jimlab

Just got a response from Susquehanna and they said that the 90mm lights would require an H9 HID conversion kit. I'm still looking for one. Philips makes HID conversions for many bulb sizes and prices range from around $575 to $640 from what I've seen.

jimlab

If you can, then I've never seen or heard of anyone doing it. Every picture I've ever seen of the RE kit has had the lights the kit came with. The only "upgrade" that I've ever heard of for this kit are the higher wattage H3 bulbs.

Project RX-7

Hey Jim.....what about the PanSpeed light conversion?

and one more thing, got any good pics of the East Bear ligths installed? and not the silver car wit em, seen it wayyyy to many times, thanks.

jimlab

Everyone I've asked has told me that the PanSpeed kit is really an RE kit (new style) without covers. The newer RE kits can be purchased with a single light and one intake opening per side.

I won't have any pictures of the quality of mine above until my own kit shows up. Until that point, the best pictures are probably of Dragon's car. (sorry, couldn't find a better picture on such short notice)

http://communities.msn.com/Blaydes20...to&PhotoID=817

mmaragos

Check here...

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=46252

jimlab

Thanks! Do you have any pictures of the modifications you made to the RE brackets to mount the Hella lights, or did you fabricate your own brackets?

And do you have any pictures not taken during a torrential downpour?

mmaragos

Why does it HAVE to wait until the weekend to rain?

No pics of the brackets, but they are ugly now. I had to notch the low beam side up on the top (looking at the front of the bracket) and I had to remove the skinny piece of metal that closes off the bottom sections (again looking at the front). I'll try to get some pics soon. Structurally, without the sections closed, they are not the same, but they will do for now.

Not too sure if I would recommend this mod to everyone. Even though the Hellas sit a little bit farther forward, I still am unsure that I will get good projection. I need to adjust the beams down a little bit. After I do that, I will see how well they work. Needless to say, the Hellas are a very tight fit into the RE kit.

This may likely be an interim fix.

jimlab

Thanks mmaragos, I'm looking forward to seeing how you managed to mount the Hella lights. The East Bear pod has more room, and the lights sit higher, so I'm hoping that this is a viable solution. I'm not sure how many more light kits I want to try before I settle on one.

am3210

Thanks for the education I like the C-West lights. As far a painting goes, let's face it any of them can be painted that's the easy part.

A-Spec

been planning to do the hellas in the east bear, Jim is going to beat me to it ... well anyway here's a pic I took from the auto salon of the new RE-lights, they are IPF also and they look like they will work a lot better than the old lights, just another option.



David

JBurer

I've got an HID kit in the works. It will retain the pop-up lights (probably at half height).
After spending several months researching the different housing combinations, pop-up vs sleek and meeting with Jeff Witzer about his old kit I've decided to ditch the stock housings and go with aftermarket housings.
I will probably offer them in stages (IE. only low beam HID, both low and high beam HID), as everything is rather expensive.
I've located a supplier for OEM HID housings, which eliminates all of the problems with trying to find the hotspot and putting light where it's not supposed to be. The route I'm going will give us DOT legal low beams but not DOT legal high beams.
This route is a little more expensive, but with housings that have optics designed to accomodate HID it eliminates the problem of flashing oncoming traffic (as long as the housings are aimed properly). It also elimates the less-streamlined apperance one gets when *everything* has to be mix-matched and fabricated.
The general goal is to keep the stock pop-ups but have decent lighting.

I'll have a working prototype in the car by early February. Of course, I'll let everyone know when the full kit is available... probably in early March. Start saving your pennies!
Best,
John

twinturboteddy

Fantastic, really good info.

Worth archiving, thanks dood.

rmani

pic doesn't work

Node

iTrader: (1)

How about Jims Preowned Crap.

And beautiful writeup. I like the looks of the C-West. They're CF for those of us who like a little CF, and I actually like the bulge, they also look best (even w/o the CF)
Too bad no one could come up w/ some good lighting. For that much you'd expect HID

Badog

You don't have to cut the stock harness...use male blades into the female stock connector.

A-Spec

again....

jspecracer7

The east baer kit doesn't look too bad once the lights are painted(I've seen them up close on dragon's). And the RE's are way too expensive, and the whole "CATZ" lighting thing on the c-west lights aren't my idea of lighting so....got any pics of the panspeed light kit? doesn't r-magic make a light kit? PLEASE someone post PICS!!!

man_of_steel

kits look really good. I like that the eastbear kit is easily installed(easy electric hookup, no cutting sheet metal) but I honestly like the covers. But I like A-spec's paint job. I dont want to spend 1500 or so bucks on a new headlight kit when I could get other stuff for that much, or a similar kit for a little over 1/3 the price! honestly though, how would you paint the eastbear kit to match a VR 93?

neald

Does anyone have any more info on the _new_ RE Amemiya light kit? Does it provide any more light?

Also, does anyone know if East Bear has considered enclosing their lights? The enclosure would need some bulges, but I think it would better preserve the look of the RX-7.

jimlab

Same lights, just one less since the other opening is used for air intake.

I intend to use my East Bear kit as a starting point for a better option that would contain true 90mm low and high beam lights, have a glass cover possibly, and a more streamlined profile. Something like the lights on the Corvette C5-R...

jimlab

I haven't received my East Bear kit yet, so I haven't had a chance to analyze it, but I'm certain that the mounting could be improved upon. An ideal kit would have a pod "frame" like the C-West kit (and I may buy another to chop up) which bolts in and is self-supporting without adding fasteners to front bumper (East Bear) or beneath the fender well (RE Amemiya). Bolt-in from the top, with an open bottom instead of the "shelved" pod floor which the CATZ lights mount to.

Then a formed top would attach to that with a clip system at the front to retain the upper light pod without fasteners and screws or bolts at the rear, beneath the hood, for no visible fasteners and good rigidity.

The cover would be sealed, by whatever means, to eliminate fogging, and ideally, glass would be used instead of Lexan for durability. I've already located someone who can "blow" the glass forms for me, I just have to come up with a solution that works. I'm looking for something that looks far more "OEM" than the kits available, but yet would remain fairly inexpensive and have great lighting, with the option to upgrade to HID on the low beam. (isn't everyone searching for this magical combination?)

It's not that far off, I just have to find the time, and I'll probably need to buy another C-West kit. It'd be nice if I could pick up one without the CATZ lights, but I expect I'll have to "take one for the team" and buy a full kit.

Ninjak

maybe this has been answered before but i just cant read... is it possible to swtich to and from the RE kit to stock?
I know the RE kit involves a lot of cuting metal and im just curious if its possible to return to stock "at will" once i have the RE kit put in. thanks for any help
Huy

mmaragos

No. At least not at will. It would take some reconstructive surgery to go back to stock.

SaltyDog12

I went with the c-west kit, only problem is that none will be in the county till the end of Feb. Now my car is sitting in the shop for a month waiting on headlights. Good new is my intake and timer should be here in another week!

Damie '93 Touging

95R2-89TII Ground Zero

My favorite right now is a tie between the C-West and the RE Amemeiya. I really don't like the Bear at all.