mike cap

Guys,

I'm about 1/2 through the install of my LiteSwap kit on the LH headlamp. Installation and maintaining the "slide-out & in" feature of the 993 headlamps is feasible. It will require some patience and some additional supplies, such as spade or butt connectors, MTW wire and long tie wraps. All are available at a good electrical supply house.

Briefly, the igniter must be mounted in the headlamp housing and the primary (input) side of the igniter runs through two pins of the factory (fender well) connector. There is a perfect spot to mount the igniter in the headlamp housing, inside the cover itself. DO NOT disturbe the Catz kit set-up on the secondary (output to the lamp) side of the igniter. The lead that strikes the arc in the lamp and its connector are designed for 25,000 vac. You will fry yourself and/or your car's electronics.

The primary side of the igniter (orange and brown wires) is lower voltage (380 vac) and commonly available connectors can handle this voltage.

The two top pins in the factory quick-connect are no longer used, since one was power to the halogen lamp and one was ground to the halogen base. The primary feed for the igniter will now occupy these pins. A side advantage is that you can grab the power and ground back behind the connector by splicing into these two (unused) wires. These splices will feed your Catz ballast.

I will try and take some photos today and write-up a professional step by step DIY. Should have ready sometime tomorrow.

I don't know how to post a DIY here, but if anyone wants, I can send them an email with the write-up and photos. Drop me a quick email. Or if someone is skilled at placing a link, perhaps they could get my email and doctor it up.

Mike Cap
1997 C2
Arena Red

MGA

Mike,

Received my kit last week...may need you to hold my hand on the installation...you brought-up some points not mentioned in the original DIY.

thanks for your comments.

kary993

Mike,

Sounds like an interesting approach to keep the exact look and feel to the head lights. I thought about how to do this as well and also asked myself how often I might want to pop the headlights out for any reason. Well, I have had my car since new (1997) and have never popped the head lights out. After installation of this kit and following the posted DIY, I find that taking the headlights in and out are not even an issue. I have already taken them out to clean up some work I did during the install. It was very easy, and yes, you do need to plug and unplug three connectors to put it back or take it out, but it really was amazingly easy.

The effort to do the DIY install, even if you are somewhat cautious (like I was), will take you 3 hours maximum. I would also add that the DIY install was amazingly easy from a tools and knowledge perspective. For most of us, you are already beyond our basic knowledge and ability (maybe I should just say me, not others).

This is just my 2 cents and I realize that each person will have a preference on this. So good luck with your approach.

STLPCA

Mike
Sounds very promising. Thanks for taking the lead on what may be the first really clean, factory quality, aftermarket HID conversion.

As you know, I've also ordered a Catz kit & have procured a pair of oem lights to play with (mine were converted to D2S HID bulb mounts). Sounds like you have replicated the Litronics headlight install - igniter attached to the inside of the access door w/the input coming from the yellow (+) & brown (-) wires that had fed the low beam halogen H1.

I plan to cut the + & - low beam wires going to the fender side of the connector & wire the trunk mounted ballast in series using 2 pair of wires from the fender into the trunk. Is that feasible? Have you found a better/alternative way? I'm very interested in the specifics of your install. Pls send me an email (ibinmo@aol.com) of your DIY. TIA