HID Retro Number 3 (2Ga Headlights)

[InfiniteGSX]

oh alright. Well because you were sanding them down.... I figured to clear them. I don't wanna use any normal polishing compound on them because I don't want all those lil swirls. I want it to look new again. Even tho they aren't even a year old yet.

 

[Blurred Talon]

No, I never bothered with those lens anymore. A friend of mine gave me some minty headlights.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

How the hell did you cut the perfect hole with the hole saw? I'm confuzzled because I just got a nice new hole saw for the Mini's and I couldn't get it to cut right without bouncing everywhere, Tried holding it still but couldn't.... I ended up using a grinder to the back side and messed up one reflector housing. I fixed my mistake but prob just gonna get another one. But I don't wanna attempt again till I can get it right. Damn reflectors are an odd material.

 

[daonlyillwiz]

Looking nice!

 

[Blurred Talon]

How the hell did you cut the perfect hole with the hole saw? I'm confuzzled because I just got a nice new hole saw for the Mini's and I couldn't get it to cut right without bouncing everywhere, Tried holding it still but couldn't.... I ended up using a grinder to the back side and messed up one reflector housing. I fixed my mistake but prob just gonna get another one. But I don't wanna attempt again till I can get it right. Damn reflectors are an odd material.

I used 2 hole saws, that's how. One smaller one which fits over the bulb holder and one big on which is close to the size I want. Plus I go slow, hit the trigger, stop, hit it again, stop and so and so forth till I drill through. I'll get a picture when I do the second one.

Here's some good news, the lights fit the car perfect!

 

[Blurred Talon]

Test fit on the car.

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I need to trim the headlight shroud and the good lens then the driver side will be done and I can move on to the passenger side.

 

[isantop]

I thought the Fresnel lenses were a good thing, since they cast a little bit of the light upwards and illuminate road signs and such?. Do you think you'll have any trouble with that after this?

 

[Blurred Talon]

Fresnel lens will only affect the cut off and the sharpness and color of it.
What you are talking about sounds like squirrel finders, this is a part of the cut off shield and normally only seen on non-bi-xenon projectors like the Lexus RX.

My last retro with FX-Rs (and the GF's Jeep retro) had no issues seeing roads signs or anything of the sort.

I've actually got to start working on this dang thing again.

 

[907dsm]

Have you ever retrofitted a set of 1gb headlights??

 

[Blurred Talon]

I have not no.

 

[Blurred Talon]

Working on a little idea I've got, this came from seeing it on some OEM cars.
This is only a test on one of the factory lens I had, not my clear lens. It is not centered and I know that. The one on the clear lens will be.

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It's a custom Eagle emblem etched into the projector lens. It doesn't effect the output either.
I tried to repeat this on the clear lens but the Etching Cream won't work so I'm going to have to sand blast it.

I also played with some LEDs to do the demon eye mod, this is a pure show thing for giggles. I actually meant to put the LEDs on the bottom so I will need a new front half.

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I've actually got my work shop clean so I can start working on this again. I've got new shrouds to try out on the retro too!

 

[4gst]

That looks really good. And the fact that it doesn't effect output is great.
Can't wait to see the finished lights with these.

 

[Blurred Talon]

Thanks!
I really like how it looks too plus it's something different.

I'm off for a week over the Christmas break so hopefully I can get some work done.

 

[mitecl96]

Any updates or finished project?

 

[Blurred Talon]

I haven't touched this in a bit.
I do have the lights 90% finished, just need to trim the new shrouds, headlight shrouds and put it all back together.
I also have to finish the LED corner lights and DRLs.

I'm focusing on other parts of the car right now, need to get it running again.

 

[LouieAWDTSi]

Subscribed! Looks really cool!!

 

[spyderdrifter]

Pretty sweet looking. Kinda like the Demon eye look.

 

[Blurred Talon]

I actually touched these things again.
I was hoping to wrap up my retro with the Panamera shrouds I had. I took one of my spare headlight shrouds and trimmed it to fit.

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Perfect, let's see if it'll go together to be sealed up, NOPE!

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Since the shroud comes forward on the projector a bit, it will not fit. You can see how close the projector is to the headlight lens in this picture.

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I have a set of E46 shrouds on the way so I can finish this.

 

[DJ Raydiate]

Wow, that sucks. I think those are my favorite shrouds too. I knew they were big but dang. Still looking good though. The Eagle just sets it off.

 

[AZDSM]

Great topic with excellent step by step info. Thanks for the link on The Retrofit Source. I've always been interested in doing a Retrofit on my headlights as I was one of "those" guys who got ebay Projectors 7+ years ago and thought they were great, . I had to switch from 10k bulbs to 6k just to see a little better at night.

This is definitely a near future project for me on the AWD. Once I start my work from home job I'll have way too much time to tinker on mini-projects.

 

[Blurred Talon]

Time for my yearly update of this thread .

First off, I'm back to E46R extended shrouds. These are the only thing that will fit my housings. I've got a LOT of trimming to get these to fit the TLs and then to get it all to fit into my headlight.

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I've always liked having fog lights on my car especially were I live since we get so much fog. Since I've got a front mount intercooler that uses the factory fog mount holes to bolt up I had to think of something else.
Some time in the last year I picked up a set of BMW X5 LED fogs.

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I held them up to the car many many times and tried to imagine how to mount them where I wanted them.
I knew I wanted them in the outside vents on the bumper but due to their size this could prove odd.

TRS released a bunch of new model XB LED fog lights and had a group buy earlier this year. I picked up a set of the wife's JK since they had a bolt in option and also a set for my Fiesta (which didn't even have a fog light option).
However, after numerous warranty repairs, I've now deemed the Fiesta unmoddable! It's just a grocery getter until I trade it in and it doesn't need any extras that I won't recoupe. Plus I never drive the thing at night because I'm never home. As a result the XB LED Fog lights are now going on the Talon.

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I determined that the ends of the fiberglass bumper/crash beam would put the fog lights exactly were I want them. A bit of aluminum flat stock, some drilling, cutting and grinding later I had them mounted.

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One issue, they point to the sides and not straight ahead! But wait! This is why I LOVE thin flat stock aluminum! A pair of vise grips, a lil flick of da wrist and BAM!!!! They're point straight.

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Since I'm only using 2 mounting points on either side the opposite unused ones had to go. Bit of dremel action and you can't even tell they were there.

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I did more work on the headlights and sort of had them all fitting together and painted. I had to do a test fit to make sure the solenoid cleared on the car. You can see where the fog lights fit.

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What happened to the X5 LED fogs you ask, well....I hate visiting HIDPlanet sometimes.

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I'm thinking DRL/secondary fog.

I'm home for my final block of school for my apprenticeship now so this project and some others will be getting some attention and getting closed off finally!

 

[Blurred Talon]

Bit more fracking around over the past couple days when I had some spare time.

The reflector bowl before I started to work on it. You can see how much is cut up for the TL solenoid.

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Made a drill bit guide to fit in the bulb hole (got it to fit better then this), this way the hole saw doesn't wonder around.

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Grab my sweet ass Milwaukee M18 Fuel drill and equally sweet Milwaukee hole saw (hole saw kit was the best thing I ever bought) and drilled the hole.

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Both reflector bowls cut up.

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Should look pretty sweet when done. I'm going to paint the reflector bowl a metallic black (still trying to decide if I will pay to have that done or not) along with the headlight shroud the the shroud over the TLs and X5s will be left chrome, still OEM-ish.
I'm thinking the Iris or E55 shrouds.

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I mounted the TLs back in and did some quick and dirty bench aiming so I could get them sort of level (I'll get them on the car for a final level and aim before sealing it all up).
I used JB Weld Steel stick to tack them in place, once that dries I can mount them back into my housings and see how they fit and what has to be trimmed.

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[Blurred Talon]

Mounted the reflector bowls back in and messed with the mounting screws a bit, heat sinks on the LED fogs clear perfect so I won't need to do any trimming.

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We'll see when I get the lights on and leveled but it looks like the cover will fit too!

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I had a single Apollo shroud around so I hacked it up to see if I could get a shroud to fit. It will so I'm going to order some.

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Here's the beam shot of the X5 LED fogs, I'll aim them down a bit more when I secure them into the housing finally.

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Also tuned the cut off on my TLs, ugly yellow stock cut off.

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Sexy purple modded cut off. Used 2 paper lens spacers (the funny beam pattern in the first pic is because the X5 was on....oops).

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Taken apart again, I'm going to paint them over the next couple days.

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Using Subaru Obsidian Black Pearl. Used it on the wife's retro and really liked the results.

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[mbyoung424]

You sir, are a genius. Great build, if I ever get all of my projects done I'll have to copy this. How did you get that Talon emblem etched onto the lens?

 

[Blurred Talon]

You sir, are a genius. Great build, if I ever get all of my projects done I'll have to copy this. How did you get that Talon emblem etched onto the lens?

Thanks!
The lenses were etched by The Retrofit Source, it's a service they offer.