hid question

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

where would you suggest hid ballast go in a s13 engine bay? any help would be greatly appreciated! thanx

alex!:bigok:

[SexPanda]

You got a silvia front end or poppy's?

Damn if thats your red 240 in your sig pic i feel like a dumbass.

Thats a tough one. Not too many options. I suppose you could mount on the drivers side of your battery, or right in front of your airbox, or intake, whatever you have.

[FaLKoN240]

I've seen people tuck them UNDER the radiator support.

[DOOK]

yeah, it's kinda hard to hide in the engine bay, not enough room, but maybe if you were a midget?????

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

as ilooked earlier today i couldn't come up with too many ideas!

[SexPanda]

Well, im sure with enough wire you could put it anywhere.I think your best bet would be to mount them in the wheel wells, if you still have the plastic covers. Otherwise, they could get f'd up with water and what not.

[FaLKoN240]

I'm pretty sure his WHEELS would destroy them.

[Ricks15]

I mounted my balasts right near that metal support brace that holds the bumper support. Its right under the electrical motors to the pop up's.

[DOOK]

yeah, wheel wells are a BAD idea.... how much play you have with the wiring as far as distance goes?

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

not really sure yet. got them today but didn't take them out the box. they are these ones.
http://www.xenithxenons.com/photos/HID-KIT-2.jpg
http://www.xenithxenons.com/photos/HID-KIT-4.jpg
http://www.xenithxenons.com/photos/HID-KIT-3.jpg

rick can you help me install them in the next couple of weekends?

[ixfxi]

do people still buy this cheap shit, even after its been said time after time that these systems are flawed and DONT perform for shit?

jesus. i thought people actually listened when i spoke about optics and having a nice, smooth lighting pattern.

mount those ballasts wherever they are safe, secure, and easily accessible.

i say easily accessible because hopefully after you INSTALL them, you'll reconsider and UNINSTALL them once the fanboy fad wears off. by then, you'll realize that you can get better performance from a pair of 40-60 dollar name-brand bulbs than you can out of that.

literally, you dont know how many kits like that ive pulled OFF of cars that come through my shop. they're dog turd.

you know, i am sure some of you guys are saying right now "wtf mike, why so negative..? poor guy just dropped some coin for his new hid kit, y0.. let him enjoy that shit"

okay, fine.. fair enough. just do me the favor. i look at the box, the kit.. the components and user manual and say to myself "wow, it looks like an actual product that should perform, right?" well.. lets see. do me a favor, just some common sense here:

1) lets start with the photo on the box. it kinda looks like a car, but its not. looks more like a rendering. thats odd.

2) xenith xenon. xenith??? is that a name? is that even a real manufacturer, or are they just thinking of random shit nowadays?

3) compare your stock H4 bulb with the ones they include. your stock bulb has 2 filaments that are precisely located where they should be. there is also a small shield that covers a section of the OE H4 bulb.

this H4 HID rebased piece of trash doesnt have a shield, doesnt even have a high low functionality. its a flawed product, and it will never be able to compete with the OE h4 design.

4) please read through the user manual. if there is anything in there that even makes any sense, then fine. but chances are, its a bunch of bullshit that doesnt even make sense.

more reading here: http://clearcorners.com/services/0002/

cheers

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

do people still buy this cheap shit, even after its been said time after time that these systems are flawed and DONT perform for shit?

jesus. i thought people actually listened when i spoke about optics and having a nice, smooth lighting pattern.

mount those ballasts wherever they are safe, secure, and easily accessible.

i say easily accessible because hopefully after you INSTALL them, you'll reconsider and UNINSTALL them once the fanboy fad wears off. by then, you'll realize that you can get better performance from a pair of 40-60 dollar name-brand bulbs than you can out of that.

literally, you dont know how many kits like that ive pulled OFF of cars that come through my shop. they're dog turd.

i thonk i just got owned!:tweak: :confused: :eek:

[t . b o z]

i thonk i just got owned!:tweak: :confused: :eek:

nah, you didnt.

Chances are, these will produce more light, but heres the catch..

Most of these HID kits being pumped out of whatver sweatshop they were made at do not include a scatter shield/casper shield..thus causing tremendous glare. I've driven many a car with a kit like that..as far as light OUTPUT..they lit up the road very well, but I felt sorry for anyone coming the opposite direction.

My advice to you is to do what makes you happy. If you want lights like that...thats fine by all means. Personally, I advocate the correct way to do it...RETROFIT. My old Integra had a s2000 retrofit, functioning high and low beams with a PERFECT cutoff line. They were awesome to say the least. I've never seen or performed, or even know if its possible to do so on an s13 popup headlight, though. I havnt played around with the 240sx H4 housings enough to create an effective way to do it.

[ixfxi]

Most of these HID kits being pumped out of whatver sweatshop they were made at do not include a scatter shield/casper shield..thus causing tremendous glare.

Doesnt that make you wonder for a sec and say to yourself "hmmm.. if these brand-x products are being made, god knows where, then what type of engineering and quality control goes into these products?" Maybe its just me, but I believe in large companies having the facilities to perform proper R&D, strict manufacturing tolerances, quality control, etc. Not to mention, actually being able to deal with the vendor should there be problems.

The cutoff (or casper shields as they are often referred to) are just a hokey patch-fix attempt to try to make an inferior product LESS inferior. It doesnt solve the problem nor does it make it a quality product. Its much like having a pillow made from a big PILE of shit. Just because you put the pillow in a plastic bag and it doesnt smell anymore, doesnt mean that you arent resting your head on feces.... ;)


I've driven many a car with a kit like that..as far as light OUTPUT..they lit up the road very well, but I felt sorry for anyone coming the opposite direction.

What good is power without perception? What good is a car with 1000HP but no control? Same applies to lighting, proper light distribution is key.


My advice to you is to do what makes you happy.

Or do what is safe and actually performs. You dont have to spend big bucks. In this case, you could've spent less and gotten a LOT more.

[t . b o z]

Doesnt that make you wonder for a sec and say to yourself "hmmm.. if these brand-x products are being made, god knows where, then what type of engineering and quality control goes into these products?" Maybe its just me, but I believe in large companies having the facilities to perform proper R&D, strict manufacturing tolerances, quality control, etc. Not to mention, actually being able to deal with the vendor should there be problems.

The cutoff (or casper shields as they are often referred to) are just a hokey patch-fix attempt to try to make an inferior product LESS inferior. It doesnt solve the problem nor does it make it a quality product. Its much like having a pillow made from a big PILE of shit. Just because you put the pillow in a plastic bag and it doesnt smell anymore, doesnt mean that you arent resting your head on feces.... ;)


I've driven many a car with a kit like that..as far as light OUTPUT..they lit up the road very well, but I felt sorry for anyone coming the opposite direction.

What good is power without perception? What good is a car with 1000HP but no control? Same applies to lighting, proper light distribution is key.


My advice to you is to do what makes you happy.

Or do what is safe and actually performs. You dont have to spend big bucks. In this case, you could've spent less and gotten a LOT more.

To be honest, I don't really give a shit as to where the HID kits come from. If you want to play that game, dont wear any of your clothes, becuase chances are, some poor Malaysian or Taiwanese child made them for six cents and hour. Labor outsourcing dominates the workforce, at this day and age, it would be stupid not to.

"What good is power without perception? What good is a car with 1000HP but no control? Same applies to lighting, proper light distribution is key."

Um..well, when you look out that thing called a windshield, and you can see very well ahead of you, and don't notice any "dead spots" in the lit area, I would see that the road and surrounding areas are preety well lit. Now, for safety's sake, a glare guard would be nice, to get a good cutoff. The last thing you would want is a passerbyer careening into your vehicle headon becuase they couldn't see shit.

It seems that you are more bothered by the box itself with the generic name and logos than you are the actual product, becuase you really can't give this guy a exact answer as to why these products are inferior...other than the obvious.(i.e. made in a faraway land for dirt).

[articdragon192]

You're trying to argue with the local lighting professional? Lol, lighting is his business. GL with that. I wouldn't even call this a David vs. Goliath type of deal, because at least David had a small chance against Goliath, hahaha.

BTW, don't compare clothes to lighting. Lighting is there to keep you safe on the road.

[KiDyNomiTe]

Mount them wherever you can, I had one mounted in the bay, and one was sitting in the frame where my bumper support used to go. The hardest part is finding a spot where the wires wont get punched or in the way when the headlights go up and down, but if you loook hard enough you will find a spot.

And after you find a spot enjoy being a murderer and going blind because you didnt feel liek wasting money to retrofit some projectors....

So to all the anti drop in kit people, who gives a fuck, quit whining if someone wants to put money in a drop in HID kit, if there is light in front of the bumper they work, who cares if i cant see from here to the end of the horizon, or if the cutoff isnt as sharp as a knife. All our cars have something stupid on them that is not fully optimal, no use in complaining every single time someone does something you dont like

I have drop in HIDs, i have had 2 different kits in my car, both worked, both never broke, both lit up the rode better than stock lighting, so both satisfied my needs. When I had one headlight it was brighter than stock lighting and this is with one 10,000K bulb, but i did kill small babies coming the other way.

[SexPanda]

Oh im guessing your cars lowered. Well it'd work on mine. I wasnt thinking, sorry.

Anyhow, that place behind the bumper support idea sounds good. and thoe balasts are a little smaller than i was thinking. Im sure they'd fit a few different places. are they about the size of a deck of cards? use that as a reference.

[ixfxi]

http://clearcorners.com/services/0002/H4_OE_1.jpg

^ This is a quality halogen setup.

http://clearcorners.com/services/0002/H4_HID_1.jpg

^ This is an H4 rebased HID retrofit kit, which also happens to have a "casper" or glare shield, whatever the fuck you want to call it.

http://clearcorners.com/services/0002/H4_Comp_1.jpg

^ This is a competition bulb, same Cibie housing.

Sometimes I wonder at the stupidity on this forum, like.. were some of you guys just born this stupid? I mean, how the fuck have you survived 20, 25 or even 30 years in the wilderness - you know, interacting with society - doing challenging things like chewing bubble gum and walking, or even driving and parking an automobile.

Seriously, I'm amazed at the fact that you can type, sit down, use the internet.. post on forums. That skill isnt easy to master.. but hey, congratulations.

[fliprayzin240sx]

OEM retrofit FTW!!! Im in the process of retrofitting the TSX assembly in my zenki S14. Ill post a write up when I get done.

[zerooath]

is there absolutely any HID drop in kit worth buying?

[ixfxi]

is there absolutely any HID drop in kit worth buying?

we sell one - its expensive, and to most s13 owners - its not worth it. but for those that do/have buy it, its worth it. like all things, cost is relative.

for the 200mm rectangular headlamps, there is no GOOD HID solution that i would ever consider using.

remember, "hid" isnt necessarily the end-all when it comes to performance. there are a lot of halogen setups that are pretty damn good, like the cibie headlamps. imo, they outperform the g35 reflector OEM HID headlamps.. hence the reason g35 owners are so quick to do things like projector upgrades, or go with the 06-07 projector headlamps.

its not about "having hid" its about having "quality headlamps." but if you're a trendy fan-boy, like the majority of idiots who post here, then you'll want 8million k blue hid drop in headlamps. thats the shit, y0.

funny, on the g35 forums - people are finally preaching to others saying NOT to go with anything higher than 4300k. for years people have been saying how 6000k is brighter. good to know that people are understanding that the higher kelvin bulbs DONT PERFORM for shit.

peace bitches.

[kdashy]

peace bitches.


Somehow I doubt this is the last time you'll post in a HID thread.

[SexPanda]

funny, on the g35 forums - people are finally preaching to others saying NOT to go with anything higher than 4300k. for years people have been saying how 6000k is brighter. good to know that people are understanding that the higher kelvin bulbs DONT PERFORM for shit.

peace bitches.
Yep, it just makes you stick out like a sore thumb. I've seen the 4300's in copmparison with the 8000's. the 4300's are REAL NICE. Very natural looking soft white. It's like putting brand new batteries in your maglight and shining it in complete darkness. Definately 10x better than the good bulbs at wallyworld lol. The 8000's, on the other hand, look like your staring at the sun. Especially around here, the cops love to pull people over for having illegal headlights.

Kinda harsh tone though ixfxi... IMO

[zerooath]

some people like the look of the blueish bulbs or hell even the violet looking pinkish color of the bulbs. I think people tend to not care about performance as far as headlamps and all that is concerned and figure as long as they can see the road at night then f everybody else's vision as long as their lights look cool.

is there a way to get that look without blinding everybody? I think that would be a better question for the people looking into buying HID's that dont wanna settle for the retrofitted procedures.

[t . b o z]

You're trying to argue with the local lighting professional? Lol, lighting is his business. GL with that. I wouldn't even call this a David vs. Goliath type of deal, because at least David had a small chance against Goliath, hahaha.

BTW, don't compare clothes to lighting. Lighting is there to keep you safe on the road.

Oohhhh ok, now I get it. Its the dipshit's business. Well no wonder.

Not once did I say I encourage the purchase of cheapo kits, anything wrong with it? Its not my money to say that, is it? But of course, you gotta make money..anywho, like I said, if it were my ride, I'd do a retrofit. Not what you call a retrofit, but an actual projector retrofit, with OEM bulbs, and ballasts. I had projectors, bulbs, and ballsts out of an s2000(best projector out there IMO) and it worked great.

BTW, all the 2nd picture of the cheapo HID showed me was the prescence of glare/scattered light. Light output looks the same, although it seems that its too high of Kelvin.

anywho, Where in the thread topic did it say, "try to convince me to go BACK to halogen" ? No where. There was no problem until you started making personal insults becuase of someone's personal preference. Damn, less than 10 posts on this board and I've already found a shitbrick. I guess its unavoidable.

[articdragon192]

Lol, because Mike makes money of 240 owners, hahahaha.

[ixfxi]

Lol, because Mike makes money of 240 owners, hahahaha.

comedy. ;)

not to mention, how many companies in business actually take pictures of their products, high-res at that, and then post them online for people to see and compare the light output with?

again.. lets call out the manufacturer, XENITH XENON. where are you, Mr Xenith? Come defend your product, explain to us why the light output is so scattered and uncontrolled. Nevermind.

I think the real funny thing here, is how I try to explain to people that a pair of Hella H4 ECE housings with STANDARD 55/60 (uncoated), 5 dollar bulbs will perform better than the above xenon setup. I dont even sell Hella headlamps, but I saw a vendor special for near 60 bucks a pair! For those that want to feel baller, we sell the more expensive Cibie 200mm ECE H4 headlamps, at a whopping 130/pair.. big stink. Let me throw up a banner and fancy graphics so I can sell 20 pairs a year.

Anyway... the point here is, NORMAL lights that cost less than 100 dollars will outperform that 200-300 (or more) dollar rebased HID kit. All I'm asking is for people to think.

[Slidin240Wayz]

Phillips...Matsushita...look into companies that have OEM products.

4300k is the ONLY way to go, they treat your eyes the nicest and perform the BEST.

Retro...pimping...do it right the first time.

[t . b o z]

comedy. ;)

not to mention, how many companies in business actually take pictures of their products, high-res at that, and then post them online for people to see and compare the light output with?

again.. lets call out the manufacturer, XENITH XENON. where are you, Mr Xenith? Come defend your product, explain to us why the light output is so scattered and uncontrolled. Nevermind.

I think the real funny thing here, is how I try to explain to people that a pair of Hella H4 ECE housings with STANDARD 55/60 (uncoated), 5 dollar bulbs will perform better than the above xenon setup. I dont even sell Hella headlamps, but I saw a vendor special for near 60 bucks a pair! For those that want to feel baller, we sell the more expensive Cibie 200mm ECE H4 headlamps, at a whopping 130/pair.. big stink. Let me throw up a banner and fancy graphics so I can sell 20 pairs a year.

Anyway... the point here is, NORMAL lights that cost less than 100 dollars will outperform that 200-300 (or more) dollar rebased HID kit. All I'm asking is for people to think.

I went on your website, and noticed that you only offer one brand of 200mm headlamps, and thats Cibie. Any reason in particular you don't push the Hella housings? Its it just becuase Cibie > Hella ?

[atom]

LOL he used to sell the hella's back in the day. I believe that's where my friend got his from. That musta been like at least 5 years ago though.

[derux]

I went on your website, and noticed that you only offer one brand of 200mm headlamps, and thats Cibie. Any reason in particular you don't push the Hella housings? Its it just becuase Cibie > Hella ?

I had the Cibie lamps and they were way better then any hella lamp I have ever bought.

[A Spec Products]

HELLA

ELLA

ELLA

AYE

AAAYE

AAAAAYE

I have stock sealed beams and have had it that way for like 4 years? LOL

Lights aren't high up on my priority....I will gladly rock stock yellowish light no problem

I recently got those H4 Hella E Codes though, just cause price was so cheap

I don't think I'll run HID though in it unless I can trailer the car

[ixfxi]

I have stock sealed beams and have had it that way for like 4 years? LOL

Lights aren't high up on my priority....I will gladly rock stock yellowish light no problem

I recently got those H4 Hella E Codes though, just cause price was so cheap

I don't think I'll run HID though in it unless I can trailer the car

loganovich-san....

its not about the color of the light, it has to do with the performance: light distribution and total light output. the cibies are the best of the bunch. no offense, love hella products but dont believe all their products are #1. if i have the choice of offering a better product, i'll sell the better one and axe the model that doesnt perform. who cares if its more expensive? i sure as hell dont.

s13 owners shouldnt be so broke as to not be able to afford an extra 50-60 bucks for better quality model. if they are on THAT much of a budget, they really should consider another profession. I mean, building up cars (properly) is an expensive hobby. Anyone on a tight budget should not be building up cars, period.

but even for those who like a stock car, atleast put OEM quality (or better) on your car. its like having the option to buy some aftermarket gaskets from pep boys, or paying more for OEM (or better). just pay up and quit acting like a child with an allowance.

so anyway, thats the long answer to the short question as to why we dont sell those hella 200mm headlamps anymore. they're not bad, but they're not as good as the cibie lamps.

honestly, having better technology doesnt always have to be expensive, nor does it have to be "HID" - it just has to be quality. ide have NO problem with those HID retrofit kits, if they werent COMPLETE GARBAGE. we didnt sell them 5 years ago, we sure as hell arent going to sell them now.

[A Spec Products]

loganovich-san....

its not about the color of the light, it has to do with the performance: light distribution and total light output. the cibies are the best of the bunch. no offense, love hella products but dont believe all their products are #1. if i have the choice of offering a better product, i'll sell the better one and axe the model that doesnt perform. who cares if its more expensive? i sure as hell dont.


Yeah, I was eventually probably going to get those Cibie from you, but the Hella's just popped up for sale for cheap so meh whatever just bought em impulse style

I don't doubt that Cibie's are better or not than Hella, but at least Hella ain't no APC you know?

Light science is too much for my tiny T rex brain to comprehend, so I kinda have never really put too much time into lights for my 240

I was just saying that OEM light is fine for me, I usually just go to Autozone and buy the Sylvania replacement joints or whatever

But yeah, going less than OEM just to save a couple bucks never makes any sense to me

Like Subaru owners taking their stock BBS STi (Forged) wheels off to replace them with ROTA....um, yeah

[t . b o z]

So what is it with the Cibie, better positioned/designed/highly polished reflectors?

130 bucks isn't bad..thats the price I've been seeing a lot.

[KiDyNomiTe]

Somehow I doubt this is the last time you'll post in a HID thread.

YOU WIN! It didn't even take a new thread...

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

I mounted my balasts right near that metal support brace that holds the bumper support. Its right under the electrical motors to the pop up's.

pretty much where i put mine. i asked one question and then get multiple people arguing on whether or not to get them.........


:wtf: