HID conversion on 97 Camaro
Plus, I agree with Cobrahunter on muttering *******!
-Justin
I agree that projectors are the best way to go, but for some people it is impossible, such as us with LT1 Camaros.
I have HID's in the stock housings of my Regal which has a mod similar to a whistler done to the lights which reduces glare. Having HIDs in a regular housing does produce more glare than a projector, but it is not NEARLY as bad as lifted trucks or SUVs whose headlights are at eye level or above those of us who drive cars as long as it is done with some discretion as to where to aim the lights.
* dragonrage & Whitebird are right. Installing HID in Halogen Reflectors is the wrong way to do it. Then again, most people on this site don't care that they are doing harm to others. When someone comes towards me with that setup, I literally slow down, try to focus to the right to make it by due to the blinding glare reducing my vision's effective distance.
* Go for the FX-R projectors instead of TSX if you can fit it. The FX-R has a better beam and is bi-xenon (meaning hi/lo in one projector). The price is similar and its not much larger. The FX-R should fit in the LS1 Camaro housings.
* You can put projectors on the LT1 Camaro. Check out the Lighting FAQ. Just to further the point that you can replace sealed beam housings with projectors. I've done it. Also, many others have also done it with better projectors than what I used. You can check out the Lighting FAQ on here or the Forums at HID Planet.
* EsCrasston is correct by extension that installing HID in any vehicle that didn't come equipped with it from the factory is illegal. That is Federal law. But there are different levels of illegality here. The difference here is that HID in HID projectors will give you the best output, won't bother others any more than factory lighting, and generally go unnoticed by police and inspectors as long as you make it look factory.
Last edited by VIP1; Nov 30, 2009 at 01:16 AM.
* You can put projectors on the LT1 Camaro. Check out the Lighting FAQ. Just to further the point that you can replace sealed beam housings with projectors. I've done it. Also, many others have also done it with better projectors than what I used. You can check out the Lighting FAQ on here or the Forums at HID Planet.
"I find your lights annoying and did you know that they're illegal?"
"Yeah, well, I think your exhaust is loud and obnoxious and did you know your cat-less exhaust with the cut outs is illegal?"
While I get that the light issue could lead to a accident (remote but, possible)
I find arguing the legality to be downright amusing. Especially when scrolling though posts I read about guys with loud exhausts and how much the neighbors hate them but they don't care. For the record I find Harleys to be the most annoying things on the road. They disturb the peace with a "don't give a ****" attitude in the name of so-called safety. That being heard makes them less likely to be hit. That's not a reason to be obnoxious yet police typically turn a blind eye to it. Especially in Pennsylvania (I lived there for a year.) Can't even enjoy a damn T.V. show due to it being drowned out by loud bikes. And the stock lighting is HORRIBLE on a Firebird. And only barely better on a Camaro. So what pray tell are we to do? Suffer? Lobby the government to allow a safe headlight upgrade program? As long as there is a want, someone will make a product. Legal or not. I don't think anyone wishes a accident on anyone else, I hope for a affordable, safe and reliable lighting alternative. And I am one of those that plans a HID upgrade for my WS6. Sealed beams on a car that came out well after HIDs were offered on other models is a joke. At least they could have given us simple bulbs to deal with.

* dragonrage & Whitebird are right. Installing HID in Halogen Reflectors is the wrong way to do it. Then again, most people on this site don't care that they are doing harm to others. When someone comes towards me with that setup, I literally slow down, try to focus to the right to make it by due to the blinding glare reducing my vision's effective distance.
* Go for the FX-R projectors instead of TSX if you can fit it. The FX-R has a better beam and is bi-xenon (meaning hi/lo in one projector). The price is similar and its not much larger. The FX-R should fit in the LS1 Camaro housings.
* You can put projectors on the LT1 Camaro. Check out the Lighting FAQ. Just to further the point that you can replace sealed beam housings with projectors. I've done it. Also, many others have also done it with better projectors than what I used. You can check out the Lighting FAQ on here or the Forums at HID Planet.
* EsCrasston is correct by extension that installing HID in any vehicle that didn't come equipped with it from the factory is illegal. That is Federal law. But there are different levels of illegality here. The difference here is that HID in HID projectors will give you the best output, won't bother others any more than factory lighting, and generally go unnoticed by police and inspectors as long as you make it look factory.
"I find your lights annoying and did you know that they're illegal?"
"Yeah, well, I think your exhaust is loud and obnoxious and did you know your cat-less exhaust with the cut outs is illegal?"
While I get that the light issue could lead to a accident (remote but, possible)
I find arguing the legality to be downright amusing. Especially when scrolling though posts I read about guys with loud exhausts and how much the neighbors hate them but they don't care. For the record I find Harleys to be the most annoying things on the road. They disturb the peace with a "don't give a ****" attitude in the name of so-called safety. That being heard makes them less likely to be hit. That's not a reason to be obnoxious yet police typically turn a blind eye to it. Especially in Pennsylvania (I lived there for a year.) Can't even enjoy a damn T.V. show due to it being drowned out by loud bikes. And the stock lighting is HORRIBLE on a Firebird. And only barely better on a Camaro. So what pray tell are we to do? Suffer? Lobby the government to allow a safe headlight upgrade program? As long as there is a want, someone will make a product. Legal or not. I don't think anyone wishes a accident on anyone else, I hope for a affordable, safe and reliable lighting alternative. And I am one of those that plans a HID upgrade for my WS6. Sealed beams on a car that came out well after HIDs were offered on other models is a joke. At least they could have given us simple bulbs to deal with.

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
"I find your lights annoying and did you know that they're illegal?"
"Yeah, well, I think your exhaust is loud and obnoxious and did you know your cat-less exhaust with the cut outs is illegal?"
While I get that the light issue could lead to a accident (remote but, possible)
I find arguing the legality to be downright amusing. Especially when scrolling though posts I read about guys with loud exhausts and how much the neighbors hate them but they don't care. For the record I find Harleys to be the most annoying things on the road. They disturb the peace with a "don't give a ****" attitude in the name of so-called safety. That being heard makes them less likely to be hit. That's not a reason to be obnoxious yet police typically turn a blind eye to it. Especially in Pennsylvania (I lived there for a year.) Can't even enjoy a damn T.V. show due to it being drowned out by loud bikes. And the stock lighting is HORRIBLE on a Firebird. And only barely better on a Camaro. So what pray tell are we to do? Suffer? Lobby the government to allow a safe headlight upgrade program? As long as there is a want, someone will make a product. Legal or not. I don't think anyone wishes a accident on anyone else, I hope for a affordable, safe and reliable lighting alternative. And I am one of those that plans a HID upgrade for my WS6. Sealed beams on a car that came out well after HIDs were offered on other models is a joke. At least they could have given us simple bulbs to deal with.

There are plenty of things that people do that are illegal (such as modifying exhaust) but don't present a danger to others. You won't see much argument about those although I agree that an obnoxious exhaust can be very annoying. But there are other things that are safety related: blinding lights, modifying head units to watch DVDs while driving, texting while driving, street racing in traffic, driving under the influence. I don't care what you do until it affects my safety or the safety of my friends and family.
Despite being illegal, there is a correct way to upgrade to HIDs that won't cause glare - that is to retrofit proper HID projectors. Yes, it's more expensive and it takes more time than just popping in some bulbs and connecting a ballast but the results are better for everyone.
BTW, I agree with you 100% about obnoxious motorcycle exhaust. Anybody who says "loud pipes save lives" is a fool. More than three quarters of motorcycle accidents happen in front of the bike and are primarily caused by another vehicle encroaching on the bike's right of way. Yet the obnoxious noise is behind the bike - where it only servers to annoy people behind them.
And you other guys are correct. Along with loud exhausts, illegal emissions, window tint, lowering, etc. Just because something illegal doesn't mean people aren't going to do it. But if you are going to argue about one aspect of something being illegal (in this case, putting hids into halogen housings), you should point out that retrofitting a projector is illegal as well. I disagree when it was said about different levels of illegality as well, mainly because the fine and punishment would most likely be the same for both cases.
Loud exhaust annoys me, too. But it's not dangerous to me.
Loud exhaust annoys me, too. But it's not dangerous to me.
Driving fast is dangerous and illegal too, does that mean you are against that? I highly doubt it.
F-body headlights look disgusting anyway, so what's it matter?





