Made my own projector headlights

[Louis]

I Finally got round to finishing these, I have been messing around for about 3 months, with various set ups, and have finally finished.
I made up metal plates and an adjusting mechanism, which still allows for adjustment to the beams once they are fitted to the car.
I used hella 90mm projector units and made up beam pattern plates for UK driving, and used 4 projector units rather then the main beam units (that are not projector but do match the look).
I toyed with the idea of the angel eye thing but thought it would date quite quickly.
So:
In Each projector unit (low and main both sides) I have put 2 white led's (8 in total), I have wired thes up to the side light connector inside the headlamp so the side light connector just plugs in.
Each unit takes an H9 65w lamp, (which I am thinking about upgrading to an HID set up, as this is pretty straight forward).
I changed the connectors for main and low beam to the H9 connectors, and the indicator connector is just the same. I did use silvered bulbs for the indicators, and I removed the orange lens, so all looks clear from the front.

They are brighter than the standard headlights, as they are, but the HID thing would make them even more so.

I made up an adjusting mechanism which allows for a rough set up on the car before the clear glass goes on, and then fine tuning adjusters for when the headlight is sealed up. (This also allows for adjustment at mot time and daily running just like the original set up.

Anyhoo!, I have attached some photos below of the set up at various stages.
It is quite difficult to get a decant image of the lights when they are on (I'm not the best with the camers).
I think they make the car look much better, (but I am biased).

Just the rears to go now!!!

[wirdy]

Looks great. Well done.

Wish I had the time do do similar :thinking:

[pitslayer]

i would get that car washed, if kieran see`s that he will have a heartattack, its awfully dirty

[stuey]

that looks excellent !!! Brilliant combination of the standard and the stupidly expensive cibie conversion... If I can find a set of spare lights I'd have a go.
what do you reckon it cost in total ?

[ritch_w]

great work Louis!!! looks awesome

[peter thomson]

That looks great. Will you be writing an article for this mod?

[Louis]

They didn't take tooo long really, few evenings and a full day at the garage, just been spread out due to work etc.
The projector units were about £45 each, the metal plates were £30, I picked up a pair of VR4 headlights for £110, and the leds were £10, various nuts and bolts and springs probably about £20.
So about £350, so not cheap, but I guess I could sell my original headlights for about £110, (just going on what I paid for a pair). and another saving, as I bought extra nuts n bolts and led's. So prob more like £230.
So not to overboard, but once you work out what your doing and how to do it, it's not too difficult, just time consuming.
(tell you the truth I was on a bit of a mission, as I knew it was possible, and I didn't total it up or buy all at once, I got the headlights and then a few weeks later I got 2 projectors..., blah etc. I don't know if I would have done it if I knew the cost before I started lol!
But it looks good and I'm happy.

[I-S]

Good work! Where did you get the Projectors from?

I think that there does remain a difference between HID and halogen projectors in the optics - ie you still can't drop in an HID into the projector and get the right beam pattern.

Have you passed MOT with them? Is the sidelight as you've done passable?

[Louis]

photos 8 and 11 have the side lights switched on. and they seem acceptable to me, I could have made them brighter but thought that it may be a prob for mot, and I felt one led was to dim. They have a blue tinge, but they are plain brilliant white leds.

mot not due till July.

I have seen sites related to hid into projectors etc and there is a way of doing it, but involves making a plate to adjust where the hid lamp sits in the projector.

Hella Europe for projectors, but I had to make beam pattern plates for right hand drive (they come as left hand drive for Europe).
They must be available as UK spec as I have seen them on cars here.

[TAR]

I like that look.

cooler than a cool thing from planet cool....


cool :afro:

[I-S]

Of course, a simple sidelight solution, if what you've done isn't passable, would be Angel eye or audi-style LED strips.

Excellent work, really impressed!

[I-S]

Here we go: http://www.clever-trevor.net/part/246/headlamp-dip-beam-part-no-m1300.html

[Louis]

Here we go: http://www.clever-trevor.net/part/246/headlamp-dip-beam-part-no-m1300.html

Thats the guys, I got them from Germany, and they were cheaper, but like I said I had to open them and make up a beam pattern plate, so a bit more hassle.

Those screw adjusters in the photo weren't much help, ( I thought they would be, but the ball and socket bit didn't fit together). So I used the bolts n springs method, I know a guy that does mot's, first chance I get I will drop by and get him to check it out (like an mot), but I don't see any probs, the main thing I was worried about was them being too bright, but they seem fine to me.
It's hard to get a decent photo of them!

[bernmc]

mmm. I think this deserves some rep points... :thumbsup:

[n13l pm]

Great job mate, looks awesome.

/GJ

[ANTHONY]

good job well worth the hard work you'v put into it

[Louis]

I will try and get some better photos later today, cheers for the comments

[Dan_G]

projectors look the business..... i likes alot....

you did a very good job there... :thumbsup (orwatever the smiley is)

:P

[wnwnwnw]

Good Job...I like it.

[Louis]

Made a few adjustments, and took another pic, there are led's in the low beam also, but they don't show up as much, could be the beam pattern plate, as there isn't a plate in the high beam, so this would explain the brightness of the main beam sidelight. They look quite different in the pics, but in real life!, they are about the same.
photo is from phone,so not the best.

[Louis]

more pics (blurry)

[pezza]

Fantastic Louis... they loook absolutely great!

And still shed loads cheaper than those Autotechnik ones?

Great stuff...

When will you start taking orders for these? :2thumbsup (esp as one ballast in my car has started switching off after 5 mins /Grrr )

[Kieran]

That's a point actually, they look very much like those mega expensive Cibie projector lights you can get from Japan!:afro:

[razty_razz]

were you found those covers headbulb ,those sitting on some japan cars I´ve seen.. bad UK speaker =)from sweden

[The Vee]

not seen this before, awesome, welldone mate

[Louis]

Hi Forgot to mention this bit,
Hi, just to clarify and explain more in general.

The headlights I made, are "E" marked and DOT approved and they have been passed as fit for use by an mot station, and are 100% legal.

Once I had lined them up and fitted them I called the SVA test centre near me and spoke to one of the test engineers, I told him what I had done and asked if I would need anything like an engineers report or if they would need any kind of sva test ( due to the change).
He told me all I would need to do would be to go to an mot station and get them checked for "e" and "dot" approval markings and that they would check that the low and high beam patterns were acceptable and also the wattage of the lights (55watt for low beam, which I didn't know) was acceptable.
I went to my mot station and the lights were passed without any problems. I asked the tester "If I remove the clear plastic and make a mould to go around the projector units will they still be ok, would that be acceptable?" and the answer was yes, but to bring the car back in to get them checked on the vehicle, but he didn't see any problems.

It also turns out, after talking to Hella who make the 90mm projector units, there is an hid option.
The 90mm projector units that I have are designed to take a H9 100w XB (part xenon / Halogen gas with blue tinted glass (not painted glass)). which are 2900 lumens and 4000k (standard bulb is 65watt, 2100 lumens and 3200k).(not hid but simillar temp!)
A bright white H9 hid bulb is 4300k, and hella said that the projector optics would be able to handle this ok, I asked about the positioning ot the fillament in the bulb and the positioning of the bulb in the holder and in the projector module, and was told that this would not be a problem.
They said that they do a DS2 bulb version of the 90mm projector units and the only difference is that they "blackout" parts of the reflector to minimize overspill of light and glare.
So I am going to try a 4300k hid kit in them and see how it goes, and I am trying to find out which parts of the reflector they blackout, and IF I have any probs I will try that, I will keep posting as I find out more.

[I-S]

Excellent work, that's really great info!

[Louis]

So I am going to try a 4300k hid kit in them and see how it goes, and I am trying to find out which parts of the reflector they blackout, and IF I have any probs I will try that, I will keep posting as I find out more.[/QUOTE]

Hi,
Carrying on from above, I have made some adjustments:
I have now put in a 10mm led in the indicator reflector area as the sidelight now, which is much better.
I now have an HID set up in all four projectors, I have used H11 (same as H9) bulbs, and have used 4300k, which is the brightest white light (in lumens).
I have not had any issues with light over spill, and the beam pattern is very sharp, and has a very sharp cut off. I have had no problems with oncoming traffic, (except when on full beam, 4 x 4300k hid's).
I have attached an image below of the pattern on a wall, not a great image, and a bit blurry, but you will get the idea, I will try and find somewhere dark with no street lights and a blank wall to get some better pics.

[psbarham]

looks a good spread of light, one hell of an improvement over the originals, good work.
Just one other thing though, please stop operating the camera when your drunk/pan /pan /pan

[Louis]

looks a good spread of light, one hell of an improvement over the originals, good work.
Just one other thing though, please stop operating the camera when your drunk/pan /pan /pan

feckin night setting on the camera took about 2 seconds to click, I will get some beter pics, (also, slow down at the corner, and put the bottle down, lol)

[CJay]

I did use silvered bulbs for the indicators, and I removed the orange lens, so all looks clear from the front.

I've been thinking about doing the same of late to freshen up the front end. Louis, I assume you stuck the headlights units in the oven to soften the seals and prised them apart? If so, what did you use to reseal them? I want to do the job properly without introducing a water ingress problem.

CJ

[Louis]

I just sat them on top of a radiator (in the house) for 15 mins, then started to prise apart with a large flat blade screwdriver, but the oven method works well, I was just a bit nervous as the front lens in plastic. But the silicon will always be the bit to soften first, just keep an eye on them and check. When you get them started do a hand over hand type thang with a couple of screwdrivers to seperate them.
I used a tube of Black silicon sealant to reseal. I also heated up both sides and scrapped out some of the old sealant before applying the new sealant and re joining the two bits.
Remeber to trial fit and line up the beams on the car before resealing. If I can help with any other q's just shout, cheers Louis

[miikka]

This would be such a interesting mod to do for my own Legnum. Too bad that our law requires headlamp leveling. I've been thinking how to accomplish the leveling? Anyone who has been examined this kind of case? Or is there projector lights with height leveling?

[Louis]

I thought some of the Galants had self levelling headlights (see thread below), so it may be possible to use a set of headlights with the self levelling option as a base to put the projector units in.


http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26789&highlight=levelling

[miikka]

I thought some of the Galants had self levelling headlights (see thread below), so it may be possible to use a set of headlights with the self levelling option as a base to put the projector units in.


http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26789&highlight=levelling

Yea I know that system pretty well, the electronic levelling system is required here, so I've built the system once because the JDM headlamps doesn't include this feature. Actually I bought new headlamps, because there's no E approval for JDM lamps. So now I've got one pair of extra (JDM) lamps in my garage, and I've been thinking about build some kind of HID projector system. It's required that the projectors has E approval markings.

Here's some of my pics of wiring the levelling: http://to.pic.fi/kuvat/VR-4/Valor%E4pellyksi%E4/

[I-S]

Louis - How is this going now?

Couple of quick Qs....

1) How well do the HIDs work in main beam for flashing headlights?
2) All continued working ok?
3) Ultimate conclusion is that rebased HID kits are fine in projector units?

[Louis]

Hi,
Passed another MOT in July, no probs. They are working fine, no problems whatsoever. As for flashing to other motorists, both high and low beams flash instantly, quite a bright (lightning style) flash, I usually flash 2 or 3 times, again never had any issues.
They take about 3 seconds to come up to full brightness (after the initial flash) when switched on.
Never had any probs with oncoming traffic, the beam pattern is a very precise cut off.
Night driving on full beam ( all 4 on )is amazing, I could not go back to standard.

[Louis]

706737067470675Latest rebuild using different hella projectors and led flexi.
Now all 4 lights are low beam and inner two are high beam also. ( moving shutter with 1 bulb)
All hid 5k.
Looks a bit Range Rover Evo ish!.
No angel eyes, just reflection of led flexi in the projector lens :)

[Bobby~d]

That looks really great Louis. Great job there. A quick question tho will the heat from all four on low beam cause anything to burn in the headlights or wiring?
I did mine with the morimoto mini H1 kit and have it set up for just two on low and all four on high.
70679

[Louis]

I've been running with the two low beams, HID Projector, and two main beam HID Projector, for a few years and heat has never been an issue.
Only new thing in the mix that could be affected is the flexi led, but it is designed to go inside headlamps, and it is silicone, so should be ok, but I will update with melty pictures fi anything goes odd :).
(Also the side lights are cree LED)

[Bobby~d]

Ok cool loving the flexi led. i think when i,m doing over mines i will borrow that idea from you there

[Louis]

I had different LED in there before, I saw the flexi led used by Mark in this thread, a bit more info there also.
:)

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?72206-Custom-JDM-headlights-with-LED-strip-(2014-car-look)

[Bobby~d]

:)Cool thanks.