Drop-in LED Headights

[jetjock]

It's like déjà vu all over again...

 

[mattsplat72]

It's like deja vu all over again

 

[MarkIII4Me]

Am I missing something guys?

 

[Drake69]

Subscribed and bookmarked.

 

[Poodles]

I've been holding out on headlight upgrades for a few years because I want a lasting and high end upgrade. A high quality LED upgrade would be perfect. $1100 for a pair though..... ouch.

Eh, LED's haven't gotten to the level that they beat HID yet on output or price.

I dont think those are DOT approved, HIDs aren't even DOT approved in some cities/states so LEDs might be in the same boat

Depends on the HIDs. HID kits as a general rule are not.

What burns me is even though the housing is aluminum, the lens is plastic. Freakin plastic?!! Are u kiddin me?!!!! If I was spending almost $600 a piece, I'd be royally pissed if they yellowed after a few years.

Plastic is done for safety and for clarity. The plastic is MUCH more optically clear than glass, so your output is higher.

I stand corrected! I must have skipped over that part

But DOT compliant doesn't mean DOT approved... But I'm an HID guy so who am I to judge lol

DOT compliant is interesting. Unless someone reports a "DOT" item, they pretty much automatically get the approval so long as they say it's within standards.

Just FYI for those worried about plastic lenses and yellowing over time, its REALLY easy to remedy that issue with putting clear bra film on your headlights. It takes nothing away from the light output of the lights and in 3-5 years when they start to yellow a bit, just take off the film and put on another one.

I did a projector retrofit to my 2011 F-150 (before damn Ford decided to have projectors in 2013 models!) and just put the clear bra on each light so that when and if that does happen, I don't have to worry about them yellowing and taking anything away from the expensive lights that I put in there.

Yep, clear bra rocks, but it DOES steal some color from a nice cutoff. Totally worth it though if you have expensive headlight housings.

the price is ridiculous, id rather save up and get the nsx housings and just do hid.

we have led's comming out in our semi trucks at work these days and theyre damn bright...but for the cost, hid still gets my vote for the time being

NSX setup isn't HID and is a royal pain to do.


Also, these lights are uber ugly and don't come close to the amount of light an HID projector will put out. DRL is pointless as we have pop ups.

 

[yhatzee89]

Hey Poodles, don't you do some kind of retrofit for our headlights?

 

[suprajztwenty]

agreed, theyre not hid from the factory...but because the housings have projectors built in theyre a huge step in the right direction compared to the non projector alternatives.

also i have to disagree with the fact that its a huge pain in the ass to do the nsx swap...more like a slight pain in the ass...assuming you have the proper tools/welder and a tutorial which is posted here. i dont have nsx's but i did do my own projector variant based on the tut i found here and it took me 2 hours or less to start and complete.

besides that, everything else you mentioned i agree 100%

 

[Poodles]

Hey Poodles, don't you do some kind of retrofit for our headlights?

Yep, I still have parts to do it, but no time (work, gf, etc)

agreed, theyre not hid from the factory...but because the housings have projectors built in theyre a huge step in the right direction compared to the non projector alternatives.

also i have to disagree with the fact that its a huge pain in the ass to do the nsx swap...more like a slight pain in the ass...assuming you have the proper tools/welder and a tutorial which is posted here. i dont have nsx's but i did do my own projector variant based on the tut i found here and it took me 2 hours or less to start and complete.

besides that, everything else you mentioned i agree 100%

If you consider hacking up your radiator support minor... I don't and wouldn't do it, especially since the headlights aren't THAT good compared to modern HID projectors. Besides, HID and halogen projectors are designed quite differently (as the focal point and light output are very different). Projectors will always have a nice cutoff, regardless of the light source (crappy flashlight, candle ), but it doesn't mean it's ideal and a waste of time.

 

[yhatzee89]

The NSX conversion is really only for looks, if you really want projectors, you could just as easily put them in a regular set of housings, without the PIA of swapping in the NSX housings first. And while I really love the look of the NSX housings, I'm not sure the look is worth all the work and possibly cutting up my car for it :/

But I do agree that if I had to pay that much money I would rather go NSX/HIDs

Awe man that sucks man. ditch the chick, you will have LOTS of free time then AND more money lol. I only asked cuz I was reading a really old thread and somebody mentioned you did, but I hadn't ever seen anything about it before.

 

[leezymk3]

Im ratro fitting a nsx headlight in mine
Cant beat the old fashion projector
Cuz this headlight are ugly

 

[garagefujimoto]

I have decided that HID's are gay.

By the time you do it properly:
Hella Glass H4 Housings or Proper Projector Retrofit ($100-$300)
Quality HID kit that wasn't made in a country with child labor ($200-$300)
Proper wiring with relays and proper gauge wiring to prevent flickering and ballast misfiring ($80)

Plus labour unless you do it yourself = $380-$700

Or just put these in for $400 bucks and leave the factory wiring alone and you get new DOT housings for free.

BTW the JW Speaker ones look ricey

 

[MarkIII4Me]

BTW the JW Speaker ones look ricey

I don't know about that, maybe the chrome ones. I think the version with the inner black bezel would look awesome on a sleek black MKIII with fresh paint. If you where to install these on a beater then yes, it would look ricey as all hell.

 

[Poodles]

I have decided that HID's are gay.

By the time you do it properly:
Hella Glass H4 Housings or Proper Projector Retrofit ($100-$300)
Quality HID kit that wasn't made in a country with child labor ($200-$300)
Proper wiring with relays and proper gauge wiring to prevent flickering and ballast misfiring ($80)

Plus labour unless you do it yourself = $380-$700

Or just put these in for $400 bucks and leave the factory wiring alone and you get new DOT housings for free.

BTW the JW Speaker ones look ricey

I agree on the ricey part, but you're very wrong on the rest Not to mention the HID's will blow the LED's away in output.

 

[3p141592654]

Plastic is done for safety and for clarity. The plastic is MUCH more optically clear than glass, so your output is higher.

Better not tell the guy with his new Nikon D4 that his wife's point and shoot is better cause its got a plastic lens!

 

[IJ.]

Who cares what they "Look" like.... FFS it's a Mk3 the only time they're visable is when they're on/up if the Output isn't as good as stock lights they're useless.. :nono:

 

[Trent]

Who cares what they "Look" like.... FFS it's a Mk3 the only time they're visable is when they're on/up if the Output isn't as good as stock lights they're useless.. :nono:

Thank you! Who cares what they look like aesthetically? Do you drive around with your headlights up but the lights off all the time? They are flip up lights! That's one of the many great features the MK3 has so as long as you are happy with the light output and hopefully its better than stock, then who cares what they look like?

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

LED is more than capable of matching or bettering any reasonable or even legal headlight output. It's when people think that a single LED device can match a 400W metal halide HID that I start to shake my head.

 

[suprajztwenty]

nsx's id agree its mostly form over function...im sure theyll get the job done though.

forgot about my poor core support...yeah i took a 3x3" square out to make my projectors fit through. still, in MY opinion it was worth it because its not noticeable because the battery hides one hole and the air filer hides the other (i plan to do a heat shield/box variant to help hide it further) id imagine if you did some measuring you could track down a set of projectors that would squeeze in...lots of aftermarket possibilities these days. i just used what i had and made it work. this is the guide i used to do lazy eye(well, back when the pics werent dead)http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?18540-The-best-HID-low-profile-(sleepy)-headlight-mod-for-under-500 id imagine you could buy a camaro light with a projector built in, not sure about quality (its prob fake projectors like what they sell for ours)...but id think it would fit without core support chopping.

 

[Poodles]

Better not tell the guy with his new Nikon D4 that his wife's point and shoot is better cause its got a plastic lens!

Different glass.

 

[Drake69]

thank you! Who cares what they look like aesthetically? Do you drive around with your headlights up but the lights off all the time? They are flip up lights! That's one of the many great features the mk3 has so as long as you are happy with the light output and hopefully its better than stock, then who cares what they look like?

BEKAUZE RASCEKAR, DUDE!!!!! :evil2:

In all seriousness, The TruckLites look like the way to go for me. The right look, the right easiness-to-install, and the right price.

Still waiting for review.