New Headlight Style Opinions
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (25)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
New Headlight Style Opinions I plan to retrofit the headlights in my TA anyways but I am trying to see what thoughts would be on both options. I am not a fan of how high the headlights flip up so I was initially thinking of just eliminating the entire headlight assembly and making my own housing for non-pop up headlights. Then I got thinking a little more and the idea for "sleepy eye" headlights came to mind since the lights do flip up. Did a little searching around and found examples of both.
Thoughts on either style? Honest opinion please. These are not exactly how I will do the lights but this gives a general idea of what it would somewhat look like.
"sleepy eye"
Non-pop up
Thoughts on either style? Honest opinion please. These are not exactly how I will do the lights but this gives a general idea of what it would somewhat look like.
"sleepy eye"
Non-pop up
Honestly the "sleepy eye" thing looks like total garbage to me and I can't conceive of how much worse the lighting must be with how much it would restrict the light just from so much of the lens being behind or to low to the bumper, would be worse then an LT1 camaro.
besides man, with the superhawk hood (you are one of the guys with one of them right?) you can barely see the headlight lids when your driving anyway due to the hood.
as for the non-pop up, I like the idea of it, but have yet to see anything that looks good and seals well, but in all honesty I think not having headlight covers would ruin the look of the car during the day.
besides man, with the superhawk hood (you are one of the guys with one of them right?) you can barely see the headlight lids when your driving anyway due to the hood.
as for the non-pop up, I like the idea of it, but have yet to see anything that looks good and seals well, but in all honesty I think not having headlight covers would ruin the look of the car during the day.
Sleepy eye- would they close like normal, and then just not pop up as high when turned on?
Non pop up- not really a fan myself. Just doesn't really flow with the car all that well. The only cars I've somewhat liked with non pop ups have been the guys with the breathless performance kits, with the housing painted to match the car and the lens removed. The problem with that kit is the mid match shapes of the lights.
Non pop up- not really a fan myself. Just doesn't really flow with the car all that well. The only cars I've somewhat liked with non pop ups have been the guys with the breathless performance kits, with the housing painted to match the car and the lens removed. The problem with that kit is the mid match shapes of the lights.
The sleepy eye ones would be cool if they functioned completely, you would definately have to move the lights forward and do quite a bit of custom work to get them adjusted correctly with good enough output though.
I also haven't seen a decent looking non-popup set yet?
I also haven't seen a decent looking non-popup set yet?
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (25)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
Honestly the "sleepy eye" thing looks like total garbage to me and I can't conceive of how much worse the lighting must be with how much it would restrict the light just from so much of the lens being behind or to low to the bumper, would be worse then an LT1 camaro.
besides man, with the superhawk hood (you are one of the guys with one of them right?) you can barely see the headlight lids when your driving anyway due to the hood.
as for the non-pop up, I like the idea of it, but have yet to see anything that looks good and seals well, but in all honesty I think not having headlight covers would ruin the look of the car during the day.
besides man, with the superhawk hood (you are one of the guys with one of them right?) you can barely see the headlight lids when your driving anyway due to the hood.
as for the non-pop up, I like the idea of it, but have yet to see anything that looks good and seals well, but in all honesty I think not having headlight covers would ruin the look of the car during the day.
Yes I do have the superhawk hood and no you cannot see them when they are up
however, I just don't like how it looks from the front with them all the way up. The headlight cover thing is what has been holding me back and why I considered the sleepy eye. Sleepy eye- would they close like normal, and then just not pop up as high when turned on?
Non pop up- not really a fan myself. Just doesn't really flow with the car all that well. The only cars I've somewhat liked with non pop ups have been the guys with the breathless performance kits, with the housing painted to match the car and the lens removed. The problem with that kit is the mid match shapes of the lights.
Non pop up- not really a fan myself. Just doesn't really flow with the car all that well. The only cars I've somewhat liked with non pop ups have been the guys with the breathless performance kits, with the housing painted to match the car and the lens removed. The problem with that kit is the mid match shapes of the lights.
The sleepy eye ones would be cool if they functioned completely, you would definately have to move the lights forward and do quite a bit of custom work to get them adjusted correctly with good enough output though.
I also haven't seen a decent looking non-popup set yet?
I also haven't seen a decent looking non-popup set yet?
Thank you for the honest opinion. Seriously.
I can agree with this statement. Luckily, when it's dark out, it matters least to me. If I were you, I would just do a retrofit while keeping the stock function of the headlights. That way you could see your nice work on the lights and look past the oddball look of the headlights themselves.
Trending Topics
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 0
From: VA
Definitely sleepy eyes. The other just looks bad - especially with the eyelids which always look like someone slapped a sticker up there. But I think the sleepy eye would look a lot better if higher when raised. Not sure how much it would affect your high beam vision though.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
I could swear someone on here was trying to fit c6 headlights into a firebird a while back, Not sure of the progress. I for one hate and love the pop up headlights. when the lids are down my car looks awesome (Being white and having a superhawk hood) but the lighting itself (non-hids) is terrible. also having the worry if a motor decided to just crap out on me is always a daily reminder when i switch them on.
You should get real wild and have the lights flip 180* in whatever direction you can. You could have the smooth lines of the lights down then the appearance of the breathless kit with them on.
Personally I'd say leave them alone. Sleepy eyes look ricer to me(I think Nissan 240 when I see them). Only way I'd ever consider the breathless is if they were VHT'd super dark to blend with the black car, but then you'd kill your light output.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (25)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
I am not entirely sure yet. I really liked the output of the FX-r's I had in my other car. I am between the TL projectors, EvoX-R, and the FX-r's. I'll have to talk more with matt over at TRS and find out. Still debating on whether or not I want to do 2 or 1 projector on each side too.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (25)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
I'm going to do sleep eyes first and if I don't like it then I can remove the whole assembly and build non pop ups 
I've been working on designing a "sleepy eye" system for my T/A, thought it's been on hold for some time. I plan to use some sort of linear actuator (air or electric, haven't decided) instead of the gear motor and essentially build the entire assembly from scratch. In order to keep the opening small, you'd be hard pressed to squeeze in FX-R projectors, even more so a TL unit. You'd be better off using a Morimoto mini or matchbox for bixenon, or possibly a matched set of sealed Hella 60mm. I plan to use a Mini H1, fwiw. My biggest hold-back at this point, honestly, is finding a way to mount the headlight lids to a custom projector housing/bracket, since the lids are just held down by flimsy tabs that don't seem to have any sort of datum structure to them.
If you're interested, I've got an old short thread with some of my thoughts in it. Keep in touch with any progress.
If you're interested, I've got an old short thread with some of my thoughts in it. Keep in touch with any progress.
i tried this years back but it took the ongoing back burner so i reverted to stock. I treid to get creative with stock brackets and motors. It worked but i never got around with experimenting with fiberglass to make the shrouds.
light output will be fine with projectors as you can see by my horrifically aimed mini h1s. no unwanted blockages of light though as you can see and thats just one projector. Now that some of the things that kept me from progress are out of the way i'd like to try at this again.
light output will be fine with projectors as you can see by my horrifically aimed mini h1s. no unwanted blockages of light though as you can see and thats just one projector. Now that some of the things that kept me from progress are out of the way i'd like to try at this again.