SEIDO

iTrader: (1)

That's awesome, haha.

Murco

iTrader: (1)

No doubt, and the reason I bugged-out and won't live there again until they throw the "car *****" out of the legislature!!!

SCary400

What preciesely is in those to make them $2500? I don't see it.

The lines for a turn signal just look cheap. Their 95-96 model conversion looks so much better.

Turn signal


Reverse


And since no one has really answered, those tails from ClearCorners are $2500 a set. $2k for the tails, $500 for the LED reverse. Overpriced.

CalitriSC's friend's conversion looks much better in my opinion.

iridebmx

iTrader: (6)

Those headlights made by SC400TT, are worth $2500 because of trial and error and the parts used to make them and the moulding he had to do to fit both projectors so nicely inside those housings. Look at his build thread, it is easy to read the whole thread you just get lost in time.

moosejaw2

iTrader: (9)

Agree this is a one off and its tough to put an accurate number on it.
I'm sure this were to go in regular production even at 50+ units, it would prop cost like over 2/3rds that amount. Theres easily a couple hundred $$$ in projectors in there

GZZ-TT

iTrader: (5)

Someone is in full on hater-mode!

Let's summarize:
"I don't see it. It's not worth it. It just looks cheap. The other conversion is better. It's overpriced. That other guys is totally better."

Yes, it's quite obvious you don't see it.

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

I think the tails looks amazing. Yeah they are expensive but has he pulled off what he wanted, yes. Not everyone can justify spending that kind of money on a set of "Tails", but he does, why, because he can. He doesn't do anything half, if anyone has been following along on any of his build thread, you know he doesn't..

Just stating my opinion.

SCYAL8R

I've got a set of tails I want to modify to led in the basement. Both sets of leds in this thread are awesome. I have wanted to to find out where I can get the housing and the lenses for tails and then fabricate my own led interior. There's tons of people selling all kinds of different styles on eBay and whatnot. I know the component parts come from these chinese sweatshops. All I want is the back housing that fits into the SC body and a clear lens. I could make the rest of it work.

I think in the summer I'm going to get a set of 92-97 smoke/red eBay's (which IMO are the best looking SC tails by a mile) and maybe use them as a baseline for r&d on doing my own.

Ideally id like to be able to come up with my own light design within the framework of a blank interior with a clear lens. So if I wanted circles or squares or whatever I could just do so.

If anyone has a lead on the exterior components so I don't have to buy assembled lights and then cook them to open them, id be willing to PayPal you a finders fee.

I figure my budget on putting together led tails is about 750 or so, not including time. The leds can be had for under 200 total as long as you don't mind soldering everything up.

SC400TT

iTrader: (4)

Hey gang, sorry for disappearing for awhile, but with the holidays, I was super busy and have not checked email or CL for a bit. So, let's get to it. See my replies below...

I removed the pics, but look in previous post if anyone needs to see them. What makes them that price is in essence, the precision of the mod. I now have them in person and I have viewed them up close, no photoshops, or lighting advantages that can be in pics. They look totally OEM. That is exceptionally hard to do with this much change in the tails...The LED's are well diffused, which is necessary to get the proper lighting effect when fired up. Your friends lights look good, but being able to view each LED with no reflectors or diffusers just looks totally homemade. The LED's used by ClearCorners are not the cheap Chinese ones that burn out quickly. Modifying a non-LED light assembly with LED's is a whole lot more involved than simply stuffing a bunch of LED's in an assembly and calling it a day. Building a quality set of lights like mine require many, many hours of labor, and top notch DIY skills, plus getting the correct materials. The diffuser material is not from Home Depot, and it comes coated with anti UV coatings so it will not yellow or easily brittle in the sun over many years. The soldering is a whole other topic...Good soldering is critical to long lasting LED's, and although many people can solder, that does not mean they do it correctly. I could go on, but you get the point...As I stated at the beginning of ths thread, these are "A" correct way, not the only way. Each person is free to state their opinion...I am not offended because I am not modding my car for you, per say, but for myself. So, it does not hurt my feelings if you disagree, or even criticize my efforts. Just don't get rude or crass...BTW, I like these better than the 95/96 he did, but that is my taste and this is my car.

Regarding my headlights...Really??? Then you must not have ever taken on anything like them, because anyone that has tackled a custom DIY to this level would definitely understand how much is involved...Let's get this straight...I am not bragging about the cost I have in my headlights, in fact, I wish I could have done them for a few hundred dollars instead...In fact, the same goes for the cost of my tails...The problem is that they would look and function like "a$$" if that we're the case. You always get what you pay for...And the only reason I even mentioned the dollars is because I was asked how much I spent, otherwise, I would not have mentioned the costs. The headlights have reflectors custom made out of brand new RX reflectors at about $100 each in materials, the HID's are OEM Audi TT projectors mounted to a custom made billet aluminum bracket that allows full adjustability of the light, up, down, side to side...Materials costs only for the bracket and projectors...$550...The BMW Xenon shrouds are custom cut and fitted to the brackets, the secondary projector consists of handmade and formed space grade plastic with one-off, chromed shrouds and OEM Audi TT fog light projectors. The paint is automotive grade, high temp and painted by a shop, not out of a can...The molding of everything together uses the same space grade plastic materials as the secondary projector. This plastic was actually used on the Shuttle. It is known as Plastex...Awesome stuff. The clear lens covers are SuperMades, and they cost almost $400 a set! Need I go on??? All I can say is if you are going to criticize, please make sure you know and understand what you are criticizing before you do so!!! And if you can do better for a fraction of my costs, please do so and start a thread bragging about your great work! I promise many will praise you for your efforts and accomplishments, and I will be ******* you to become a CL approved vendor because many will pay you to make them sets!!!


You understand...

One-offs are expensive, period! You know it, my man...

It's all right Zach...He just does not understand...Or appreciate...No worries.:

Thanks my man....I appreciate it when others can see and appreciate attention to detail...

SC400TT

SCary400

Not quite. I just expect better for the money.

The comment about the not seeing what was in the headlights worth $2500 was backed up by the R&D costs (which is what I asked, I asked what made them $2500). That concept seems to be hard for you to grasp. Get your little panties out of a bunch and don't insinuate something from text.

Seeing lines or individual LEDs in a set of taillights does make them look cheap. If it made them look like quality pieces, people would be dropping cheap 12v strips off ebay into their lights all the time. The other conversion is better.

Call me a hater all you wish, I'll sit here and wait for you to have an independent thought of your own for once. How dare someone have a different opinion and not just sit around blowing smoke up someone's .

CalitriSC

iTrader: (13)

When can we see pics you have taken of them or on the car? Close up of key hole area and behind the lights so we can see how all the wiring looks?

GZZ-TT

iTrader: (5)

You gonna wait under your bridge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

I have to chime back in I suppose. Why are there haters out there? He wanted to just share what he did with his tails not to brag about the cost of the total package. People just kept at him about what it cost. It doesnt matter what it cost but only to the person doing it. Thats why some people do a motor swap correctly and others just throw it in there and all they care about is the fact it runs. I dont see how this thread has gotten so far off of the whole purpose originally.

Please stay on topic.

DriftChris

I suppose I have to chime in on this again. The first time aparently looked too much like a sales pitch. I also agree the post needs to go back on topic as to not crap on this mans thread. As someone who has been engineering and doing electrical work for quite sometime I have to mention I made those other lights that CalitriSC mentioned. I am interested in the construction of those lights to see what makes them engineered and high quality.

Not to bad mouth clearcorners or your purchase as I am a firm believer in people doing whatever they want to their cars because thats what makes it fun and we are all here to get ideas and to help the community. I have to say those look really really simple to produce those results.

For example you mentioned that your lights are diffused? From the distance provided it looks like a pre purchased LED strip or a row of SuperFLUX leds. I dont see a diffuser. In the brake lamp section and the turn signal section looks like a similar array to the lights I made. Long story short those dont look engineered and spraying the lights with a smoke coating and UV coating is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. I could be wrong but that is just from observation.

Those lights I made a really long time ago for fun for my car and I sold them pretty near cost to make some money for school. I had a total of 5 arrays with 2 of them being microcontrolled to produce a brighter light when the brake was deppressed by simply increasing the frequency. I also designed and created my own circuit boards hand soldered each connection and did all of the coding for the controller as well as used OEM toyota connectors and my own wiring so no splicing was required making it PNP and removable as to make sure it was always in spec with the OEM control systems as to not throw a brake light also taking in consideration if you ever wanted to remove it and put the stock lights back on it would be simple.

I did this in a week from scratch and from Concept to RnD to finished product. My initial inspiration came from all the cool DIY Bippu lights from Japan but I never finished and I didnt have them that long.


For a simple fun project I would have to say my lights were pretty well engineered even if they dont suit peoples tastes. Id say I accomplished my basic goal and executed it perfectly. Sequential turns were planned and maybe even designs in the brake lamp pattern. I like the clearcorners lights personally but I wouldnt call my mod homemade personally as I tend to pay critical attention to detail and will never be happy with even the smallest mistake. ask CalitriSC. Even though I like the clearcorners lights I have to argure with the point of the thread that they were done "A Right Way"

Thats just my 2 cents and I am in no way trying to self promote or crap on your thread. I just get really buthurt with my personal projects because I tend to expect the best of myself and it kind of bums me out that what I worked hard to do is getting passed off as cheap. You did say you wanted someone to start their own thread so Id say look out for when I make CalitriSCs baller set. I wasnt happy with his tails I modded and I chipped a small part on one of his diffusers and offered to make him a really cool set for free.

SCYAL8R

That arrogance is an essential part of this community though. Its the very fabric of their lives. The old heads who have the money or the time or the desire or the ability to create or obtain what they perceive to be the best solution definitely want to crap on other solutions and denigrate those other solutions (blatantly or indirectly) as sub optimal. Party yo justify their own expenditures and efforts and partly to feel superior. Both are normal human emotions for people who put a lot of effort and passion into something and consider themselves authorities on that thing.

You see it everywhere. In gun forums its AK vs ar vs hk. The guys who put in the most effort and money and passion and knowledge feel superior very often.

For instance. Here the eBay halo headlights are annihilated regularly. However they are a legit cheap solution to modernizing the look of your headlights. If you don't have the desire to custom form your own headlights, or the resources to do so, its a legit cheaper option. But because it doesn't match up to someone s custom supreme DIY setup its more worthy of derision despite the fact that it does update the look of the car tremendously.

Add in the fact that the cars are cheaper now so more young kids or poorer people will be doing mods and you place even more pressure on the old heads who kind of ruled the roost for so long. They liked the exclusivity of owning a modded SC. Now that exclusivity is lessened. And people they feel reflect poorly on them are mossing their scs in ways they don't approve of. The only outlet they tend to have is to denigrate in various ways the work of others that doesn't adhere to their specific vision.

I love both of those led tails. And each has its good points. IMO those who feel the need to denigrate the modding work of others aside from the most garish and distasteful mods are just . . . . . I dunno. Superior.