HID headlight conversion questions - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

V · 10-19-2016, 10:01 PM

I picked up a used car to be my daily driver after my lease on my '14 camaro is up in 3 months.

I basically need HID headlights in any car I drive so I'm looking into the conversion now for this car but I have a few questions. Most I am sure that Brian could answer for me, lol.

The car currently has halogen projectors headlights, with 9006 bulbs. and High beams are 9005 and separate from the low beam projectors.
I figure I have two options. One is to use a universal kit with 9006 style HID bulbs and use the stock projector housings(~40 bucks). and the second is to completely remove the halogen projectors and install new actual HID projectors from TRS(the retrofit source).

I think a new kit with bulbs, ballasts, and bi-xenon projectors are around $130. I just don't know how much actual work would be needed to make them fit and if it would be worth it.

What is the main differences between halogen and HID projectors. I know they are different but how different? Would it be manageable to retain the stock projectors and just use the cheap universal kit?

Blackbirdws6 · 10-19-2016, 10:13 PM

Most folks are satisfied with a PnP kit using stock halogen projectors. Sometimes you get lucky and the HID klamps work pretty decently with a halogen projector. The difference between the projectors is purely the optics which involve the reflector bowl and position of the lamp. Halogen lamps have a different focal point than HIDs. HIDs have a tighter and more intense light source versus halogen. The rest of the projector design is simply based on how it can reflect the light out of the projector.

With all that said, I'd see if others have posted output shots using the halogen projectors and HIDs. The TRS kit is $150 for lamps, ballasts, and harness. Projectors run another $130 or so. You can try the PnP kit and worst case, do a retrofit down the line if you aren't happy and are only out the cost of new lamps.

Retrofitting one projector for another depends on how easy it is to remove the existing unit and if you can figure out a way to cleanly mount the new one. Rotation is where most screw it up.

V · 10-19-2016, 10:37 PM

Heres the link to TRS, $137 for everything, unless I'm reading something wrong.(I wouldnt need shrouds, so no selection there)
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/co...age-3-kit.html
(came to $125 and then $12 more for sealant)

I've seen some photos with basic pnp kits and they look ok but not a perfect cutoff line which Id like.

Blackbirdws6 · 10-19-2016, 11:17 PM

Ahh gotcha. I thought you were referring to the Morimoto kit not the Acme brand setup. You may need to tune the projectors since they come as is. Honestly the new 7.0 mini H1 projector is a great unit and if you are doing a retro, at least put in a good unit. My concern with the Acme brand projectors is the reflector bowl material failing.

V · 10-19-2016, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

Ahh gotcha. I thought you were referring to the Morimoto kit not the Acme brand setup. You may need to tune the projectors since they come as is. Honestly the new 7.0 mini H1 projector is a great unit and if you are doing a retro, at least put in a good unit. My concern with the Acme brand projectors is the reflector bowl material failing.

ah ok good to know.
I still have time to figure out what I want to do. It's just going to be hard to almost spend more on doing a hid retrofit than I did on the whole car, lol.