Want to Replace Miniquad stock bulbs, but...

[GnatGoSplat]

I've never understood why people buy the Eurolamp kits myself. 5-minutes of effort gets you the same thing and saves $70.

[WhatTheFehl]

The Eurolamps kit isn't that expensive if you just get the housings and no bulbs, it takes 2 seconds to change bulbs from then on, I didn't have to jury rig and have any hacked together garbage on my car, and future serviceability is much much better.

[GnatGoSplat]

How expensive is, "not that expensive"?

Not a whole lot to jury rig or hack. It sounds like you've never actually tried it and seen how well standard bulbs fit into stock lamp housings. Once you remove the extra junk to where standard bulbs fit, replacing them is as simple as pulling out the old, pushing in the new. It's a tight pressure fit, so silicone isn't even necessary, but it's simple enough to silicone for extra insurance if desired. Even with the extra silicone step, probably doesn't take any more than 2-seconds to change the bulb.

[WhatTheFehl]

I see no point in hacking and risk breaking a stock $40 sealed beam bulb when an easier alternative exists .

[GnatGoSplat]

Well, I'm going by the assumption that the car came with a set of lights in it already hence cost of mod would be $0.

Every car I've ever bought already came headlights pre-installed.

[WhatTheFehl]

That's a moot point. It's only a $0 mod if you don't break the stock sealed beam housings in the process. They are expensive to replace. I don't like cooking and cutting $80.

[94 olds vert]

I only bought the euro lamps because my original housings had become pitted and one had a massive stone chip in it.

[GnatGoSplat]

That's a moot point. It's only a $0 mod if you don't break the stock sealed beam housings in the process. They are expensive to replace. I don't like cooking and cutting $80.

 

I don't know what you mean with the cooking and cutting. I didn't have to cut anything on mine, all I had to do was pry off the plastic ring with a flat-head screwdriver and twist the bulb out. It's not easy to break because the reflector housings were metal on mine. Besides, it cost nothing to try because I assume the old bulbs were going to be tossed anyway. If they do break, all you're out is the cost of new Euro lamps!

[94 olds vert]

I think by cooking and cutting he means throwing away 80 bucks.

[GnatGoSplat]

In that case, I don't understand that math.

 

If you discard old lamps, buy Euro Lamps: TotalCost=EuroLamps+Bulbs

If you reuse existing housings: TotalCost=$0+Bulbs

If you try to reuse existing housings, but fail: TotalCost=EuroLamps+Bulbs

 

In no scenario is TotalCost>EuroLamps+Bulbs.

[WhatTheFehl]

I'm not really sure where this got complicated.

 

I don't see a point in risking breaking $80 worth of stock housings/bulbs (because they cost $40 a piece new), by warming them in the oven and prying and cracking them.

 

Eurolamps are cheaper than that.

 

Eurolamps and painless, quick and easy.

 

I have the ability to go back to stock at a moments notice for free if I ever want to.

[GnatGoSplat]

I don't see a point in risking breaking $80 worth of stock housings/bulbs (because they cost $40 a piece new), by warming them in the oven and prying and cracking them.

 

That's the part that doesn't make sense. Nobody is going to try this on brand new $80 stock housings/bulbs. What were they going to do with the old housings anyway, if they didn't get reused? Toss them in the trash. Used housings don't have any value on eBay or Craigslist so the value of new ones is irrelevant.

[WhatTheFehl]

But the stock housings are $80 to replace if you break them (for the pair). Or you can pay less and WAIT for the Eurolamps AFTER you brake the bulbs and you know, be screwed if you have to drive the car at night in the mean time.

 

And I held onto mine in case I ever wanted to go back to stock.

[GnatGoSplat]

I suppose if someone broke them, they could rig something up with duct tape until the Eurolamps arrive! But unless mine were a really oddball design, you'd have to be seriously careless or clumsy to break them.

I also kept the original rings and bulbs that I pulled out off the housings if I ever wanted to go back to stock.

[pwmin]

there's no reason to mess up your stock housings when converting from sealed beams to bulbs

 

Then what bulbs would you consider better?

sorry, i was tired of arguing so i left for a while.

 

 

HIR, GE Nighthawk, Phillips Xtreme Power (I have these and they're good, but I'm not sure they're totally worth the money), even Sylvania Xtravision. There are a lot of good bulbs out there, but I can't recall all of them right now and bulbs change. There is even another version of SilverStar from Europe that aren't coated. HIR is the way to go, IMHO. I wish I would have went that route instead now, but I'm happy w/ my Xtreme Powers. Crystal Vision are also coated. I did buy those conversion kits when I ran HID's in my old GP. It's not something I would recommend, but they sure were bright. I kept having to aim my lights lower until I quit getting flashed. As was said, they're not worth buying unless you're going that route or your old headlight are fvcked. I also got sucked into Cool Blue and SilverStar and they looked brighter to me when I installed them, but then I found all of this stuff out. Like I said, almost anything is going to be brighter than 15 year old stock bulbs.

 

http://www.automotiveforums.com/t331352-philips_crystalvision_vs_silverstar_bulbs.html post 11...this guy just goes off on tinted bulbs...it's good i wasn't a total dick like this guy, lol

Edited February 17, 2012 by pwmin