Hey guys, I have accumulated enough money on PayPal to buy an HID kit but Im having a dilema on whether to go with either the retrofit or plug and play. After some researching this is what I concluded:

Retrofit

Pros:
1. Superior Beam Pattern

Cons:
1. Extra cost for the projector
2. Time and skill required for the labor

Plug and Play

1. Simplicity
2. Lower Cost

Cons:

1. Poor Beam Pattern

Which route did u guys decided to go with? Which kit did you choose? How much did you ending up spending? If you chose the Plug and Play, are you happy with the results?

 

It's a Lexus.... retrofit! don't go the ricer rout make it clean and right.

 

here's a little video i got off of hidplanet.com that should show the difference in output from retrofit and plug and play.
http://www.littodevilperformance.com...comparison.wmv
right click save as

 

ON the SC I would say retro. I can see the difference between my SC and my 540i. The beam pattern is awesome, color is also sharper, with a nice cutoff.

 

The whole projector is better than just the plug n play. It looks better too.

 

I think what you need to do is go with the 97+ headlights and then plug and play some nice 5000k.

 

What's different about 97+ headlights?

I went with PNP because I fear condensation in the headlights after the job. I'm not brave enough to try it myself, and I have problems trusting other people with my stuff. Plus, it's my DD so I can't just ship off the headlights for a few weeks.

The PNP is pretty nice. Definitely better light output. I have been high-beamed once so far but then again, sometimes I'd like to high-beam an oncoming BMW when it goes over a bump, and I get an eye-full of HID.

Cheers,
~Alan

 

im the same way. afraid to jack up a good working pair of headlights......so do your research first. Find out what parts you need( Balast, Projectors, Bulbs, JB weld(jk) ) and then get some good DIY instructions(look below this thread and you will see a great step by step for the SC)

And dont worry about condensation. That happens with most sc's and is very easily fixed.

Anyways my vote is for Retrofit. Yeah you can get better than average results with plugins......but True HID's are great.
~R

 

If you want to do it right then go the retrofit route. There is just something so great about a clean cutoff that you wont get with a plug and play kit. I dont know about SC headlights but GS headlights can be had in great shape used for about $125 or so. It is obviously more money to go the retrofit route but it is definately worth it, IMHO. And yes I had a plug and play kit and the output was good but the cutoff was horrible, almost non existent. And I was tired of other drivers high beaming me because they thought my high beams were on

 

actually, from what i can tell from the video, i don't think the plug n play was that bad at all. but i guess the video can't tell the whole story. also, depends on the color of your car, blue might not always be the best choice. my opinion.

 

i voted retro that video makes it pretty clear that it is better

however i have a simple plug n play on my car, mainly just cause i had one laying around the house why not put it on. major diffrence over stock.... im completly happy with it....

 

Retro! But does my opinion count hehe?

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...=headlight+hid

 

retrofit all the way i got the kit and it sucks

 

Thanks for the link.
Missed that thread.....good info!

~Alan