right now i am planning on the $700 range for halogen, and $1500-$1600 range for HID.

now the reason for the price difference is the cost difference for the headlight unit.

now because i know people will ask, yes you can buy the halogen and put in an aftermarket hid bulb for a lot cheaper.

No, this option is not DOT/SAE legal. and the light pattern would be different as well.

the halogen reflector is different from the HID reflector, while they look the same they are not. in talking to David Hayes, the halogens are still drastically better than stock. though the HIDs are even better yet.

you will get what you pay for and i will also offer some type of warranty as well.

if anyone has any questions feel free to ask, i encourage anyone with input to say something as it could help make a better experience for everyone.

 

Have you given thought to a glass lense?

HID lights usually tend to eat plastic lenses, they turn yellow and flake/ haze

This is a common problem for Volvo, Mazda, Porsche, & other auto manufacturers that have OEM HID headlights.

Or at least make extra lenses available for purchase.

Or make the lense material thick enough to be able to be wet
sanded & polished.

 

Really? HIDs output much less heat than halogens so I think you might have this backwards.

 

That's what I thought also.

I don't think it's heat related, I think it's a light spectrum issue.

Kinda like when stuff gets left out in the sun, it fades (because of UV damage)

I'm just trying to throw ideas out there.

On a lot of the volvos that I have seen, the damage is through the entire lense, not just the outer surface.

+ glass lenses would make this kit world class.

 

Glass would definitely be better than plastic but I wonder how this could be done? Maybe it is no different than having someone do the plastic. Would true lexan work or would it be just like plastic?

 

its between polycarbonate (Lexan) and acrylic (Plexiglas). i figured on about 1/8 inch is pretty close to OEM thickness. i will have replacements available, i was gunna try to offer some sort of a 3m film uv film, it will also offer protection from rocks and road debris.

 

so does the cloudiness appear on the inside or outside? it seems it would be on the inside but the outside is what is the case with everything ive seen.

i will do some homework on the issue, but the c6 vette has a plastic lens with HIDs, havent seen any issues, but they are not that old. i have had the problem with some of my care none of which are HID, so i assumed that it was just weathered and sun damaged.

 

I'm not sure if you are talking about the cloudiness or foginess on the inside of the lights or just what happens to old lights on the outside.

When its on the outside, its just because they've been scratched up and the sun has beat on them, all you have to do is polish them and it restores them to normal (you can get a 3M kit at autozone, or do it yourself with sand paper and then a buffer)

When its on the inside, its usually moisture related. You can see this on some stock fd tailights that have been taken apart and modified to look like JDM. You need to seal them really well so no moisture can get in.

When I had my G35 coupe, a common mod was to take apart the headlights and paint the inside of the housings, after that, some had the moisture problem. In order to avoid this, your kit needs to be completely sealed or left wide open in the back. The evo-R kit doesn't fog because there is no back to the unit, so if it gets wet under the clear cover, the water just evaporates (it leaves dirt though and is extremely hard to clean, which is why a sealed kit would be better). To seal the clear cover on, you can get headlight glue, I got mine from the nissan dealership. But this means that your buckets for the projectors need to have backs on them and then bulkhead connectors for the wires (or seal the wires where they pass through the bucket).

 

so do HIDs have anything to do with it like Prometheus stated?

 

I don't think so Dan. HIDs run cooler than halogens so I just don't see this will be an issue. With the halogens though, they are hotter and could over time cause the plastic to age I would think from the heat. But that is what replacement parts are for right? And if you use the halogens for high beams only, I just don't think they will be on long enough to cause an issue.

 

Spend some time walking around used car lots.

The damage I spoke of is throghout the entire plastic lense (not just the inner outer surfaces)

Volvo is the worse out of all the auto manufacturers, seconded by ford & Mazda

normally the brunt of this distortion is directly infront of where the high beams are.the distortion also usually follows the light pater caster by the fixtures.

The RE-Amemiya sleeks suffer from this very issue.

Think of light damage to your body caused by tig wealding in a short sleeve shirt.

It's light damage, not heat.

 

just one more matter for home work. im gunna guess that glass lenses are not gunna be a realistic option, cost wise. i will have replacements available.

 

It would be worth looking into polycarb (which is an exotic composite) vs glass (much more common molding media)

I'm sure if you are making a molded lense out of a clear media, it's going to be expensive.

The question is how expensive.

Make sure you are clear about your requirements for the molding of the polycarb, it can not have perosity, cloudyness, or uneven coloration (all things that can easliy go wrong)

glass is much more predictable.

 

i dont think that the glass is going to be feasible. i have found a few local companies that can vacuum form me some lenses, the cost of glass i dont think will be worth it. i think of it this way for the majority of FD drivers they are not their daily, and they dont get driven much at night (50/50-day/night driving on top of not being driven every day) i figure it would take a while for the problem to present itself. then just buy a replacement.

say it takes 5 years of daily driving for it to occur, and driving 1/2 that much 10 years, i would be ok with that.

 

one thing i want everyone to know is that i want my kit to be the highest quality because it will represent myself as a designer and i will continue to do my research to maintain that reputation.

 

I think it looks pretty cool, i would probably buy them.

 

David you are correct Sir, my wifes escalade has some fading on the inside of the Driverside headlight housing directly over the Day Time Running Lights portion. After many hours of research in cadillac forums i found out the DRL (Which are Halogen) recieve 13 - 14 volts instead of 12 (That explains why most GM trucks) ride around with either one or both of there DRL's blown out. So in my case to correct the problem I'd have to install resistors to lower the voltage, so I told my wife to stop using the DRL's problem solved!

Just my $.02

Idel

 

awesome, thanks for the input. more input is welcome. i still havent found anything on fading b/c of hid. it all seems heat and weather related. anyone with experience on the issue please comment.

good news david, i think i should be getting another 7 very soon

 

these are the perfect reason to pick up an FD.

 

Nice! Post pics.

 

i will

 

Sorry I foregot to mention, the truck has factory H.I.D's and the fading/cloudiness has only occured directly over the (Halogen DRL's) NOT the H.I.D's, definitely heat related. Hopefully this doesnt happen with your kit, good luck looks promising.

Regards,
Idel

 

so what's the eta on this kit again...?

 

well, i had another minor set back today so not sure.

 

oh no...hopefully doesn't set you back too much.