Headlight Retrofit

[shokevin1983]

Ok so this is my attempt to fabricate some brackets to fit bmw 3 series headlights into my Gen II SHO. I just sat them in place to see if they were going to work and so far it looks good. This weekend im going to start measuring and cutting to make these guys fit. Ill keep posted to let everyone know how its going.

 

[shokevin1983]

ok i guess i cant add pics so i will try to find some other way to get them on the net.

 

[shokevin1983]

OK i set up a cardomain site check back and i will keep everyone notified when i add more pics. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2248168

 

[LOUDSHO92]

Hey looks good. I cant wait to see how they turn out. Just take care of the gap. I can host them for you if you want.

If they work out you can get some aftermarket ones with glass faces.

 

[shokevin1983]

Oh yeah i will.. This was just my first try at how they are gonna look. I havent even started the measuring and cutting. LOL Thats my project for this weekend. Since i dont drive my SHO right now i can take my time. I'm waiting for my tax check to come back so i can have my centerforce dual friction clutch installed. I did some looking and the "fishtanks" im going to reuse to fill the gap in the center. Also use them for turnsignals. As far as the outer gap I have a friend who works for a plastic fabrication place. He said if i can write something up they can cut it out on one of there mills.

 

[ManySHOs]

I once considering doing the same exact thing but gave up on the idea of retrofitting an entire assembly from another car. Make sure that the beam pattern is aligned properly so that you aren't criss crossing the light pattern. That's a key issue.

By the way, those particular headlights won't be much better than the SHO's. I assume that you are mocking them up to see if they'd fit so that you can order E code imported units or aftermarket projector lights (ZKWS etc).

I'm sticking with retrofitting xenon projectors into the SHO housings. I just haven't worked on it in awhile.

Ian

 

[adidas_kn]

If you get those to fit propperly post the results so some of us can get the aftermarket one and fit them. I always liked the BMW projectors especially the clear ones with the black back and integrated side marker. I would get a bumper to fit around them and the fenders fit and smoothed also.

BTW, These would be perfect. Great looks and awesome light capabilities. Cheap too!

 

[shokevin1983]

Yeah i didn't think that the bmw ones would be the same as my stock SHO's so i guess after i get them fit ill get a set of the projectors. I thought about doing the projectors into my stock lenses but i cant find clear GTS headlight covers. I work for an auto parts store and we have quite a few different sources. No one has been able to get the clear anymore.

 

[adidas_kn]

These would be good to mate to the factory side markers.

 

[adidas_kn]

These would be good to fit into the factory SHO headlight housings. Just cut the whole back out and fit these in there.

 

[shokevin1983]

Yeah i thought about those. I will be getting a pair of projector once i get these fit in right.

 

[Firespirit]

Looking good so far, Kevin! If you need any help or moral support - feel free to contact me

 

[DDakRT]

If you get those to fit propperly post the results so some of us can get the aftermarket one and fit them. I always liked the BMW projectors especially the clear ones with the black back and integrated side marker. I would get a bumper to fit around them and the fenders fit and smoothed also.

BTW, These would be perfect. Great looks and awesome light capabilities. Cheap too!

You don't want aftermarket projectors, most if not all of them suck.

I'm looking for some TSX projectors myself.

 

[SASHO91]

yeah those TSX projectors are right up there with the S2K... very nice lights...

 

[SolidState]

$$$ though...

I like the idea of finding trashed lights at body shops though...

 

[shokevin1983]

Yeah me too. My brother works for a junk yard now that has a 95 ATX SHO. HEHE im gonna go out there tomorrow and try to buy the whole car. About the aftermarket headlights i kinda figured they would suck. I bought a set of projector headlights off ebay for my jeep and you might as well not even turn them on. Ill have him watch for some good projectors for me.

 

[ManySHOs]

You don't want aftermarket projectors, most if not all of them suck.

I'm looking for some TSX projectors myself.

If the TSX projectors are roughly the same dimensions as the bixenon TL projector, they won't fit inside the gen2 housing. BTDT.

Ian
e46/tt single xenon projectors after giving up on 3 different pairs of bixenon's

 

[DDakRT]

I'm pretty sure the TSXs are smaller than the TL bi-xenons. The exact dimensions are on HIDplanet, haven't looked into it much.

 

[ManySHOs]

I'm pretty sure the TSXs are smaller than the TL bi-xenons. The exact dimensions are on HIDplanet, haven't looked into it much.

IMHO, the e46/TT Bosch single xenon projectors are some of the best projectors to use for a retrofit. They are compact, offer a great cutoff/pattern and are cheap as anything.

I haven't been on hidplanet.com in awhile. Just remember that HIDSHO is already taken as a user name.

The TL and TSX projectors are both made by Stanley IIRC. I seem to remember that they were identical except in one dimension (length I think). I know that the TL's were too long and too tall to "easily" retro into an SHO housing.

Ian

 

[shokevin1983]

OK LITTLE UPDATE! After cutting some of the header panel away i realized that i am going to have a big problem with these headlights keeping with the curve of the front end. Before i did too much damage im backing out of the project for the time being. Now for the fun part. I bought a 10,000k HID kit for 9006 bulbs which would have fit in the bmw headlights. Since i paid a good amount for the kit, i am fitting the sockets from 9006 bulbs onto my original headlights. Ill post some pics shortly.