Just installed Projector HID in my Trans Am (Pics Inside)

VVS6 · 10-13-2004, 07:57 PM

I posted this in the other forum, but I'm not sure who reads it, so I'm posting this here again.
Some of you may remember my old set up http://images.cardomain.com/installs...58_13_full.jpg but it was time for a change. I always liked the projectors, but I've seen people with firebirds that had them and it looked very tacky with a big empty space around the projector

so in my old set up I didn't replace the housing only the bulbs. When I first got them, not that many people had HIDs, so I was happy with them, but now everybody puts HID in their stock headlight housings so I needed to do something different

For this set up I got a whole new set of HID's
This is what I used,

Philips 85122 D2S HID bulbs (4300K) (used in most factory cars)
Hella generation III ballasts (used in most factory cars)
Bosch (DOT) projectors (used in BMW, Audi and many others)
Some stuff from the hardware store
Total $460

You can probably save at least $60 if you go with the Hella projectors instead of Bosch, but I like the Bosch better. They are used in the 7 series BMW's, AUDI TT and some other cars. I think the Bosch have a much sharper cutoff than other projectors and they seem to give off more blue and purple and other colors at some angles, but I'm not sure, maybe it's just me, anyway I liked the Bosch better.

It took me 2 days to do this, started Sunday afternoon and finished Monday after work. I could've probably finished everything in one day, but I was waiting for some parts to dry overnight. With this set up I had to do some cutting of my headlight assembly, otherwise the projectors won't fit, but you can't see what I cut unless you disassemble the headlight. I made custom housing out of aluminum so that there is no gap around the projectors and so it doesn't look homemade and sealed the projectors to the custom housings to prevent rain from getting in, even though I don't really drive this car in the rain too much. I'm happy how with the results, the light is very crisp and changes colors at different angles, unlike when I had them in the stock housings
My next project will be the high beams, I'm not sure if I'm gonna stick HIDs in there, because I don't think I can find a place for 2 more ballasts, but we'll see. If anybody wants to photoshop these pics to make both lights round, feel free, I would like to see what that would look like. I will have more pics of the light against the wall later, I took these pics during the day.
Let me know what you guys think.

CSX · 10-13-2004, 08:39 PM

Looks awesome.

EVL LS1 · 10-13-2004, 09:01 PM

good job on the install very clean looking. just not worth $460 if it were myself. to each his own.. but again very clean install

Beastly TA · 10-13-2004, 10:56 PM

Do you have pictures of each step of the install so that I can see exactly what all you had to modify and what you had to make out of aluminum. I'm very interested in doing this to my car one day.

Very nice work.

Gerry

D Rock · 10-13-2004, 10:57 PM

Looks good man, I just can't see myself spending 400+ on lights.

Derek

O1PewterWS6 · 10-13-2004, 11:04 PM

Looks very nice!!

Monster · 10-13-2004, 11:13 PM

Looks good. Almost like eyes

Silver02TA · 10-13-2004, 11:43 PM

looks nice, the red hood vents don't

**skytower31** · 10-14-2004, 01:53 AM

I would like to see some more pics of the fabrication as well. I retrofitted a set of Hella projectors into my TA a while back and made some plates to fillin the gap between the plastic bezel and the round projector. I would like to see what you had to do to seal up the Bosch projector. The Hella units I used were fully sealed units to begin with.

Nice job by the way

Pic of my setup without the fill in plates around the projector:

I also installed some round Hella halogen high beams to complete the look.

CSX · 10-14-2004, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by skytower31
I would like to see some more pics of the fabrication as well. I retrofitted a set of Hella projectors into my TA a while back and made some plates to fillin the gap between the plastic bezel and the round projector. I would like to see what you had to do to seal up the Bosch projector. The Hella units I used were fully sealed units to begin with.

Nice job by the way

Pic of my setup without the fill in plates around the projector:

I also installed some round Hella halogen high beams to complete the look.

Write up?

Just playing.

**skytower31** · 10-14-2004, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by csxfbird
Write up?

Just playing.

Believe it or not, it is coming

Soul TKR · 10-14-2004, 06:00 PM

i really like your old setup with the blueish headlamps... where did you get those?

Your new setup looks great to by the way!!

VVS6 · 10-14-2004, 06:24 PM

Thanks for the compliments guys

Quote:

Originally posted by EVL LS1
good job on the install very clean looking. just not worth $460 if it were myself. to each his own.. but again very clean install

I don't think $460 is that bad for HIDs and projectors, considering that this is an over $1000 option on cars that have them from the factory and our sponsors sell them for a couple hundred more that $460. Anyway I'm not concerned with the price if I was I would've used my old HIDs, but too many ricers where I live have 8000k on POS cars and I didn't want to be in that category. I'm going more for a factory look now, than "

everybody look I have expensive headlights" look.

Skytower, I'll try to have some pics and a brief write up of the fabrication this weekend.

Quote:

Originally posted by Silver02TA
looks nice, the red hood vents don't

speaking of vents, I did this a couple days ago, what do you guys think

FirehawkNS · 10-14-2004, 10:21 PM

Looks damn good!!

Beastly TA · 10-14-2004, 10:46 PM

Patiently waiting on a writeup.