headlight question for slick

[mediabandit]

so i didn't want to completely hijack that other guys headlight thread, so i figured i would just make a new one. now i know you do alot of work with lighting slick, so i was wondering, in your opinion what the best headlight setup would be for my 91 lumina z34. the lights in it now blow chunks and are pretty useless for nightime driving. i would like to have a nice bright clear light, so i was wondering what the best bulbs to buy would be. and also have you setup anything for a 91 lumina z34 as far as led tailights and/or side markers go? and if so how much of a pain would it be to convert them. thanks

[pwmin]

ill tell you what hes gonna tell you (or at least part of it, i think )

HIR 9012s are the best bulb you can buy unless you do an HID retrofit. dohc did a retrofit in his z.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2475885/1

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=820

[digitaloutsider]

And i DO NOT recommend HID retrofits unless you plan on doing what DOHC V6 did and do a full out projector install. HID's in non-HID headlights are a bad, bad idea regardless of what anyone tells you.

[mediabandit]

ok cool, thanks. looks like i will go with the HIR 9012s then, cuz i do not plan on doing the retrofit. thanks alot guys.

[1990lumina]

I'm convinced after driving my Millenia at night, that anything with a projector kicks ass..

 

Thoguh I had regular silverstar lights in my Lumina, and they were pretty decent @ night time, though the low beams weren't very good...the high beams were excellent.

[mediabandit]

the low beams are completely useless in my Lumina, may as well just use the fog lights ffs! so this can't help but be better.

[pwmin]

i do have HID bulbs in my GP and theyre not that bad (as in theyre much better for visiblity and i dont get flashed) but if i did it again, i would probably go w/ the HIR bulbs

[1990lumina]

What are HIR bulbs?? Never heard of them?

[pwmin]

What are HIR bulbs?? Never heard of them?

lots of info here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOSHIBA-HIR-9011-9012-BULBS-THE-BRIGHTEST-AVAILABLE_W0QQitemZ170137717357QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33710QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[synistershadows]

thoes look sweet!! and if i hadednt already done my silverstar conversion on my cutlass then i would get thoes!

 

sorry if im leading off topic but anyone know how to properly aim the mini quads?

[1990lumina]

What are HIR bulbs?? Never heard of them?

lots of info here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOSHIBA-HIR-9011-9012-BULBS-THE-BRIGHTEST-AVAILABLE_W0QQitemZ170137717357QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33710QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

And these are plug-n-plug to the factory 9005/9006 bulbs? Or is there something else that must be done?

[pwmin]

never actually seen a write-up or anything on our cars, but this is a direct quote from the auction

 

"Note: These bulbs are identical in virtually every regard to 9005 and 9006 bulbs. There are extremely minor differences in the shape of the mounting flanges. However, a few minutes work with a file or Dremel tool will greatly enhance the usefulness of these bulbs with regard to those cars which might not, strictly speaking, have been designed with these exact bulbs in mind. In fact, it's amazing how simple and easy it is to remove a few square millimeters of plastic, no bigger than the tip of a marker. You can even trim them with toenail clippers, (please take a series of small "bites" instead of a big chomp). Five minutes, tops, and then these bulbs will fit in any car that takes 9005 and 9006 bulbs. Owners of certain late-model US cars have reported minor problems, easily corrected, with the shape of the vehicle's light housings. The housings never need to be modified in any way, only the bulbs. Please email if you have any questions about specific fit and suitability factors."

 

 

[slick]

Yes, if you don't want to modify, get the HIR series bulbs. The place I work for actually did a study with using one of there older headlamps, setup on the Hoffman Goniometer (not that means much to most of you, but it's one brand of a photometry testing equipment used to make sure that the designed healamp is passing the standards). Anyways, the Low Beam replacement was shown to have longer and brighter range down the road. The High Beam replacement was better, but had a bit more glare than other standard High Beam halogen bulbs.

 

Don't get those HID kits that go into your stock housing. They blow. They are designed for clear lenses, not for lenses that have optics built into them.

 

The best will be a full HID retrofit using OEM projectors, bulbs, ballasts, ignitors, etc.... You will need to have your lenses clear (for the one time job your's will be, probably not cheap. You can buy some 1/8" lexan/plexiglass at home depot and try bending them into shape, or find a place that does vacuum forming would be your best bet). You will then have to try to beautify the inside of the lamp itself, unless you really don't care about how the headlamps look, but how they perform. This option can get very expensive, very quickly (well, unless you just happen to get the parts for a damn good price).

 

 

Or..... hop onto ebay, type in e36 headlamp, and do a retrofit. Beretta guys do it, why shouldn't the Lumina guy's be able to? They are about the same dimensions all around. You will have to figure out custom mounting tabs, and do something with the wiring (which should be pretty easy, I should be able to get the e36 wiring info off of the beretta guys if interested).

[mediabandit]

Yes, if you don't want to modify, get the HIR series bulbs. The place I work for actually did a study with using one of there older headlamps, setup on the Hoffman Goniometer (not that means much to most of you, but it's one brand of a photometry testing equipment used to make sure that the designed healamp is passing the standards). Anyways, the Low Beam replacement was shown to have longer and brighter range down the road. The High Beam replacement was better, but had a bit more glare than other standard High Beam halogen bulbs.

 

Don't get those HID kits that go into your stock housing. They blow. They are designed for clear lenses, not for lenses that have optics built into them.

 

The best will be a full HID retrofit using OEM projectors, bulbs, ballasts, ignitors, etc.... You will need to have your lenses clear (for the one time job your's will be, probably not cheap. You can buy some 1/8" lexan/plexiglass at home depot and try bending them into shape, or find a place that does vacuum forming would be your best bet). You will then have to try to beautify the inside of the lamp itself, unless you really don't care about how the headlamps look, but how they perform. This option can get very expensive, very quickly (well, unless you just happen to get the parts for a damn good price).

 

 

Or..... hop onto ebay, type in e36 headlamp, and do a retrofit. Beretta guys do it, why shouldn't the Lumina guy's be able to? They are about the same dimensions all around. You will have to figure out custom mounting tabs, and do something with the wiring (which should be pretty easy, I should be able to get the e36 wiring info off of the beretta guys if interested).

thanks man, i will have a look on ebay for the e36 headlamp (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E36-Headlamp-Head-light-318-318i-318is-318ic-318ti_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec50Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem320101181875QQitemZ320101181875) these the ones you mean? the wiring info would be great to have if you could get that for me, thanks man.

[slick]

There are several different styles of E-36's, you will just have to find the one's that you would like.

[mediabandit]

ok cool, i will find a nice set. thanks for all the info. i think i will go with those lights cuz i do not want to do the big HID conversion.

[slick]

If you can find a seller that isn't a dealer, you may want to check dimensions just to be sure. I know that the Beretta headlamps are pretty much identical in dimensions, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

[mediabandit]

that's what i'll do. i will measure mine out later on tonight when i get a chance that way i will be sure of the fit, thanks again.

[pwmin]

whats the advantage of those? i heard the stockers suck and they all upgrade to H1s which doesnt seem like a big step up.

[slick]

Truthfully, I have no idea of the advantage. If I were to buy a set of e36's, I'd be sure to buy a set with hid projectors.

[pwmin]

yah, cuz otherwise it seems like a waste unless his stockers are all yellowed and need replaced anyway. id really like to see someone w/ mini-quads get those hir bulbs so we know how they work in them.

[mediabandit]

going to try and see if these will fit, i think they would look good.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-01-02-03-04-05-CHEVY-IMPALA-LED-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHTS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem140146852768QQitemZ140146852768

[pwmin]

not that it matters, but i dont care for them. but, what does matter is how are you going to get them to fit?

[mediabandit]

i don't know if those in particular will fit yet i haven't had time to measure.

[slick]

So yeah, totally unsure on how your gonna get those to fit without some serious modification to the grill area and your fenders.