Well, I was driving next to a new BMW 5-series the many nights ago, and his HID gas discharge headlights lit up the road like nothing I've ever seen :) (or rather, like some big HMI movie lights.) I was sold.
So I decided I would adapt this new technology to the fiero for both visability and safety reasons. Plus they will never burn out.
One custom housing, two 23KV ballasts, a set of suitable D2R type xenon discharbe 'bulbs' and some wiring and metal cutting work, and here are the results: (images don't do it justice, the purple cast you see here is not present, and the wavelegenth is rather like moonlight in a bottle, very 'crysteline' for lack of a better word, and to me very beautiful!
Anyway; pics!
You can't see it very well (I need to take some at twilight with a real camera) but only the top half of the rectangleular lights is illuminated, this makes for a neat 'narrow& wide' rectangle look that is pretty neat!
If anyone is intrested, I had thought about making a 'kit' out of all the parts and housings, etc that were nessicary (no permanant mods, save for cutting cable passages into the front compartment's metal, are nessicary) But only if there is intrest. (and it would be pricy... cost to me was about $800 by the time I was done. I used only the genuine Philips components, the exact same part numbers infact, that BMW uses.)
I love it though :) (I am also working on a 'dual round' housing that would give a different more european look, look for pics of that soon :)
Best! Ben.
------------------ Ben Cannon 88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red 88 Formula, Silver 87 Coupe, Metalic Red "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives" -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
very cool, I would very much like to do that too. Just make sure they are adjusted well because some states now consider it illegal to convert a standard light into a High Intensity Discharge light. The reason is obvious-- Some people will install this super bright light and not adjust them correctly, blinding the hell out of other drivers.
Maybe check it out by driving towards your car in someone elses car.
I like the look of HID too. Especially Audi's. I passed a Honda S2000 at night and the further I got away the more I noticed the HIDs. Kind of hard to explain but they appeared to be boucing and flickering every time the car hit the highway cracks. It was as if someone was flashing a flashlight into my rear view mirror, very annoying. I've seen one kit advertised, around $800 bucks, way too expensive for my budget. I'd be interested, but as it look now I'll have to wait several years for the costs to become more reasonable.
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11:56 AM
artherd Member
Posts: 4159 From: Petaluma, CA. USA Registered: Apr 2001
Oh, the HID lights would be even easier to fit to fixed-light fieros (non-flip-up) as you've already done the work of fabing a housing. It would just be a matter of finding the suitable D2R bulb and any adapters as needed. And wiring. I would recomend running a second (fused, 40A) line all the way to the battery. The reason for this is the incredibly high inrush pulse (250ms or so only) used to 'start' the arc. Around 15A/bulb.
Once they get going, they only draw ~3A/side. or 35 watts. Very low power, I've actually left them on all night (I have a deep cycle battery) and the car started right up!
Yeah, but you sure SAW that S2000 Heh. At least for now they're a fairly rare thing, so they get noticed. Not a bad thing when your car will fit under the wheelwells of most SUVs.
Yes, ajustment is critical, as is the use of the newer D2R bulbs (D2S have blinding issues and must be used with a very special housing only.) Blinding is an issue with any headlight, infact the HIDs aren't really much brighter in emmision that a halogen (the different wavelegenth sticks out now is all) However the light bounces *back* from the road and most of what you find out there with much greater efficency.
Yes, the cost is rather high, but not as bad as the $3,000 tag for the same gear that BMW lays on you Prices will eventually come down, but will likely only bottom at a few hundred for a 2-light kit. It's the ballasts that gets you. 23kv at 35watts is a pretty tall electronics power conversion order
Still, I predict eventually all new cars will use HID for headlights, it's only flaw is cost, and as you said, huge scale mass production will eventually solve (or dent) that. But tonite I drive home safe
Best! Ben.
quote
Originally posted by ChopTop: I like the look of HID too. Especially Audi's. I passed a Honda S2000 at night and the further I got away the more I noticed the HIDs. Kind of hard to explain but they appeared to be boucing and flickering every time the car hit the highway cracks. It was as if someone was flashing a flashlight into my rear view mirror, very annoying. I've seen one kit advertised, around $800 bucks, way too expensive for my budget. I'd be interested, but as it look now I'll have to wait several years for the costs to become more reasonable.
------------------ Ben Cannon 88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red 88 Formula, Silver 87 Coupe, Metalic Red "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives" -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
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04:29 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
Ok, they're only 35 watts, but since I'm not familiar with HID lights, let me ask: Do they put out more heat than stock? I have images of melting enduramid on my car.
I've seen that happen with KCHilites put behind the grills of older cars. Different scenario, I know, but I wanted to check to be sure.
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08:18 PM
Sep 7th, 2001
artherd Member
Posts: 4159 From: Petaluma, CA. USA Registered: Apr 2001
Grr, pennock's ate my long-winded reply, probally for the best though
To keep it short, 35watts is 35watts (just as 65watts is 65watts. Which is to say the HIDs put out about half the heat energy as compared with normal headlights.
They won't even come close to melting any housings designed for headlights, and though they are warm (35w isn't nothing..) they run far cooler than any headlights of any car I've ever owned
If you're thinking of swapping them into a set of flushmount headlights in your fiero that already use tungsten/halogen bulbs, go for it, it'll be great!
However, if you're thinking about getting by with custom housings that weren't designed with a headlight (read: 65-100W) application in mind, I wouldn't recomend it. (35 watts still isn't anything to sneeze at, or sit on for example
Best! Ben.
quote
Originally posted by Formula88: Ok, they're only 35 watts, but since I'm not familiar with HID lights, let me ask: Do they put out more heat than stock? I have images of melting enduramid on my car.
I've seen that happen with KCHilites put behind the grills of older cars. Different scenario, I know, but I wanted to check to be sure.
------------------ Ben Cannon 88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red 88 Formula, Silver 87 Coupe, Metalic Red "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives" -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
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02:34 AM
chester Member
Posts: 4063 From: State of insanity...moved in and comfortably numb... Registered: Jun 2001
Could you post a parts list for your conversion? What was the cost? I already have flush mount lights on my car. I've always LOVED the HID look. The housings that I have take standard H3 bulbs. Will it be a big deal to adapt these to the HID bulbs? Do you have some close up shots of the install? Thanks for the help in advance!
Adrift- I have one of the "BlueXeon" conversion kits... it uses an H4 bulb, which can be found in any style ranging from plain Halogen to coated Blue... they look OK, but when compared to a real HID system- there is a drastic difference. The HID system uses a different lightwave and brightens the road like nothing else can.
------------------ Medium Metallic Green 87 GT 3.1L High Output 4 Spd OD Tranny Open (read: Loud) Exhaust and More! -Rob Bartlett
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11:12 AM
artherd Member
Posts: 4159 From: Petaluma, CA. USA Registered: Apr 2001
Originally posted by Adrift: How is this different form the Xenon conversion kits for the fiero regularly found on ebay for $50?
Those are just painted high-brightness ordinary light bulbs (kinda a ripoff at $50 actually They look brighter, and sorta blueish, but will burn out quick.
True Gas Discharge lighting is a completely different animal, with transformers to light a sphere of gas at 23KV. It's kind of like a front-drive car versus a mid-engine car, there's just no substitute
Parts wise, I don't know where to get H3 size lamps unfortunately. the only replacement sizes I have access to are 9003,9004,9006, and H7, and possibly H1. However, 9003 and 'H4' are essentially the same part, does H3 have an equivelent in the above?
(toss me an email, I'm going to look for some H3 D2R type bulbs or equivelent. I'd also love to see pics of your flushmounts!)
If so, all you need are the bulbs and the ballasts and a soldering iron (and about ~$700bucks or so :S) Which you should be able to pick up from several parts stores if you like. I ordered mine from Germany through a friend who does BMW repair. The housings are the only tricky part on the fiero, and you've solved that problem!
I figured it's pretty worth it if someday someone sees my little car beecause of it, and dosen't kill me :L Did I mention they look cool?
Best! Ben.
------------------ Ben Cannon 88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red 88 Formula, Silver 87 Coupe, Metalic Red "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives" -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
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03:26 PM
Sep 8th, 2001
artherd Member
Posts: 4159 From: Petaluma, CA. USA Registered: Apr 2001
Just checked, H3 looks very similar to the little H1 type bulbs, which could easially be made to work (get the BFH
Best! Ben
------------------ Ben Cannon 88 Formula, T-top Metalic Red 88 Formula, Silver 87 Coupe, Metalic Red "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives" -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
