Headlights/spotties... what have you done?

MWP

New member
Hi all,

I do a decent amount of night driving, so am after some better headlights.
My standard headlights are pretty good at the moment (have good globes and relay mod), but i still would like more.

I just got a fibreglass GrpA/CS bumper for my 185.

Has anyone tried putting HID's into the factory bumper driving/fog lights for a bright wide spread?
Has anyone done a permanent/semi-permanent install of aftermarket driving/spot lights? Photos?

Thanks all!!
 

underscore

Well-known member
I've seen several HID-foglight installs go horribly wrong and melt the bumper. Plus I hate HIDs, they're absolute garbage. Personally I'd just get some really good driving lights, and align them properly.
 

MWP

New member
Thanks guys....

Yeah, im not really after a replacement for the factory headlights.
More after some separate lights that you would integrate into the lower bumper, or bolt in front of it.
 

tubasteve

New member
underscore":25szgokr said:
I've seen several HID-foglight installs go horribly wrong and melt the bumper. Plus I hate HIDs, they're absolute garbage. Personally I'd just get some really good driving lights, and align them properly.


Last i thought was they:
Stay cooler due to less current.
They last longer.
They are brighter.


some people say the Silvana bulbs are hid. These do burn, get way too hot. And pull allot of current.
 

gtfour93

Member
MWP":85t4tz31 said:
I just got a fibreglass GrpA/CS bumper for my 185.
I'm in the same boat right now, but looking more into installing OEM Celica ST/GT/GT-S fog lights, with some good H3 bulbs. Apparently, the 90-91 and 92-93 versions are a different. Can anybody confirm this? Also, which fogs fits the RC bumper the best, and what mods are necessary for installation?
 

underscore

Well-known member
tubasteve":11bjesoo said:
underscore":11bjesoo said:
I've seen several HID-foglight installs go horribly wrong and melt the bumper. Plus I hate HIDs, they're absolute garbage. Personally I'd just get some really good driving lights, and align them properly.


Last i thought was they:
Stay cooler due to less current.
They last longer.
They are brighter.


some people say the Silvana bulbs are hid. These do burn, get way too hot. And pull allot of current.

maybe the real, $1000+ oEM lights in newer cars, but any cheap HID retrofit is a fire waiting to happen. That and no matter what you do, you're blinding EVERYONE.
 

tubasteve

New member
sounds incorrect, I'll take temps from factory, to $50 set today running for 10 mins.

And if done right they won't blind.
 

ZeroDrift

New member
To make a few points about HID lights.

They typically draw 35 amps which is substantially less than any non hid headlight. They are much cooler during operation, so heating up the lens/housing is reduced.

There is a fundamental difference in the optics needed for HID bubs compared to standard filament lighting. As with any normal incandescent bulb, the filament heats up and that is what emits the light, while the gas within the hid bulb is what emits light. This is why any hid bulb in standard optics designed for a filament will scatter light and blind oncoming traffic. The whole point of this is that if you have a projector/reflector housing that is designed for a traditional bulb, it will never properly work for hid bulbs. The opposite is true as well.

As far as the quality of some of the cheap hid kits; its like anything else you can buy: You get what you pay for! OEM or greater quality components cost money. Moral of the story is- don't be cheap when it comes to lighting. Stick with standard filament bulbs and proper reflector housings if on a budget- otherwise go all in and get quality OEM hid system and the appropriate projector/reflectors to match.
 

Boo_Guy

Member
essexgt4":3l3w6mko said:
there is a sort of quad headlight set up for the st185, do a search for neeltec headlights.

Are they even making those though? Looks like it was a one shot group buy from the little bit of looking I did.
 

CMS-GT4

Active member
The popup removal ones from neeltec are on ebay, but honestly they don't look right on the car. I am curious if we could get temperacerguy to make the light housings for us, and then we could piece together the lamps like roguesystems' for our own dual kits.
 

underscore

Well-known member
tubasteve":6jgan7fb said:
And if done right they won't blind.

False. Any bulb in the incorrect housing will shoot light all over the place.

This isn't directed at you, but I honestly can't believe how many people out there buy things like an HKS grounding kit (aka massive waste of money, because expensive = quality :doh: ) yet think $50 retrofitted HID's perform properly, or anywhere near as well as a expensive, OEM setup.
 

tubasteve

New member
underscore":op88s1mn said:
tubasteve":op88s1mn said:
And if done right they won't blind.

False. Any bulb in the incorrect housing will shoot light all over the place.

This isn't directed at you, but I honestly can't believe how many people out there buy things like an HKS grounding kit (aka massive waste of money, because expensive = quality :doh: ) yet think $50 retrofitted HID's perform properly, or anywhere near as well as a expensive, OEM setup.



Again, and if done right...meaning

Using the correct housings.

OEM vs not, there isn't to much of a difference. I am referring to acura tl to be exact. You take the cheap kit and OEM, put the bulbs next to one another, same. The ballast and ignitor are a little different, but doesn't change the out put if the bulb. The both discharge the same voltage to cause an arc within the bulb. The cheaper ones even use the same current. We do these all the time here.

As far as blinding on coming traffic, i only use dot approved systems with housings.


Again, done RIGHT will be fine.
 

underscore

Well-known member
what you need for proper HID's (this is what comes in OEM cars):

1) bulb housings designed for HIDs
2) ballasts
3) the bulbs themselves
4) an auto-levelling system to adjust he lights as needed when you're on slopes

Now most people just slap ballasts and bulbs in normal housings, this is the worst because the light emitted from an HID is completely different from a normal bulb (this is what almost noone understands) and it gets shot all over the damn place. Half-decent is to take bulb housings out of the headlights of a OEM system, and mount them into whatever fits your vehicle. This at least gives you the correct control over the light, but you don't have the auto-levelling which prevents blinding people as you come over crests, etc.
 
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