Muti007

So Ive seen mention a few places that if youre installing an aftermarket HID kit in a vehicle that was not equipped with them originally, if you are not also upgrading your projector/reflector for HIDs you may actually be cutting off your light pattern and width of field. That does make sense to me actually if you really think about it. So for all the folks that have upgraded their GX's to aftermarket HIDs, did you all just install them in the regular, stock projector housings?

RCsGX

Yes people with GXs will just install a kit in their factory halogen projectors. Will it work, yes, is it ideal, no. Like you said youll loose width and even with a kit, you will still have 2 hot spots so the beam will not be spread out like a true HID projector will be.

If you have the money and patience do a retro (remove the halogen projectors and add HID projectors). Most people want the cheap and easy route, which is the kit.

ROK

Have you driven one with the XD kit with 4300K Philips bulbs? It's completely fine and I've compared it to OEM setups. 1, my 2011 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and 2, my 2008 Porsche GT3.

The marginal gains from messing with the perfectly fine factory headlights is nil. Only if you have a light fetish and a lot of time on your hands would you want go thru with it.

RCsGX

Whats fine to you, isnt fine to me. Hell you have civics with reflectors and the owners say HID kits are "fine". Why are you all up my azz about retros, youre not going to change my mind. Ive had a kit and Ive done several retros, I know what Im talking about. You want to have a kit in your GX, more power to you. Im not going that route.

Ive had vehicles with H11 projectors and yes Ive had a kit in it. Was it decent, yes, was it optimal, no. Like I said, I know a kit in a GX will look decent but you will still not have the width or intensity. I know because you have expensive vehicles you think the HID projectors are of higher quality but theyre not. S2K projectors are better than your expensive vehicles. Even the projectors in Bentleys are sub-par. I have OEM HID in my BMW, and had them in my CTS-V as well both sucked compared to the projectors I'll be using.

ROK

You got me wrong. I put on 60K miles in an S2000 and bought one when they came out in 2001 so I know I can absolutely relate and link up all these cars together including an E46 M3.

And speaking from experience, these retro fit pet projects are a loss leader. You spend time and money trying to get it right when the stock GX projectors work just fine so LONG AS YOU USE 4300K Philips bulbs. None of the Jetta/Civic dudes use the right bulbs because they're infatuated with replicating the more expensive rides look. But because they can't buy a clue, they go for 6000K+ Barney bulbs. When it's blue or purple all the time, that's whack not only aesthetically (ghetto), but also functionally.

That's what it's all about. Trying to get a piece of that flash, exclusivity, but going about it the wrong way.

Just a debate, man. At ease.

redrocks

Yeah, ROK just LOVES to debate everything!
Your vehicle, your choice... ignore ROK.

mann777

I fully agree with RCs... the aftermarket kits available are just a temp arrangement and cheap to fill in the arrangement to give you the looks. But in performance it is just dull. Because the GX has Fresnel Lens and the output is dull nd boring. I had it for two years, and then I myself did the mod. Bought the products of TRS. All you need is patience and do it systematically.
The projectors of current GX 1st Gen are crap ( period) If you want goods width, luminosity,
Products bought.
1. TSX Clear len 2.5" size
2. Morimoto D2S 3 Five ( Lumens5000K or Philip 851224300K for the Xenon Bulbs ( D2S type
3. OCI Butyl Rubber GlueHeadlamp Resealing Kit
4. FX- R Projectors 3.0.
5. Morimoto Elite HD system Ballasts.
Tools
1. Barrel Sander Dremel Tool.(cutting wheel, cutting bit, and sander attachment)
2. Heat Gun
3.RAzor Blade.
4.Canned Air ( Compressed air to blow away fine dust within lens)
5. Microfibrecloth a few
6.Strap Clamps a few at least 6 as GX Headlamp is really broad.
7.T15 torx screw driver
8. T10 torx screw driver (remove chrome accent from lens)
9. Needle nose pliers (If applicable)
10. Phillips screw driver (if applicable)

Top i cant think any further..all tips are available on HID planet

And output is Crisp. And you dont blind the cars who in front of you.

As I recently had an accident, am just recovering. Here is just one. typing with my Rt hand

RCsGX

Finally someone that has done it and gets it!!

Youre right, most people, they just want the look of HIDs, so a kit will be ok with them. If you actually want more evenly spread light & more width theres no comparison between a halogen projector with a kit and a HID projector.

Nice job! I hope you heal up quick from your accident.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

awesome info and pics mann777! hope you are recovering from accident well, and so glad that more people who understands more posting

Muti007

As usual, you have that exactly wrong. Out projectors are designed to maximize light output fro halogen bulbs and are are thus optimized for them. Now, just because you CAN add HIDs in there, doesnt mean youre getting the ideal light pattern and true gains of an HID setup, quite the contrary actually. An upgrade to HIDs, done properly as outlined above by another poster would greatly improve upon the original factory setup, and there are also other ways one could improve upon the factory setup as well.

You can call it a light fetish, I call it correct and incorrect. You could similarly tell a guy that changes his oil every 10k miles that he has an oil fetish if you are used to buying a car, never once changing the oil, and just drive the thing to over 100k miles as such and claiming the "marginal gains" from changing the oil every 10k miles is nil if you wanted. But as stated earlier, youd be wrong.

Muti007

I believe this is about common knowledge at this point to anyone thats been here more than a day, lol. Cute that this week he also thinks he owns a RR Sport and a GT3.

In that case, I have a Zonda and a Murcielago Spyder. Both were equipped with HIDs at the dealer but I insisted they be removed as the cost wasnt worth the minimal gains they provided and I wasnt going to pay for them! Once they did, I ran right down to Wallie World and bought a set of Sylvania silver stars for both cars. $40 vs a few grand each, and no one can tell a difference!!

BurgBoxstr

LOL - congrats on the sweet stable inflation. Surprised you didn't opt for the Aventador

redrocks

Maybe they are 1:18 scale models?

Muti007

Im on the waiting list, lol.

BlairC

as usual, mann777 comes in like a bauce. nice post.