Modular Headlights on a Kouki (opinions welcome :) )

[Icy13]

First: If you don't like this look/aesthetic at all then I don't really need your input, I don't hate you or think less of you, but I am looking for help refining this idea as well opinions about two options I have identified and just saying "Dude, that so fucking ricer, man" or "Ghey" doesn't help that.

I understand that this may not be a popular idea, but for those that wish to lend an artistic opinion on the relative merits of the two options presented or insight into implementation of the idea as a whole, I welcome your thoughts and others might enjoy hearing them as well.

The issue at hand: I would like to implement a version of the Alfa Romeo-style 'modular headlights' on my car. That is not to say that I am looking at using Alfa parts, more I like the look of the multiple circular bodies without a combined housing. Thus:
http://www.zcars.com.au/images/alfa-romeo-brera-ti1.jpg
Now, I recently came across a post on 7tune with someone who has done something similar and it inspired me to look more into the idea. This is the image I saw (if this is your car, lmk and I will give credit, sorry 7tune for borrowing the pic, but obviously I give you credit)
http://www.7tune.com/wp-content/gallery/randomsnaps/wise1.jpg

So, concentrate on the headlight area, I don't care about all the stickers etc., they are not relevant to the discussion I wish to have (although some are pretty hilarious, check out 7tune.com for more info :-P)

The question: Should I implement this with a USDM grill or no grill at all (I don't really want the JDM grill, so that isn't really a choice but if someone wants to photochop one on for comparison post it up and I will add it)
Side by Side comparison:
.....................No Grill (original)........................................ .............. Grill (modified)...............................
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Icy13/modularheadlights240sxwithnogrill-g.jpg


So, what do yall think? Grill? No Grill? Obviously, the area around the housings would need to be filled with either a mostly solid mesh or some sort of other air-break to maintain most of the aerodynamics as well as a more polished look. Personally, I think the grill completes the "face" look to the front of the car by defining the "eye sockets" that the headlight "eyes" fit into.

Also, if I could please impose upon someone currently with a kouki (I am doing a conversion, so I don't have the parts on the car) to take some pics of the headlight area on their car with a tape measure (in the various major places (edge of hood, edge of grill, etc.):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Icy13/Koukiheadlightmeasurepoints.jpg
If there is somewhere I can look up this information, please lmk, but I cant think of one (and don't post google please :) ) Basically I need the numbers (inches, cubits, feet, miles, w/e :D) for A,B,C,D,E and the depth of the headlight (not pictured (if you could pop the hood, put down a tape measure, and snap some picks of the cavity the headlight/cornerlight fit into)). If you can give me this info I will love you forever (or long time :) :( :hahano: )

That's about it, comments? Opinions? Suggestions of refinements to the design? Go Go Go?

Oh, and if you know of any good source of donor parts (and oem that has several round lights, offhand I know of the Mazda 3 having a promising group of parts, or some source other than ebay for generic round headlights/ marker lights) please lmk, thanks. Obviously I will search as well, but if someone knows good tips I would love to hear them.

[98koukile]

I think that looks hack as is but if you did a fiberglass body with individual lights and the stock grill it might look good. If your car were a dark color it would work the best IMO or recess them and black them out on a brighter car

[Icy13]

sorry to ask this, but hack = bad, yes? As in hacked together?

And as a note, I am planning on having an emerald green car (think creme de menthe on my car :D) with dark bronze wheels (MB Weapons 17x9).

As to the dark housing, I was thinking either aged bronze/brass (I am looking to experiment with some electroplating on the amateur level and know a good deal about it (I think :) ) or black would look the best.

[HyperTek]

man just black out your headlight housings if you want that look, black em out, remove the glass, and throw some projectors in there

[BLKS13]

Gc8s had some sort of wierd looking housing that remind me of this, I can't seem to find picture but when I do I think it will help

[TougeLabs]

man just black out your headlight housings if you want that look, black em out, remove the glass, and throw some projectors in there

+1
And its whack. I can go to the auto parts store as well and pick up some fogs and throw them on my car due to the lack of the oem headlights. IMO of course

[Icy13]

^^ but that's just it, blacked out housing are not "that look." They are close, I grant you, but I like the look of the sunken "eyes" with the "scowling brow" of the hood. Yes, those were artsy-fartsy references but I firmly believe that exterior design of my car should have atleast some attempt at an artistic/aesthetic.

I like the somewhat organic look that this gives, it makes the car 'come alive' as it were and I feel that is important when considering exterior styling. No one has to agree with me, but that is where I am coming from. Think art nouveau/geiger/matrix/borg/disney's atlantis leviathan for where I am basing my ideas about "organic machinery."

I understand that this will take a good deal of fab to do right. And while I hope to avoid fiberglass (i don't think it will achieve what I want, but it might) I am coming around to the opinion that it is probably my only choice to make the type of housing I want.

Again, not that I dont appreciate the comments, but please also answer the grill/no grill question.

Thanks to those who have responded though.

Oh, and I am doing a kouki front conversion, so I don't actually have the kouki headlights yet. Not that I cant/wont afford them if that is what I choose but I like this look and am trying to make it a reality.

[Taniguchi_Is_#1]

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_6/9/0/8/8096/DSC_9187_mo_750x500_DriftZone_6064c.jpg?v=787b

eBay Motors: 240SX Halo Angel S14A S14 Headlight Silvia 97-98 Drift (item 290264520733 end time Apr-28-09 09:23:39 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/240SX-Halo-Angel-S14A-S14-Headlight-Silvia-97-98-Drift_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a16 Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQ hashZitem290264520733QQitemZ290264520733QQptZMotor sQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)

they look like shit, imo.

[zenki.life]

your idea has its merits, ill give you that but just like communism it doesn't work out in real life. but hey, be the first one to prove us all wrong!

[Icy13]

http://app.onlinephotofiler.com/images/A_6/9/0/8/8096/DSC_9187_mo_750x500_DriftZone_6064c.jpg?v=787b

eBay Motors: 240SX Halo Angel S14A S14 Headlight Silvia 97-98 Drift (item 290264520733 end time Apr-28-09 09:23:39 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/240SX-Halo-Angel-S14A-S14-Headlight-Silvia-97-98-Drift_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a16 Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQ hashZitem290264520733QQitemZ290264520733QQptZMotor sQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories)

they look like shit, imo.
Those are what I had originally Intended to use, but they were always a poor substitute for what I envisioned in my head and those do, i agree, look at best ok in the context of what I want to try and from a less biased view, shit. Seriously, I agree and I cannot go over to those now that I have seen what doing it myself (or at least what some dude in japan did) would look like.

your idea has its merits, ill give you that but just like communism it doesn't work out in real life. but hey, be the first one to prove us all wrong!
It's not so much that I am looking for approval, although it is always appreciated, but more that i would like an opinion about the grill either way as well as tips people think may help me achieve what I have expressed as my goal. Again, not complaining about the feedback that I have gotten just trying to keep as on topic as possible b/c I really would appreciate yall's help.

That said, thanks for the encouragement zenki.life

[madmex]

what if you just removed the glass from the head light and used just the back plastic as a mounting area for you to start from? then from there you could mount whatever kind of porjectors or whatnot you wanted you use? or from another perspective if you wanted to make you own custom brackets to hold everything thing i think it would look pretty cool if the projectors were mounted kind of far back in the headlight area so the the hood would be kind of overhanging the area where the lights are. and i think with the grill looks best.

[projectRDM]

Just removing the glass is stupid, it breaks up the aerodynamics and the body line of the car. To pull it off right you'd need to make a fiberglass plug of the OE light, over the glass, and work backwards. The Ebay lights above, although horrid, are sprung from that idea. In the UK they make a ton of modular light kits for nearly all the popular cars, maybe do some research on those designs and come up with something better.

[ixfxi]

my friends and i have a saying: NGH

not gonna happen


pulling this off not just aesthetically but functionally is next to near impossible. you've got so many issues to consider, i really dont think its possible.

the above white car is the closest you'll be able to get, and even then its not an enclosed headlight and only looks good from a distance. lets not forget how its not aerodynamic by any means.

[G240]

If you have time, money and effort. Why not. As mentioned above I think your staring point needs to be the original lens cover. Do a little measuring to see what will fit inside. Unless you are trying to cut the top of the front bumper to fit a larger headlight unit. I hope not. If you are going to do it right, then make it as if the car came that way from the factory.

Now are you wanting to do projectors or use rally style lamps? Obviously the projectors would be easier to work with as they are generally smaller but if you are trying to emulate the lights in the pic provided then you will need to know what diameter would realistically fit. I really dont think you will be able to get a good feel for it if someone provided you measurements of the stock unit. You'll need something tangible. A template.

After you get that out of the way then you'll have to work on the housing, wiring, and possibly some fab work to get them to fit recessed.

Your biggest issue at this point is finding lamps that are small enough to fit inside the factory lens cover.

Good luck.

[Icy13]

I am resigned (excited?) about the fact that this will take fab work to pull of well. I have no problem with wiring and whatnot either (I am not an expert, but I am also not lost).

Also, as to the considerations, does anyone know where I can get headlight buckets and alignment collars for round headlights? I would think they were availible but I cannot seem to find them.

I was hoping not to have a clear shield in front of the headlights at all, and before everyone talks about how horrible that is, please notice that production cars somehow manage to sell that (vis. Alfa). I think that a fiberglass cast of the headlight housing may indeed be the way to go as to making a plug for the hole.

Also, remember that these are intended to be inside of the cavity, if there is going to be a clear guard in front it will be like the new mustang and not wrapped around the light simple between the light and the outside. I am hoping not to have one of those as I do not like the look (and this is aesthetics, remember, so looks are important) and my suspicion is that the aero will not be that big of a sacrifice is the hole is plugged properly around the lights.

I will almost certainly need the fiberglass anyway to mound the round lights into. And, as to the rally question, I think that is how I would prefer to go, although a combo of rally and projectors is not out of the question, projectors w/o housings seems very dangerous to me whereas rallies are designed to be be exposed.

As to the measurments, I know that is not all but I would like to get a broad picture of what sizes I am looking at (will 5.75 inches be ok?, 7"? 2"? these are the sizes I have seen most and I need to know if I need more searching or these are good enough).

Remeber also, on the measurments, that the goal is to have these recessed so even if the hole is only 6" high or 4" high, that is not necc bad because the cavity behind is larger. How much larger? Someone please tell me. I can gestimate from my zenki but I would prefer kouki measurments if possible.

So, I humbly request these again:
Also, if I could please impose upon someone currently with a kouki (I am doing a conversion, so I don't have the parts on the car) to take some pics of the headlight area on their car with a tape measure (in the various major places (edge of hood, edge of grill, etc.):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Icy13/Koukiheadlightmeasurepoints.jpg
If there is somewhere I can look up this information, please lmk, but I cant think of one (and don't post google please :) ) Basically I need the numbers (inches, cubits, feet, miles, w/e :D) for A,B,C,D,E and the depth of the headlight (not pictured (if you could pop the hood, put down a tape measure, and snap some picks of the cavity the headlight/cornerlight fit into)). If you can give me this info I will love you forever (or long time :) :( :hahano: )

Thanks for all the replies and well wishes, and thanks for refraining from flaming (I know something like this can invite such responses and I am thankful it has not).

PLease keep the comments coming,
Konrad

[NeedCAforS13]

like the other guy said, looks like those nasty Morette's people put on GC subarus.

ugh.

http://www.morette.com/products/HEADLIGHTS/SUBARU/IMPREZA/IMPREZA%20CLASSIC/hl_sb_impreza_classic_popup_3.jpg

[Icy13]

hmm, I understand the comparison, but I am looking more for where the lights are sunken into the bodywork but NOT with a housing that is flush. Basically, the alfa look with a hollow polygonal cavity holding multiple cylindrical bodies rather than a cylindrical cavity holding sunken circles.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Icy13/alfaheadlightcloseup.jpg

Nit picking, but I think this makes all the difference in looks (vis. the alfa versus the subaru). Thanks for that info though. I assume on the subaru there is a company that makes the housing? or are people fabbing them themselves?

[murda-c]

Fiberglass in the spot where the corners go so it looks more like the alfa. Or rather somebody photoshop it like that i wanna see what it looks like.

[Icy13]

Bump to ask for someone to please post pics/measurements as detailed here:
So, I humbly request these again:
Also, if I could please impose upon someone currently with a kouki (I am doing a conversion, so I don't have the parts on the car) to take some pics of the headlight area on their car with a tape measure (in the various major places (edge of hood, edge of grill, etc.):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Icy13/Koukiheadlightmeasurepoints.jpg
If there is somewhere I can look up this information, please lmk, but I cant think of one (and don't post google please :) ) Basically I need the numbers (inches, cubits, feet, miles, w/e :D) for A,B,C,D,E and the depth of the headlight (not pictured (if you could pop the hood, put down a tape measure, and snap some picks of the cavity the headlight/cornerlight fit into)). If you can give me this info I will love you forever (or long time :) :( :hahano: )


I also appreciate the other comments, but if someone could take a few quick snaps of their kouki with a measuring tape I would be IMMENSELY grateful. I have no Idea where else I could get this information and I can't really proceed with planning my design without it.

Thanks,
Konrad

[zenki.life]

i really dont think it meshes with the overall feel and look of the car.