Tchan1

iTrader: (1)

Lemme guess, you have 6000k or 8000k HID kit and you think that it's brighter cause you can see more of your blue color? It's just your eyes playing tricks thinking that the blue is brighter than the yellowish color the 4300k puts out. You also said that your light pattern is different, it's probably hot spots and your light is not evenly spread out. So I wouldn't think that your lights are that superior.

Anthony

iTrader: (4)

retrofit looks good..
as well as the output..Nice man

highstakes

Um...No. I have a PNP (XenonDepot) kit for my IS350, and it doesn't look anything like my old TSX's HID's. By the looks of the last two pictures, I can tell you that my PNP kit is not even close (the cutoff is pretty decent on my kit, but not as good this retrofit), or as wide...just look at the surface in front of the car, PNP kit looks pathetic in comparison to the retrofit!

OP, nice work!!

IS25Heaven

iTrader: (8)

NIce work! must have costed a grip!

Sodeti

I am not going to put down your job, but you may want to post before and after pictures that are using the same wall(s) as a point of reference...no?

Tchan1

iTrader: (1)

Look at his sig, it shows the SC430's cutoff and output

AM1

iTrader: (6)

not bad. more then i would spend on my HIDS, but nice.

chris07is

iTrader: (10)

love the retro fit...you and mcah are really in to this..im pretty sure its very costly to this mod...looking nice ell Y..BTW coz of u i got the ballast that u reply on my thread...and now my car works fine...thnx ELL Y

Sodeti

Please explain...the signature doesnt appear to be a comparison picture...or am I blind..

ELL Y

iTrader: (1)

The cost will differ depending on whether you want to do it yourself (as Mahcah and Tchan1 have done) or have a retrofitter do it for you. Also, if you choose to use a spare pair of headlights, the cost of those will have to be factored in as well (used HID headlights go for 450, Halogen headlights go for ~300).
For me...
2x SC430 Projectors: 180$
2x E30 Clear Lens: 75$ <--Overpaid for this one, but oh well
DDM kit with D2S adapters: 105$
2x Philips 85122+ bulbs: 50$
Headlights: ~200-250

As you can see, if you choose to do it yourself with your own headlights, a retrofit can cost only about 400-500. Especially if you go the route of the RX330 projectors (Mahcah), as they are ~130, and have comparable or better output with a curved shield than SC430s. However, if you have it retrofitted by a pro, add another 250-300 or more. All in all, I spent roughly 1 grand on it, but for headlights brighter and wider than 99% of cars on the road with little glare, it was worth it for me. Plus, the blacked out look which I like as well.


Hi I appreciate your constructive criticism, but I have to clear up some misconceptions that you have.
The HID kit you use does not make a huge difference, except in variations in color temperature or if the bulbs between kits do not fit correctly. The biggest limitation is the projector itself. A halogen projector has different focal points than xenon projectors (and different xenon projectors all have different outputs) and an HID kit in it will not produce optimal output.
Even the IS250/350 Xenon projector utilizes a poor design, and is severely limited in width and intensity by its side-entry narrow bowl design.

Here is a picture of the stock HID IS250 projector that has been replaced with a clear lens for added output. Keep in mind that this projector is still much better than the halogen IS250 projector.

Here is a picture of the SC430 with clear lens to show the difference. In addition to the width and sharpness of the cutoff, the light is properly focused directly under the middle of the cutoff (the hotspot). A well lit hotspot is essential in ensuring proper down the road visibility

That said, the stock setup is enough for the majority of people, but for a true lighting enthusiast, differences will quickly be noted. As Tchan has said, if your bulbs are very blue (6000K, 8000K, etc.) you may feel as if there is more light on the road, but it is an optical illusion due to the sensitivity of the eyes to light toward a blue spectrum. A true 6700K bulb (Philips Ultinon) puts out roughly 2800 lumens or less compared to the 3200-3300 lumens of a 4300K bulb (Philips 85122, 85122+).

I will post pictures of the same wall tonight and update as necessary. Thanks for the comments

iLexi

iTrader: (1)

Looks very klean elly!

maxnix

Beam pattern is so much more important than how the headlight unit looks while off on the car or even head on when illuminated.

Thank you for posting.

If anyone wants to comment on whether another set up is better or worse, post up pictures of the beam pattern!

Shank2117

my HID kit produces just as much lighting output as that. That "HID" kit you pictured looks like a halogen blue bulb that they sell on ebay for $1

Tchan1

iTrader: (1)

Do you have wall shots to show this?

This is my wall shot, it is the same set up as ELL Y



You're saying that you have that output too?

blk250

iTrader: (3)

now, when you cut someone off at nite time, they would say nice cutoff