eyes are also "tricked" into seeing different shades and colors. Still an improvement, isn't it? Thanks.

foreverzero

iTrader: (5)

Well if I remember correctly my stock lights where all over the road too, and now I put HID's in and I can see better and read signs further down the road. Improvement, I think so. Also I had my wife drive my car on the opposite side of the road so I could see how bright they were for oncoming traffic, and it wasnt as bright as I thought it would be. I actually took the time to adjust them down.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

As usual this has turned into yet another debate

HIDs in reflector housings can, and do, scatter light. HIDs in projectors is the proper way to do it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

While reflectors with halogens do scatter some light too, it isn't as bad and halogens also aren't as bright. It isn't nearly as blinding as HIDs in reflector housings. What I find interesting is how pictures of the glare are even posted and people still defend it saying no no it doesn't glare that bad - o rly?

EvilBLK02TA

iTrader: (28)

This thread is funny

98 WS6

iTrader: (20)

Whoever posted those pics from my thread, don't use those pics because thats after I finished the installation and the lights were pointed WAAAAAAAAAAY up, I even stated it in the thread. I had a problem with the torx guide so i couldn't adjust them. Now that their pointed to the ground, all is well and I can see perfectly
I had my brother drive oncoming on some streets just to check. I myself have an eye problem and I know what it feels like to be blinded.. So i wanted to be sure I wouldn't do the same to other people.

Brian2006

iTrader: (42)

These threads are always funny

I'll go ahead and state my position once again.

Projector housings are always the optimal way to go. However, this isn't completely necessary on Camaros. These cars are low enough to the point that HIDs do NOT blind drivers or affect oncoming traffic. Most of the people who thing projectors is god's only creation for HIDs, haven't seen HIDs in these cars to begin with. If they actually saw it, they would understand that it's really not as bad as they make it out to be.

98 WS6

iTrader: (20)

Exactly.. A ford taurus was next to me today and I felt like an ant. I doubt my headlights ever get into someone's interior..
When it comes down to it, i'm trying to counter my retinal problem and night vision by using my HID setup, i'm worrying about myself.