dmoffitt

I'm torn... I still have mixed thoughts about the aesthetics of the clear-headlights such as on Rage2's car, ie:



...but i've got a couple of reasons to REALLY want to switch over to that kind of setup. couple of questions tho:

1) i've heard of fitment / quality issues? is this the case? does anyone else make them?

2) are you limited to sealed-beam or reflector housings behind it? or does anyone make a projector (or, better yet, HID, either projector or reflector) setup that will fit back there properly?

3) do you have to buy a "Bucket" and a "Clear Cover"? (http://www.gt-racing.com/catalog/GTRall.pdf - pg 26 btw)?

any discussion/ideas about these lights would be greatly appreciated!

pete95zhn

Hello!

I've been thinking this conversion myself,and haven't rejected it yet completely...
Those questions,and some others,have worried me too.But I might have ansver to your question #2.
Check out
<a href="http://www.hellausa.com/maineng/lev1b/lev2bb/lev3bbc/90mm%20module.html" target="_blank">http://www.hellausa.com/maineng/lev1b/lev2bb/lev3bbc/90mm%20module.html</a>

There are some low/high-beam modules that will apparently fit under that cover,you could even get real HID low-beams.

With those lights you must -I think- fabricate your own buckets.

Happy New Year,Pete

<img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

ian

Someone really needs to come up with the flush mount kit, I wish I had more of the eletrical / fabrication skills to pull it off. Those hella lights in a custom fiberglass buckets with a clear cover would really freshen up the look of our car imho.

There are a whole lot of the little projector lights on the market used in different flush mount kits, look to miata, rx7, focus (yes focus), and many others, so the parts are available, someone making the mold and puttling a kit together are the real issue...

IceShark

I've looked into this and a pair of Hella 90mm will probably fit in the hole. There would be two major issues going this route.

First is you would have to do fabrication of a bucket to hold the lenses. Second would be cost if you go HID. You would spend a small fortune if you bought them through the USA distribution channel which means finding a source way up the distribution channel in Europe.

There are quite a few versions of the basic 90mm light unit. There is a high and low beam lens, lenses that use halogen bulbs and those that use HID, and North American spec and European Spec.

It will be a pretty expensive proposition to do this on a small run and due to the cost and styling issues no one major will ever do it as the market is too small.

Rob

Does anybody know what lenses Brainstorm products uses in their miata conversion kit? It looks like the 90mm Hella, but is suppose to use a H3 bulb.



Brainstorm sells replacement lenses for $20 bucks each. I wonder if they would be willing to sell the buckets as well? Check them out at their link below.

<a href="http://www.miata.org/cmt/bsp/content.asp?subcatid=38&catid=37&category=Headlight+Conversions" target="_blank">brainstorm products headlight conversion</a>

I even think a conversion like theirs whould be nice for our cars.

Rob

dmoffitt

I think this would be perfect (the hella 90mm)

I figure, a xenon (d2s) low beam w/ halogen (h9) high beam would be plenty of lighting for everyday driving, and i think they should fit fine since 90mm is approx 3.5 in (meaning, two side by side would roughly be the same width as our 7" round lamp, right??)

i won't/can't say "money is no object" but if i AM going to spring for this, well, i'd rather do it the right way

pete95zhn

Keep us posted!

If it turns out to be "sensible" conversion,I would follow you next winter.At this moment I have enough planning & thinking with brakes & suspension modifications.

Pete

IceShark

No, the Hella 90mm are the diameter measurement of the lens itself. Then you have the mounting assembly that holds the lens and allows you to adjust where the beam is pointed. They are 4 5/8" in the horizontal and verticle to the edge of the exterior bits like mounting tabs and such. Butt them tight together in a horizontal plane and you are at 9.25" wide without any border at the edges.

You could cut this down a bit by mounting diagonally, but anyway you do it it is a tight fit. And the units are pretty deep also - 5 5/8".

rage2

I've been trying to contact hid4less (who says they do custom work) to fabricate a new housing for me complete with bi-xenons. I've tried twice and they haven't replied yet. I'm going to try some local stereo shops that do custom fiberglass work to see if they're capable of creating a custom housing.

I've been really unhappy with the lighting on the GT light kit. Lucky that I got the euro fog lights w/driving lights, or I'd be completely blind.

nine-44

I've got the GT racing fixed light conversion. Fitment has a little to be desired but I managed, I had to trim one of the buckets for the lense to fit flat but the other fits OK. I fiberglassed the bottom so it is flat now instead of stepping down and mounted two pilot driving lights in each. I already had problems with HID's so thats what I'll be running for now. The HIDs looked killer but not enough back room to make it work and look good, I would have had to make a new bucket or extend the existing one. BTW, I was using the HID setup pulled out of Audi headlamps. They had alot of problems with the plastic adjusters breacing and replace the whole unit. Try taling to body shops, you might get everything you need for cheap pulled out of a wrecked car!! I'll see if I can post pics for you guys.

dmoffitt

well, i will look into fitment, etc, i don't like what i heard you say rage, about their lights - how was the fitment of the actual clear piece / cover tho? i plan to make my own buckets for whatever lamps i decide to run, so that's really not such a big issue (i figure, if i can get the HID low-beam to fit in there, as well as, say, a turn signal (and also i'll need a side-market / turn signal, to be DOT legal, i imagine), then maybe i can use the space below where on the GTP racecar there are like 3 lights/housing, to put in highs, fogs, and something else (city light? another turn signal? put the turn signal there instead of in the clear piece?). hmmmmm.... too many frighteningly exciting possiblities (my wallet cringes in fear/anticipation).

Porscheman101

If you want a jap car than transform your Porsche headlights.

But I mean common. You cant tell me that our cars really look like 'Porsches'

The one thing i here the most is about the Porsche headlights. The headlights on the famous 911 and the infamous 944 are the same.

So if you want to get rid of another part of the Porsche than go right on ahead.

Thats just what i think. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

rage2

[quote]Originally posted by Porscheman101:
<strong>If you want a jap car than transform your Porsche headlights.

But I mean common. You cant tell me that our cars really look like 'Porsches'

The one thing i here the most is about the Porsche headlights. The headlights on the famous 911 and the infamous 944 are the same.

So if you want to get rid of another part of the Porsche than go right on ahead.

Thats just what i think. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Once again, I have to remind everyone that the lights are copies off the 924 GTR racecars (that's what GT Racing claims anyways).



I didn't change the lights for the looks. I lost almost 30km/h in top speed on an evening top speed run many years ago. Try doing 270km/h with just the fog lights. Scary stuff!

User 41221

They aren't a bad copy, either... I saw them on Steve Kaspars Carrera GT clone, and they look really good. I know he had a few fitment problems with them, but there's no arguing the end result.

Regards, ...Scott

dmoffitt

i can't say i love flip-up headlights. in fact, i think it cheapens the look of the car, vs the integrated round lights on a 911 (or the pseudo-integrated, pseudo-flip-up ones on the 968). i won't get into a fight w/ the purists, but all i'm after is better lighting. there's a saying, "don't out drive your lights" and i live near a LOT of deer, terrible fog, and tend to spend a significant amt. of time, shall we say, over the speed limit (nothing reckless, but it's fairly common for me to go 10-15 over, and i hate doing it at night cuz of visibility).


considering my budget, form has to follow function, and even if i DID want to retain the stock looking lights, in order to get great lighting / visibility it may take more money than it's worth (and mainly just to preserve the looks, not for the functional part).

oh well, this might well be moot, as i am strongly considering finally making the jump to tec 3, motec, etc...... i've had to troubleshoot one too many spark/fuel problem and hate the idea of spending money to replace ancient technolgy with expensive stock parts