Serious discussion on HIDs (long)
Originally Posted by CMKworm
so can you buy projectors for ls1 maros?
Probably a really bad question but...
Is it safe to say, that if I were to get a plug and play kit and just spent time adjusting them, it would be safe?
Or should I just wait and get projectors?
I've tryed to read up on some of the installations of them and peoples experiences with retrofitting... and it just seems to be a huge pain in the *** and takes a lot of time
Is it safe to say, that if I were to get a plug and play kit and just spent time adjusting them, it would be safe?
Or should I just wait and get projectors?
I've tryed to read up on some of the installations of them and peoples experiences with retrofitting... and it just seems to be a huge pain in the *** and takes a lot of time
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From: Eastern MA
Originally Posted by CMKworm
so can you buy projectors for ls1 maros?
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ght=camaro+hid.
http://community.webshots.com/album/116863233uyEamc
Check this thread for more on projectors:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...=623222&page=1
Originally Posted by SStewy
Probably a really bad question but...
Is it safe to say, that if I were to get a plug and play kit and just spent time adjusting them, it would be safe?
Or should I just wait and get projectors?
I've tryed to read up on some of the installations of them and peoples experiences with retrofitting... and it just seems to be a huge pain in the *** and takes a lot of time
Is it safe to say, that if I were to get a plug and play kit and just spent time adjusting them, it would be safe?
Or should I just wait and get projectors?
I've tryed to read up on some of the installations of them and peoples experiences with retrofitting... and it just seems to be a huge pain in the *** and takes a lot of time
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From: Bensalem, Pa, now montreal, Quebec
you have to adjust them without a projector. Its like a tune, takes some time and effort to do if you want it good. I would love a projector setup and i would pay reasonable amount of money to have it done to my car as my night vision sucks. Dirtybird, let us know when you come up with some for the ls1 camaros. If some manufacturer just stepped up, they would sell thousands im sure.
Go with projectors and don't look back. I would have if there was something readily available for the LT1 birds but again...it's not a bad setup and I have never been flashed or find the beam pattern to be offensive. HID is a very intense light source compared to halogens. In many instances, people think OEM HID cars are blinding but they also don't realize they act like deers when they see them....looking into the oncoming light. I prefer the even distribution and control of a projector housing which in the future I hope to see available. For now, I will stick with what I have and be different than the next guy.
-brian
-brian
HID's in halogen housings are fine, people just don't get the point that YOU HAVE TO AIM YOUR LIGHTS (most are these ricers who think its cool to **** people off, I know a lot of them, I grew up with them).
In most cars its not that bad, but in cars built with the H4 type housings(Civics like the picture above) its going to be worse. Now some housings, particularly aftermarket are fine, but OEM is where the most problems are.
That housing is built for a specific amount of light to hit a specific area. When you put an HID bulb in there, that is going to be putting out 3-4X as much light as the stock halogen which is going to spread light everywhere, including the part of the housing that is made ONLY FOR THE HIGH BEAM. So comparing the Civic to most other cars is not all that fair.
Projectors are GREAT, but they are also very exspensive. Not that many people are willing to pay $700+ on a set of headlights.
I've been screwing around with HIDs since I was about 16, yes I had them in a Honda, not a civic though. I've had them in every car since. I have never been flashed, never gotten a ticket for them, never had any complaints on them. Why? Because I took the time to properly aim them so I wouldn't blind oncoming traffic.
If you have the time and money to do projectors, go for it. You definetly won't regret it. They are just bada$$. If you don't have that much and would rather get the HIDs for the stock housings, do it, just take the time to re-aim your headlights to be courteous to your fellow drivers.
-Nathan
In most cars its not that bad, but in cars built with the H4 type housings(Civics like the picture above) its going to be worse. Now some housings, particularly aftermarket are fine, but OEM is where the most problems are.
That housing is built for a specific amount of light to hit a specific area. When you put an HID bulb in there, that is going to be putting out 3-4X as much light as the stock halogen which is going to spread light everywhere, including the part of the housing that is made ONLY FOR THE HIGH BEAM. So comparing the Civic to most other cars is not all that fair.
Projectors are GREAT, but they are also very exspensive. Not that many people are willing to pay $700+ on a set of headlights.
I've been screwing around with HIDs since I was about 16, yes I had them in a Honda, not a civic though. I've had them in every car since. I have never been flashed, never gotten a ticket for them, never had any complaints on them. Why? Because I took the time to properly aim them so I wouldn't blind oncoming traffic.
If you have the time and money to do projectors, go for it. You definetly won't regret it. They are just bada$$. If you don't have that much and would rather get the HIDs for the stock housings, do it, just take the time to re-aim your headlights to be courteous to your fellow drivers.
-Nathan
Thanks for the info LS1_SS... Abunch of people I know are probably going to get a groupbuy together soon, and I didn't know if i just HAD to have the projectors or if aiming them would be fine...
Hopefully we should be doing it soon and I'll probably be back with pictures
Hopefully we should be doing it soon and I'll probably be back with pictures
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check this from an earlier thread that i posted a while ago...
Originally Posted by FLAWLS1T/A
I really hope this thread can help you guys. You're making the road more dangerous than it already is by adding a HID kit to your car. so please do HID the right way by doing a retrofit.
HID kits are illegal due to the glare that they cause. Glare is Light that is emitted in a Uncontrollable path. When light is traveling in a uncontrollable path it can hit other vehicle operators affecting there vision because of the High amount of uncontrollable light that is being Emitted from a HID kit in a standard Halogen housing. If you have ever turned a flashlight on right in front of your face while it is dark out, that is the same feeling that the other drivers on the road experience from a standard HID kit.
OEM Vehicles such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus are all equipped with HID or Xenon Headlights. Some use reflector housing’s without projectors. Others use HID projectors.
The Lexus IS300 is a Prime Example of a HID reflector housing. It does not use a Projector. It uses a Specially designed Reflector housing that is meant to use HID. This does not create the Super sharp cutoff. But it does control where the light is being Emitted.
Other vehicles such as the Honda S2000 Use HID projectors, These Projectors are meant to use HID. They are Specially Designed and have been tested Hundreds of times to get the right projection of light while maintaining a Good Cutoff.
Here are pictures of Halogen housings mated with a HID kit
9006 6000k HID Kit... mad glare
This teg is a prime example of Glare. This is what it looks like to oncoming traffic
Disaster pix. HID kit in Halogen Housing
NOW THE GOOD stuff..lol
This is what HID is suppose to look like.. Pictured is a STi
Talk about a Razor Sharp Cutoff. Pictured is a S2000 OEM setup
another S2000 Retrofit… YUMMY
Article stating why the kits are illegal.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/glare.html
See the difference?
Its not just honda's either. Here is a mid 90's Lexus with a HID kit..
To date, NHTSA has investigated 24 HID conversion kit suppliers; all investigations have resulted in recalls or termination of sales.
RM Racing
Astex USA
Kmax International
FET, Inc.
J. Liu LLC
Gourmet Garage
JC Whitney
Lighting Research
SPW Industries, Inc.
Pacific Micro-lite
McCulloch Motors, Inc.
Santeca Electronics
JF Manufacturing
Streetglow, Inc.
Outback Products, Inc.
Nu Performance
GR Motorsports, Inc.
Global Premier
New Clor
Importhookup.com
DG International
MTC Lighting
Umnitza
Liteglow
American Products Company
Enjoy fellas, i hope you learned something about HID's, now if there was only a way i could do something for my t/a.. . .hahaha
HID kits are illegal due to the glare that they cause. Glare is Light that is emitted in a Uncontrollable path. When light is traveling in a uncontrollable path it can hit other vehicle operators affecting there vision because of the High amount of uncontrollable light that is being Emitted from a HID kit in a standard Halogen housing. If you have ever turned a flashlight on right in front of your face while it is dark out, that is the same feeling that the other drivers on the road experience from a standard HID kit.
OEM Vehicles such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus are all equipped with HID or Xenon Headlights. Some use reflector housing’s without projectors. Others use HID projectors.
The Lexus IS300 is a Prime Example of a HID reflector housing. It does not use a Projector. It uses a Specially designed Reflector housing that is meant to use HID. This does not create the Super sharp cutoff. But it does control where the light is being Emitted.
Other vehicles such as the Honda S2000 Use HID projectors, These Projectors are meant to use HID. They are Specially Designed and have been tested Hundreds of times to get the right projection of light while maintaining a Good Cutoff.
Here are pictures of Halogen housings mated with a HID kit
9006 6000k HID Kit... mad glare
This teg is a prime example of Glare. This is what it looks like to oncoming traffic
Disaster pix. HID kit in Halogen Housing
NOW THE GOOD stuff..lol
This is what HID is suppose to look like.. Pictured is a STi
Talk about a Razor Sharp Cutoff. Pictured is a S2000 OEM setup
another S2000 Retrofit… YUMMY
Article stating why the kits are illegal.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/glare.html
See the difference?
Its not just honda's either. Here is a mid 90's Lexus with a HID kit..
To date, NHTSA has investigated 24 HID conversion kit suppliers; all investigations have resulted in recalls or termination of sales.
RM Racing
Astex USA
Kmax International
FET, Inc.
J. Liu LLC
Gourmet Garage
JC Whitney
Lighting Research
SPW Industries, Inc.
Pacific Micro-lite
McCulloch Motors, Inc.
Santeca Electronics
JF Manufacturing
Streetglow, Inc.
Outback Products, Inc.
Nu Performance
GR Motorsports, Inc.
Global Premier
New Clor
Importhookup.com
DG International
MTC Lighting
Umnitza
Liteglow
American Products Company
Enjoy fellas, i hope you learned something about HID's, now if there was only a way i could do something for my t/a.. . .hahaha
I'm surprised this hasn't really come up yet...a lot of people say "Well what about the cars that come from the factory with reflectors and HIDs, like the Toyota Prius?"
As mentioned before, these cars have specially designed diffusers, but most, if not all, also use a D2R HID bulb. The D2R bulb is specifically ment for reflector housings. I still don't understand why these people who make aftermarket plug & play kits don't offer D2R bulbs which are ment for reflector housings instead of projectors. They have a shield painted onto the bulb in a specific pattern to produce somewhat of a cutoff (nothing like a projector, but at least it's something). D2S bulbs are ment for projectors.
I'm not going to try and argue one way vs another (I have projectors so I'm probably biased towards that), but I just wanted to share the info about the different bulb types.
I'll leave with this...use the FAQ and forums on hidplanet.com. They have more info than you'd ever want on HID's
As mentioned before, these cars have specially designed diffusers, but most, if not all, also use a D2R HID bulb. The D2R bulb is specifically ment for reflector housings. I still don't understand why these people who make aftermarket plug & play kits don't offer D2R bulbs which are ment for reflector housings instead of projectors. They have a shield painted onto the bulb in a specific pattern to produce somewhat of a cutoff (nothing like a projector, but at least it's something). D2S bulbs are ment for projectors.
I'm not going to try and argue one way vs another (I have projectors so I'm probably biased towards that), but I just wanted to share the info about the different bulb types.
I'll leave with this...use the FAQ and forums on hidplanet.com. They have more info than you'd ever want on HID's