87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

So I love the look of true HIDs when they are in projectors, and I had a set on my '95 Grand Prix. I wanted to throw some in the GTA, but I didn't like the look of a single projector in such a large housing like I've seen on some Firebirds - it looked odd to me. So I went with dual projectors, one large low, and a smaller high. The lows are getting HIDs and the highs are getting Silverstars, or equivalent. I have finished the headlight assemblies, but am still working on the fog lights (I'm putting projectors with HIDs in there as well using stock fog light housings).

Here's a pic of one finished headlight for now, and I'll update as I go. I just wanted to see what people thought and see if anyone is inspired to do something similar.

mexicanknight

looks pretty cool! congrats, you should post more pics, by the waye, home much did it cost?

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks; well for cost, here's the breakdown:

Projectors:
I picked up 4 Hella 3.25" projectors from a guy on eBay a couple years ago for $60, and I used two for the low beams; the high beams I bought off of eBay for $30, and the fog lights I got again from eBay for $20. These I all had prior to buying the GTA.

Housings:
I bought a set of those cheap "HID look" housings off of eBay for $25, just because I wanted the clear glass lenses; I bought a set of aftermarket fog lights that are the exact same size as the stockers, with a plastic housing so it can't rust and is easier to machine and it has less obscured glass lenses for $9 from Harbor Freight.

HIDs:
The HIDs I have are 6500K that I got off of eBay when I had my Grand Prix, and for two full sets, with harnesses and 18 mo. warranty were $150.

That's the bulk of it, plus all my time fabricating stuff to fit where it should and look how it does. It was a real pain to get everything to fit in the stock locations (lots of cutting). It definitely would have been easier to go with a single projector.

84ls1_transam

Was it worth it considering you only see them with the headlights on? They look cool though.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Worth it meaning two vs. a single projector? Yes. I really just don't like the way a single projector looks in the housing since it leaves such a void (even if it's only seen when they're on). I think this will look way better than a single projector when installed. I already had most of the stuff I needed, so it was worth it to me. Plus, I hadn't seen anybody who had done it this way - thought I'd give it a shot. Thanks for the compliment.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

I got the headlights installed on the car this morning, but not wired up yet. I took some pictures of what they look like. There's also a picture of what the fog lights will look like with the projectors installed.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Fog lights

davr89

wanna make another set for my gta i just bought? those look amazing!!!!

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Dang...good job!!! Ive been working on putting FX-35 bi-xenons in my TA. I wrecked it before finishing... But I plan on maybe continuing with the new TA.

Ide really really really like to see some pictures of the rear of your housings. Because the issues Im running into is space behind the housing.

I was planning on using the metal buckets as the actual projector housing, then building a lexan front cover to seal things up. But thats proving to be quite a challenge. Here are a few pictures of how I was going to assemble it...

My issues were in the back, where the bulb and socket had to sit. Just running out of room.

Sort of like this...but obviously set back a good bit. I was going to trim the metal housing out to allowi t to sit back more.



Plenty or room to come back...but then the bulb/socket is going to stick out pretty far. Hence my bottle neck.



Those projectors you got...do they have a cut-off sheild in them? Or are they just a lense and housing?

J.

P.S.... As far as I know, you will probably be the only person to successfully install projectors into a 3rd gen bird. So the more pictures/write up info you can put up, the better! Because I bet a ton of people will be able to use the info...me included!

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

My opinion.......The round lenses don't fit the straight lines f the body. I'll do HID when I can get square/rectangle lenses,

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

ghettocruiser, thanks for the compliments. Like you, I had MAJOR issues with fitment. Since the stock bulb holder (your last pic) is designed to fit a single bulb dead center in the housing, I ended up cutting the bulk of it off [see photos]. I also had to cut basically the entire bracket up that supports the lights and swivels with the motor [see photos]. When I bought the 4 Hella projectors, two had a cut off shield because they were intended to be low beam and two did not. I used the low beam projectors, only since Hella puts a gradient in the shield and I wanted a uniform cut off line, I mated a new shield to the existing one. The fog lights also have a cut off shield.


How far I had to cut forward into the holder and the new screw/springs used to secure the lights given the extra weight


Side shot


How much I had to cut into the back of the swivel assembly and base


Front view of how much had to be removed so all projectors cleared the swivel

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Well that's what I thought when I saw the single projectors in the lens - it looks out of place. But to me, since both projectors seem to fill out the area alot better, it has a slick look to it. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, I knew not everybody would like the idea. Thanks for the input anyways.

P.S. Are you talking about a square/rectangular projector itself? That'd be different. I wonder if someone could PS one of those up and see how it looks.
----------
Oh, and just to add to the "how to":
I first cut down the housing I bought from eBay to the depth needed for the projector shrouds to just miss the front lens. Then I cut a Lexan piece to fit the projectors. Once they were sized up, I sprayed the back semi gloss black [I plan to redo that Lexan this summer when I paint the car to match the body color (Candy Apple Red Metallic)]. I then cut the bulb holder to clear all projectors, along with the swivel and base. Lots of trial and error because as soon as one piece fit, something else hit, so it took awhile. And, my projectors basically touch the headlight cover at the back. That's all for now...I wrote enough, sorry guys.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Normally Ide agree with you 100% Stephen. And if the lights had to stay up all the time, it would look gross. However the only time my headlights are up is when its dark out. If its daylight or dusk and I want to be visible, I usually only use my fogs. So it really wouldnt bother me. For headlights, its always funciton over form for me. Especially when said headlights are hidden from sight most of the time.

Wow...you really had to cut a good bit of crap out of there... How stable is the assembly now? Like did it weaken the pop up and cause any weird movement or slop?

I have an extra set of lights that I could mess around with. I was going to sell them, but they have the 86 and older headlight motors. So Im not sure how many folks would be interested in them. Maybe Ill play around with this idea again after the car is back together and on the road...since thats the most important thing right now.

Thanks for the pics!

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Actually, they are still very stable. I was afraid since it's aluminum that leaving too little would make the lights wobble on bumps and such, but the lights are great. I replaced all of the hardware that keeps it together, and I can say that if you don't tighten them down, you WILL get slop. Motors handle the load fine, they go up and down just as smooth and fast as the stock ones. I hope the pics were clear enough - there really is not much left of the assembly, lol.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Well I got the fog lights installed and wired up, so all that's left is putting the high beams together. I plan to install a relay with the high beams so that I can have low, high, and fog all on at the same time because the factory only allows the highs to be on. Here's a couple of pictures of the fog lights installed:





I can take pictures at night if anyone wants, but I know those kinds of photos don't usually do justice to the lights. I can assure you, with HID lows and fogs, there is ALOT of light being thrown on the road (all below the cutoffs of course).

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

You don't need a seperate relay. The factory uses a relay that turns off the fogs with the high beams.

Even *I* fixed that myself in 5 minutes, so you'll do it in 2!

High beam with the Fog lights on

While your at it, upgrade the fog lights for more light output, without spending A SINGLE PENNY!

Pontiac Fog Light Upgrade

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the tip on the factory relay; I wasn't sure how it was wired on this car - I altered the factory one on my Grand Prix so the fogs could be on with the highs. As for the fog light upgrade, that's already taken care of. I replaced the factory fogs with some aftermarket ones that look damn near identical except for the fact that the lenses are much more clear. I then mated some projectors to the fog lights, and installed HIDs. [check out the pics in my last post and you can see the projectors and the less obscure lenses] HID low beams + HID fogs = RIDICULOUSLY BRIGHT, lol. I can't wait to see how the highs will add to the lighting.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ide really like to see some night time pictures...

They can be a pain to take, but I find it best to sit the camera down on the car, turn off the flash, and set the timer. So you wont get any camera shake with the flash off. Maybe delay the shutter alittle if your camera will let you.

Ide esp. like to see those fog lights and the light they put off. You did a nice job fitting everything man. I wish I could bring myself to chop things up that much. But Im a wuss and couldnt do it. haha.

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks, lol. I'll try to get some night pics tonight for you. If you're worried about stability, I don't think you should be. You won't need to remove nearly as much as I had to since your projector will still be centered. I had to remove so much since my projectors spanned basically the entire length of the lights. I would like to see yours fitted - I always liked the motorized self leveling projectors (I think that's what yours do).

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah I have the motorized self leveling ones... However to make those work, there is a bunch of work. And also making room for the leveling actuator and all.

What I do like about the FX-35s is they are bi-xenon so the high beams are all in the same projector. Just a solenoid actuated sheild.

Maybe once my car is back together, and Im satisfied with the other stuff, Ill start on the HID projector project. Gotta finish the other things first. Ill most def. be putting a thread up about it when I get work done.

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Got some night photos for you. The camera is sitting on the roof of the car:

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5
Background darkness level

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5
Low beams

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5
Low beams + fogs

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5
Ground shot

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5
~6' above ground

Right now, I'm in the middle of repainting the car, and the tires are the worst case of dry rot that I have ever seen - so I haven't taken it out onto any dark roads yet, but when I do, I will post pics of the view at night. I know some great roads and I am confident in the output of these lights.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Wow those look great! Seems like they'll work pretty good. You've convinced me that if I go through with my HID install, Ide like to change my fogs over as well... A pair of dingy halogen fogs just wont look right.

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, my reasoning for the HID fogs was twofold: one, I wanted LOTS of light on the road, and two, I hate the way cars with HID headlights and halogen fog lights look. It would definitely be worth it for the extra $70 you can buy kits for nowadays.

I just reread one of your earlier posts. Did you want to see a picture of just the fogs on? I can snap one for you if you'd like.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I dont nec. need to see just the fogs on...but certainly wouldnt mind taking a look. Im sure the others wouldnt mind either.

Im getting kinda excited to try to fit my projectors now. I tested the projectors with some 6000k bulbs and man...its amazing the light output and how nice and sharp the cutoff is. I might have to take a look at what I got when I get home tow ork on it tonight.

Im thinking if you had room to fit two projectors into an H4 housing, I should be able to use an H4 housing to fit one. It will solve the issue of me having to make a cover for the projector if I just mounted it into the steel bucket too...

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

I'll take a fog only shot tonight and post it. I would highly recommend getting the "fake HID" housings off of eBay or elsewhere if you proceed. It is much easier to cut the plastic housing to fit custom geometries [the back steel piece can just be cut straight with an angle grinder for clearance]. Also, I think you'll like painting/modifying the plastic housing more than working with the steel. It also has a lens already. Don't try modifying the stock bulbs - bad things happen; trust me.

Orinackra

Hey Justin, I think you need the engine installed first man.

Those lights look fantastic. I wanted to do something like that myself, just never got the initiative to. Thanks for the heads up with the stock housing, I'm glad I didnt go and slice mine open!

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the compliment, and I'm glad I could help. No fog pictures tonight - it's raining out and I don't want to bring the camera out there. I'll get them up ASAP though.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Smarta$$.... Go check my thread

I aready have a set of those crappy fake projector housings. I ordered them for $7 shipped... I wanted to see how bad they really were, and I planned to use the housings for my HID retrofit. But I knew if I used those, Ide have to cut more of my headlight assembly too. Im going to cut those up though and make them work.

Im actually getting excited to mess with the lights again... I think Im going to take the extra head light assemblies I have and cut them up. I hate to do it, because they could bring some money...but I hate to cut up my original ones. Im weird like that

J.

safemode

iTrader: (1)

I think a good pic would be your car about two carlengths away and 8 ft offset to the left, facing you and you in another 3rd gen height car looking towards yours. Take one pic of your car with low beams and fogs on (since everyone with fog lights seems to like to run them all the time) and then switch cars and take a pic of the other car's lights (which are regular halogen).

I never liked hid's because they're too far into the blue spectrum and the lenses dont break up the sharp cutoff line of light, making it look like they're constantly flashing you or have their high beams on because nobody seems to angle them down enough. Though, this is hardly as annoying as the pink (they think it's purple) lights going around now.

Though, I do like all the fabbing work. To go along with what Stephen said,I wonder what the effect of adding a semi-frosted square lens somewhat in front of each HID lens would do to the light. Basically, some way to get rid of the only real disadvantage to HID, which is the sharp cutoff of light. Though, finding a way to get rid of the blue spectrum would be a bonus too.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

The sharp cut off of light is a disadvantage??? Thats one of their main advantages. All of the light goes down to the road, with a slight rise in beam to the right so you can see down your side of the road without it shining in other drivers face. If youve ever been in a car with a properly aimed, higher end HID set up, you'd be in love with it. Its amazing the amount of light you can get with little glare.

Ill agree there are some annoying HID set ups on the road. They are usually either aimed wrong, or simply HID bulbs in housings that arent intended for HID bulbs. Or they are systems that are designed with an automatic leveling system that isnt functioning.

The color of the bulbs is a function of the temp. My 6000k bulbs look pure white. Maybe a very very slight tint of blue, but its less than my 100w bulbs in my jeep. Dependnig on what temp you go with, you will get more blue/purple or more yellow...whatever end of the spectrum you end up at.

The color shift, which makes them look like they are flashing, is a function of the lens, lens spacing from the bulb, and the cut off shield.

If you add a frosted lens over an HID bulb alone, you will get a very bright rectangle. If you add a frosted lens over an HID bulb thats in a projector, you'll disrupt the beam pattern, produce a very bright rectangle, and probably have a good deal more glare.

HID planet's forums has a TON of info on modifying the shields and changing the lens spacing, or in some cases the entire lens, to change the characteristics of the light output.

Not trying to argue...just saying that a properly set up HID system can be a great headlight set up. If I build mine, and I feel its blinding people or its not giving me the light that I want...then Ill rip it out and sell it all haha.

J.

safemode

iTrader: (1)

many consider the sharp cutoff of the light a disadvantage because a person's eyes are atuned to low light of the night, and when an HID headlight comes into view, it's "dark -> bright" instantly, making them annoying, rather than a gradual fade from dark to bright. Basically every little bump in the road causes an HID car to look like it's flashing it's lights at you. Now, this may be because it's aimed wrong, but if so, then everyone with hid lights have their headlights aimed wrong that i've driven by. i'm not talking about the twinkle effect of the blue and white, i'm talking about dodging around the border between the beam and outside of the beam.

I'm not saying they all suck, just that if it's the owners fault for them being so annoying on the road (when they're not yours) then everyone seems to have them setup wrong. The lens idea i was suggesting wasn't to change the shape of the light (though if you can and achieve what i'm suggesting, even better) so much as it was to fade the edge of the beam.

Basically, have the light density, low energy use, and reliability of HID, but a lens that removes the twinkle white blue/color effect caused by the highly curved lens and fades the dropoff to produce a gradual edge to the light beam. That would be ideal.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Well, I don't want to create a big debate over HID vs halogen or anything, but I see where you're coming from. I see lots of cars who have those 10-12K HID bulbs or even those 8K halogens, and they look deep blue/purple. That is incredibly annoying. And people that have HIDs in freeform reflectors intended for halogens is terrible. I do get the quick flash from HID equipped cars if they hit a bump (even on factory equipped cars). The trade off, in my opinion, is so worth it. I would much rather get a quick flash from a properly aimed HID setup, than the constant blinding that comes from a 780W halogen bulb or whatever they're up to now that the import crowd seems to love (not to mention the wonderful exhaust notes they play). I always make sure my headlights and fog lights are properly aimed and I follow factory procedures for doing so. I insist on HID now that I've seen the difference. I do think that a lot of the problems people have with HIDs come from owners who ignore common sense and don't have properly adjusted or installed systems. I'm not trying to cut anyone down if that's what it sounds like, lol, but I just want to say that I know the grievances that come along with HID setups and I agree with your issues. To me, having excellent vision at night is a very high priority, and I do everything in my power to minimize those problems for other drivers.

safemode

iTrader: (1)

The only reason i brought it up was to ask if maybe someone doing something along the lines of the person who started the thread has tried fabbing up an HID setup to reduce the "hid look" to maybe fit more with the traditional look of third gen headlights, while retaining the better light density and lower energy usage of HID .

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Oh, well I started the thread and I haven't looked into anything of that nature. It would be cool if somehow a system could be developed that performed like that. I'm not sure how feasible or cost effective it would be though, mainly because I don't know how big of a market there would be for it. I'd like to see a side by side comparison if there is anything like it out there; that'd be interesting.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

No need to defend yourself I was just delving into HID conversation... No harm intended with my rant!

I think if you wanted to have HID light, but use a regular housing, you'd need to change the bulb. The HID bulbs give off light in just about all directions. And thats a big part of why you need the projector housing to contain and focus all that light forward.

But I agree...if they could produce a set of rectangular lights, that fit right into a thirdgen, that used the intensity of HIDs, without the glare, or without having to be a projector...that would be cool. Sort of like really intense flood lamps.

I will say though. If HIDs arent your thing, you can get VERY good results from an upgraded harness and some higher wattage H4 bulbs. I built a harness in my Jeep that runs the highs and lows off relays. Much like the harnesses you can buy pre-made, but mine uses much heavier wire. My bulbs are 90W low and 120W high. yes...not really DOT approved. However, they are not blinding at all ( had friends confirm this both in oncoming and driving behind situations). I like HIDs for the tech aspect really. Im always over complicating things Or else Ide run the same H4 setup that I have in my jeep in my TA (same headlight size).

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Here's a photo of just the fogs on...the driver's side light got moved out of place today, so it normally coincides with the passenger side's height:

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....krTYJH3lVGu2Z5

CanadianRoots

iTrader: (1)

Do you have any more detailed pictures of how you have the Projector lenses mounted to the modified sealed beam style housings? I'm curious as to how to mount them as I am going to be trying to do something similar in the near future!

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Well, like I mentioned earlier, the first thing I did was buy a set of cheapo eBay housings because messing with the stock ones is a no-no. I then cut the housings to the correct distance from the front of the lens back; ~1 inch. To actually mount the projectors, I cut circles into the Plexi backing I used and stuck them through. Once the projectors were through, I epoxied them to their shrouds and then epoxied the shrouds to the front of the Plexi. The epoxy I used was a high temp high strength epoxy because of the weight of the projectors and the heat given off by the HIDs. So the shrouds are epoxied to the Plexi and the projectors are epoxied to the shrouds. If you really want pictures, I can try and get some, or mock it up in Paint, but that's how I did it.

Toms88GTA

would u concider building the whole kit and selling it and how much for both head lights and the fog lights too

fryer1979

Wow man, that is a pretty impressive set-up you built. Sounds a bit labor intensive to make a profit off of selling, but the gain in vision at night has to be well worth the effort. Know any companies that sell a housing of some kind to convert the dual headlight pattern of the Camaro to a single? I have not had much luck yet, and I have neve been a fan of it's headlight pattern.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Well, I honestly would have no problem fabbing some up for others, but here are the problems I see:
1. You'd have to buy what you want (component-wise), send that, along with the headlight assemblies to me. ($$ shipping) Or I buy it and $$$.
2. Turn around time - would take a long time to get them back to you due to work/school/social life.
3. It was labor intensive, so if I'm charging by the hour/lump sum, it would probably be pretty hefty

However, if you really wanted to send me the parts and didn't mind a wait or the $$, I could probably fab something up to look real nice. Alot of hassle but some people don't mind.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the compliments, and yes, the gain at night is WELL worth the effort. Stock lights just suck, and I'm not running 1 GW bulbs either.
Well, I don't know what you've looked into for Camaro aftermarket, but I know I've heard the lights from full size mid 90s GM trucks are a pretty nice fit to replace those lights - and they're one piece. I had a set that I bought for my '95 Grand Prix that I custom fabbed the same low beam projectors I'm using now into, and they threw out some wicked light. I know you can buy them with projectors in already, but I don't know the price. You can have mine to putz around with for $5 + shipping if you want. You'd just need to find some projectors and the bulbs. The "high beam" side I never filled, just because the lows were bright enough. Here's some pictures.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

P.S. this is what I ended up going with after I repainted the car this summer. I kept the big low beam projector, got a different bezel, and replaced the high beam halogen projectors with just the base of another set of projectors and HIDs. The ones I was using simply didn't put out enough light for my tastes, so I found a bigger based projector at my house and used them. Now light goes EVERYWHERE with the highs on. I have HID lows, HID highs, and HID fogs, all capable of being on at the same time . The back of the Plexi is also painted to match the body color (C6 style).

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

NICE man! Glad to see youre still tinkering with this. I dont think Im going to get around to working on my lights before next spring. With the amount of fitting it takes, its going to be too cold to mess around soon. I still plan on trying to get my bi-xenon's to work. We'll see.

I might be picking your brain more when that time comes. haha.

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the compliments again, and I wanted to let you know that I changed my approach on the second set as well. Instead of using the stock metal frame (rectangular piece the light and springs mount to), I used 1/4" Plexi, with 3 spring-loaded-bolt holes matching factory locations; the projectors were mounted to this, and then the final clear lens was placed over it all, simply because I'd rather replace the $20 set of lenses than $$$ projectors. If this doesn't make any sense I can snap some pictures to show how it all worked. If you have any questions down the road, I'd be more than happy to help.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Im always up for pictures man. Go ahead and fire some pics off of the new design. Ide like to see how you re-worked them.

Im still planning on keeping the stock metal buckets. Ill only have one projector per side though, so that will change where I have to cut a good bit. Im thinking I MIGHT be able to get away with slighly less cutting, although my projectors might be a tad longer than yours due to being bi-xenon. I think I have some wiggle room with modifying the projectors themselves too if I need alittle room here and there.

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

I will say this, you can keep your stock bucket intact if you set it up the way my new ones are. You only need to enlarge three existing holes on the assembly itself. I know pictures will clarify this alot, so I'll explain it with them.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

Ok, so here is what my lights look like behind the scenes:

Good shots of how the Plexi is mounted to the assembly (3 bolts)
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....vNxUJBc7Z8Kd_O

http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....vNxUJBc7Z8Kd_O

Here you can see the third bolt used for adjustment/stability
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....vNxUJBc7Z8Kd_O

Here are the springs used to keep tension on the setup
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....vNxUJBc7Z8Kd_O


If this is what you're going for (what I did):
http://1987-gta-photos.googlegroups....vNxUJBc7Z8Kd_O

The process I would follow is this:
1. Take EVERYTHING apart from your headlights
2. Measure to make sure your projector(s) will clear everything when up and when down.
3. Measure again.
4. Make marks to cut up anything you need to on the headlight assembly.
5. Cut up the headlight assembly according to your marks.
6. Cut a 1/4" piece of Plexi to fit inside the plastic bezel, but as large as will fit.
7. Enlarge the three stock adjustment screw holes on the assembly to accept a 1/4" bolt.
8. Place the Plexi in front of your holes, and mark their locations on the Plexi.
9. Drill those holes out.
10. Align your projector(s) on the Plexi and mark where you'd like to place them.
11. Cut your hole(s) in the Plexi for your projector(s).
12. Secure the projectors to the Plexi - 2-part exopy, bolts, whatever keeps them secure.
13. Attach the headlights to the assemblies, placing the springs on the bolst between the Plexi and the assembly.
14. Adjust the lights until they are properly aimed.

Materials:
Projectors
Plexiglass
6 x 1/4"-1 1/2 bolts
6 x 1/4" nuts
6 x Springs
Drill
Hole saw/drill bits

Additional Materials:
Projector bezels
Paint for the Plexi
Clear lenses from an eBay set of lights
New trim rings (I would NOT recommend using the stock ones)
Anything else you may want to add

All of this can be fine tuned, and it'd be easy to walk someone through the process if they needed help.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

NICE! Great write up man.

Couple questions. Do you have the lens sealed to the plexi so water doesnt get in? Are you doing anything about sealing up the projector body itself to sheild from moisture? And finally, can you remove the projector assembly, or get to the bulbs without disturbing those mounting screws so that you dont have to re-aim when replacing a bulb?

Really good work in figuring things out man. Ill be using a couple of your tricks for sure. I still think Ill have an easier time of it since Im only using one projector. One thing I need to figure out is what to use for a projector bezel. I get confused with what fits and what doesnt. And I also need to figure out how Im going to mount the projector. I still think I want to retain the stock metal buckets and adjusters. I just think its a simple easy way to get things installed and aimed. But we'll see.

Man..i might not be able to wait until next season to do this now. haha.

Thanks for taking the time and the pics!

J.

87GTAj

iTrader: (4)

No, the lens isn't sealed to the Plexi. The lens is sealed to the trim ring, which is held in place by the mounting/adjusting screws. The trim ring sits about 1/8" off of the Plexi because of the bends in its mounting tabs. I did it this way to prevent fogging of the lens when fully sealed (a problem I had the first time around). The projector bodies are COMPLETELY sealed - no moisture will get in them. I saw that sealing the projectors, instead of the lens was the better choice. To change bulbs, I simply turn the motor until the headlight is up, unscrew the bezel, and take off the 'door'. I can change all of the bulbs without readjusting the aiming. Makes it nice, although these HIDs should last quite awhile. As for a bezel for the projectors, here's what I used the second time around: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-Chr...mZ140265881857
The first time, I bought a pair of FX-35 headlights and cut out their larger bezel - it didn't look nearly as good as these do. Also, I've found several sets of outdoor garden lights that have different finishes on them (nickel, chrome, brass) that fit perfectly over the projectors I have. One last idea, some plumbing fixture accessories, especially flanges, look alot like bezels too.

In terms of to keep or not to keep the factory adjusters, if it's the screwdriver adjusting that makes you want to keep them, use a properly threaded philips screw instead of the bolts, and JB Weld the nut at the back - factory style adjusters but no cutting of the factory pieces.

Hell, just use the factory adjuster screws (I'd recommend buying replacement ones) and put them into the Plexiglass. With a stiff enough spring, they'd be alright. I'm just trying to help you cut as little of the factory parts up as possible.

One more thing, I know from experience that the second way was MUCH easier than cutting the eBay housings, the factory buckets, and everything else. Maybe it'll not be so bad for you with just one projector, but I would do it this way if I had to again.