Gen 1 Headlight upgrades? Yep...

[ChrisR]

As some know, I'm working on some projector headlights for a gen 1, and have made some progress. Check out this site for my current updates. It is a slow process, but should be great rewards in the end. You can post any questions/opinions here - Tell me what you think!

Later

>Edited link<

<small>[ June 28, 2002, 12:46 AM: Message edited by: ChrisR ]</small>

 

[jcostantino]

You can also change the 9004 to 9007 bulbs. The 9007 bulbs have a slightly better beam pattern. It's not a miracle but it's better than nothing.

9005 to 9007 notes

Jeff

 

[RoadWarrior]

the link in your site keeps on coming up as ads....

RW

 

[ChrisR]

OK that is really weird. http://members.mustangworks.com/chrisr/headlights.htm that should be the correct one.

And thanks jcostantino, but I'm actually converting the 9004 to a 9005/9006 dual bulb set up.

 

[RoadWarrior]

hehe...that's the EXACT SAME IDEA I Had..very nice setup although instead of encasing them behind the lexan I was thinking of a fibreglass "plug" to mould it into the square opening

*edit* where'd you get those 2 lighting fixtures, the only ones I've seen close to that style are the hella ones but those always seemed too pricey for me

RW

<small>[ June 28, 2002, 01:14 AM: Message edited by: RoadWarrior ]</small>

 

[ChrisR]

Well, I hate to post my secrets, but they are out of an Infiniti J30.

 

[JonVH]

I believe if you take an uncut stock headlight cover you can then slowly heat the lexan to conform to the stock curvature. Might need a heat gun like used to strip paint from houses. Then just trim it to match your cut-out & wella!
Then your next task would be a clean way to mount it.

 

[fredhurderjr]

You could also buy HID bulbs for a 9004 or 9007 (your choice) from one of the members here. I can hook you up. The headlight bezel isn't optimized (check out the one from a Gen 4 Sable - WOW).

Cost is about $475 for the HIDs, complete. 15 minute installation, too.

 

[jcostantino]

Chris... you need to tell me how you cover the headlight lens with polycarbonate. I'm doing the exact same thing on a Gen 2 headlight housing only I'm trying to see if I can fit a 6x4 H4 lens.

What are the dimensions of your 9005/9006 housings? I may try those instead because the H4 housing is a little too tall for the headlight assembly. Right now I have about 1/2" that sticks out under the housing but if I have clearance under the headlight assembly I may just let that stick out and not mess with it.

Jeff

 

[ChrisR]

jcostantino: I believe the Gen 1 housings are considerable taller then a gen 2, so these fit in there pretty good.

JonVH: Heating up the Lexan is a bad idea because it takes away the coating on the outside. It would look pretty bad after about a month in the rain.

fredhurderjr: What do you mean by the headlight bezel? Do you mean the front of it? And on the HID's, I originally had some Porsche 911 HID bulbs/ballasts/projectors that I was going to retrofit in there, but I shouldn't have bought them because they were beyond my means (not enough $, so I had to sell them). So I picked up the infiniti headlights for $25 bucks. And I can still upgrade later.

Thanks for the good replies!

 

[jcostantino]

Let me know what the dimensions of the projectors are.. I may use those instead of the H4 housing.

You might want to try to find some clear GTS housings, I think I'm going to use those on mine (assuming they're still available by the time I'm done )

Jeff

 

[CharlieSHO95]

ChrisR - My neighbor is building a plane in his garage. I was talking to him about the construction and he told me he build a form or mold for the windshield, then cooked the plastic in an oven to get it to conform to the mold. I don't remember what type of plastic he was using, but I could find out if you like.

Maybe I should ask him if he would like to start cranking out Taurus windshields. wink

 

[SHO92]

if you cut the lexan to have some extra hight, it will have to bend to fit into the hole that you have cut out. Maybe you can get it to bend enough to match the curve of the lense. Sealing it might be a prolem though.

 

[NJshofear]

which years infinity is it...ive got plenty of time and handiness to make my own set...also where did u get them...junkyard?? u can private message me if you dont want to post herre. Id rather make my own than have someone else make em for me.

 

[ChrisR]

jcostantino: W 25.5cm, H 9.6cm, Depth 20cm.
CharlieSHO95: Naw that's ok. I'm pretty sure it's not the same stuff. I have opitcal grade Lexan. But a Lexan windshield and windows sound nice!
SHO92: It is cut already to a little bit bigger then the hole, but you are exactly correct. Sealing it water tight is the main problem (espscially for the front lens).
NJshofear: Not sure, these were from a `93 J30 (unsure of what other years have same). And yes they are from a Junkyard. Oh, and I wasn't planning on selling any of these, too much time involved to make it worth it.

 

[fredhurderjr]

Chris -
The HID conversion is a bulb-only conversion - you retain the stock housing & front bezel, & change the bulb only. The ballast & ignitor boxes sit behind the headlight housing. Very nice kit, great illumination.

 

[ChrisR]

fredhurderjr: I know what you are referring to. I think on the Gen 1's the front lens is a horrible design and it doesn't let very much light through. I don't think any amount of light would create a better beam pattern. I wonder if anyone has upgraded to HID on a gen 1 with stock headlights (housings)?

 

[fredhurderjr]

Well, if you like, I can try to take the 9007 HID bulb kit from my dead 95 & see what it looks like with average 89 bezels. I've never tried to put a 9007 bulb in a 9004 socket, so I have no idea if it'll even sit in there correctly.

I've also essentially given the HID kit to a friend of mine, and the bulbs went back to the vendor to be replaced by a different kind (my preference on the light style, not a quality issue). I'll see about borrowing back the components for the test. The guy with the bulbs went on vacation today for a week, though.

 

[jcostantino]

Fred; click the link in my first post at the top of the thread, tells you what wiring you need to change and what (minor) socket modifications are needed. The bulbs fit but two wires need to be switched and a plastic locating tab needs to be broken off. No big deal.

Jeff

 

[ChrisR]

That would be great Fred. I would love to see the results of an HID setup in the stock gen 1 housing. Take pics if you can.