So after seeing all the good retrofits on here, Im thinking about breaking into my JDM headlights. what advice would you give after your experiences? if you could do it with any projectors, which ones and why?
i read on g2ic, people using AMG (Benz), BMW, 350z, TSX w/ lexus ballast, hella bi-xenon, infinity FX35/45 (recall ones). Im reading its $400 for the Hella Xenon system and Hella Bi-Xenon projectors which seems high. i ready suggestions on BMW, TL, TSX, or S2000, but i just don’t read why. price, size, and ballast info welcomed
If you want to retain the high beam function you will need a bixenon projector. Size is very limited inside our headlights so it has to be a smaller projector. I have used g35, fx 35, and rx350 bixenon projectors. Fx and g35 projectors are too big so I had to cut a hole in the bottom of the housing to fit them. I would recommend that you do a LOT of reading on hidplanet.com before you buy any parts for your retrofit. There’s tons of great info on that site, I visit it more than this forum lately. Another thing to consider is that the fluting on the oem headlight lense will severely hinder and scatter the output if you don’t sand and polish it away. That’s the biggest reason I have used the aftermarket headlights.
I agree with rollin regarding the tight space in the headights and the need for plenty of research. Aso, due to those flutes in the lenses, you’re not going to get all that great of an output regardless. The option if sanding them down from the inside is there, but it’s a pain in the ass. I started one lense and never finished. Regardless, a retrofit would be a better option than a plug and play kit. Therefore, it depends on how much work you really want to put into this retro. Unless you have a clear lense, you’re not going to see most of those results that are pictured on hidplanet or the cutoff shots that they post on theretrofitsource to sell their projectors. Also, it will get pretty damn pricey, even if you are doing your own work.
exactly! which is why i figured the amount of work that would be put into it i didnt think it was going to be worth it.
there are some pics floating around of a JDM headlight that had a portion sanded down… now that was pretty nice looking…
even if you do get a portion of the headlight lens to be clear, if there any irregularities its going to cause some distortion in your beam pattern which sucks.
i had a set of FX projectors that i was going to use and swap in some TSX projector lenses onto… never really go the project going since i didnt source a pair of headlights yet… not sure what happened to my set maybe sold them on hidplanet but if you’re looking to score some deals go in the classified section on that site… or go to Welcome to the store