1st Gen General Discussion The place for non-technical discussion about 1st Gen RX-7s or if there's no better place for your topic

Aftermarket Headlights

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 1, 2018 | 06:11 PM
  #1  
rkegley97's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Nashville Tn
Aftermarket Headlights

I have been looking long and hard for what is the best replacement for headlights. My current ones are OEM replacements Halogens. I personally believe that you can not see farther then 4 feet with them. Yes I have adjusted them correctly and I still find them to be dull. I have been looking at the Xprite 7" 80W CREE LED Headlights With Halo. Found that people have used them in RX7s. Does anyone have past experiences with them? I want something that is DOT legal in the US and allow myself to see far and wide. Would love to see what everyone is using. Links and photos would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
rkegley97
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2018 | 09:03 PM
  #2  
KansasCityREPU's Avatar
Out In the Barn
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,712
Likes: 1,252
From: KC
The major issue with the headlights is the fact that all the headlight voltage goes through the column stock. The best headlight upgrade is to get an H4 headlight rely harness.

Check out this thread.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...n-one-1109703/
Reply
Old Apr 2, 2018 | 01:10 AM
  #3  
7aull's Avatar
RX HVN
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,889
Likes: 229
From: Arizona
Have heard good things about these, which I am going to try:
Amazon Amazon

None of these type of headlight require relays, etc because their voltage/power draw thru your existing system is LOWER than the draw of stock or H4 headlamps. There is a warning with some lenses tho that the DEPTH of the front glass may impede the ability of the headlight to RETRACT so hang on to your receipts!


Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
Reply
Old Apr 2, 2018 | 07:48 AM
  #4  
t_g_farrell's Avatar
Waffles - hmmm good
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Community Favorite
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,277
Likes: 471
From: Lake Wylie, N.C.
You need to convert to using relays to put direct battery voltage to the headlights. Thats the only real solution. The type of headlight won't matter much until you do this. Its an easy DIY or as folks have poointed out there are kits out there. I have done it both ways, DIY or kit. Blackdragon supplied a nice kit but it looks like amazon has a fix for you as well.
Reply
Old Apr 2, 2018 | 10:29 AM
  #5  
Richard Miller's Avatar
Damn, it did start!
Tenured Member: 25 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,771
Likes: 470
From: washington
Amazon Amazon

any thoughts ?
Reply
Old Apr 2, 2018 | 11:52 AM
  #6  
t_g_farrell's Avatar
Waffles - hmmm good
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Community Favorite
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,277
Likes: 471
From: Lake Wylie, N.C.
Originally Posted by Richard Miller
As some of the reviews noted, you may need to extend the wiring to reach both lights. Otherwise its a pretty simple setup. Its designed to plug into H4 bulbs so you may need to get different lights.

This site has a wealth of knowledge for doing this: https://www.danielsternlighting.com
Reply
Old Apr 2, 2018 | 02:51 PM
  #7  
Richard Miller's Avatar
Damn, it did start!
Tenured Member: 25 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,771
Likes: 470
From: washington
Lightbulb

Originally Posted by t_g_farrell
As some of the reviews noted, you may need to extend the wiring to reach both lights. Otherwise its a pretty simple setup. Its designed to plug into H4 bulbs so you may need to get different lights.

This site has a wealth of knowledge for doing this: https://www.danielsternlighting.com

"​​​​​​​bookmarked"
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2018 | 01:02 AM
  #8  
7aull's Avatar
RX HVN
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,889
Likes: 229
From: Arizona
Originally Posted by t_g_farrell
As some of the reviews noted, you may need to extend the wiring to reach both lights. Otherwise its a pretty simple setup. Its designed to plug into H4 bulbs so you may need to get different lights.

This site has a wealth of knowledge for doing this: https://www.danielsternlighting.com

Thanks for clarification, t_g_. Daniel Stern was the fellow that recommended this brand of light to me...FWIW


Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2018 | 07:25 AM
  #9  
t_g_farrell's Avatar
Waffles - hmmm good
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Community Favorite
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,277
Likes: 471
From: Lake Wylie, N.C.
I didn't look at the link in the first message, DOH! Yeah the LEDs won't draw near the voltage but I have not seen good reviews on light coverage from LEDs yet. Please let us know if you get them how they compare to stock.
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2018 | 07:48 AM
  #10  
DuGuder's Avatar
Full Member
Tenured Member: 15 Years
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 127
Likes: 6
From: Northeast PA
deleted

Last edited by DuGuder; Apr 3, 2018 at 10:41 AM. Reason: wrong forum
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2018 | 09:21 AM
  #11  
KansasCityREPU's Avatar
Out In the Barn
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,712
Likes: 1,252
From: KC
Another good reason for using a harness with relays is the fact that stuff like the column stalk parts are getting harder to find. The more stress that can be removed from these parts the better. It's cheap insurance.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 12:45 AM
  #12  
rkegley97's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Nashville Tn
I decided to get the Hella Ecodes with a Hella 100/55w bulb. It will be a required H4 conversion. Bought a kit that comes with everything. Total was $142 (US) This came with 2 bulbs, rubber socket covers, wiring, and relays. They are on their way. Hope to get them soon and put it all together. I went with the Hella because of not only the name brand but it helps keep it with the stock look. These should also be brighter and DOT legal.

Links to kits I got

Hella's
Hella 7" Round E-code Hi-Lo Conversion Headlamp Kit., H6024 | Rally Lights

Wiring
Amazon Amazon
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 01:51 AM
  #13  
7aull's Avatar
RX HVN
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,889
Likes: 229
From: Arizona
Daniel Stern discusses new lighting tech

My conversation on headlight Tech with Daniel Stern:
He is underwhelmed with the performance of most old-tech lighting: Cibie, Hella, et al
Disclaimer: I currently run Hella H4s with the stock 55/65Wt bulbs. It is a bit disappointing in light (ow. pun!) of what is now available.
They were the Killer-thing-to-have when I was breezing around in my old R100 back in the 70s! Times change. Should note here too that Daniel Stern does not sell any of the newer lighting systems we discuss below.

____________________

Stu: Hi Daniel. I am running with these Lenses: Hella 7" H4s

Daniel:
Not a very efficient headlamp. You can do very much better
than these; details on request.

Stu: My Lamps: Hella Light Power H4+50% 60/55wt USA PN 78151

Daniel:
Passable, not great. You can do a lot better than these,
too. The current state of the [H4 bulb] art is the Osram or Philips
+110/+130 bulb brought in from Europe, $43.18/pair.

Stu: would LIKE to run Hella 80/100wt

Daniel: It's tempting to grab for big-watt bulbs, but unless *all*
you care about is the amount of light within the high beam,
it's usually not a good idea. Please see bulb test results
posted by my colleague Virgil at
Interesting headlight bulb test results

Also, Hella doesn't make bulbs, they buy, label, box and
sell them. Quality has been mediocre since they started
shopping on price. Daniel: You can do markedly better than Cibies, too.

Stu: No! Wait - What?! A better headlamp?? I am listening


Daniel:
Well, how well do you want to see, and what's your budget look like for this round of upgrades?
in halogen lamps the Japanese-made Koitos ($111/ea, special order) are markedly better than the Cibies in terms of efficiency, beam focus, and seeing range and width as well as on the build front, with sturdier materials, tougher glass, and a nicer level of finish.

Beyond that:
_HID ("Xenon") headlamps:_

"HID kits" in halogen-bulb headlamps (any kit, any headlamp,
any vehicle) do not work safely or effectively, which is why
they are illegal whether you buy the lamps and the kit together in one go or separately. See
Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply .

There is only and exactly _one_ legitimate, legal, well-made, safe, effective HID headlamp to fit your vehicle. It is built around the Hella high/low-beam projector used in recent Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Audi models. Beam performance is _vastly_ superior to what can be obtained with halogen lamps of any description, brand, or wattage. Power consumption is less than that of your original headlamps, so if your stock headlamp wiring is in good condition, no upgrade is required. Bulb lifespan is about 10 years, and replacement bulbs are readily available (and will be for many years). The toughened hard glass lenses are almost impossible to break, and they run warm enough to shed winter slush, snow, and ice. Beam coverage is very broad, long-reaching, even, and highly precise, with excellent control of glare and stray light; when these lamps are aimed correctly they are inoffensive to other road users on low beam and create no backscatter in bad weather. They have the European-type "Z-beam" sharp, stairstep-shaped cutoff on low beam, and they are fully roads-legal throughout the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Price for the pair is $1523.62 (all inclusive: lamps, bulbs, ballasts, everything). They are, by a very large margin, the best-performing headlamps available to fit your vehicle, though the best of the LED headlamps described below are beginning to whittle away at the performance gap. Attached photos show them in
a Porsche.

_LED headlamps:_

The "LED bulb conversions" now flooding the market are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. The failure is at the concept level, not the implementation level. These are a fraudulent scam. Not capable of producing even a fraction of the amount of light produced by the filament bulb they supposedly replace, let alone producing it in the right pattern for the lamp's optics to work.

But there's a growing number of engineered LED headlamps on the market -- they range in quality and performance from pathetic to excellent. The 701C from Peterson is good,
Amazon Amazon
(black).

With the BiXenon HID or any of the LED headlamps, you will not need relays or a wiring harness, because these lamps take less power than the original sealed beams so the original circuitry is plenty adequate. The LED headlamps linked here are not an advisable choice if you do a lot of wintertime driving with heavy snow and slush; the LED headlamp lenses run cold so snow and ice can build up on them instead of melting off like they do from a warm halogen or BiXenon lamp lens. There are now heated-lens versions of the JW Speaker and Truck-Lite LED headlamps that address this issue; details on request.
----------------

Stu Aull
80GS (Hella H4s. For the moment...)
AZ

Last edited by 7aull; Apr 4, 2018 at 01:55 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 06:59 AM
  #14  
t_g_farrell's Avatar
Waffles - hmmm good
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Community Favorite
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,277
Likes: 471
From: Lake Wylie, N.C.
I have the relayed kit and hella H4 conversion from blackdragon on mine. So far they are great.

Surprised to hear a BiXenon HID exists that can be used without a bunch of monkey shines and uses less power. I always associated HIDs with a huge power brick behind them and they sucked down the wattage.

Live and learn I guess.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 07:58 AM
  #15  
rkegley97's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Nashville Tn
Originally Posted by 7aull
My conversation on headlight Tech with Daniel Stern:
He is underwhelmed with the performance of most old-tech lighting: Cibie, Hella, et al
Disclaimer: I currently run Hella H4s with the stock 55/65Wt bulbs. It is a bit disappointing in light (ow. pun!) of what is now available.
They were the Killer-thing-to-have when I was breezing around in my old R100 back in the 70s! Times change. Should note here too that Daniel Stern does not sell any of the newer lighting systems we discuss below.

____________________

Stu: Hi Daniel. I am running with these Lenses: Hella 7" H4s

Daniel:
Not a very efficient headlamp. You can do very much better
than these; details on request.

Stu: My Lamps: Hella Light Power H4+50% 60/55wt USA PN 78151

Daniel:
Passable, not great. You can do a lot better than these,
too. The current state of the [H4 bulb] art is the Osram or Philips
+110/+130 bulb brought in from Europe, $43.18/pair.

Stu: would LIKE to run Hella 80/100wt

Daniel: It's tempting to grab for big-watt bulbs, but unless *all*
you care about is the amount of light within the high beam,
it's usually not a good idea. Please see bulb test results
posted by my colleague Virgil at
Interesting headlight bulb test results

Also, Hella doesn't make bulbs, they buy, label, box and
sell them. Quality has been mediocre since they started
shopping on price. Daniel: You can do markedly better than Cibies, too.

Stu: No! Wait - What?! A better headlamp?? I am listening


Daniel:
Well, how well do you want to see, and what's your budget look like for this round of upgrades?
in halogen lamps the Japanese-made Koitos ($111/ea, special order) are markedly better than the Cibies in terms of efficiency, beam focus, and seeing range and width as well as on the build front, with sturdier materials, tougher glass, and a nicer level of finish.

Beyond that:
_HID ("Xenon") headlamps:_

"HID kits" in halogen-bulb headlamps (any kit, any headlamp,
any vehicle) do not work safely or effectively, which is why
they are illegal whether you buy the lamps and the kit together in one go or separately. See
Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply .

There is only and exactly _one_ legitimate, legal, well-made, safe, effective HID headlamp to fit your vehicle. It is built around the Hella high/low-beam projector used in recent Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Audi models. Beam performance is _vastly_ superior to what can be obtained with halogen lamps of any description, brand, or wattage. Power consumption is less than that of your original headlamps, so if your stock headlamp wiring is in good condition, no upgrade is required. Bulb lifespan is about 10 years, and replacement bulbs are readily available (and will be for many years). The toughened hard glass lenses are almost impossible to break, and they run warm enough to shed winter slush, snow, and ice. Beam coverage is very broad, long-reaching, even, and highly precise, with excellent control of glare and stray light; when these lamps are aimed correctly they are inoffensive to other road users on low beam and create no backscatter in bad weather. They have the European-type "Z-beam" sharp, stairstep-shaped cutoff on low beam, and they are fully roads-legal throughout the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Price for the pair is $1523.62 (all inclusive: lamps, bulbs, ballasts, everything). They are, by a very large margin, the best-performing headlamps available to fit your vehicle, though the best of the LED headlamps described below are beginning to whittle away at the performance gap. Attached photos show them in
a Porsche.

_LED headlamps:_

The "LED bulb conversions" now flooding the market are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. The failure is at the concept level, not the implementation level. These are a fraudulent scam. Not capable of producing even a fraction of the amount of light produced by the filament bulb they supposedly replace, let alone producing it in the right pattern for the lamp's optics to work.

But there's a growing number of engineered LED headlamps on the market -- they range in quality and performance from pathetic to excellent. The 701C from Peterson is good, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MHX979S/...tag=2402507-20 (black).

With the BiXenon HID or any of the LED headlamps, you will not need relays or a wiring harness, because these lamps take less power than the original sealed beams so the original circuitry is plenty adequate. The LED headlamps linked here are not an advisable choice if you do a lot of wintertime driving with heavy snow and slush; the LED headlamp lenses run cold so snow and ice can build up on them instead of melting off like they do from a warm halogen or BiXenon lamp lens. There are now heated-lens versions of the JW Speaker and Truck-Lite LED headlamps that address this issue; details on request.
----------------

Stu Aull
80GS (Hella H4s. For the moment...)
AZ

Thanks for all the info. I sent him an email, but he sadly never got back to me.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 07:59 AM
  #16  
rkegley97's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Nashville Tn
Originally Posted by t_g_farrell
I have the relayed kit and hella H4 conversion from blackdragon on mine. So far they are great.

Surprised to hear a BiXenon HID exists that can be used without a bunch of monkey shines and uses less power. I always associated HIDs with a huge power brick behind them and they sucked down the wattage.

Live and learn I guess.
Black dragon doesn't exist anymore correct? Last I remember they closed their doors a couple years ago.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2018 | 09:38 AM
  #17  
t_g_farrell's Avatar
Waffles - hmmm good
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Community Favorite
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,277
Likes: 471
From: Lake Wylie, N.C.
Originally Posted by rkegley97
Black dragon doesn't exist anymore correct? Last I remember they closed their doors a couple years ago.
Yep, closed up last year. So sad.
Reply
Old Apr 7, 2018 | 03:22 PM
  #18  
tommyeflight89's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 15 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 723
Likes: 103
From: Toronto Canada
I think the ultimate solution is a 7" retrofit headlight from Dapper Lighting.

https://www.dapperlighting.com/colle...tor-headlights

They have a very nice set of LED headlights ($$) or bi-xenon HID's which are a bit cheaper.

Look to the the ultimate 7" headlight. I am considering a set for my FB.

Still have stock headlights... the only reason I have them is streetlights make driving possible at night. Out of the city is a different story.
Reply
Old Apr 7, 2018 | 10:32 PM
  #19  
Jeezus's Avatar
Stu-Tron Get Yo Groove On
Tenured Member: 15 Years
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,482
Likes: 31
From: Huntsville AL
If you are going to do it, SPEND THE MONEY.

No reason to get chincy ebay led lights, it will be worse than what you have.

I went and got Hella headlamps with removable H4 bulbs. Mine came with 85/100w. I have the bulbs but ditched them for the latest gen of Philips LED car lamps. The latest ones have the heatsink built into them and still mount in the stock housings. The connectors for the bulbs I got from amazon, heavy duty sockets with 14g leads. Those run into relays for low and high beam directly off the battery. The light output is AMAZING. It is on par with the new Acura's or whatever that come with LED lights. Even has the light cut off so you don't blind oncoming traffic.

Do it right, and spend the money. I have been down the Ebay road and it would have been easier to open the mailbox right into the trash can. The entire setup I have ran about $300. The bulb prices have come down I am sure, I got them when they first came out.

Buy it once, buy it for life. 12 years is what they say these bulbs are good for, and I don't even daily it.
Reply
Old Apr 8, 2018 | 01:27 PM
  #20  
JSmall's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 15 Years
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 363
Likes: 7
From: Worcester, UK. Ex-NZ
These Raybrigs are supposed to be incredible from what I've heard. Surprising to find them outside of Japan and at a decent price too. Along with headlight relays, you should be mint

https://technotoytuning.com/mazda/fb...ing-headlights
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2018 | 03:54 PM
  #21  
aeenox's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 10 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 339
Likes: 27
From: Los Angeles
So you would still need a relay for the Raybrigs lights? They look like they just plug in and ready to go.
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2018 | 04:02 PM
  #22  
KansasCityREPU's Avatar
Out In the Barn
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,712
Likes: 1,252
From: KC
Originally Posted by aeenox
So you would still need a relay for the Raybrigs lights? They look like they just plug in and ready to go.
The plug type is not the reason for using the harness. The reason for using the harness is because of current drain through the old column wiring. Using the relay harness means the column wiring is only supplying the trigger. Plus, the replays add a bit of protection from current drains.
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2018 | 01:37 AM
  #23  
Zepticon's Avatar
OEM+
Tenured Member: 10 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,012
Likes: 676
From: Norway
If retro looks are not of any concern, considering both for my miata:
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/as...eadlights.html

or

Amazon Amazon

or

http://www.jwspeaker.com/products/le...8700-evo-2-db/

Last edited by Zepticon; Apr 10, 2018 at 04:05 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2018 | 09:12 AM
  #24  
JDuncan's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member 20 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 702
Likes: 1
From: Louisville, KY, USA
I went with the Truck-Lite 27270c's in part because they were DOT certified so legal. The pattern is great and the improvement over stock was incredible.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2018 | 11:20 AM
  #25  
tommyeflight89's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 15 Years
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 723
Likes: 103
From: Toronto Canada
What is a good quality relay harness to run?

I have found plenty of generic H4 relay harnesses but they dont look to be very good quality.

The Retrofit source has very nice relay harnesses but are designed more for HID applications without true high and low beam outputs.

Those Raybrig units look like the best option, and Techno toy Tuning is a great place to deal with.
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:10 PM.