Better headlights

Just a side question here: does the projector conversion have to also be an HID conversion to be effective and worth the effort? I mean there are tons of cars with halogen projectors. Just wondering.
 
Stanley said:
Okay, I'm seriously intrigued by this: great thread. I hope the OP doesn't mind, but since he seems interested in projector solutions as well, I figure I'd put together a projector package and see if it makes sense. As far as I could tell, for a proper conversion using the recommended Mini H1 8.0, you'd need:

1 set Mini H1 8.0 projectors
1 pair Morimoto XB35 2.0 35w Ballasts
1 pair Morimoto H1 XB HID Bulbs (at the desired temperature range)
1 pair of mounting brackets (Bare Retro Quik has a universal set for the Mini H1 8.0)
1 Morimoto 9007/9004 Motocontrol Bi-Xenon Relay Harness
Not clear if you need an anti-flicker capacitor link with the above.

Irv: does all this check out?

CDsDontBurn: If this is cluttering up what you're looking for, let me know and I'll start a new thread.
Click to expand...
You'll also need projector shrouds.

This link from The Retrofit Source puts all the required parts together as a full kit.


They also have a budget kit with more affordable parts based on older Morimoto hardware, which I would still take over trying to piece together everything from Amazon myself.

 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Just a side question here: does the projector conversion have to also be an HID conversion to be effective and worth the effort? I mean there are tons of cars with halogen projectors. Just wondering.
Click to expand...

From what I've read, typical 55W halogen lamps emit 1000-1500 lm at a color temperature around 2700k. A 4300k HID at 35 will emit closer to 3000 lm. So yes, worth the HID upgrade. :)
 
Irv said:
You'll also need projector shrouds.
Click to expand...

Any advice on shrouds that looks reasonably clean / natural with a 97 Bird? There seems to be a lot out there that match the Morimotos.

And do you know if projectors require / will benefit from an anti-flicker capacitor link?
 
Stanley said:
Any advice on shrouds that looks reasonably clean / natural with a 97 Bird? There seems to be a lot out there that match the Morimotos.

And do you know if projectors require / will benefit from an anti-flicker capacitor link?
Click to expand...

I have the Mini Gatling Gun which has a 92mm diameter. The fact of the matter is that most of the shrouds are too big to fit inside these housings. These are pretty much your only options that don't involve additional hacking for fitment. The only options in 2017 when my retrofit was done were the Mini Gatling Gun, Mini Graphite, and Mini Turbine. The latter two stand out unnaturally and I'm not even sure if the Mini Turbine fits.

Projector Type - 2.5%2522-Lens

No Projector retrofit kit is complete without shrouds to cover your bare HID or LED low and high beam projectors. Give it a finished look with our shroud selection.
www.theretrofitsource.com www.theretrofitsource.com

The anti-flicker capacitor link is for sorting out headlight circuits that run on PWM for their factory lighting systems, whether it's to support DRLs, LEDs, or headlight DRM. If you ever see modern headlights or accessory lights that flicker when captured on video, they're running on PWM. These cars predate that by a lot, so the answer for these cars is no.
 
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I had to anti-flicker the LEDs on my Dakota with 9007s. It had DRLs active though. Your mileage may vary.
 
Just got back from another night drive not long ago. The new / replacement ring holders are installed. Light output "seems" better, especially on the right side, but it's still subpar.

Honestly, the way the high beams are oriented as far as light output goes, I'd be perfectly happy with that. So maybe I just need to do some headlight adjustments? That would be the cheapest way to get decent light output out of what I (we) have.

Low beams:
1000001887.jpg

High beams:
1000001888.jpg

These pictures don't do this justice, but it's still visible. With low beams, you see the light focused on the ground ~15ft ahead of the car. With the high beams, the lights are a spread out and more of the road is visible.

All these options for projectors, shrouds, lights, etc. is all awesome, but it would take me to build this out.
 
What exactly do the shrouds do for you? I was looking at some of this stuff last night, but their (Morimoto's) website doesn't go into a ton of depth. Also, what are the mounting brackets for? I thought these attached to the headlight housing via a nut on the end of the housing that goes through the original headlight bulb hole?
 
They hide the projector assemblies from view so all you see of them is the lens.

The mounting brackets make for a more stable install. The projector stems are designed for H4 bulb sockets. They'll fit just fine in the 9007, but some trimming will be needed to go that route.
 
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