HID headlights and LED taillight installed with pics

[NAES]

I was looking to upgrade the lighting on my standard from H4's to something else. In my previous panel I used a PIAA headlight relay with 130W/180W lights. Insane output to say the least and I totally loved them. This time around I wanted to do something different so I bought a chepo kit off of Ebay for $40 shipped to see how they worked. My first mistake after the purchase was realizing I bought low beam only units. They sell Hi/Low for an extra 20 and it's probably worth it if you actually use Hi beams.

Install was very straight forward and easy to figure out. Good thing because the instructions were virtually useless. One bit of useful information that I did not follow was not to hold the bulb by the wires while test firing the lights. They arced and shocked the living shit out of me!

I did have to enlarge the access hole for the headlight wires a little bit but a nice rubber grommet fixed the added size plus stopped any potential chaffing of the wires.

Light output is awesome as expected. They are very cool to the touch as opposed to Halogen. I mounted the ballast boxes to the nose skin with double sided tape and a few dabs of Shoe Goo. Inside the ballast boxes I was pleased to see all electronics dipped in epoxy resin. This will hopefully keep the vibrations from killing the internals.

Here's a few pics of the finished product.

Ballast box installed

LED taillights were a simple RnR. Light output seems the same but way brighter when viewed directly. No low load flasher required thus far. Brake lighting seems brighter. They also come on with a quick flash that only LED's make. Kinda hard to describe but they are either on or off, no dullness or dimness as the TS flashes.

True test run down to Familienfest tomorrow.
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[quartermilecamel]

ballast? what kind of lights are those? L e d's? Link please. Id like to look at those.
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[Snoop Bob]

NAES...what color temp did you choose?

Here are some hi/low kits from ebay

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=bi-xenon%2...06.c0.m282

Here are the low only kits from ebay

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984....Categories
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[eddiemoney]

im running 8ks in my ghia
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Will

instagram im_eating_pizza

[quartermilecamel]

what kind of light is this? Is it long lasting like a L.E.D.? Current draw?
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[quartermilecamel]

Ok how do you mount those? I dont see a sealed beam headlight adapter in the kit. Pictures of the lamp mounting?
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[mrjobe]

Sean,
my old mango is looking sick! I love what you've done with the place.
what kit did you use?
are your 1157's the flat led type or the round unit with the leds on the sides too?

I ordered some led 1157's and H4 buckets for my standard, i cant decide on the hid temp/color, going 55w for sure

looks great!
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[Ellectronico]

im interested in seeing how you got the headlights to fit/mount in the buckets. I have been thinking about doing this for some time but i have herd others say its a pain to get them mounted. The kits i see don't seam to come with a reflector of any kind?.

Looking Good!
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"you need to lower it", "it would look better lowered", "Slam that bitch!", "That would be a slutty bitch if it was lowered", "That bitch would be a bitchin bitch of a bitch bitch bus if it was on its nuts, bitch"

[quartermilecamel]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/6024-HID-CONVERSION...ccessories
These have the reflectors duplicating the sealed beam headlamp. Lifetime warrenty. 119 bucks
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[Ellectronico]

[quartermilecamel]

[quartermilecamel]

[GeorgeL]

[Ellectronico]

[GeorgeL]

Then get a good set of Hella, Cibie Marchal, or Bosch lens/reflectors and run H4 bulbs. You'll get all the light you need and an excellent beam pattern that doen't blind oncoming motorists.

You won't get that from a cheap set of Chinese HIDs, even if they do come in eleven designer colors.

[Ellectronico]

[NAES]

OK let's see if I can reply to all the questions.

First, I'm running the standard 7" H4 housings in the headlight buckets. The bulb that is supplied has the tabs so you can properly orient it in the housing. It's as simple as swapping bulbs out, really. The only difference is there are wires attached to it that plug into the ballast box.

The ballast box is the thing I mounted to the inside of my nose skin. It provides the power needed to give the initial discharge of energy to ignite the gas inside the bulb and then keep it powered up. When you turn them on they flash, go dim and slowly glow brighter as the gas is charged. Think neon light.

QMCamel. The headlights are HID (high intensity discharge) lights, not LED (light emitting diodes) like the tail lights. Bulbs are only 35W per the schematic on the package. No heat is felt when you touch the headlight lens unlike Halogen bulbs.

The second link Snoop Bob posted is what I bought. Xentec low only. I'd go with Hi/Low for the rest of you though.

I chose the color "OEM White". Still a tad bit blue but not obnoxious by any means.

Chris. Thanks for the props. It's been a long road but she's finally road worthy and fun as hell to drive. Always more to do as it was neglected for so long. As for the LED's, they are the flat kind. I scored 'em for 3 bucks a pack and couldn't say no.

Ellectronico. It's really a plug and play. No fitment issues other than having to enlarge the hole for the wires to pass through. They are a direct replacement bulb for a standard H4 housing.

GeorgeL. Do you have any clue what you're talking about? As i said in the OP, I had a PIAA setup on the street and they were bright as hell and had a very crisp beam pattern. This HID kit from China does the same thing with a crisp beam pattern that cuts off like they are supposed to. Difference is price and if you want, "designer colors".

Regardless, I love them. If anybody else scores some, post up.

NAES
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[quartermilecamel]

Im extremely picky about driving at night. I NEEEDDD LIGHTTTTT. HID'S are crap loads brighter just by his pictures and reading. Well I know my headlight switch gets a little warm on low beam. On high beam the sucker gets hot. Needs a rewire. It says 35 watts. Less current than stock sealed beams? Im not sure how much current these things draw but Im guessing night driving will be much easier for those of us with bad eyes. They offer some colors that seem sooo annoying to the eyes For instance, greeennn??? purple??? Im not making a tuner bus If I was, I'd have to drill 2 holes in the nose and put the classic 2 leds in. Theres negative 17 percent chance thats happening. My stock vw emblem has plenty of bling bling.
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[mrjobe]

sean, Ill post pics up when i get my "round" 1157's and my hids installed.
i just got the h4's in, heres a couple pics, id rather have some hella fluted h4's but $100 a pop is a little high, these will work for the $25 on ebay, the bling is growing on me, the blue bulbs have a horrible reflection, the hid's will take care of that. ill post my 55w's up soon

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[quartermilecamel]