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GS - 2nd Gen (1998-2005) Discussion about the second generation GS300, GS400 and GS430 (1998 - 2005)

HID Retrofit Question

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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 03:50 PM
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Default HID Retrofit Question

So with all this talk about converting from halogen to HIDs, it's obvious that going with a retrofit is superior to any aftermarket kit. However, it seems that chances of finding someone to do a retrofit for you are slim. Furthermore once you do find someone, I heard it can be costly and timely. Does anyone know the price range of getting this done?
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 04:18 PM
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anywhere from $100 for cheaper projectors to $400 for others.... and probably $300 to $400 for labor. You could do it yourself though. its not that hard and there are plenty of write ups on how to do it yourself. just search
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by BklynGS
anywhere from $100 for cheaper projectors to $400 for others.... and probably $300 to $400 for labor. You could do it yourself though. its not that hard and there are plenty of write ups on how to do it yourself. just search
Why don't you just get HID projectors meant for a GS4?

I don't understand why retrofitting is so big?

Is it because the Infiniti Q45's projectors that much better?

I'm a noob...
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 06:22 PM
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Thats because no projectors ever came with the 2nd gen GS. No one makes plug-n-play projectors for us. The ones we retrofit into our cars usually come off of other cars that have them (Q45, TSX, LS430, etc).

The labor is what makes it so expensive. It's not something you can do in 2 hours. Depending on the projectors you get, some better than others. My LS430 projectors are a bajillion times better than OEM HID I had. I remember when I first lit up my OEM HID...I was amazed at the output compared to halogen. I recently saw the OEM HID output for the first time in 2 years and I must say it looked like halogen against my HID setup
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by GSteg
Thats because no projectors ever came with the 2nd gen GS. No one makes plug-n-play projectors for us. The ones we retrofit into our cars usually come off of other cars that have them (Q45, TSX, LS430, etc).

The labor is what makes it so expensive. It's not something you can do in 2 hours. Depending on the projectors you get, some better than others. My LS430 projectors are a bajillion times better than OEM HID I had. I remember when I first lit up my OEM HID...I was amazed at the output compared to halogen. I recently saw the OEM HID output for the first time in 2 years and I must say it looked like halogen against my HID setup
LOL, thanks for complementing my lighting! i'll change it out soon heh.

Retrofits are definitely the way to go!
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 07:40 PM
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Retrofits are the only way to go. I spend about $600 on my retrofit and did the labor myself. Its really not that hard, and its a good learning experience. I got a few quotes from some of the guys on here and your looking at $400-$500 in just labor. Not to mention you will have to get all the parts and ship it to the guy doing the labor.

I suggest you do a little research on here and on hidplanet and tackle the project yourself. You wont be disappointed.
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Old Jan 27, 2008 | 11:54 PM
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I'm doin it my GD self as soon as I get my hands on some projectors..
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