Headlight retrofits and restoration

[MAD]

So this is one of the few things I can offer that is useful.
It seems to fit the description, but if this is over stepping the bounds due to being fresh here, then feel free to delete, or move, or whatever.



I've been mucking around hobby-style with retrofitting HID projectors into headlights for a while now.
If anyone is interested in heading down this path, I'm happy to give out as much advice as I can, I'm also willing to accept money for services.

NOTE: These will never be "legal".


BA XR Quad retrofit:



BA Fairlane basic retro:



BA XR6 basic with gold painted demon-eyes lit up by a white LED:




VE Commodore basic:





Along with this, I can also do headlight restoration.
Yellow, faded, crazed (micro cracks or UV cracks) all can be fixed.
I've even fixed up a lens that was keyed. It wasn't perfect afterwards but 200% better than when I started. Probably got it to about 95%.

Keyed BA XR headlight:



Crazed AU Fairlane light: (stupid me forgot to take a photo before starting)

[Lynton]

Love your restoration work.

Personally I am not a fan of HID retro fits, there are reasons it is illegal. Proper HID lights often have self levelling systems so you do not blind oncoming traffic, retro fits do not.

For those that are going to do, at least make sure they are adjusted properly.

By the way you are more than welcome to post this sort of stuff here mate.

[MAD]

Love your restoration work.

Thanks

Personally I am not a fan of HID retro fits, there are reasons it is illegal. Proper HID lights often have self levelling systems so you do not blind oncoming traffic, retro fits do not.

For those that are going to do, at least make sure they are adjusted properly.

I can appreciate that. Retrofitting HID projectors doesn't solve all the issues around blinding people, but it's a massive step in the right direction compared to just whacking a HID bulb in a normal headlight.
On top of it, it not only benefits everyone around you, but increases the performance of your lights as well. (wider, brighter and further)
As long as they're adjusted properly, for the most part, you will not annoy anyone. (It's not a totally accurate measurement, but I have never been flashed in the 2.5 years I've been driving with my headlights done.)

Self levelling doesn't completely solve the blinding issue either.
It covers you when you are carrying a load in the back. It only adjusts the lights based on suspension movement. (Retrofit or not, we should always adjust our lights if there is a heavy load in the rear. Many AU's have blinded me)
You can still be blinded by a car with all the whizz bang stuff (levelling, AFS, smart high beam, etc) depending on road slope, height difference, and many other factors.

By the way you are more than welcome to post this sort of stuff here mate.

Thanks again.

[FTe217]

Great work have to say - and I'd be very keen if ever I came across a spare pair for the T3 sending them down.
Love the matt black ute ! terminator eyes, also note NO STRIPES/bonnet incl look so good !

Have to say I have been blinded many times from the very late euros with HIDs driving around sydney metro.

[MAD]

Great work have to say - and I'd be very keen if ever I came across a spare pair for the T3 sending them down.
Love the matt black ute ! terminator eyes, also note NO STRIPES/bonnet incl look so good !

Have to say I have been blinded many times from the very late euros with HIDs driving around sydney metro.

The ute is a vinyl wrap, with custom embossed graphics on the bulge.
Looks very subtle, and very cool up close.
The eyes are red LEDs on a separate switch for "show purpose".


Here's an AU light I mocked up for shits n giggles. (yes it was a junkyard light, major water damage)
Just do one and you definitely have terminator.. haha



Alan (SilverT2TE50) on AFF bought some parts from me and did his own.
Looked pretty good colour coded I thought.

[FTe217]

Yes seen and know Alan being a fellow TSeries brethren at the Bathurst Nats, I like it - I know T3man here did this also to one of his earlier T3's from memory.
Terminator look mean ! I have cheated in a small way having blue parker light bulds in mine.......

Vinyl wrap is fantastic product for the customiser today - love it.

[Franco Cozzo]

If you ever do EL Fairmont Ghia and can be bothered sanding out all those flutes, I would be interested lol.

[MAD]

If you ever do EL Fairmont Ghia and can be bothered sanding out all those flutes, I would be interested lol.

Yeah not gunna happen., once is enough thanks.

I have other ideas for EF/EL but need to put things in to action and see if it would work.

[Franco Cozzo]

Yeah not gunna happen., once is enough thanks.

I have other ideas for EF/EL but need to put things in to action and see if it would work.

I guess you could get those twin light kits for them and modify them to fit in a HID projector instead?

http://www.twinlight.com.au/

They take a standard 90mm halogen projector.

Which projectors have you been using? The ones from TRS? MiniH1 etc?

[MAD]

I've measured the XR lights and they're more like 120mm.

I'm working on an EL XR at the moment.


I've used a mix of miniH1 and FXR.