HID headlights

[ZZ3ElCamino]

Originally Posted by Musclerodz

Kit will be $249. Trying to get custom boxing made so I can ship nicely as a kit.

Mike, is there really no modification required for on the core support to make these work? Just wiring in the relays?

[ohcbird]

$375 may seem high, but check to see what ballasts and bulbs you get. These are true DOUBLE-HID, not HID-style bulbs. Nathan can make you a true H/L dual HID kit if that's what you want. There is a HUGE difference in between a Halogen and a true HID bulb, BTW. Either way, they are both vast improvements on the old lighting- I've been running H4 euro lenses in myF bodies for 15+ years!

Mike is a great vendor here & I hope no one is assuming I'm making comparisons to his kits- I can't speak for them. The quad 9007 kit + relays is going to be a HUGE improvement.

[QSPres]

Sounds to me like the "all HID" kits aren't even legal....


I think I'm going with the E-bay kit. Probably not as nice as M.R.'s kit and certainly not as complete, but relays aren't that expensive and it is an upgrade from stock. That's good enough for me.


I really never understood how one kit that's advertised to be HID is $25 and another is $200... or $600+.. I guess its one of those "if you can't tell the difference, you shouldn't be in the market" deals...

I can spend the money I'm saving on about a million other things that I need...

[Musclerodz]

Originally Posted by ZZ3ElCamino

Mike, is there really no modification required for on the core support to make these work? Just wiring in the relays?

No mods required on a 65 Lemans and no mods on V8TV's '69 Chevelle to the core support or headlight buckets.

Mike

[ZZ3ElCamino]

Originally Posted by Musclerodz

No mods required on a 65 Lemans and no mods on V8TV's '69 Chevelle to the core support or headlight buckets.

Mike

Any ideas on, ohhhhh, a '67 Chevelle/El Camino core support?

[ohcbird]

QSPres- It's all about what's actually in the kit; most are 'HID-look'; basically a super-white (slight blue tint) set of retro bulbs, inmany many different forms. It used to be that you would have to run non-DOT legal euro housings with H4 bulbs in 55/65/80watt offerings (Hella made, and still makes the best housings). Now- holy crap! Everybody and their brother makes housings for 5 3/4, 7, etc... and they've adapted them to better and better bulbs.

If you see a $600 kit, it better be something special! The cost of the Ballasts have come down in the last 3-4 years, so kits are getting cheaper. Just like any other purchase- you just have to educate yourself.

[CraigMorrison]

Originally Posted by QSPres

Sounds to me like the "all HID" kits aren't even legal....


I think I'm going with the E-bay kit. Probably not as nice as M.R.'s kit and certainly not as complete, but relays aren't that expensive and it is an upgrade from stock. That's good enough for me.


I really never understood how one kit that's advertised to be HID is $25 and another is $200... or $600+.. I guess its one of those "if you can't tell the difference, you shouldn't be in the market" deals...

I can spend the money I'm saving on about a million other things that I need...

If you are concerned about everything being DOT legal, you shouldn't be building a PT car. LOL! When I worked for ARB, their headlights weren't DOT. Only because at the time, testing was about $10,000! The lights were fully compliant, but they just didn't want to spend the 10k. I think you will find a lot of parts like this. The headlights on my '40 aren't DOT and have worked great for 10 years, and the headlights on the GT55 are even better.

Beware of e-bay HID kits. $25 will get you cheap Chinese bulbs with a blue tint. Going towards $600 and you will get something that actually has the ballasts, ignitors and high pressure, high temp bulbs. The ballasts are the big dollar items. It takes about 50,000 volts to "ignite" the bulbs. That's why when you get into a high end car with OE HID's there is a bit of a flash when they come on and then the bulbs "warm" and gradually get up to full strength.

[QSPres]

Your first statement makes no sense at all... A PT car has a modified suspension and brakes (and perhaps a drivetrain). That's it. Maybe a few "comfort" options that weren't around "back then", but there are plenty of "modern" PT cars too...

I can buy a ton of cheap Chinese bulbs for $700... That's what I do know...


The E-bay lights will allow me to see better and the car will look different. Those were/are my goals and the E-bay ones meet them. Honestly, if I could find people that had as much money to waste as some of the folks I see on these forums on a daily basis, I'd burn my own...

[69bird]

The ebay kit is NOT hid. It uses H4 bulbs.

[QSPres]

Close enough for me..