How-To HID Projector Headlights

[melicha8]

*Disclaimer: The material in this post is advanced and should be attempted only by those competent on the subjects necessary to replicate this modification. Without proper prior planning you may cause irreversible and costly damage to your light housing. Remember to measure twice and cut once because one time may be all you get. Furthermore, I am in no way responsible for damage caused due to improper modification. Please read carefully and proceed with caution, as it is a very costly modification to perform. Please also keep in mind that this how to is not a perfectly accurate depiction of how this modification was carried out. Following this how to in the dictated manner may result in unforeseen problems. Understand that this project took 8 months to complete from concept to completion and this guide is a means to make that time shorter for you, but do not lose sight of the fact that this project is quite difficult and the final product may require you to take steps you didn’t consider when planning it out.

ABSTRACT
The following HOW-TO was performed on a 2002 Protege5(USDM) with an aftermarket HID conversion kit. The desired product of this protocol is a set of low beam xenon projectors that work to improve the existing HID conversion kit while remaining street legal. Unlike the sedans, which use an H4, this model uses separate high and low beam bulbs. Your car may or may not have this arrangement in the light housing, which may complicate the modification. If you don’t understand what you just read in the preceding lines, please save yourself a lot of money and headaches by dropping some knowledge in that head of yours before you proceed.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/USDMHeadlight.jpg
Figure: Protege5 USDM headlight pre-modification


INTRODUCTION
Some time ago I bought an HID kit, but was unhappy with the beam clarity and spread. I felt too much was being diffused into places it shouldn’t go. Not only was I not getting the light in the right places, it was getting sent by the reflectors to oncoming drivers. The reason for this is the slight variance in the HID capsules’ and Halogen filaments’ designs. Only when you replace your lights with an HID conversion kit can you understand how much R&D goes into the design of the stock headlight.
When using an HID conversion kit you do not get an optimum beam pattern and intensity because of the design of the bulb. Remember: H1, H3, H4, H7, 9006, etc…are SAE and industry standards meaning each bulb has a given filament length, size, and position when installed in the housing. It is the automotive engineer’s job to calculate the correct vectors and angles at which the light rays will reflect. Done correctly they can create a beam and pattern that conforms to SAE/DOT specs.
Go to any website selling conversion kits. As a selling point to make you think you are getting a well-designed product they will post an HID capsule and a halogen bulb of the same bulb type side by side to show you that the capsule’s position sits at the exact same place the filament does on the Halogen. On the surface this appears to be logical. Why then does the bulb make the difference? The difference is in the dimensions you overlooked. The halogen bulbs filament (light source) is a long and slender coil of tungsten. In the HID capsules case the Xenon gas chamber is fat and round. Little did you know that those minute differences in the capsule/filament dimensions translate into aberrations in a light rays by up to a couple feet. This is why most kits tend to have a soggy beam cut off and why the lights seem to illuminate objects perpendicular to the housings position.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/H7H7Comparison.jpg
Figure: Here are side-by-side comparisons of the factory H7 bulb and the H7 Xenon capsule it supposedly directly swaps with. Compare the light sources and you will see a big difference in size and shape. Many conversion bulbs start their lives out as D2S bulbs and are subsequently modified.
The purpose of this modification is to improve the efficiency of the kit you have(or are going to) invested in. As an added bonus you improve the overall look(IMO) of the car as well as stay street legal. This is definitely a worthwhile modification because it is totally custom and you get both the look and function of the expensive European cars’ headlights.



TOOLS
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Flat Head Screwdriver
Pliers
Torx Screwdriver size T15
Soldering Iron
Drill
Rotary Tool
MATERIALS SOURCE
2x D2S Xenon capsules (not D2R capsules) multiple
2x D2S/D2R Sockets (Do not buy these at misterjung.com he sells shitty bulbs and no returns)
2x D2S Conversion Kit www.misterjung.com (http://www.misterjung.com/)
2x Hella 90mm Low-Beam Projector www.rallylights.com (http://www.rallylights.com/)
2x Large Metal Washer Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Heat-Activated insulation shrink insulation Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Plastic Garbage Can Lid Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
X-acto Blades and Razor Saw Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Fiberglass fabric Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Resin Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Hardener Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Popsicle sticks Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Disposable Brushes Lowes, Home Depot, Ace
Plastic Cups Supermarket
Latex Gloves Stolen from work
Dust Mask Stolen from work
Parafilm Stolen from work

Note:For further reading consult www.hidforum.com (http://www.hidforum.com/) Here you can go for ideas, opinions, and sources for parts. You will also find a very bad vendor review for misterjung which I wish I saw before this project began and you can see why I wouldn’t recommend him as a dealer.



Wiring Harness Modification
Due to the design of the new projector the H7 bulb that your conversion kit came with is obselete. Not only are D2S bulbs readily available, they are cheaper to replace(~50$) than the conversion bulbs(~89$) and they are made by more reputable sources like Phillips and Hella. Since the plugs on the ballasts aren’t compatible with the D2S’s design I purchased the D2S Caps. The old plugs were cut off and the new Cap spliced in. Extra special caution must be used when insulating the wired. If there were anything in this write up that can screw you it is this. Shrink tube and insulate everything thoroughly. Remember at the point where the harness is cut electricity runs through those wires at very high voltage so the likelihood of arcing between the two wires is a hundred times greater. Arcing is bad; it’s a short circuit that can blow your ballast.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/Harness.jpg
Figure: Ample insulation was used in covering the bare wires with a lot overlapping the insulation on the wires

[melicha8]

Projector PreparationThe housing you just bought for a mere sixty dollars is actually very similar to the Hella projector that comes with their D2S kit that costs upwards of seven hundred dollars. If you inspect the bottom side of the glass lenses you will find a marking: H9/D2S. You have the H9 low beam. After opening the black aluminum backing you will also see a pit in an otherwise perfectly round circle where the bulb goes in. Coincidence? I don’t think so, that pit is actually there for the electrode lead going to the front of the HID capsule. Although Hella has told me twice already that they are not the same products the pit, which is a space for the ceramic-coated electrode lead, as well as the marking on the projector tell me that they are the same part. And when you see the beam pattern there will be no doubt in your mind


http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/cutout.jpg
http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/D2Scoding.jpg
Figure: Here are the two give-aways that tell me this doubles as a D2S projector.

Now the only thing to do is to modify the back mounting plate for the bulb to place the capsule in the same spot as the filament in order to maximize light output. When placing the D2S bulb in the H9 mounting location you will find it is about 5-7mm short of where it should be.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/lightcomparison.jpg
Figure: Placing the bulbs side by side out of the housing you will see if the bulbs were mounted with the stock mounting plate the D2S bulb does not go deep enough.

Take a look at the bulb and test fit it into the place where the H9 should go. You will see around this is a raised flange that guides the bulb into the proper orientation. Coincidentally both the H9 and the D2S have the same diameter. The next thing you must do then is grind out all that material inside the flange except for a little tab at the top of the projector back plate to align the D2S capsule. Take a large washer you purchased from the hardware store and grind it down to fit inside the back plate. Take some small machine screws and drill through both the washer and the back plate and tightly bolt them together. If you choose to glue these pieces together make sure the bond is tight by hitting it with a hammer with moderate pressure. Also ensure to test fit the bulb to make sure the electrode lead does not touch the washer and grind down if necessary. Why have you done all this just now? Your light is mounted properly and your capsule is now deeper in the projector where it needs to be.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/backplate.jpg
Figure: Here is the back plate after being bored out. Note that at the top of the plate a tab that remains to align the bulb correctly

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/BackPlatePieces.jpg
Figure: Here are all the parts used before the washer was drilled and inserted

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/projectorcomplete.jpg
Figure: This is what your final product should look like. Depending on the size of the washer purchased more work may be involved in getting the flange fitted in the back plate. I found a washer with a 2” OD and 3/4” ID fit perfectly.

[melicha8]

Housing Preparation

The first step of course is to take apart the housing so as to get inside please refer to HOW-TO: Paint your headlights submitted by ghostP5. Once in there you take off everything that can be unscrewed. This here is the point-of-no-return if you go any further your headlight will no longer be able to be put back to its original condition. The next step is to cut the leveling screw on the low beam side. The correct one to cut is the non adjustable one with the white cap over it

After removing all the pieces, cut out the low beam reflector with the rotary tool. The small cut-off wheel works best for this. Make sure this is done in a well ventilated area along with eye protection and a dust mask. This will make a ton of dust so do it away from the other pieces that have been removed.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/pieces.jpg
Figure:Above is a picture of the housing after removing all the parts and cutting out the low beam. Please note that one of the aiming screws for the high beam is retained and its mount should not be cut out when removing the low beam reflector.

At this point space is cleared inside the housing for the projector. It is now time to test fit the projector. Move it around with the bezel in place to see how much movement you have starting at a particular spot. This may vary from projector to projector but I found ample space when the projector was positioned about 7mm from the bottom of the bezel, about 13mm from the top, and equidistantly placed from the sides.

By tracing along the sides of the low beam section of the bezel, a wood template was cut out as an insert. I originally conceived this insert as a three dimensional concave piece but the idea was dropped for two reasons. The first is that, with the fitment of the projector in mind, a two dimensional insert seemed to fit the best around the light. Second, due to the symmetrical shape of the opening a flat insert without contour would be best because it could be flipped to the other side and used for the other headlight. This saves time and difficulty in cutting a three dimensional part using a two dimensional template.

Now take a bezel and sand it down and roughing up the edges around the low beam so the fiberglass has a non smooth surface to adhere to. Take some rubber cement and brush a very light coat of cement onto the bezel and cover it with Parafilm. Substitutions for the Parafilm can be made but see if the substituted film will react with polyester resin. Parafilm was used because it is very inert, doesn’t wrinkle when stretched, and can stretch a lot.The Parafilm acts as a non adhesive interface between the bezel and the fiberglass so when the fiberglass has been full cured it is easy to remove the insert for the next bezel.

After wrapping the Parafilm tightly behind the insert and taping it down. Place the insert in the back of the bezel leaving about 3-4 mm of space between the insert and the back of the bezel. Behind the insert place modeling clay so none of the resin runs down onto the rest of the bezel, kind of like caulking the edges. One more important thing to do with the clay is inserting it in little cracks in the insert. This was done by rolling little snakes and pushing them in the cracks with a toothpick then smoothing the edge. This will ensure that the fiberglass lays up on a smooth surface.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/insert.jpg
Figure: Above is a picture of the bezel and the wood insert. Keep in mind that the insert will not be part of the final product. It is merely a surface to which the fiberglass can lay on until cured.

Now it’s time to lay up the fiberglass. You can get as professional and extravagant as you want with this but I found that the regular kit of fiberglass you can get at a local hardware store would suffice. This part will not bear any great load and it’s merely a fancy cover. In fact you may not even need to use fiberglass but instead a little plastic and bondo.

Mix the fiberglass as directed. The amount of catalyst(MEKP) you add the faster the cure time. I poured and three ounces of resin per headlight and added 7 drops of MEKP. This resulted in a cure time of about 3 hours while in a heated room of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lay up was done by cutting out five pieces of fiberglass in the shape of the insert. The fastest way to make these is by placing your insert on the cloth before it gets wrapped in Parafilm and using a razorblade to trace its outline. Do this five times with the direction of the strands on each cloth facing a different direction. This will increase rigidity in all directions and will make fewer wrinkles after the resin shrinks. A sixth layer will be cut with a ¾ inch over hang compared to the rest of them. The reason for this is the first five layers will sit in that 3-4 mm gap you made and the last will cover those and wrap around the back of the bezel.

Once all is cut out and prepared. Start brushing on generous amounts of resin covering the insert evenly. Then lay on each layer, properly wetting out each one. The last is done in the same manner with the extra ¾-1 inch fabric draping over the sides. I would suggest laying resin only in the areas where there will actually be covering as well so do not brush it in the area will be popping through. This will make it easier to deal with during the green cure and full cure.

Note: This is not a fiberglass how-to so further reading and even some practice runs is highly recommended


http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/cure.jpg
http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/finish.jpg
Figures: Here are the two different stages of curing. The first is during the green cure where the fiberglass is easy to work with. Rough cutting should be done at this time so less dust is produced and cutting can be done with a razorblade. At this point the resin should have the consistency of hard clay. Be careful not to delaminate the fibers at this time by cutting gently and stop at the first instance you see your lay up being delaminated. The second picture is the fully cured lay up before sanding.

Now that everything is prepared it must all come together. The most important part of this is the projector mount. This mount will utilize the ball and socket aiming screws that came with the projectors. The holes were roughly calculated out to have a distance of 85mm from each other. Only three screws come with the projectors which is fine since there is limited space in the housing anyway. Notice in the picture that the mounting surface is offset to the side. The reason for this is there is curvature of the housing near the side of the light which will change the angle of the beam spread. The offset is there to avoid this curvature.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/schematic.jpg
Figure: Above is a schematic of the mount to be made out of 16 gauge mild steel sheet. At the mount’s bottom there is a large rectangular area which will be bent 90 degrees to function as a mounting surface to the housing. Note: This was a preliminary schematic and the final mounts were lower and angled.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/mountprojector.jpg
Figure: Above is the mount attached to the projector. Make sure when you put these together it is the only time it is done. On the first run the mounts were too tall and the ball and socket fittings could not be removed so the mounts had to be cut and scrapped. The final mounts had the attachment point put in the opposite direction.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/aiming.jpg
Figure: The mount and projector is put in and tested to see how much space there is, not much.

Once the pieces are fitted together they must then be fitted and bolted into the housing. Space is tight so the adjusters had to be cut 1.5cm on the top and 1cm on the bottoms. This causes the low beams to no longer be externally adjustable. The lights have to be adjusted before all the parts go back together. To aim the lights consult another source. I made it easier by putting my marks on the wall before I took them apart.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/AimWall.jpg
Figure: Here the beams are aimed and adjusted to the points marked on the wall earlier

After the headlights are aimed and installed the highs must be put back in. Since HID’s virtually eliminate the need for high beams I didn’t really care how they were aimed and mounted them into the housing using a cabinet hinge at the top and adhered it to the housing using 3M heavy duty mounting tape. Once done, CLEAN EVERYTHING. You don’t want to close everything up and find a huge greasy fingerprint right on your projector lense.

The final step is painting and putting everything in the oven so the lights can be put back together.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/housingtogether.jpg
Figure:Here is the headlight out of the oven and ready to be put back onto the car. I chose to paint it a factory color without a clear coat. I plant on opening these up later and repainting them so it's ok for now

Final Costs

If none of this deterred you from starting this project this is what it cost me for just the materials put into the lights, this doesn’t include tools:
HID Conversion Kit 460.00
Projectors 140.00
D2S Capsules 130.00
Fiberglass 10.00
D2S Converter 30.00
Bolts Etc. 25.00
Paint 35.00
Total 830.00 holy $hit…

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/done.jpg

[melicha8]

Faq Section

[N2OInferno]

Red X's own you. Good write up for people that want REAL HID though. :)

I see you wrote that up in Office. ;) It did the same thing to me and included all the invisible formatting when I wrote my How To.

EDIT: My bad, some pictures are working now. :)

[Mp5978]

can't see the last two pix

[melicha8]

Before everyone post little comments about not seeing stuff please read the post. I am well aware that some of the pictures not work.

[L8R]

nice of u to do this o.O - chris

[njaremka]

Holy Big-ass Pictures, Bat-man!

[melicha8]

All pictures are now working

[Dexter]

nice job man, very nice

[Black Majik MSP]

Looks awesome! I think it would look better if you painted the housings black, but maybe that's what you meant by saying you are going to repaint them later. Also, don't forget to close your hood. :p

[Bijou-MP5]

very nice job!!!

[melicha8]

Can we get a mod up in here to move this thread to the right place

[YP5 Toronto]

Great job.....perfect example of what this website is all about!

[derrick1623]

moved into how-to, nice work btw.

[Mp5978]

damn that' nice, I was looking for something to do this summer.

[N2OInferno]

I'd just like to point out that "HID virtually eliminates high beams" is a very common misconception.

[2K3 MSP]

Good job Andrew...Now can we see some pics(like the last one) with the headlights off? I want to see what the housing looks like at a distance.

[melicha8]

I'd just like to point out that "HID virtually eliminates high beams" is a very common misconception.
Maybe but if you got in my car you would understand why I would say that

[xxmikkoxx]

awsome write up hopefully i can get some time the summer to do that

[melicha8]

Thanks for the compliments guys. Something I haven't quite figured out is how to keep the lights in the Projector. I was thinking about straps or something but I can't figure out what material to use yet. As a temp solution I've used velcro but due to the heat in the engine bay it loses it's stickyness on the tape side.

[trbomp5]

your conversion looks sweet. I have sort of the same thing going, but i wont be doing the hid's. In the mean time though, what r u doing with your old conversion bulbs? PM me if you want to sell them

[Bumble G]

Verry nice indeed.(cool) (first)

I wish someone would make a HID conversion that would give you new headlight housings ready made.

But this is the next best thing.

[silverturbozoom]

how much were the actuall projectors....i have HIDs in mine right now and i want projectors

EDIT: nevermind i looked more closer to your posts and found the site...thanks and great job

[Brian MP5T]

Bad Ass!

[WheelManATX]

How hot do those bulbs get? I think it would look better if it molded into the sides of the light housing or if the housing was black.

[nictlg7]

How much would you charge me to to do this conversion for me? Lets just say I can get my hands on a set of HID's, could you get your hands on another set of the components (which you know precisely, because you already did this once), and perform this conversion for me. My buddy has an extra set of headlights we could use, or I could pop his in my car temporarily, and let you convert mine. His are a bit different than mine, but with paint I think they would still look fine. I have been wanting to remove the amber lens, as well as get HID's, but I really like projector headlights. My last car was one of the first to use projectors on an OEM application. I really liked the look, and I wasn't impressed with the MSP headlights. Lemme know if you would be willing, and what you would charge. Thanks!
Late...Nic
nictlg7@yahoo.com / titanium_msp@hotmail.com

[melicha8]

Thanks for all the compliments guys. I'm currently talking to someone who had an unfortunate accident with his headlight so I'm asking him if he'll sell the good parts. With these parts I plan to reengineer the headlights. This is what my plans are and how far I go with them depends on time and money...well no not money. As the product is right now I could not possibly put my name on it. There are certain improvements that the current design is now lacking.
1. Condensation is a problem for me. I live in california which is dry compared to most states. It only gets condensation when it rains. I can only imagin how bad it would get in the midwest or east coast.
2. Lack of adjustability. I originally designed this with a set it and forget it mentality. Unfortuanately I didn't see how sensitive the beam level is to the ride height of the car so now I'm blinding people on the road. But hot damn I can see everything.
3. Mounting. Althought the steel mounding plate I've made is quick and dirty I think it's a little too flimsy to mount the light. I have motormounts and when I pull up behind a car I can see the beam cut off shaking up and down

So here is what I plan to do and I'll see if the product is sellable afterwards. I am going to convert to a dual beam setup, so a set of lows and a set of highs. I am going to eliminate the whole black part of the housing and turn the inner bezel that most people paint black to seal the lexan lense and use it as a mounting point. I figure fiberglass is much more rigid than 16ga steel. The bezel will also serve to be how it mounts to the frame as well. I'm going to use the current bezel as a plug and make a mold out of it. I've never done this before so we'll see how it goes

[01bluemp3]

Keep us posted, id love to have this for my car

[tonkabui]

as i was reading this how-to, i couldn't help but recognize its scientific report structure. very well done melicha8!

[melicha8]

Yeah I was doing work in protein isolation in wheat while I wrote this so since science was on the brain at the time I didn't have to think to write this.

[Installshield 2]

very cool dude...and I sort of liked the paint matched headlight interior, if that is what you were going for (someone said "why didn't you pain the housing black?")...

I need to look into this...

[melicha8]

The paint actually is the exact same color as factory. When I re engineer them I will try to make them Carbon fiber. If that is not possible with my final design or I lack the skills I will make it fiberglass with the same factory paint. I think it blends well but I'm certain it would look better on a more loud colored car like red yellow or laser blue

[FSDET]

updates PLEASE

[melicha8]

I've been busy with other things more race related. The wheels are turning though. I recently acquired an f'ed up headlight from another board member. The plan is in my head now it's just a matter of creating a plug and laying down some glass for a mold. No timeframe on this though. I may pick it up tommorrow, just a matter of rounding all the supplies up and doing a little practice with mold making. I've never done this before but this whole project was a first. I think this will be a dual projector setup since I have a lamp from an MSP. I'll just use the corresponding high beam for my low
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/hella%20images/90mm%20Front.jpg

[FSDET]

cant wait to see results ... btw NATEY from Norcal did this too right ?

[Witchdoktor]

subscrizzle fo shizzle

[steve_protege]

If these get made, will they be for the P5 only or for all Pros?

[melicha8]

a: natey didn't do this
b: they will be made for me and me alone unless someone else does the how to

[samm5149]

THIS IS AWSOME....now i just have to save some money

[FSDET]

ppl are still modding MSPs and p5s? lol

[MSP032879]

That looks tight. THat's whay I was asking aroung the forum for P5 headlights months ago.

[rednecks_r_us]

I really like how these look

[rednecks_r_us]

Here is what they look like done in black (with blue metal flake)

[rednecks_r_us]

Here are some pictures of what they look like in my car.

[Revs]

Looks nice rednecks, very clean setup.

I'm considering the idea of getting some dual beamed P5 headlights and retrofiting some TSX projectors in the future and perhaps using the Hella 90mm highbeams to replace the reflector on the highbeam side. Man I miss my HID's.

[Brian MP5T]

Awesome!

[Keno1542]

revs, you should just get some bixenon projestors...i'm working on putting some projectors off of a fx45 into mine right now.

[Revs]

revs, you should just get some bixenon projestors...i'm working on putting some projectors off of a fx45 into mine right now.

been there done that, i did a Hella bi-xenon setup last year and sold them this summer. I like the TSX projectors since they are very bright and have lots of color,but they are single beam only hence the interest in the P5 lights. The TL bi-xenon's would be so nice to have, but they are super expensive and very big, probably too big for the protege headlights.

I liked my bi-xenon setup, but found they were not that bright compared to others and the cutoff was fuzzy, I had some Valeo ECE (S4) projectors in an old car and despite their small size their output was amazing, far better than my hella bi-xenon's.

[mazdaspeed777]

Subbin to do this sometime in the future. I really like my yellow xenon bulbs though. HID's don't come in other colors do they??

[rednecks_r_us]

Since I like these headlights so much I just couldn't resist the urge to post up another picture of them LOL mwuhahaha

http://www.msprotege.com/members/Rednecks_wife/dudo's%20b-day/feb%202007%20120%20(Medium).jpg

[Chicoloco]

i hate you.


























:P jk

[vcinsanity1523]

man those look so awesome bro how big of a pain in the ... was it to do

[sawzaw]

Subbin to do this sometime in the future. I really like my yellow xenon bulbs though. HID's don't come in other colors do they??
most places sell HID bulbs in four or five temperatures the yellowest being around 3000k look at xenon expert for pics of all the different colors.

[rednecks_r_us]

I just wanted to (bump) this back to the top.

Here are some more pictures just for the hell of it.
Maybe seeing the finished product will make more people want these. LOL :D

[Chicoloco]

Yeah, i blame you and a few others for this. ;-)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/chicoloco/DSCN3969.jpg

How many people has done this?

[Chicoloco]

and very nice pics!

[Demoniam]

Damn nice looking. How long was your build time?

[Gasological]

Oh shit, subin. Looks like a good winter project to me, just got to find some poor guy parting out another MSP.

[Chicoloco]

Almost a month, in my spare time. Went slow, and first time.

[xDJ DUBx]

I've been dying for some hids like those man, they're tight as a mutha. haha.

[rednecks_r_us]

Has anybody else done this? Show us your pictures.

[zuku26]

subb"n

[rednecks_r_us]

Projector PreparationThe housing you just bought for a mere sixty dollars is actually very similar to the Hella projector that comes with their D2S kit that costs upwards of seven hundred dollars. If you inspect the bottom side of the glass lenses you will find a marking: H9/D2S. You have the H9 low beam. After opening the black aluminum backing you will also see a pit in an otherwise perfectly round circle where the bulb goes in. Coincidence? I don’t think so, that pit is actually there for the electrode lead going to the front of the HID capsule. Although Hella has told me twice already that they are not the same products the pit, which is a space for the ceramic-coated electrode lead, as well as the marking on the projector tell me that they are the same part. And when you see the beam pattern there will be no doubt in your mind


http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/cutout.jpg
http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/D2Scoding.jpg
Figure: Here are the two give-aways that tell me this doubles as a D2S projector.

Now the only thing to do is to modify the back mounting plate for the bulb to place the capsule in the same spot as the filament in order to maximize light output. When placing the D2S bulb in the H9 mounting location you will find it is about 5-7mm short of where it should be.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/lightcomparison.jpg
Figure: Placing the bulbs side by side out of the housing you will see if the bulbs were mounted with the stock mounting plate the D2S bulb does not go deep enough.

Take a look at the bulb and test fit it into the place where the H9 should go. You will see around this is a raised flange that guides the bulb into the proper orientation. Coincidentally both the H9 and the D2S have the same diameter. The next thing you must do then is grind out all that material inside the flange except for a little tab at the top of the projector back plate to align the D2S capsule. Take a large washer you purchased from the hardware store and grind it down to fit inside the back plate. Take some small machine screws and drill through both the washer and the back plate and tightly bolt them together. If you choose to glue these pieces together make sure the bond is tight by hitting it with a hammer with moderate pressure. Also ensure to test fit the bulb to make sure the electrode lead does not touch the washer and grind down if necessary. Why have you done all this just now? Your light is mounted properly and your capsule is now deeper in the projector where it needs to be.

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/backplate.jpg
Figure: Here is the back plate after being bored out. Note that at the top of the plate a tab that remains to align the bulb correctly

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/BackPlatePieces.jpg
Figure: Here are all the parts used before the washer was drilled and inserted

http://www.msprotege.com/members/melicha8/projectors/projectorcomplete.jpg
Figure: This is what your final product should look like. Depending on the size of the washer purchased more work may be involved in getting the flange fitted in the back plate. I found a washer with a 2” OD and 3/4” ID fit perfectly.

Either its my connection or my computer but I'm not seeing your how to pictures any more.

[zoomzoom510]

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0531.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0529.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0528.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0526.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0535.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0536.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0538.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0542.jpg

[zoomzoom510]

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0560.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0559.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0557.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0556.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0553.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0562.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0586.jpg

[Chicoloco]

very nice. Do you have wall shots of you beam cutoffs? What projectors did you use? They look like bosch's Oh and nice shrouds, where did you get them from? I like the CCFL but not much where they are placed. There isn't much places to install tho. Do you have an installed day pic?

Nice retro!

[Gasological]

Man I really want to do this....

[zoomzoom510]

very nice. Do you have wall shots of you beam cutoffs? What projectors did you use? They look like bosch's Oh and nice shrouds, where did you get them from? I like the CCFL but not much where they are placed. There isn't much places to install tho. Do you have an installed day pic?

Nice retro!


thanks. yours aswell. . . i used the tsx projectors. and i have the helios kit previously and i just used a d2s adaptor to accomodate for the phillips d2s bulbs. as far as the shroud i think it came off of a bens or some random headlight or might not even be a headlight ornament. just someone sold it to me on ebay.

i do have a day pic and i do have a wall shot just . not updated so the one i have is off and aimed high. but i love the ccfl =P i didnt really know where to put them and didnt want it to go to waste so i just interated it there. and i will use a smaller version on the turn signal.

here are the outdated wall shot and the day shot.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0623.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0624.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0632.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0631.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0717.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0715.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0716.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0714.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0709.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0713.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0708.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0706.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0705.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0704.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0686.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/IMG_0696.jpg

[Chicoloco]

Thank, and nice. Your car's front end looks awsome.

[PROTEGE00LX1.8L]

nice job.
my projector project is on ahold right now
Where did you get this??
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/IMG_0624.jpg
i'v been looking for a set somthing that looks like that
so that i can get back to work on my project.

thanks.
i'll post some pic when i am done

[zoomzoom510]

Thank, and nice. Your car's front end looks awsome.

thanks.. =) i try. but i wish i can custom fit that rear lip of yours onto mine. i just dont know how much work nor money it will take to get it done. what kind is it. is it the wingswest rear lip?

the reason i ask is cuz i need something to balance the look of the car. too much stuff goin on the front and hardly in the back. that rear lip of yours will top it off!!.

and i have a pic of two of my toys. the setup now is without the bezel and the dde kit. im not done as i said before. i just wanted to see how it holds up to the bump on the road and such i wanted to test the sturdyness of how i mounted it. so far so good. havent moved an inch. and i need to sand down the plastic lens too much pitting and scratches. lol

heres the current pic..


http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1870.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1870.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1874.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1874.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1882.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1882.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1891.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1891.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1888.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1888.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1865.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1865.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1812.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1812.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1755.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1755.jpg)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/th_IMG_1754.jpg (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Project%20kidai/IMG_1754.jpg)

[zoomzoom510]

nice job.
my projector project is on ahold right now
Where did you get this??
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/IMG_0624.jpg
i'v been looking for a set somthing that looks like that
so that i can get back to work on my project.

thanks.
i'll post some pic when i am done

hey. i really dont know where it came out of or what its purpose before i bought it. but i bought it from a guy on ebay. its funny because some of the stuff i have on the car i dont know where it came from or came out of. lik my fogs someone had asked me about them. and i couldnt help him .so same scenerio here. =( sorry

just type in bezels or shroud. or you can go to hidplanet.com and go on the forum section and they have a FS section hunt there thats where i got the tsx projectors. anyways. good luck with your project.

im thinking of selling my helios ballast and get a mitsushita ballast one from tsx and s2000 . its a bit pricey though. in due time.

[kicknmazdaspd]

I'm lovin that white r6. Those two make a great pair!

[Chicoloco]

damn that pic of the bike and your p5 looks awsome.

The rear lip i have is the wing west one. the shop made it look like it is a one piece bumper, wich looks nice IMO. I don't know how he did it, tho.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/chicoloco/DSCN4046.jpg


Hey, before sanding, i recommend you try Meguiar's PlastX. Really good stuff. Sanding is your last option.

[zoomzoom510]

so is it abs plastic. or fiberglass? or polyurethane?

anyhow. i think you should tint your car get the rockblocker film the lighter tint though. for your tails. and youd be set to go.

and i know of meguirs. i think ill use that and buff it out. it should work.

[zoomzoom510]

I'm lovin that white r6. Those two make a great pair!



yup!. i love them both. they treat me well. i feel like a pimp having them both in my life. and i treat them well aswell. its a great tradeoff. =)

lol thanks. for the compliment

[rednecks_r_us]

My right HID went out last week. So today I get a harebrain idea to take the ballast from the left side and hook it up to the right side. If It lit then my ballast was bad. If it didn't light then I knew my bulb was bad. Well it didn't light the right side. So I put it back on the left side and now I can't get the left side to light either.

So now I have no headlights at all. I've blown 3 fuses so far.
So back to the drawing board.

[Chicoloco]

eek. Check you harness. Go step by step, the simplest thing could cause a shortage. How did you hook up you setup?

[rednecks_r_us]

I got different ballasts this past weekend. I ordered these today to connect the new ballasts to my bulbs.

http://i14.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/ca/22/a04f_1.JPG

[mazdaspeed777]

So my brother ordered a 10k HID kit for me for christmas. Looks similer to the kit below:
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/mazdaspeed777/HID2-2.jpg

I am thinking of retro fitting projector lenses into my headlights with this kit. Off of what model cars did you guys use the projector lenses from??

[mx-p5]

Acura TSX is the most common and one of the best projectors for you buck out there. S2000's projectors are also VERY nice with a super high intensity, but, high price as well.TSX has Super nice light distribution, sharp cutoff, and easily color modded. Only problem is the kit you just got for Christmas won't plug into an TSX projector. I am guessing the kit you got is for the H7 low beams? Chico does have a set of projectors and bulbs he's looking to trade for something intresting. PM him

Also, he's the guy to go to. Him or Rednecks R Us. They've both got Projectors

Tylor

[justanothermp5]

yea i kno its been said alot but could someone fix the pics on the first page cuz it would really help alot more

[mazdaspeed777]

Acura TSX is the most common and one of the best projectors for you buck out there. S2000's projectors are also VERY nice with a super high intensity, but, high price as well.TSX has Super nice light distribution, sharp cutoff, and easily color modded. Only problem is the kit you just got for Christmas won't plug into an TSX projector. I am guessing the kit you got is for the H7 low beams? Chico does have a set of projectors and bulbs he's looking to trade for something intresting. PM him

Also, he's the guy to go to. Him or Rednecks R Us. They've both got Projectors

Tylor

Yah, the kit I am getting are 10k H7 HID's. What is the difference between HID bulbs and projector bulbs? I was hoping just to add the projector lenses to my headlight housing and just keep the existing low beam mounting point the same. The kit I got is supposed to be plug and play so the bulbs to pop right into my housing with no problem I am hoping.

[mazdaspeed777]

yea i kno its been said alot but could someone fix the pics on the first page cuz it would really help alot more

I second that. The pics will help when and if I do this myself

[mx-p5]

your H7 HID kit you have now will pop right into the stock low beam location. And, i know our cars aren't made for HID's, the stock beam is quite good. Here's a pic I snapped of a 4300K kit in my low beams
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00325_1.jpg

Projectors are going to probably use a DS2 bulb, which you'd have to fab wire into your stock harness.

Any other questions, you know where to ask.

Tylor

[Chicoloco]

They are all HID bulbs, the difference is the base or bulbs style. Hid kits can make any bulbs style, H4//H7/9006/9007 etc...

OEM bulbs for cars equipped with HID projectors are D2S/D1S/D2R to name a few. I am using D2S right now.

HID Projectors can handle the light better than halogen reflectors. Protege/5 tho, have a good reflector design so i think they handle hids better than most cars of its time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/chicoloco/IMG_0317.jpg
FX with shield color mod.

Hey Tylor, is that what you are running now? That's a lot of illumination man. Are people flashing you back? I can see the stop sign is fully illuminated, and that's your low beam.

[mx-p5]

Yeah, that's my setup now. Apexcone 4300K HID in the low. I have lowered them just a tad after that shot was taken, but, no, no flahses at all. I had my wife run around in front of me in her car and the only difference she could tell compared to other car is the color. Everything else looks yellow in comparison.

Tylor

[Chicoloco]

nice nice. She could tell from the outside the color, but how would you compare illumination with hers?

[mx-p5]

Pics like this these. The headlights in mine were still just a little too high, they have been lowered.

Also, there are 3 dif. bulbs in these pics.

My car has the Apexcone 35watt HID kit, passenger side of wife's Pro5 has Stockers, and driver's side is SilverStar Ultras

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00359.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00358.jpg

Tylor

[zoomzoom510]

They are all HID bulbs, the difference is the base or bulbs style. Hid kits can make any bulbs style, H4//H7/9006/9007 etc...

OEM bulbs for cars equipped with HID projectors are D2S/D1S/D2R to name a few. I am using D2S right now.

HID Projectors can handle the light better than halogen reflectors. Protege/5 tho, have a good reflector design so i think they handle hids better than most cars of its time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/chicoloco/IMG_0317.jpg
FX with shield color mod.

Hey Tylor, is that what you are running now? That's a lot of illumination man. Are people flashing you back? I can see the stop sign is fully illuminated, and that's your low beam.


correct!, bill - redneck r us, has posted a pic of a d2s adaptor you can acquireit from the same manufacturer of that hidkit that you got or will get. just call them. if not i think xenonexpert.com can provide it . thats how mine is setup i have a tsx projector with a helios hid kit bought from this forum. and i just bought the d2s adaptor. works wonders. or you can go oem and get a metsushita ballast straight from the tsx or s2000. i believe the s2000 is running that same ballast.

anyways good luck with your upcoming project

[island-p5]

just installed hid for the fog lights, H3 they are the best thing around.

[mx-p5]

You MUST POST PICS!! and where you got H3 shortybulbs to fit it!!

Tylor

[Protege2886]

Man.. I want projectors SOO bad

[njaremka]

your car would look cool with black projectors

[Protege2886]

Yah if only I had the time and the money...more specifically the money.

[FunkyBuddha]

You wanna post up the pictures again? Or can I find the pics and tutorial somewhere else?

[Chicoloco]

Yah if only I had the time and the money...more specifically the money.

If you have a good eye you could find a set of fxs at ebay for cheap.

[mx-p5]

just installed hid for the fog lights, H3 they are the best thing around.

Awaiting what kit you installed and pics! These are in the factory Protege5 fogs?

Tylor

[zoomzoom510]

just installed hid for the fog lights, H3 they are the best thing around.


let me guess. blazers???!!

i have the same thing

[zoomzoom510]

the blazers don't take h3 it takes 89300 or something unless u have hid h3 bulbs. most guys convert the base of the blazers to d2s bulbs. you have to do lots of custom modding/fabbing to make it work.

[Operator]

The H3c HID bulbs I've heard work better than regular H3 or converted d2s bulbs.

[Operator]

My Evo8 retro.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/246/1001205kr2.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/davesoc/th_100_1211.jpg (http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/davesoc/?action=view&current=100_1211.flv)

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7623/1001182ct7.jpg

[DreMazdaProtege]

To bad that no one out there sells it or I would buy it. My only option is making it myself.

[rednecks_r_us]

It's too bad all the pictures are gone.

[OmyMp5]

it is sad ... i just got my projectors and spare headlights and was just ready to retro and no pics .
somebody must have saved some pictures from the moder ( melicha8)

[OmyMp5]

redneck did you take pictures of your retrofit ,

[njaremka]

head over to hidplanet.com and check out the forum section. there is TONS of info over there for retro-fitting

[zoomzoom510]

The H3c HID bulbs I've heard work better than regular H3 or converted d2s bulbs.


very interesting... hmmm. where did you get the h3c? that you speak of i might just try it on for size. this would be an hid kit instead with h3c bulbs?

[Operator]

I got one pair from ebay and the other from retrosolutions. I'm actually selling my 5000k pair right now.

[zoomzoom510]

I got one pair from ebay and the other from retrosolutions. I'm actually selling my 5000k pair right now.

so, it is an aftermarket hid kit. just with a different bulbs. ? if thats the case how much you want for those. and what brand is it?

[zoomzoom510]

sup guys/gals,

just wanted to share my second attempt to retrofitting, i had to sell my first born retrofit, due to a slipping clutch. heres some teasers.

enjoy


http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/photo.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit2.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit3.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit4.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit5.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit6.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit7.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/linkinpark510/Projects/retrofit8.jpg

[Chicoloco]

nice, and the leds fit perfectly!

[Operator]

What projector are you using?

[zoomzoom510]

nice, and the leds fit perfectly!


yah. they pretty much do!. i was surprise how well they fit. i dont have a good camera , i took the pic with my iphone. and the picture doesnt do it justice as far as how bright and how nice they really are . i love it. actually no . im inlove with it. lol

im using fx35 bixenon courtesy of chicolo. lol abraham i believe is your name right?

[Chicoloco]

dude! you still have those fx we traded. hehe nice!

[Operator]

im using fx35 bixenon courtesy of chicolo. lol abraham i believe is your name right?


Me, abraham?!? And nice choice on projectors!!!

[Chicoloco]

Me, abraham?!? And nice choice on projectors!!!

no, that's me. ;-)

[zoomzoom510]

dude! you still have those fx we traded. hehe nice!


of course i wouldnt have it any other way. best deal in history. lol

anymore parts we can trade with?

hows the intake working for you?

[zoomzoom510]

Me, abraham?!? And nice choice on projectors!!!


lol. thanks. your name is Abraham too? lol. kool .nice to meet you Abraham the second. lol . . smooth operator.

[zoomzoom510]

hey chicolo. go here http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123718515

add yourself to a list. to demand more CF piece parts. im actually working on having some CF housing moded for the protege. so if you want and need those add yourself to the list. just a list not a groupbuy.

actually all of you guys should put your name on the list.

read it from page one.

[Operator]

im using fx35 bixenon courtesy of chicolo.

You need to mod them with a TSX clear lense!!!!

[mx-p5]

I'll soon be joining the Projector family as well!!

Chico's working on my setup. TL's with ZKW lens swap and modded shield.

I can't wait!

[zoomzoom510]

You need to mod them with a TSX clear lense!!!!


in due time. for now im gonna lay low on retrofitting the lights, lol

i will get into it so deeply that ill loose track of the cars main goal. i over budgeted the last retro. !!! infact i still have a bmw x3/x5 projector just sitting in the garage. lol

but , thanks for the tip!

[mx-p5]

whatcha doing with that spare projector? lol

[zoomzoom510]

whatcha doing with that spare projector? lol


i dont know. not much yet.

[Operator]

in due time. for now im gonna lay low on retrofitting the lights, lol

i will get into it so deeply that ill loose track of the cars main goal. i over budgeted the last retro. !!! infact i still have a bmw x3/x5 projector just sitting in the garage. lol

but , thanks for the tip!


When you do.

http://store.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=86&osCsid=a95ccf0a27801aef9fdef050b7878e02

[mx-p5]

Chico just found super rare and almost magical shrouds for my car!!!

[Chicoloco]

^lol. (alright)

[speed1016]

Can anyone else not see the pics for the install? Im going to be doing this next weekend and dont want to get in over my head. Thanks

[speed1016]

And HOLY CRAP I cant fix my sig block!! Its so small and worthless :(

[zoomzoom510]

Can anyone else not see the pics for the install? Im going to be doing this next weekend and dont want to get in over my head. Thanks


it doesnt take only a weekend to do a retro, i say take your time with it . you would be much more of a happy camper if you did this on a slower phaze.

tip: make sure you have all the materials and supplies your gonna need and use. always have jb weld within arms reach. what else? hmm. well i guess thats all. chico. wanna chime in for our new jedi here. lol

good luck with the retro. "take your time" dont rush things. specially cutting out holes or trimming parts. be patient. and attentive.

[mx-p5]

My best advice to you would be to bite the bullet and buy a second set of headlights. That way you won't have to have downtime on the car itself.

And, always always always measure twice, three times, four times, but only cut once.

[speed1016]

yep, I have a new set of headlights on the way as of tuesday. Thanks

[zoomzoom510]

My best advice to you would be to bite the bullet and buy a second set of headlights. That way you won't have to have downtime on the car itself.

And, always always always measure twice, three times, four times, but only cut once.


ameN! best advice yet. measure. and test fit everything before sealing it up. oHH watch out for over baking the headlights you can mess up the lens.

[mx-p5]

zoomzoom510, you got a link to more pics of your car? You've got nearly exactly what I want to do. MSP lip with projector fogs, i just want to tuck them into some foglight deletes.

Sorry to stray off topic

[zoomzoom510]

zoomzoom510, you got a link to more pics of your car? You've got nearly exactly what I want to do. MSP lip with projector fogs, i just want to tuck them into some foglight deletes.

Sorry to stray off topic


yah, heres my myspace url.


http://www.myspace.com/Hybridjx784

hincity.com

http://hincity.com/members/index.asp

hope that helps just pm me if you have any question.

- Hybrid j

[mx-p5]

Ghey, you have to be members on both sites to view the pics. I don't have either

[mazdaspeed777]

Ghey, you have to be members on both sites to view the pics. I don't have either

If your looking for some projector fog lights these would work perfectly, I will probably get some eventually my self:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=310086298958

[mx-p5]

any sort of projector is going to require some hole cutting.

This gives an idea of how much deeper the projectors go compared to the stock fogs.

This is the stock fog housings machined out to fit projectors insdie

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00722.jpg


And here is the tool of choice

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00729.jpg


And the results

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00731.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00733.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00736.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/DSC00734.jpg

[mazdaspeed777]

^^^Nice! Is that your car?? Yah, I have the MSP front lip so I dont have any stock fogs so I am going to have to do something different. I might mount two rectangle style fogs on my lower grille instead. Cheaper and less time consuming. lol

[mx-p5]

Yup, that's my car.

Should have the fogs in as well as the projector headlights in late next week.

[mazdaspeed777]

Yup, that's my car.

Should have the fogs in as well as the projector headlights in late next week.

Sweet! make sure to post up some pics

[mx-p5]

oh, no worries. Picture whoring will commence!!!!

[twilightprotege]

thinking of doing this myself, has anyone put (or tried putting) in merc e55 bixenon in the single reflector housings? do they fit? pics?

[mx-p5]

I do beleive chicoloco is running the E55's in his car

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/IMG_1753_lomo.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/cbrjeeper/IMG_2268.jpg

[Chicoloco]

Correct, sir! They are small footprint. Plus convenient holes for mounting too.

[mx-p5]

small footprint and convenient does not describe my setup! lol

[Chicoloco]

lol :P

[twilightprotege]

thanks. will investigate. problem for me will be having to get the lights in rhd config - not as easy as lhd - or are they swapable like some projectors?

[Chicoloco]

thanks. will investigate. problem for me will be having to get the lights in rhd config - not as easy as lhd - or are they swapable like some projectors?

hmmm.will you use projectors only for you low beams?

[twilightprotege]

havent decided. if i decide low beams only, i'll keep my p5 headlights and get honda accord euro projectors. if i decide on bixenons, i'll change to the single reflector lights and use the e55 (2004+ audi's, whatever) lights.

[zoomzoom510]

havent decided. if i decide low beams only, i'll keep my p5 headlights and get honda accord euro projectors. if i decide on bixenons, i'll change to the single reflector lights and use the e55 (2004+ audi's, whatever) lights.

NOT swapable, but you can custom fab a shield for them anyways. shouldn't be a big deal.


instead of a cut off shield like this, ___i----- ____i-------

do this, -----i_____ -----i_____

on a piece of aluminum sheet thin can , soda can whatever it takes.

[Chicoloco]

yeap.

Well at least get yourself some projectors that came HID equipped from factory, if possible. Almost all halogen projectors will not perform as desired with HIDs.

[twilightprotege]

do you know with the later model audi's (for example), if they use the same projector for hid or not?

[Chicoloco]

i think they are hellas, h7/e55. They come single/low beam.

[zoomzoom510]

i think they are hellas, h7/e55. They come single/low beam.


correcto!

[vfranklin]

cant see images!
pls help

[mx-p5]

Are you at work? You may be blocked by a firewall

[mazdaspeed777]

Anyone needing or wanting an HID kit right now I got one for sale in the second link in my sig below

[mx-p5]

shamless plug!

But, this is for projector retrofit headlights, not just HID kits

[mazdaspeed777]

shamless plug!

But, this is for projector retrofit headlights, not just HID kits

Well the HID's are part of it though. Just trying to help out someone in need of a set.

[Chicoloco]

Hid Kit? Blasphemy!!!


:p

[mx-p5]

lol

[808MP5]

boo the pictures don't work

[vinylkings.ca]

ya someone post up some pics i wanna try this. but want some step by step pics.

[MakeMeGoFast]

watch this video....it'll give you a real good idea of how to do a setup on the pro.

http://www.vimeo.com/1593165

[01bluemp3]

nice

[metalmaniac7]

I know there is a link probably somewhere in this thread but can someone give me a link to either a black pair of protege5 headlights or mazdaspeed protege black headlights...or both...thanks! I just didn't feel like reading every single link.

[mx-p5]

you just want new headlights? Ebay has brand new depo sedan lights perfect for retrofitting for $150 shipped

if you want new oem black protege5 headlights, it'll be $600+ cause they were only offered on Canadian P5's

[metalmaniac7]

Cool thanks, yeah I've been thinking about fabbing my own projectors.

[OmyMp5]

woo hoo :)
Just finished my projector mod

[mx-p5]

pics??

[OmyMp5]

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7qq3R0O0SEtwO-nhXyTV1A?authkey=Gv1sRgCJiZv8-MsNrmuAE&feat=directlink

[mx-p5]

Very nice!!! What projectors and shrouds did you use?

Any output pics? Or still waiting for it to get daark?

[OmyMp5]

i used fx35 projector , with clear lens
no nite pics yet

[OmyMp5]

mazda 3 shroud , i was goin to wrap led`s on the ring but i opt out

[mx-p5]

Went with FX35's? Very cool!! Both halogen and HID high beams will be nice!!

Did you color mod the FX35 at all? Or just swap lenses?

[OmyMp5]

stock fx35 is clear .
i did splice high beam wires to high beam on fx35 , holly cow
its bright

[mx-p5]

yeah, i can't wait to get my TL retro's back on the car@!!!!!

[DreMazdaProtege]

Nice job! I have maded a few HID Projector Headlights and the first time I did one of these token me a month. The Dual HID Headlights I got on my Protege isn't done but decide to put it anyways, I need to put a signal light custom and some other things.
Peace!

[Vocko]

Link for the project? More pics, info?
(its not in your signature)

[mx-p5]

whoa whoa. . . you can't come on with the pic in your sig and not post more pics!!