Custom LT1 headlights
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From: Boston/Bahrain
Custom LT1 headlights Guys,
Im thinking about a new custom look for the LT1 front headlights... Ive seen the PIAA conversion which are basically small round headlights, and they do look nice
but im thinking of something a bit more custom, dont know how easy/hard this will be to do... Similar to their shape but angel eyes headlights, like the ones standard on the new BMW's:
any idea where to start? does anyone make anything looking like this?
Im thinking about a new custom look for the LT1 front headlights... Ive seen the PIAA conversion which are basically small round headlights, and they do look nice
but im thinking of something a bit more custom, dont know how easy/hard this will be to do... Similar to their shape but angel eyes headlights, like the ones standard on the new BMW's:
any idea where to start? does anyone make anything looking like this?
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From: The beautiful Kingdom of Bahrain
http://eurolamps.com/eurolamps/camaro_headlights.htm
And lets not forget the good ole 98+ front end swap which gives way to better legal headlights.
yikes, talk about ugly, the very first pic in this topic looks pretty cool, but the rest are pretty bad. you almost would have to make something totally custom. i was thinking about making a fiberglass mold that could sit right ontop of the ledge that already exists, and putting in some nice lights, but who knows.
[QUOTE=4ced]Guys,
Im thinking about a new custom look for the LT1 front headlights... Ive seen the PIAA conversion which are basically small round headlights, and they do look nice
Ive been toying with this also. Thinking of doing the PIAA and making fiberglass around it so i looks kinda like a C6 headlight. And lately ive been runnin the idea of somehow making a halo in there but after seeing those pics i think i just stick with my first idea.
Im thinking about a new custom look for the LT1 front headlights... Ive seen the PIAA conversion which are basically small round headlights, and they do look nice
Ive been toying with this also. Thinking of doing the PIAA and making fiberglass around it so i looks kinda like a C6 headlight. And lately ive been runnin the idea of somehow making a halo in there but after seeing those pics i think i just stick with my first idea.
I'm working on a setup like this. Already have 2 sets of PIAA 1000x's, (these are actually the first generation of these lights, that have an all black housing but are the same shape as the 1082's that became their replacement), and 2 sets of Catz XSL's.
I'm trying to source a set of headlights from another car that have Halo's in them that will be as close to the outer diameter in size to the Catz's as possible. The problem is that it's all guesswork: noboby who sells Halo's seems to be able to give me any kind've measurements for these lights. Right now, it looks like the closest I'm going to get to a match would be a set out of a 93-97 Acura Integra headlight assembly. I'm not even going to attempt to try and use the whole Integra headlight assembly in the install, but instead just make it a sacrificial lamb to get the Halo's out of it. I'll be making my own headlight surrounds, (that don't have lenses in them).
I plan on wiring it up so that the stock headlight switch will turn on the PIAA's (foglights) and the Halo's. I'm going to use the switches supplied with the Catz's and run them on the underside of the dash so that they're stealthed. Having it where the PIAA's and the Halo's are the primary lights is better I think because since the PIAA's are down low on the bumper there's less chance of blinding oncoming drivers. (Plus I can angle them downward slightly without it looking dorky if the need arises.) The Catz's will be used for high beams only.
I had originally planned on using the Catz's as foglights like the black Camaro up above does, but the PIAA's are oval and therefore wouldn't fit inside of a Halo, so I'll have to swap their placement. If I'm able to pull this off looks like I'll have a set of PIAA's for sale.
I'm trying to source a set of headlights from another car that have Halo's in them that will be as close to the outer diameter in size to the Catz's as possible. The problem is that it's all guesswork: noboby who sells Halo's seems to be able to give me any kind've measurements for these lights. Right now, it looks like the closest I'm going to get to a match would be a set out of a 93-97 Acura Integra headlight assembly. I'm not even going to attempt to try and use the whole Integra headlight assembly in the install, but instead just make it a sacrificial lamb to get the Halo's out of it. I'll be making my own headlight surrounds, (that don't have lenses in them).
I plan on wiring it up so that the stock headlight switch will turn on the PIAA's (foglights) and the Halo's. I'm going to use the switches supplied with the Catz's and run them on the underside of the dash so that they're stealthed. Having it where the PIAA's and the Halo's are the primary lights is better I think because since the PIAA's are down low on the bumper there's less chance of blinding oncoming drivers. (Plus I can angle them downward slightly without it looking dorky if the need arises.) The Catz's will be used for high beams only.
I had originally planned on using the Catz's as foglights like the black Camaro up above does, but the PIAA's are oval and therefore wouldn't fit inside of a Halo, so I'll have to swap their placement. If I'm able to pull this off looks like I'll have a set of PIAA's for sale.
Last edited by thesoundandthefury; Jun 11, 2006 at 10:43 PM.
That's my car. 
Only downside to that conversion is the pattern they project. Seeing how they're just fog lights;...night vision sucks. If I could get HID's in that size vs the Hella's it would be a good fit....but the hella's are just too big for my taste so I'll be switching back to the stk headlight set but HID's and ditching the DGM fog light's as well since I run a FMIC now. 
I could cut it open but the thought of cutting carbon is a bit too much for me to bear tight now.
Only downside to that conversion is the pattern they project. Seeing how they're just fog lights;...night vision sucks. If I could get HID's in that size vs the Hella's it would be a good fit....but the hella's are just too big for my taste so I'll be switching back to the stk headlight set but HID's and ditching the DGM fog light's as well since I run a FMIC now. I could cut it open but the thought of cutting carbon is a bit too much for me to bear tight now. Trending Topics
Originally Posted by SRZ
That's my car. Only downside to that conversion is the pattern they project. Seeing how they're just fog lights;...night vision sucks. If I could get HID's in that size vs the Hella's it would be a good fit....but the hella's are just too big for my taste so I'll be switching back to the stk headlight set but HID's and ditching the DGM fog light's as well since I run a FMIC now. I could cut it open but the thought of cutting carbon is a bit too much for me to bear tight now.
Only downside to that conversion is the pattern they project. Seeing how they're just fog lights;...night vision sucks. If I could get HID's in that size vs the Hella's it would be a good fit....but the hella's are just too big for my taste so I'll be switching back to the stk headlight set but HID's and ditching the DGM fog light's as well since I run a FMIC now. I could cut it open but the thought of cutting carbon is a bit too much for me to bear tight now.LS1 Tech Stories
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Originally Posted by thesoundandthefury
It's a nice setup. That pic of your car is what inspired me to even try this in the first place. Are you saying the PIAA's aren't good for night vision or what? All the stuff I've read on them has said they'll light up a football stadium.
Oh they'll light up. Mine are 95 watt's and have a blueish tint to them but they blind everyone that's in oncoming traffic no matter how far you aim them down. The fog lights are even brighter! It's like X-ray you see through everyone's car. LOL!
Thanks for the compliment. I've had that look almost 10yrs now and was inspired by a car Rytek built in early 96 minus the quad fog's. Didn't look right w/ out the quads so I bought that as well in 96. Cops harass me because they're not DOT legal but I haven't had that problem since being overseas the last 6 yrs.
Originally Posted by SRZ
Oh they'll light up. Mine are 95 watt's and have a blueish tint to them but they blind everyone that's in oncoming traffic no matter how far you aim them down. The fog lights are even brighter! It's like X-ray you see through everyone's car. LOL!
Thanks for the compliment. I've had that look almost 10yrs now and was inspired by a car Rytek built in early 96 minus the quad fog's. Didn't look right w/ out the quads so I bought that as well in 96. Cops harass me because they're not DOT legal but I haven't had that problem since being overseas the last 6 yrs.
Thanks for the compliment. I've had that look almost 10yrs now and was inspired by a car Rytek built in early 96 minus the quad fog's. Didn't look right w/ out the quads so I bought that as well in 96. Cops harass me because they're not DOT legal but I haven't had that problem since being overseas the last 6 yrs.
Originally Posted by thesoundandthefury
How's the cutoff point on them? I was thinking if the light dispersion angle turns out to be too wide, I might try narrowing the focus by painting a border around the edge of the lenses and shrinking the "hole" that the light goes through.
Best way to do it and to have it look good would be 4 of the Hella 90mm. They run about $58 ea.
http://faqlight.carpassion.info/hella-90mm/
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/90mm_modules.asp
They use a H9 bulb, but can be adapted to hold D2S HID bulbs if you wanted to convert your low beams to HID. HID kit runs about $300. The cutoff and beam shape of the projectors are absolutely superior. You won't be disappointed.
I have more pics of that green car above (let me know if you want to see them). He used the Hella reflector high beam, which looks different, so cosmetically you may not like it. Getting 4 matching projectors looks better in my opinion. You just aim the inner ones higher or you can remove the cutoff shield to get a big circular beam of light. Either way it will work fine.
You can also make a cosmetic cover to fit around the lights or to cover them. Lexan with a scratch resistant film will work real well. Just paint the area where the light doesn't shine through. Would look real good in my opinion.
If you even think you may want to go HID in the future, then the Hella 90 is the way to go.
Originally Posted by thesoundandthefury
How's the cutoff point on them? I was thinking if the light dispersion angle turns out to be too wide, I might try narrowing the focus by painting a border around the edge of the lenses and shrinking the "hole" that the light goes through.
Oh yea, I'm not a fan of the halo's or angel eye's, but you CAN make them yourself.
http://www.crx.lt/content.php?article.13
http://www.crx.lt/content.php?article.13
JasonWW: thanks for the tips on the HID stuff. I think if I ever try to do anything HID, I'll just modify the housings I already have for a custom fit. I've got $650 in these lights which is too much of an investment to throw them out and start over with something totally different. Besides, I think the PIAA's are the perfect size and shape for this conversion: the Hella's are nice, but they make the car look "dazed."
I was mainly suggesting the Hella to 4ced.
Skyline? I think you mean the Silvia S13.
Originally Posted by Honda Hunter
There is the Piaa, the Hella 90mm, mod/stock, the FF75's (what I have), and the skyline.
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Originally Posted by JasonWW
I was mainly suggesting the Hella to 4ced.
Skyline? I think you mean the Silvia S13.
Skyline? I think you mean the Silvia S13.
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Originally Posted by JasonWW
At first I thought there really was a Skyline light that I wasn't aware of. I wanted to see it! Then it dawned on me, you probably meant the Silvia's. 
Somebody else once told me to CRX lights may fit also but I dunno if it's ever been tried. 
