cblake3

iTrader: (2)

Has anyone tried the HID conversion kits that are out there? Seems like the easiest way to upgrade our lackluster headlights.

Here is a kit that I found on eBay for about $100. Anyone had any luck with any of these kits?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-X...02092887QQrdZ1

Pros?

Cons?

How do they perform compared to HID projectors?

Neo

iTrader: (3)

I think the forum should create a section strictly on HID lighting! LOL
3 topics in the past week regarding this.

A word of advice, a quality HID kit will not cost you $100. If all you're looking for is to upgrade the "look" to HID, then get the kit you listed.
Otherwise, do it right and get yourself a quality kit. Quality kits usually go around $300-450US. A real HID kit will only come in 4300K temperature. So if you're looking at a 5000 and up temp kit, you're not getting a quality kit!

Check this website out... www.xenondepot.com

Lates,

weaklink

do you know which bulbs the fd uses?

Neo

iTrader: (3)

H4

wReX

iTrader: (6)

I have the Kaixen kit (6000k) I think it was closer to around $300 when I got it a year or two ago. Even with the Kaixen kit a couple of the parts seemed a little on the cheap side so no way would I even try a $100 ebay kit. There is a group buy going for the Kaixen kit in the vendor section, the seller Sam(autodoodad) is a good guy and helpful plus they do come with a warranty too I think.

I posted a thorough review in this thread...
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=508218

It helps with lighting quite a bit over the stock bulbs but as with any non-projector type HID kit the beam pattern will not be perfect. The Kaixen(as do most) even have the little shield built in to try and help the pattern but it still has some slight 'ghosting' in the beam. I admit I mainly bought them for the 'updated look' it brings to the car and overall I've been happy with them. Would suggest 6000k or lower bulbs, anything above that gets a little too wild looking for the streets IMO.

LAN

iTrader: (1)

Link don't work.
Can you fix it? or show detailed photos too?
Hi/Lo beam?
Thanks

wReX

iTrader: (6)

opps...
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=508218

No high/low beam pics handy. The Kaixen kit just shifts the beam pattern up slightly for the highs I think, it's not any brighter really. Some other kits have HID lows and then use a standard halogen bulb for the high beam.

cblake3

iTrader: (2)

That's funny, I became interetsed in the whole HID thing due to those posts-specifically yours. I looked at the xenondepot.com Website initially and then started to investigate other HID vendors.

I am not necessarily interested in the HID "look", but would rather upgrade my stock lights so I can see better at night. And I definitley don't want to be a poser.

I have been really impressed with the performance of HID projectors for years. I have a buddy that has a Porsche 911 and BMW X5, each of which have HID projectors. I would love to have something that provides similar lighting performance.

As I said, After looking at the xenondepot.com Website, I started to look at other vendor's sites and found the kit listed on eBay for $100. The kits look very similar. What could the difference be between the 2? Any idea? What makes a "quality kit"?

I am looking for an almost pure, white light. The extreme blue, purple and yellow seems a bit rice to me and I am definitley not going for that look.

Also, are the projectors that much better than these types of HID kits?

Neo

iTrader: (3)

It's not a case of the projectors being better. They simply distribute light differently from reflector style housings.
The thing that really annoys me about the projectors is the cutoff. They claim it's there so you won't blind oncoming motorists. But I've noticed it creates a severe cutoff of light right where you need it most. It's got a real big problem illuminating road signs such as speed signs or stop signs. The cutoff is too severe and doesn't let the light "bleed" from the focused area.
Which also gives you this awful optical effect of a white and black board. You have all this light 50ft in front of you and absolutely total darkness anything further.
It's a property of every projector style housing.
But the industry pushes this because it's easier to design a cars shape around it. Also helps with this claim of blinding oncoming motorists.

As for quality kits, the differences are in the components used to create a true HID output. In the picture you listed you can clearly see the ballasts and the bulbs are made from a non-OEM supplier. Most OEM HID's are supplied by Phillips, Denzo, or Orialim (Man I hope I spelled that right). They are mostly German companies. No OEM manufacturer uses HID's from anywhere else than the companies I've mentioned (at the present time anyways...)

Aftermarket kits ranging in the $100-200 range will fizzle out after a year or 2. If you want to be replacing those compoenents every 2yrs you're more than welcomed to get the kit.
With the Phillips eqiupment at least you know the kit will last at the minimum 6-8yrs. It's suppose to be the life of the car. I'm already on my 3rd year with my kit. Not 1 problem has occured. And I don't expect any problems for at least another 6yrs or so.

To get maximum lighting you want a colour temp of 4000-4500K. No more, no less. This gives you maximum lighting. Colour temps that are higher are strictly for show. They will not offer the same performance as a 4300k kit. Which is why you don't see the German manufacturers constructing bulbs in that colour temp. They know it's pointless.

I'm hoping I can borrow my bro's camera for some pics so you can understand what I mean.

Lates,

BOTTLEFED

iTrader: (1)

Neo,
its funny that you claim any vendor that sells anything but 4300k is not quality when the link you give also sells 3000k, 6000k, 6500k, and 8000k kits
Don't get me wrong, those look like very good kits. As you stated, Phillips is one of the top brands in HID and OE for many top carmakers.

The top three HID suppliers are Phillips, Osram, and Hella (bi-xenon).

I'm currently trying a new brand with a lifetime warranty on the ballast and bulbs on my Audi. I'll let you know how they work. They are priced well and have great service. I may get together a GB on the kits after I test them for awhile for quality.

Neo

iTrader: (3)

Bottlefed,

Well, I didn't say xenondepot was stupid either. They have to make money any way they can, right?? They know alot of ricers out there that want the blue or purple hue they see on premium car brands. Which of course the typical ricer doesn't know the whole blue/purple hue they see is an optical effect within the projector housing.

What's the name of the company you're trying out?

cblake3

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, let us know.

BOTTLEFED

iTrader: (1)

Well, I didn't want to spill the beans, but I'm planning to build some lights like the design in this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/non-classifieds-violations-59/4-eyes-headlight-fd-progress-510340/

I'm tired of waiting for fd3s777 to produce them so I am building my own. It will look very much like the Knightsports pop-ups, but with projectors for low-beams. I'm using high quality lights and HID on the lows.
I'm not sure if I'll sell them; I want to test them for awhile to make sure they are working properly. I'm trying to do a LOT of R&D so I can get it right the first time.

So to answer your question, the company is SharpHID.
http://www.sharphid.com/
and yes, they do sell all ranges of lighting
I'm going with the 5000K because I want just a little bluer than the OEM 4300K look.

bkenchan

iTrader: (9)

Sorry to bring this thread up again, but I cannot access this page. Wonder why!?

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Unauthorized vendor advertising.

FDNena

iTrader: (2)

Here is the thread on my install with pics and a write-up by another member who installed the Kaixen kit on their car.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=508218

I strongly recommend against the $100 kit. I spent about $400 with new bulb housings. I do not have the Wise sport ones, I bought ebay ones and from all of the photos I have seen they are exactly the same product.

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

Totally disagree with this statement. The design of projectors has nothing to do with making it "easier to design a cars shape around it". It has everything to do with more accurately focusing the light of the bulb and also not blinding oncoming traffic as HID lights are way too bright to be used with just normal reflector lenses. If you don't have the cutoff it will suck for oncoming cars. Take for example my Range Rover. It has projector HIDs for low beams and reflector halogens for high beam. The projectors light up the road unlike any other car I have owned and are vastly superior by 10X to the stock FD lighting. Yet, they have proper cutoff. I am able to see far down the road (including traffic signs) and very rarely ever need to use the highs. As another example, my wife has a 2003 Miata with halogen projectors for low beam. These also have proper cutoff. The design of the projector is simply that, to "project" the light directly and intensely in front of the car. From a lighting website:

"Projectors headlights originated in Germany about twenty years ago. It was technology taken from racing vehicles driven at night. Projector headlight technology started seeing the common roads on many upper-class vehicles such as the BMW. BMW wanted to produce a headlight that would focus the light directly in front of the car instead of on the sides of the road and into the sky which standard parabolic headlights do. It was important to have the maximum amount of light in front of the vehicle when traveling at speeds over 150 kilometers/hour."

And there are projector lenses with cutoff and some without. Ebay knockoffs generally don't have proper cutoff. How do I know this? I've been researching the topic for a few years because I am going to retrofit my FD with a two light (projector HIDs for low and reflector lens halogen for high) sleepy-eye look and I have contacted numerous vendors on the topic.

Finally, regarding "maximum lighting" it is not true that brightness lessons the higher the color temp goes. You are correct that a temp of 4,000 - 5,000 will most closely approximate pure white which is why I kept the 4,300K HIDs on the Range Rover and why I will use this color range on my retrofits. Some car manufactuers use higher temps as they feel the slight blue/purple helps to distinguish them as high-end cars but these bulbs light up the night just as well as my 4,300K ones:

http://www.lightninghid.com/colour-temperature.htm

StreetRage

iTrader: (8)

Interesting stuff. I like what ur doing
I checked out the sharphid.com website and it seems that they only provide lamps for volvos.... Did you get the volvo lamps and install those on your car?
I have C-West headlights... i was wondering if there are any bulbs that are small enough to fit in there? Anyone know of any?