Non-popup Headlight COnversion
05-04-03, 11:41 PM
#26
Damnit, steel doors hurt!
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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.
05-05-03, 01:16 AM
#30
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Originally posted by Directfreak
Can't round BMW HID lights be modified to fit?
Can't round BMW HID lights be modified to fit?
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
05-05-03, 11:29 AM
#32
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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.
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.
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.
05-05-03, 02:34 PM
#33
Got Boost?
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.
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.
05-05-03, 10:28 PM
#34
Prosthetic head.
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.
05-06-03, 09:22 AM
#35
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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.
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.
05-06-03, 09:59 AM
#36
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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...
How difficult to fit a strobe light setup with the kit...
05-06-03, 04:51 PM
#39
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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.
It looks really good though guys! Reminds me of a 300Z a little. I'm looking forward to the finished product.
And why is there cutting involved? That does make for a bit more a pain in the **** on the install, but I'm sure you already knew that!
Still interested in taking a look!
05-06-03, 05:19 PM
#40
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Originally posted by Sammymatik
why is there cutting involved?
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.
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.
05-06-03, 05:29 PM
#41
Damnit, steel doors hurt!
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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.
05-06-03, 05:49 PM
#42
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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.
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.
05-06-03, 06:10 PM
#43
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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...
05-06-03, 10:33 PM
#44
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Originally posted by Mills
Hey, luiml73,
Those wheels look fricken' awesome photoshopped on your car! What kind are they? Heh, heh ...
Hey, luiml73,
Those wheels look fricken' awesome photoshopped on your car! What kind are they? Heh, heh ...
http://www.braid.es/braidwheels/desm...aid3pcsENG.htm
I ordered these 17x8 $300/each 17x12 $355/each
05-07-03, 02:51 AM
#45
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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
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
05-09-03, 03:00 PM
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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.