What to buy.. Projectors
what u think of these headlights plus hid kit on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-9...QQcmdZViewItem
it looks like a pretty good deal and i heard that those projectors have a pretty good cutoff. just taught u might find it interesting.
it looks like a pretty good deal and i heard that those projectors have a pretty good cutoff. just taught u might find it interesting.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/710357-lighting-faq.html
Scroll down to my install.
what u think of these headlights plus hid kit on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-9...QQcmdZViewItem
it looks like a pretty good deal and i heard that those projectors have a pretty good cutoff. just taught u might find it interesting.
it looks like a pretty good deal and i heard that those projectors have a pretty good cutoff. just taught u might find it interesting.
find yourself a set of e46 bosch bmw projectors or tsx projectors and get them retrofitted into your headlight housings. pick up a "kit" from ledgauges or buy a set of OEM ballasts and bulbs.
Yup, its in the Lighting FAQ.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=710357
Scroll down to my install.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=710357
Scroll down to my install.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
Yes, those are the included Osram 65W Halogen H9 bulbs.
I'm planning on modifying the cut-off soon to be square stepped (like a S2000, Audi, etc) instead of slanted and shorten the step-up so I can raise the lights a little more for better down-road illumination on the left and for them to be more level with the ground for a longer distance. They don't look it in that pic, but they are slightly down noticeable at a few car lengths and when driving next too a wall (still further than the stock sealed beams though), but the step is too high for me to aim the lights any higher (the step would probably end up over the trunk of a car a length or two in front of me).
Even left as they are, they are much better than the stock lights. I've had them since spring. I'm happy.
Since you are going to use them in the fog light location, your best bet may be to level-off the cut-off and set the beam level with the ground like a normal fog light beam cut-off.
I'm planning on modifying the cut-off soon to be square stepped (like a S2000, Audi, etc) instead of slanted and shorten the step-up so I can raise the lights a little more for better down-road illumination on the left and for them to be more level with the ground for a longer distance. They don't look it in that pic, but they are slightly down noticeable at a few car lengths and when driving next too a wall (still further than the stock sealed beams though), but the step is too high for me to aim the lights any higher (the step would probably end up over the trunk of a car a length or two in front of me).
Even left as they are, they are much better than the stock lights. I've had them since spring. I'm happy.
Since you are going to use them in the fog light location, your best bet may be to level-off the cut-off and set the beam level with the ground like a normal fog light beam cut-off.
Last edited by VIP1; Dec 8, 2007 at 07:30 AM.
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Modifying the cutoff shield is relatively self explanatory. However, the repercussions of even the slightest change in the shield are not widely told. I just finished modifying the cutoff on a set of projectors for my vw. Here's the link...
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3551726
Hopefully that can give you some insight on what's involved and one way of modifying the shield. Take note of where I explain my extremely slight scratching of the shield in a certain spot and the different light pattern it produced.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3551726
Hopefully that can give you some insight on what's involved and one way of modifying the shield. Take note of where I explain my extremely slight scratching of the shield in a certain spot and the different light pattern it produced.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
My driver-side is now a short square step like a S2000. The passenger side is going to be level and I'm going to aim it to match the high side of the driver-side's step-up.
Since you are going to use these for a fog light, you'd want a level line which is easier to do than the stepped line I made. You can either make a new shield or glue some metal to the existing shield to make a level line (I saw someone do this with some high-heat glue, If I see it, I'll post it).
I'm interested to see how your pattern comes out since you filed the edges down, VIP1. The accidental mark that I made on mine, which I feel would equate to similar marks created by filing, caused a quite noticeable light burst (which you can see in my link). I can only think that an entire filed down edge wouldn't give you a very sharp line. I could be wrong.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
I should be able to take pictures tonight.
I'll admit its not as sharp as the original, but its not a mess or color burst. Its more like a larger blue band, which many people aim for. I'd rather have a sharper line, so I worked at it as best I could.
Why don't you think filing would work? We filed evenly/flatly until the line was flat and baby-but smooth. The sharpness that I mentioned is due to the distance of the shield to the bulb. The original shield was stepped inward toward the bulb. After mounting the new shield, I slowly bent it and testing it through trial and error to get it as close as possible. I'll admit its not 100% perfect, but its pretty good. The band is still smaller than when people washer mod other projectors (which gives the large blue band).
I'll admit its not as sharp as the original, but its not a mess or color burst. Its more like a larger blue band, which many people aim for. I'd rather have a sharper line, so I worked at it as best I could.
Why don't you think filing would work? We filed evenly/flatly until the line was flat and baby-but smooth. The sharpness that I mentioned is due to the distance of the shield to the bulb. The original shield was stepped inward toward the bulb. After mounting the new shield, I slowly bent it and testing it through trial and error to get it as close as possible. I'll admit its not 100% perfect, but its pretty good. The band is still smaller than when people washer mod other projectors (which gives the large blue band).
I'm sure it works, it just won't be as sharp (by sharp I mean a solid color with no rainbow effects going on) of a cutoff line than something that was cut by a waterjet, or something of the sort. That's all I was saying.
Be sure to post up pics when you get them.
Be sure to post up pics when you get them.
Complaints or not, it's 99.99% odds that it's a POS kit. If you wanna get them because they are cheap, then go for it. However, going about piecing together an HID kit simply based on cheapness will show in the end. If there is any mod that is linearly equivalent in pricing and quality, it's HID components and projectors.
people price items on ebay like this becouse of how ebay charges to sell items. if his ebay fee is based on the sale price of the item, its better for him to sell it for mad cheap, and recoupe the money on shipping and only pay for the relitivly small price of the sale, since the shipping cost isnt used to calulate how much he owes ebay for the commision. i havnt looked at the item, so i really dont have an opinion on the quality but i wouldnt nessisarly say its junk becouse of how much the auction is, he is just getting over on a loop hole on ebays pricing.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
people price items on ebay like this becouse of how ebay charges to sell items. if his ebay fee is based on the sale price of the item, its better for him to sell it for mad cheap, and recoupe the money on shipping and only pay for the relitivly small price of the sale, since the shipping cost isnt used to calulate how much he owes ebay for the commision. i havnt looked at the item, so i really dont have an opinion on the quality but i wouldnt nessisarly say its junk becouse of how much the auction is, he is just getting over on a loop hole on ebays pricing.
Alright. I'm looking forward to seeing how the cutoff looks. Be sure to get some pics up when you're done.
I think I'm just going to stick with the included bulbs for a while and get an HID kit a bit down the road.
Where did you find those male H9 connectors? [it's the male end I'm going to need, correct?]
I think I'm just going to stick with the included bulbs for a while and get an HID kit a bit down the road.
Where did you find those male H9 connectors? [it's the male end I'm going to need, correct?]
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
If you file down the existing shield, you'll raise the low side and produce a greater hot spot on center. Your best bet is to add metal to the high high to bring it down level with the low side. Some people have used high-heat glue to attach a strip of metal to the back of the shield to make a level cut-off. An alternative is to make a new shield like my brother and I did.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
Alright. I'm looking forward to seeing how the cutoff looks. Be sure to get some pics up when you're done.
I think I'm just going to stick with the included bulbs for a while and get an HID kit a bit down the road.
Where did you find those male H9 connectors? [it's the male end I'm going to need, correct?]
I think I'm just going to stick with the included bulbs for a while and get an HID kit a bit down the road.
Where did you find those male H9 connectors? [it's the male end I'm going to need, correct?]
(The mounting plates came in that ebay auction you posted earlier, but are sold seperately from Rally Lights....don't forget them, they make installation much easier.)
When I bought a HID kit, I also needed male H9 connectors so that it would connect into the female H9 connectors that I had already grafted into the car's harness for the projectors. You'll need them later also, unless you just want to cut off the female H9 connectors later and graft in the HID kit. I wanted something easily reversible/removable. Unfortunately, it appears that male H9 connectors don't exist so I had to buy two H9 bulbs and break them to use their bases as male H9 connectors.
Last edited by VIP1; Dec 10, 2007 at 09:43 PM.