Zonda Man

So what i'm doing to keep the look of them and make them a little bit less ugly. Is refabbing them. I'm putting in 2x6' headlights and maybve another pme just for more coverage, and I'm going to change that ugly housing and make it look more like the C4 Corvettes, i hope it looks good, u guys got ne feedback?

Forshock 85TA

umm Good luck?

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

I checked out your cardomain.

Main problem is the front 91-92 bumper. Either its going to have to be a complete fiberglass mold or using a lot of epoxy to bond the 2 bumpers together. Epoxy is pretty strong, but thats a big area. Fiberglass doesn't bond well to urethane bumpers.

For the foglights and parklights, check out what iansane has done to his. I'm considering doing that to my 92 firebird if i don't make it a '90 T/A or '84 T/A clone.

Other problem, it probably won't look right to have those headlight doors there and not be functional.

Other options requireing maybe less fabrication are putting round headlights in like the old vettes that had pop up lights(C3's??), Corvette C5/Dodge Stealth/3000GT style non-pop-up lights.

Randy82WS7

delete,, lol

scooter

iTrader: (11)

with the part about the headlights but you are waaaaaaaay off on the 91 and 92. Lower CD on those years than previous years and the bumper cover (which is plastic for all years) isnt that much longer than the other years either. And the way they completely hid the bezel for the light altogether is awesome, much sleeker than everything else. 91-92 Formy is one of the most BA cars out there

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

Kind of like different strokes for different folks. I have both an 85-90 style ground effects firebird and a 91-92 ground effects firebird. Now, I like my 85-90 style a millon times better. But, a 91-92 formula is a different story. If I wanted a non-gfx car, I would get a 91-92 formy bumper and nose without a doubt. If I wanted more a retro styled thirdgen, I would want a 82-84 trans am.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

No, you are wrong!




J/K I dont like really anything but the 91-92 Firebirds with or without GFX and the 85-90 Birds with GFX

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

ok.

Bull

iTrader: (5)

I'd leave the lights alone. To heck with what the Vettes have...the flip-ups on Birds look good flush with the body, and at night when they are flipped up, no one is looking at them anyway!

Oh, yeah, and the Banshee noses rule.

Zonda Man

I dont think we are all talking about the same headlights here, i saw a dude with his up driving down the road this morning and i wanted to PUKE! ALLL firebird flipups from thirdgen look stupid with that plastic headlight bezel and the steel top, i mean they could've atleast TRIED to make it look good while the lights are up.
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oh and fast 68, if u dont have nething nice to say, then dont say nething at all. Didnt ur mother teach u that? u can voice ur pinion but dont be an @$$ about it. Also, i was wondering whether or not i should go with the ground effex on my 91 ne input on that?

Bull

iTrader: (5)

You mean, even when the light is down, flush with the body, you think it looks dumb b/c it has a steel top? I don't quite understand...the hood is steel!

If someone is driving around in the daytime with the lights up, yeah, it does look dumb, and it means they need to fix the problem so they go up and down on command!

crazyjim

No, he's saying with the headlights UP they look stupid. And it's not always PITCH black when someone has their headlights on. He's right, they could have made them lower, without the huge plastic bezel. And the top overhangs. I know what he's saying.

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

Very rarely do i drive with the headlights on during the day, maybe on a busy highway, thats it. I'll drive with the parklights and fogs though.

Still maybe go with something like the C3's have, round headlights in their pop-ups, or look and see what some of the exotic cars with pop-ups do like 80s-90s lambos/ferraris????? In other words, look at what other cars have.

If you think 3rd gens are bad, look at how ridiculous the 4th gen Ls1 firebirds look like with headlights on during the day with their dual headlights per pop-up design.

There is the "lazyeye" headlight mod too.

Bull

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, I hear you. But if you are showing your car off, it's probably not being done in the dark, with your own headlights on. And if you are driving down the road at dusk or semi-light with them up, who is going to get a good enough glance at them while passing you to think of how bad they look?

All I'm saying is, the headlights might not look great when up, but most of your aesthetic show-off time is not done when headlights are in use, anyway.

I respect the opinions of the other side, though.

Forshock 85TA

I wasnt into the popups myself, frog eyes, diesel lights, and the damn motors stop working

My solution: http://www.forshock.com/ta%20lights/overhead.jpg

crazyjim

You're right, I don't drive with my headlights up during the day. But what about at dusk, that grey area where you're not sure if you need lights or not. Say you do, you can see them up just fine. What about in WELL lit parking lots? I'm not going to turn my headlights on and off at every stop light. I dunno about the rest of the country but in so cal, most of our roads are EXTREMELY well lit, to the point the only reason you need headlights is so other people don't hit you

And the lazy eye headlight mod has been tried, and I'm sure will continue to be tried. When my car is done I'll be doing the same since it's the only thing you can do to make them look good. But after market lights and LOTS of fabrication are the only way to do so.




again, read the above section. I'm not just talking about car show style things here, I mean when I pull into a parking lot, or a drive through, etc.

Problem:
You can't tell me this doesn't look goofy

Everything about this picture is badass... even the lights a little bit, but it would look better with a better style light.


solutions:

and as hideous as I personally think her car is, she did something with the lights that looks good.

I don't like the design of this solution, but kudo's for trying!


Here is a photoshop someone on here did a while back, and IMO it's the best solution so far. Aftermarket light, sleepy eye look.

crazyjim

And per the "look at other cars with popup lights" comment, here's some, and the reason they don't look so stupid is because the cover doesn't end up and an almost 90 degree angle, and it's big enough for the light, not the light and a HUGE plastic bezel around it:

1997 BMW 840


C5 Vette



240sx - Stupid


240sx - Cool



Problem with that is it doesn't provide any light

Bull

iTrader: (5)

See, that first pics of the blue thirdgen with the lights up doesn't bother me, nor the black one with the tire smoke. But, I will admit that the look of the flip-ups on the BMW 840s is cleaner and more aggressive looking. I'd convert to that, if it were easy enough to do.

Zonda Man

I like mos other flipups, and personally, i LOVE raif's headlight mod, and the car is beautiful as well, but as you know 91's sit flush and dont have the turnsignal right there so im def. going with the sleepy eye, as i said using the 2x6" driving light i got from advance autoparts.

crazyjim

Well see that's cool, you like them. Most people don't but I'll probably be doing the sleepy eyed headlight mod too.


That would look great I personally think it'll look good for me also. I have an '89 so for me I'll be able to make my sleepy eyed lights even lower. Make the covers at an almost flat angle. I personally have a set of P-3000's sitting in my garage right now waiting for the custom setup. I needed something that still provides LOTS of light.

PIAA

crazyjim

woops double post

deadbird

... here is reality...

Zonda Man

alright i have the passenger side made out of cardboard and the steel plate, but how do i make that into fiberglass? I know i can make a fiberglass mold but will that work with a cardboartd bezel? And is there an easier approach?

crazyjim

See that looks really nice? how's the light output on it? And do you have any pictures from further away with the lights up?

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

i'm actually kind of liking the sleepy-eye look. thanks for the pics crazyjim and everyone else, worth a 1000 words each.

jamessr

Now I'm a big fan of flip up lights however I really like this. I wish this was an aftermarket mod that could be bought.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

What is the "sleepy eye" mod everyone is talking about. I've owned 4 3rd gen Camaros, but the GTA I have now, is my first 'Bird.

I love this one that was posted! Anybody got a real pic of the lazy eye mod one?

Heckler

Seems like it would be possible to make stock headlights stop halfway up pretty easily, and if you just cut the existing bezel, they would still look good when down... has anyone done this? the white bird above looks like they flipped hte bezel upside down and switched sides, I'd love to so a zoomed out picture of that one

crazyjim

The picture you quoted IS a sleepy/lazy eye mod. It's when you make your lights only pop half way up. It makes your car look like it's sleepy, or lazy eyed as some call it




Not a problem



You're right, it IS possible to make them come only half way up. The problem with that is, now your headlight is aiming down at the inside of your bumper. So that's why something needs to be fabricated to work. As I stated, I'm going to be trying to fit the P-3000's I have sitting brand new in my garage WAITING for me to put them in haha, that way the headlight is half as high, I can aim it how I want, and make the headlights only come about halfway up.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I undestand WHAT ir is, and the concept of it. But even doing an entire No more that what you just said.

Kinda like a unicorn...Everybody talks about it, but that's it. No pics of any. Or anything.

So...HOW is it done? How do you modify the stops? I understand that the fabrication portion would depend on the lights chosen,

And if you look further up in this thread, where I the pic from, it is a Photochop, not a real pic.

crazyjim

lol, I know it's a photoshop, I'm the one who posted it. Someone chopped it back in the day. And you're right, it IS a unicorn. So far. The only pictures posted of it are of other cars, photoshops, or close ups which are probably just mock up pics. But what can I say? Until someone does it it'll probably stay that way. I've got a while to go before I do mine... I've got other things I'm building right now, like a motor

deadbird

The guy used to have a Yahoo website a long time back and was making those. Up close they really looked awful.

The lamp is the same one used in grans prix, cutlass and 93-95ish camaros and the ls1 firebirds so, light output is just fine.The only distance picture, isn't much to look at (and is quite dated now)

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

What did you do to mod the stops?

Zonda Man

personally, im just going to use solenoids, and just push it up and down or out and in eitehr way its going to be tricky, but will look better that what i have :-), i also agree with crazy jim though, it will be taking me a long to time to do it as weel because am also building a motor :-)

Heckler

I think if you just put a stop in there (like a black of wood or something :P) the motor will hit it and think its all the way up and stop... Is that right?

soultron

iTrader: (2)

Depending on the size, I wonder how hard it'd be to get that bmw 840 lamp?
Looks like a nice wide lamp, you could update to new style bulbs and still have high beams. Maybe.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I'm guessing here...But BMW=Halogen? That would mean rewiring the lights.

deadbird

I wouldn't say a block of wood is your best option but, a stop is all that is required to restrict how far the lamps come up.

I woulld have used different lamps but, these cars aren't piled around the junkyards here.
I modded my housing on the safe side, in case I didn't like the look, so the new lamps can be removed and the old ones put back in with minimal effort.

In the future, I am considering juswt making new frames and not have to worry about desigining around the oem parts. But, that won't be for awhile.

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

can't you just adjust how far they come up by turning the headlight *****?

Heckler

I'm not positive on how they work, but I think the controller just looks for a rise in current that indicates the motor is going slower, due to hitting the stop. When I 'fixed' my headlight motor it wouldn't go down cause I had it setup wrong, it would get too hard to turn, and the motor would just stop. I'm pretty sure the ***** just manually turn the motor, and have no effect on the stop position.

Firebat

iTrader: (7)

i swear i've adjusted the height that the pop-ups go up on my 86 t/a. Not sure if they adjust halfway like the sleepy eye effect

Heckler

Well i can't say you're wrong, i don't know the differences in years, but in mine, turning the ***** will raise or lower the headlight manually, but turning the headlights on or off when the headlight is in any position will make them operate normally. In mine the black **** is literally just a plastic grip on the end of the motor shaft.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Only that one time. Next time you hit the switch, they operate normally.

Klortho

I think any changes to the popup headlights on the T/As make them look like crap. It takes away from what makes the third gen bird a third gen bird.

Zonda Man

oh so u just kind of expect all thirdgen birds to have god awful headlights?

Klortho

When taken care off, the 'birds have the best looking lights period. It's the ones that are run down, popeyes, plastics broken and covered with overspray that make them look like crap. As for the plastic bezels, what do you think the C4's had on them? Painted fiberglass, paint the plastic the body color and it would look the same. I'm with the other 'bird purists...keep the lights stock.

Best thing, if you don't like the lights, buy a Camaro

r0nin89

Ummm sweet... I love it

deadbird

I did.. it still didn't make me like the firebird headlights any better

Klortho

Guess I'm just a die hard purist.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I can't believe ya'll like the frog eye look. That black Bird above looks the best to me.

The light pop up, but not stick out like an after thought. "Crap you guys! We forgot headlights! We'll just stick them up the air..." Ruins the sleek body line to me.

No thanks. Since I just got Sylvania Silver Stars a month ago, it'll be a while before I mod mine. Not gonna waste new bulbs for appearance.