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Firebird Headlight Option

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Old 10-10-2017, 10:26 PM
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Sorry to bump an old thread, I am just trying to make sure I have an understanding here:

Get the LMC high and low housings.

I see you hard-wired in some 9006 plugs but mentioned the wire being short. Would it be beneficial to use something like this with a pigtail? I've used them on another car with no issues.

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People complain about HID bulbs in the housings, they complain about LED bulbs, as well as yellow halogen bulbs. I noticed the consensus seemed to be the LMC kits with HID bulbs, but now everyone hates you if you do that because of light scatter etc.

Just trying to do a good upgrade that will help to modernize the car a bit. Thanks guys!
Old 10-11-2017, 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Number Tew
Would it be beneficial to use something like this with a pigtail? I've used them on another car with no issues.
I would be worried about the long term durability of the connector, because it isn't the Delphi plastic. (See melting issue above.) I ended up re-wiring my motors with Delphi connector parts. (This is just a few dollars in parts, but requires a several hundred dollar investment in special crimpers.)

If you don't want to get into the investment to do the custom wiring, I'd think aftermarket pigtails would be fine and better than nothing. (You can always pop on new ones in the future, if you need to.) The area behind the bulbs gets really wet, so the splices would definitely need to be the waterproof melt type:




Originally Posted by Number Tew
I noticed the consensus seemed to be the LMC kits with HID bulbs, but now everyone hates you if you do that because of light scatter etc.
I use Silverstar-style bulbs and am just fine with them. They are tons better than the stock bulbs so I don't need anything more that would blind oncoming drivers and cause them to crash in to me. (Actually, in any modern American City, one might even get shot at...)

^ I have to mail order my bulbs and use an off brand, so I can get straight connectors on the bulbs. The straight connectors can be hard to come by. (The bulbs in parts stores have angled connectors.)

One thing you might also look at is the HIR builb: https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...ght-bulbs.html

^ I am interested in trying these but don't recall being able to find a straight connector bulb. (I will probably try harder when my next headlight burns out...)
Old 10-11-2017, 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by wssix99
I would be worried about the long term durability of the connector, because it isn't the Delphi plastic. (See melting issue above.) I ended up re-wiring my motors with Delphi connector parts. (This is just a few dollars in parts, but requires a several hundred dollar investment in special crimpers.)

If you don't want to get into the investment to do the custom wiring, I'd think aftermarket pigtails would be fine and better than nothing. (You can always pop on new ones in the future, if you need to.) The area behind the bulbs gets really wet, so the splices would definitely need to be the waterproof melt type:

I use Silverstar-style bulbs and am just fine with them. They are tons better than the stock bulbs so I don't need anything more that would blind oncoming drivers and cause them to crash in to me. (Actually, in any modern American City, one might even get shot at...)

^ I have to mail order my bulbs and use an off brand, so I can get straight connectors on the bulbs. The straight connectors can be hard to come by. (The bulbs in parts stores have angled connectors.)

One thing you might also look at is the HIR builb: https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...ght-bulbs.html

^ I am interested in trying these but don't recall being able to find a straight connector bulb. (I will probably try harder when my next headlight burns out...)
I don't have the scratch for special crimp tools right now, however I have a metric ton of the sealed crimp connections, and am also fairly handy with solder and heat shrink if it comes to it. Excited to do this but still in the waiting period for now.

Thanks for the help!
Old 07-04-2019, 02:16 AM
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I have a few comments and questions. Since the replacement halogen bulbs that come with the LMC housings are 55/65 watts just like the 4701/4703 sealed beam lights, why wouldn't the stock wiring be able to handle the current draw? Unless it's just the cheaper connectors that are melting cause they suck? lol

And, in 2019, are there not LED bulbs that mimic the way conventional bulbs light up, therefore eliminating the problem with scattered beams when using LED bulbs?900

I was looking at the LED Beamtech 9005's for the low beams, and I like the blue LMC 9006's for the high beams. I figure the high beams get used much less anyway. I'm thinking the melting happens when you use 100w halogens...

Thank You,

Lee

Last edited by k3000; 07-04-2019 at 03:14 AM.
Old 07-04-2019, 05:59 AM
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Originally Posted by k3000
I have a few comments and questions. Since the replacement halogen bulbs that come with the LMC housings are 55/65 watts just like the 4701/4703 sealed beam lights, why wouldn't the stock wiring be able to handle the current draw? Unless it's just the cheaper connectors that are melting cause they suck? lol

And, in 2019, are there not LED bulbs that mimic the way conventional bulbs light up, therefore eliminating the problem with scattered beams when using LED bulbs?900

I was looking at the LED Beamtech 9005's for the low beams, and I like the blue LMC 9006's for the high beams. I figure the high beams get used much less anyway. I'm thinking the melting happens when you use 100w halogens...

Thank You,

Lee
From what I have been able to get info on the issue is, you need to take the headlight buckets off of the car and enlarge the rear hole in it to accept a led bulb, once that is done they work...YMMV (been trying to find a a pair of donor hl buckets for my low beams to mod them and keep my old ones for return to stock if I ever need to)
Old 07-04-2019, 07:03 AM
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Thanks for the interest and reply! And for this heads up. I wonder if all LED bulbs require the enlargement, they're always getting smaller. I guess another option would be to use the regular 9005 and 9006 halogens, if they fit without modifying the buckets...
Old 07-04-2019, 07:07 AM
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wssix99 - Could you let us know if you used the 9005 and 9006 halogens, and if the buckets needed any modding for the new housings and bulbs to fit? I see on the high beams you used the LMC blue 9006's...

Thanks!
Old 07-04-2019, 07:20 AM
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No mods are needed to the car, at all. The housings come with harness adapters, but I just chose to wire my own connectors in.

I use 9006 bulbs for the low beams and 9005 bulbs for the high beams. The housings come with some bulbs, but they have straight connectors. I understand that some members have been able to fit the straight ones in, but there isn't much room to replace the bulb and "get to" the connector. So, I sold the straight bulbs that came with my housings on ebay and picked up some 9005 and 9006 bulbs with angled connectors:



The angled bulbs have the connectors in a much more accessible position and I don't have to worry about removing the entire housing to change the bulbs.

The angled bulbs need to be ordered over the internet, (I haven't seen any parts shops carrying them) where they are available in many different color temperatures. Mine aren't blue. I think that's just the way the pictures turned out. My bulbs are either 3000 or 4000K.
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Old 07-04-2019, 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by k3000
Thanks for the interest and reply! And for this heads up. I wonder if all LED bulbs require the enlargement, they're always getting smaller. I guess another option would be to use the regular 9005 and 9006 halogens, if they fit without modifying the buckets...
  • Apparently its the back side of the led that is the issue, the cooling fan or heat sink fins, plus the plug/pigtail?
  • Back in the day, when you bought the LMC housings you could get their cheap bulbs ( at a fee) which I did and had no issue other than now they seem dim (compared to a of of cars on the rd today)
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Old 07-04-2019, 07:43 PM
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Thank you all very much! I really like the angled bulbs a lot, will likely go with them. Interesting the picture looks like the hi beams are blue!

BEST,

Lee
Old 07-04-2019, 10:32 PM
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9011 & 9012 bulbs are brighter and also right angled, but some have reported that trimming of the bucket is needed to mount right angle bulbs.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...s-exist-2.html

9011 replaces 9005
9012 replaces 9006

Might need slight trim to a plastic tab on the bulb to fit the housing, but might not. Some 9005/9006 headlights are designed to fit the 9011/9012 bulbs as well. My mother's 2015 CR-V fit them fine.

(Fixed Typo above regarding bulb replacements)

Last edited by VIP1; 07-05-2019 at 05:19 PM.
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Old 07-05-2019, 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by VIP1
9011 & 9012 bulbs are brighter and also right angled, but some have reported that trimming of the bucket is needed to mount right angle bulbs.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...s-exist-2.html

9011 replaces 9005
9012 replaces 9012

Might need slight trim to a plastic tab on the bulb to fit the housing, but might not. Some 9005/9006 headlights are designed to fit the 9011/9012 bulbs as well. My mother's 2015 CR-V fit them fine.

Thanks. I keep forgetting about these!!! My back-in-the-day 9006 and 9005 bulbs and bulletproof and wont' burn out. So, I haven't moved to the HIR's, yet. (I probably have to watch it... by the time "its time", my memory will probably be completely gone.)
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Old 07-05-2019, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by k3000
I have a few comments and questions. Since the replacement halogen bulbs that come with the LMC housings are 55/65 watts just like the 4701/4703 sealed beam lights, why wouldn't the stock wiring be able to handle the current draw?
The wiring is fine. The problem is with the plastic connector at the end of the wires. The connectors that the LMC pigtails came with seem to be cheap. The OEM Delphi connectors (now the Aptiv company) are just fine. Not the end of the world - they still work; just something to be aware of.


Originally Posted by k3000
And, in 2019, are there not LED bulbs that mimic the way conventional bulbs light up, therefore eliminating the problem with scattered beams when using LED bulbs?900
There is some discussion and a link starting at post #16 on this.

Old 09-05-2019, 07:48 AM
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Linking this thread as there are evidently now some direct-fit LED options:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...l#post20144557
Old 09-05-2019, 09:28 AM
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I looked at that link and I didn't see anything that's a direct fit for 4701 or 4703?
Old 09-05-2019, 11:34 PM
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Originally Posted by VIP1
9011 & 9012 bulbs are brighter and also right angled, but some have reported that trimming of the bucket is needed to mount right angle bulbs.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...s-exist-2.html

9011 replaces 9005
9012 replaces 9006

Might need slight trim to a plastic tab on the bulb to fit the housing, but might not. Some 9005/9006 headlights are designed to fit the 9011/9012 bulbs as well. My mother's 2015 CR-V fit them fine.

(Fixed Typo above regarding bulb replacements)
some trimming ? ALOT of trimming .....lol

I did not use the plugs that came with the LMC housings.....seemed kinda cheap to me......used some good ol gen u ein delphi connectors ( i live close to mouser )
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Old 09-09-2019, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by k3000
I looked at that link and I didn't see anything that's a direct fit for 4701 or 4703?
Indeed. They are all too big. False Alarm! Sorry...

LMC's housings are still look to be the best direct fit option.

Last edited by wssix99; 09-10-2019 at 07:28 AM.
Old 09-09-2019, 06:48 PM
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I appreciate that you keep up with the current events and post things up for others on the forum! Thank you!
Old 11-26-2019, 07:26 PM
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Just got done with my setup.... the fog lights are brighter than the low beams .... I might tint them black to lower the brightness
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Old 11-27-2019, 03:45 AM
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Sweet! Please let us know what bulbs / equipment you installed, both in the pop-up assemblies and the fog lights...


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