LED headlight upgrade completed
#61
Race Car
Justin, great job (from a fellow Edmontonian)! I was eye-balling those at work as well as the Joe $peaker LEDs, but instead built a relay harness & install some crystals. They work well enough that I am about to drive without fog lights.
The LED seems to be the best upgrade for these cars (and easiest) but I too am concerned with snow build up. Will you drive in the winter at all?
The LED seems to be the best upgrade for these cars (and easiest) but I too am concerned with snow build up. Will you drive in the winter at all?
#62
Burning Brakes
I've been kicking around the same idea.(see pick below. Thanks to Broadfoot Racing. I took the original image off their website and modified it greatly to try out different ideas for placement. I'm trying to decide if the light openings should be round, square, or rectangular and where exactly they should be placed. I want the opening to be as small as possible and blend in as much as possible and look "factory" as much as possible. Everyone feel free to give me suggestions or even photoshopped renderings(I hope Albert will forgive me for unauthorized use of his picture)) The burgandy 944 is the look I am thinking of. Solid header panel with just small cut outs which are filled with a plexiglass cover.
This is one issue I am trying to figure out a solution to.
This is one issue I am trying to figure out a solution to.
On the burgundy 944 in post #53 above, exactly which headlight is used, and how big is it?
#63
Freedom Enthusiast
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I am having a one piece plexiglass header panel made. I will try some designs in plastidip before I paint it. It will look something like this.
I have the Bi-xenon HID projectors mounted.
I have the Bi-xenon HID projectors mounted.
#64
Drifting
Thread Starter
Justin, great job (from a fellow Edmontonian)! I was eye-balling those at work as well as the Joe $peaker LEDs, but instead built a relay harness & install some crystals. They work well enough that I am about to drive without fog lights.
The LED seems to be the best upgrade for these cars (and easiest) but I too am concerned with snow build up. Will you drive in the winter at all?
The LED seems to be the best upgrade for these cars (and easiest) but I too am concerned with snow build up. Will you drive in the winter at all?
#65
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Of course, doing that throws off the aim (assuming my lights were adjusted correctly before), so I've been playing with the coarse up/down adjustment of the headlight mechanism to get the aim right. I may need to add a shim to the mechanism to bring one light up more. I wonder if a small section of the inside sheet metal could be cut out as a last resort?
But even with the headlights not aimed quite right, there is a tremendous improvement in the light output over my old Hella Halogen 55/66W bulbs and there's no problem driving this way. Nobody has flashed me yet, even with the hi beams on. I'd recommend these lights to anyone.
#66
The KC Hilites that I installed appear to be deeper than the similar trucklites, so in addition to moving the adjusters back as above, I had to clearance the sheet metal below the headlight bucket via some massaging with a ball-peen hammer. Not the most elegant solution but with a little paint, it really is not visible unless you are looking for it.
I second the brightness of these LED lights - the way they light-up reflective surfaces (signs, road markings, etc) is quite amazing.
I second the brightness of these LED lights - the way they light-up reflective surfaces (signs, road markings, etc) is quite amazing.
#67
looks great, thanks!
#68
Rennlist Member
To people with the Truck-lites... how are they holding up? My lighting-upgrade-nerd friend is making noise about how polycarbonate lenses don't hold up as well as ordinary glass in the long run. Just want to see if that's valid for these.
#69
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Broomfield, CO
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Well, if my experience with headlights on newer German cars (BMW e39, Golf mk4, friend's Passat B5.5) is representative, then they definitely don't hold up anywhere near as well. But in those cases, the headlights are out in the open all the time. Unless you do all your driving at night (i.e. with the headlights open), I'd imagine even a softer lens ought to do just fine since it's not being constantly sandblasted and baked in the sun.
#70
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Broomfield, CO
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Has anyone tried the LED replacement bulbs as a less-expensive drop-in upgrade? Something like this: H4 headlight bulbs conversion kit? I know it's not going to be as nice as a newer reflector/projector style with the hard cutoff, but it's certainly cheaper.
#71
Instructor
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Location: Sonoma County, CA
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dmjames, I've been curious about the same thing. I sort of assumed the heat sinks wouldn't work nicely with the pop-up headlamps, but would like to know if anyone has made this work.
#72
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Yeah, that and the fact that the light output of an LED doesn't seem like it'd necessarily match up with what would come out of a traditional halogen bulb. I'm thinking I'll probably go with the full-on replacement assembly when there's call for it, but the price is enough to think twice about. That said, my philosophy of 'if you're going to do it, do it right the first time' on this car has paid off thus far.
#73
I can be an pretty unapologetic cheap bastage.
Just for fun, after reading about the GE Nighthawks and Truck-lites, I thought I would see what the $89 ones you can get on Amazon are like.
I'll install one, and if I don't like it, I'll return the set.
I did my headlight wiring bypass relay harness, this last weekend. So, my draw should be better and the headlight switch won't have to work as hard.
All of this shopping for an affordable Cayman had made me want my 944 to be upgraded and stay with me. ;-)
David, did we pass the other morning on Valmont?
Just for fun, after reading about the GE Nighthawks and Truck-lites, I thought I would see what the $89 ones you can get on Amazon are like.
I'll install one, and if I don't like it, I'll return the set.
I did my headlight wiring bypass relay harness, this last weekend. So, my draw should be better and the headlight switch won't have to work as hard.
All of this shopping for an affordable Cayman had made me want my 944 to be upgraded and stay with me. ;-)
David, did we pass the other morning on Valmont?
#75
These were the ones that I was talking about evaluating:
Amazon.com: Lantsun® 75w 7inch Round LED Headlight with DRL Hi/lo Beam Phillips Leds for Jeep Wrangler Jk Tj Harley Davidson (1 Pc) 105105: Automotive
Though, I will say, my GF's 2008 Camry has lights that were insufficient, and the poly lens covers were getting diffuse. Her car has non-HID projector housings. So, I popped in one of those cheap $35 fleabay HID kits, run through the projector lens. Have to say, it's not blinding, and has worked better than stock for two years, in a wide range of temperature conditions (-20F to +110F). Surpassed my expectations.