HIDs? Bend your squirrel finders

[BagOfArms]

This is the best photo I've been able to take of the inside of the projectors. I've tried pushing this piece of metal down, but it always feels like it's hitting the bottom of the housing already. Is this not even the right piece?

[Synack]

Originally Posted by Books

FYI HIDs usually have a little light above the line to light up signs like on the highway, etc.

This is why I won't be bending the metal. This light existed before my HID's and I'm going to let it continue to let it be there. I have not had a single person complain to me yet in 1.75 years of owning the car with my 50W 5000k's.

I'm not for/against that people do or don't perform this little mod, I just personally won't until even one single person expresses an issue with that tiny bit of dimmed light above the cutoff.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Synack

This is why I won't be bending the metal. This light existed before my HID's and I'm going to let it continue to let it be there. I have not had a single person complain to me yet in 1.75 years of owning the car with my 50W 5000k's.

I'm not for/against that people do or don't perform this little mod, I just personally won't until even one single person expresses an issue with that tiny bit of dimmed light above the cutoff.

I didn't notice any difference between sign illumination between before/after bending the finders. But I went with it just in case.

[Hardrock4445]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25740

Check this thread I made on Demon eye and check post #17

[Hardrock4445]

The squirrel finder on out car is pretty sturdy as it is supported

[BagOfArms]

Originally Posted by Hardrock4445

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25740

Check this thread I made on Demon eye and check post #17

FINALLY, a picture of the inside of the projector. Thanks for linking it. Honestly, I'm not worried about it anymore. I'm only using 35W HIDs, and in the 6 months I've had them, nobody has ever flashed their lights at me. The lights are plenty bright, and the squirrel finders really help with signs on the interstate.

[acro]

Originally Posted by frslee

So here's my cutoff with stock projector. Not bad eh?



I originally bought 55w (as some of you know), but was told too bright by police, then went down to 35w. Bought a new set of 35w 4500k from DDM tuning, but the color was more of 6000k. I don't know why, their bulb colors are not consistent. Then I searched and found TheRetrofitSource sells quality parts. I bought the Morimoto 4300k 3Five bulbs and wow, these produce almost same as any other stock HID lights. I am so happy with the purchase. DDM's quality isn't bad, but their output colors are not what I expected.

That looks perfect. I honestly think that a lot of people are cowed down by people who are just interested in selling retrofit kits and the sheep who follow blindly without thinking.

[mezdup]

do retrofit HID's have any light above the cutoff? i did this bending method when i had my FR-S but i found that it was a bit too dark on unlit roads.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by mezdup

do retrofit HID's have any light above the cutoff? i did this bending method when i had my FR-S but i found that it was a bit too dark on unlit roads.

That would be, unless I'm mistaken, what your high beams are for (unlit road with no oncoming traffic).

[mezdup]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

That would be, unless I'm mistaken, what your high beams are for (unlit road with no oncoming traffic).

lol perhaps, but i never had the issue with stock headlights is my point

[Poodles]

Originally Posted by Books

FYI HIDs usually have a little light above the line to light up signs like on the highway, etc.

Nope, not any direct light. Diffused light maybe, but any lights conforming to European standards won't have light above the cutoff as all overhead signs are lit there. They do usually have a flare to the side of the road to light up signs on the side of the road though (hence the stepped or flared cutoff)

Originally Posted by Synack

This is why I won't be bending the metal. This light existed before my HID's and I'm going to let it continue to let it be there. I have not had a single person complain to me yet in 1.75 years of owning the car with my 50W 5000k's.

I'm not for/against that people do or don't perform this little mod, I just personally won't until even one single person expresses an issue with that tiny bit of dimmed light above the cutoff.

Yet you're ignoring that you've put in a light source that is 3 times brighter than the factory lights.


Simply put, you're blinding people.

Originally Posted by mezdup

do retrofit HID's have any light above the cutoff? i did this bending method when i had my FR-S but i found that it was a bit too dark on unlit roads.

Probably from the foreground being too bright...

Originally Posted by frslee

So here's my cutoff with stock projector. Not bad eh?



I originally bought 55w (as some of you know), but was told too bright by police, then went down to 35w. Bought a new set of 35w 4500k from DDM tuning, but the color was more of 6000k. I don't know why, their bulb colors are not consistent. Then I searched and found TheRetrofitSource sells quality parts. I bought the Morimoto 4300k 3Five bulbs and wow, these produce almost same as any other stock HID lights. I am so happy with the purchase. DDM's quality isn't bad, but their output colors are not what I expected.

Not "bad," but certainly not good. Not flat, no step, no width, no color...

Originally Posted by acro

That looks perfect. I honestly think that a lot of people are cowed down by people who are just interested in selling retrofit kits and the sheep who follow blindly without thinking.

Or people that simply know what they're talking about and have been into lighting for far longer than this car has existed...

[JR007]

Originally Posted by frslee

So here's my cutoff with stock projector. Not bad eh?



I originally bought 55w (as some of you know), but was told too bright by police, then went down to 35w. Bought a new set of 35w 4500k from DDM tuning, but the color was more of 6000k. I don't know why, their bulb colors are not consistent. Then I searched and found TheRetrofitSource sells quality parts. I bought the Morimoto 4300k 3Five bulbs and wow, these produce almost same as any other stock HID lights. I am so happy with the purchase. DDM's quality isn't bad, but their output colors are not what I expected.

Thanks for the info! Do you have a pic showing the lights on of the Morimoto 4300k 3Five bulbs?

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Poodles

Yet you're ignoring that you've put in a light source that is 3 times brighter than the factory lights.


Simply put, you're blinding people.

The complete lack of flashing of brights and oncoming cars crashing into trees would indicate that you may be mistaken.

Originally Posted by Poodles

Not "bad," but certainly not good. Not flat, no step, no width, no color...

Or people that simply know what they're talking about and have been into lighting for far longer than this car has existed...

And those people are purists, obsessed to the point where they need everything to be perfect. Flat, step, width, color...tell me how these are functionally necessary, other than style points. It boils down to personal preference.

My HIDs work well, they are plenty bright, SF are bent so I'm not "blinding" people, and I even went so far as to raise the level of the lights slightly to compensate for the "foreground washout" effect (cutoff line doesn't come above the bumper of most cars). I'm happy with the lights as is.

[acro]

Originally Posted by Poodles

Nope, not any direct light. Diffused light maybe, but any lights conforming to European standards won't have light above the cutoff as all overhead signs are lit there. They do usually have a flare to the side of the road to light up signs on the side of the road though (hence the stepped or flared cutoff)





Yet you're ignoring that you've put in a light source that is 3 times brighter than the factory lights.


Simply put, you're blinding people.





Probably from the foreground being too bright...





Not "bad," but certainly not good. Not flat, no step, no width, no color...





Or people that simply know what they're talking about and have been into lighting for far longer than this car has existed...

Ok it doesnt have the step.

I have no idea how you comment on width when the light extends past the width of the picture

No colour .... no idea what you mean the colour. In a non-white balanced photo it looks fine.

The point is
1. the cutoff is sharp... so it wont blind uncoming traffic (the biggest claim thrown by the purist)

2. the lights are significantly brighter than stock (allows him to see much better)


At a much cheaper cost and without having to retrofit.

I have seen retrofit kits that look worse than this so go figure and i have seen factory equipped HID cars that arent much better