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-   1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) (https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/)
-   -   Non-popup Headlight COnversion (https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/non-popup-headlight-conversion-182316/)

ImprezedRS 05-04-03 11:41 PM

Well my kit will most likely be delayed for a little bit since earlier tongiht a lady pulled out in front of me and I swerved to miss her and spun out into a curb. So far it looks to be about $5g worth of damage so far.

Hyper4mance2k 05-05-03 12:47 AM

TJ were those headlights a custome thing or was it part of a kit? If you did that from scratch then we need some for our cars.. :)

thorin 05-05-03 12:47 AM

5g of damage on a 1st gen?

Manntis 05-05-03 12:49 AM

Dude, I hit a concrete barrier with mine at highway speeds and it was only about $4G Canuck bucks to fix.

'85 GSL 302 05-05-03 01:16 AM


Originally posted by Directfreak
Can't round BMW HID lights be modified to fit?
Depends on the dimensions of the lights but I'm sure they could. There's a guy that mod's 5G Prelude lights using BWM HID's. The benifits is that the light is set up to use the HIDs focus length, so they produce a nice crisp beam. The HID bulbs in a Hallogen unit will blur at the edges, meaning you must either aim them down more reducing the forward view slightly, or maintain the view and blind the Bajebus out of people. The downside to the BWM HID's is that they would cost about $1200 to do a conversion with. Personally, I'd rather have a $500 conversion and slightly blurry lines.

I plan on offering several variants of styles. Including painted buckets, maybe carbon fiber, diamond lights or regular lights, and I might run 2 smaller lights. I chose to try the 4x6 because it's easier, more reliable, and cheaper. It also offers the ability to customize it to personal preferences on bulbs and light styles.



As for the miata lights. There are two things I noticed. One being it didn't seem like the lights sat level on the hood. Is that a trick of angles or do they just not fit all that well. Also, they look like the bottoms are cut off by the bumper. Don't they cast a huge saddow in front of the car? Look nice though, I to wonder if that's 100% custom or a kit. Looks like a kit to me. Nice stereo BTW :)

luiml73 05-05-03 04:28 AM


Originally posted by thorin
5g of damage on a 1st gen?
I'm thinking based on his Name he has a Subaru Impreza

Manntis 05-05-03 11:29 AM


Originally posted by '85 GSL 302
Depends on the dimensions of the lights but I'm sure they could. There's a guy that mod's 5G Prelude lights using BWM HID's. The benifits is that the light is set up to use the HIDs focus length, so they produce a nice crisp beam. The HID bulbs in a Hallogen unit will blur at the edges, meaning you must either aim them down more reducing the forward view slightly, or maintain the view and blind the Bajebus out of people. The downside to the BWM HID's is that they would cost about $1200 to do a conversion with. Personally, I'd rather have a $500 conversion and slightly blurry lines.

I plan on offering several variants of styles. Including painted buckets, maybe carbon fiber, diamond lights or regular lights, and I might run 2 smaller lights. I chose to try the 4x6 because it's easier, more reliable, and cheaper. It also offers the ability to customize it to personal preferences on bulbs and light styles.

Don't forget, BMWs have the headlights up front with space behind them, so the length of the light unit isn't really an issue.

On our cars, however, you have to set the light far back so they don't stick out through the openings in profile, yet therer is a metal bulkhead that the light buckets anchor to. Ideally a kit would not require the installer to cut into this structural bulkhead just to provide clearance for the back half of the light units selected.

fatboy7 05-05-03 02:34 PM


On our cars, however, you have to set the light far back so they don't stick out through the openings in profile, yet therer is a metal bulkhead that the light buckets anchor to. Ideally a kit would not require the installer to cut into this structural bulkhead just to provide clearance for the back half of the light units selected.
thats what I've noticed too..... the last two inches of the light cover that you see when the lights are down are hanging over a structual bulkhead. The holes otherwise are borderline too small to fit without protruding above the surface. So you either have to cut the bulkhead, or make them stick out higher than the original lines.... like some of the 3rd gen fixed headlight kits.

As a matter of personal preference, I don't think the bug eye protruding lights would look good on a 1st get. On a car with more fluid curves you might get away with it, but not on these cars.... thats why I still think you'd have better luck with a good-looking sleepy-eye kit.

excitingleopard 05-05-03 10:28 PM

I think there will be a very good market for these kits if you can actually make them THAT good looking. But I would think that it wouldn't be all that hard to do yourself, even for someone as oblivious as me. And I don't think something that simple will ever be worth anything near $400, so it's a very good idea to keep the price down like you said.

'85 GSL 302 05-06-03 09:22 AM

Well I've got the 1st prototype finished. Cutting the support was a little harder than I had thought. I ended up having to use a dremmil and finally an air cutter. I figure that the average, "not very mecnahically inclined" person can do 95% of the install themselves, and if they need to, take the car to a shop and have them cut out the holes. Something like that would be very cheap and easy if you had already removed the lights. Plus, if done properly, you can have the pannel welded back in and convert back to pop-ups.

Anyway, I'm going to fab up a second design today. The first one proved that I can make it rigid enough using factory bolt locations, so there's no drilling, but It's not high enough and it's WAY to far back. I was worried about hood clearance and suck so I mounted it behind one of the hood supports. I'm going to re-design the frame work so I can mount it higher and more forward. It looks really good though guys! Reminds me of a 300Z a little. I'm looking forward to the finished product.

TheAuroch 05-06-03 09:59 AM

Count me in, i've been looking for a conversion kit for a while. I just didn't feel like getting into the conversion myself, don't have the time, to busy trying to get my 1st Gen running right. ha. But i'm def. in, dual light setup, sealled, made out of Carbon Fiber.

How difficult to fit a strobe light setup with the kit...

luiml73 05-06-03 03:15 PM

count me in also, my motors on both lights are shot.

Mills 05-06-03 03:43 PM

Hey, luiml73,

Those wheels look fricken' awesome photoshopped on your car! What kind are they? Heh, heh ...

Sammymatik 05-06-03 04:51 PM


Originally posted by '85 GSL 302
It looks really good though guys! Reminds me of a 300Z a little. I'm looking forward to the finished product.
NO pictures yet? ;)

And why is there cutting involved? That does make for a bit more a pain in the arse on the install, but I'm sure you already knew that! :D Still interested in taking a look! :D

Manntis 05-06-03 05:19 PM


Originally posted by Sammymatik
why is there cutting involved?

Originally posted by Manntis
On our cars, however, you have to set the light far back so they don't stick out through the openings in profile, yet there is a metal bulkhead that the light buckets anchor to. Ideally a kit would not require the installer to cut into this structural bulkhead just to provide clearance for the back half of the light units selected.

ImprezedRS 05-06-03 05:29 PM

Sorr I gues I nver mentioned I don't own a RX7 I have a 2000 SUbaru Impreza RS, the body kit, rims and coilovers and rear suspension were all damaged in the wreck.

kuhlrx7 05-06-03 05:49 PM

manntis is this where you got stuck with the ones you were doing?

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...&postid=985691

I have a wide body and it would not bother me if they stuck out a little like the cwest ones for the third gen.

Manntis 05-06-03 06:10 PM

Reaction to those semi-raised lights was luke warm. Personally I like the look, but it's too subjective for me to sink a bundle into production...

luiml73 05-06-03 10:33 PM


Originally posted by Mills
Hey, luiml73,

Those wheels look fricken' awesome photoshopped on your car! What kind are they? Heh, heh ...

Thank's ................Front wheels are already paid for just saving up for the rear and shipping
http://www.braid.es/braidwheels/desm...aid3pcsENG.htm
I ordered these 17x8 $300/each 17x12 $355/each

http://www.braid.es/braidwheels/desm...es/gt17rsb.jpg

'85 GSL 302 05-07-03 02:51 AM

I finished the 2nd prototype tonight. They look freaking sweet. I still need to do a beam test to make sure they aren't casting nasty shadows and make sure they are aim'ed properly and have enough adjustability. I moved the second kit forward about 3" and it's up as far as it will go. It nearly hits the hood, but should clear with no problems unless you have some body damage. It looks like it's going to work out very well. I'll try to have some pictures up as soon as I can steal a digital camera.

Total weight should be around 20lbs lighter than stock. The frames are very light steel, the buckets will be fiber glass and carbon fiber later this summer. The covers will be plexiglass and moulded with the exact contours of the stock light covers. Assuming the disign passes my tests, it's still probably a month away from having the jigs made and the moulds ready, but this should be a very nice kit when it's done. I'm still shooting for a $150 price with the low end conversion lights. What I'll probably do is sell the kit for something like $120 without the lights, and just have different price options for lights like $30 for normal H4's, $60 for Diamond lights, $25 for seald beams, etc. Final price will depend on option selected, time to fabricate, and material costs. I'm building this kit to be easy and cheap to make, while still retaining a good quality. If I succede, it shoud be pretty cheap to produce, and I should be able to sell it for my target price. I highly doubt the base model will go over $200 for the pair. The buckets will probably be flat black with an option to be painted body color. I may also include a turn signal or reflectory in the unit because there's a large space available where the subframe intrudes in the bucket. I'm going to see how they look before deciding though. You'll see when pics are up.

Rob

kuhlrx7 05-08-03 02:22 PM

wheres the pics?

'85 GSL 302 05-08-03 07:26 PM

I should have some tomorrow. I got my roomates digital camera now, so I'll pop over to the farm and take some pics and have them uploaded. You're so needy.... :)

Rotary13B1 05-08-03 11:07 PM

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

'85 GSL 302 05-09-03 03:00 PM

Ok, here are some pics. Old school style because my server is being stupid and I can't host them. Keep in mind this are on-off prototypes, yet to be tested. The bucket is also spraypainted and taped poster board so I can test the beam pattern. The lights actually look a lot better in person, but there wasn't enough light in the hanger.

Rotary13B1 05-09-03 03:53 PM

Can you get a close up of it?


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