Would have posted in Auto Electrical but getting a page error

I've been wishing I could have HID lights now for some time, but I'm not prepared to subject others to glare, and myself to unwanted attention.

Only this week I found out you can actually retrofit projectors designed specifically for the HID bulb and produce the correct beam pattern/cut off etc including some that look like they have the self leveling mechanism in them...

I've seen these for about $120 for a good set of mini H1's and $200+ for the ones out of a lexus and after some googling and on youtube I've so far only seen people retrofit the outermost reflector with a projector; in an FG the low/high beam is the innermost lens and the high beam H7 the outermost, I'm just assuming that those retrofits are replacing ONLY the high beam and nothing else.

I'm wondering if anyone has actually retrofitted both reflectors with mini H1 projectors or similar as its the low/high beam im more interested in having look good. I've seen that the FG S2 already has a projector for the low/high beam which in the S1 is a H4 globe, so a straight swap in an FG2 headlamp from a halogen to HID projector sounds like a fairly straightforward ordeal? Though, the OEM FG2 headlamps for some reason are more expensive than an aftermarket set from Mars. Making it certainly more cheaper to retrofit my existing H4 reflector...

I'd like to make the move to HID lights, but I want them to be correctly set up and have the correct cut-off etc. I've also been thinking how I might go about fitting some kind of washer jet for the headlamp, as I think thats also required for HIDs to be properly "legal"

First off, don't bother yourself with being legal. It's never going to happen.


Second, the MiniH1 is a great first step in to the foray of retrofitting as it is a very simple fit.
Though, being in Australia there are some differences that need to be addressed with the tab that aligns the rotation of the projector.

If you purchase your stuff from Mick's projector retrofits, I believe he has had adaptors made to suit Australian application.

If you use a Bi-Xenon projector, it retains functionality as high and low beam.

Generally people retrofit the low beam location, it just happens that that is mostly the 'outer' reflector.
On the FG you would just retrofit the 'inner' and would look like MkII headlights.

Thanks MAD for the info, pretty much what I wanted to find out if there was any particular reason on searching google I'd only seen the outer most reflector retrofitted, including a BA, but I wouldn't know if the high/low beam on one of those was inner or outer anyway.

Another quick question would be; is it considerably less noticeable and therefore less likely to get defected for HID in a correctly set up projector retrofit? I would not be gettin. Bulbs above 4500k, and id be happy with around 4000K in the absence of the halogen yellow glow, I'm after a more daylight white than anything else and not getting noticed by those I don't want attention from... Lol.

And also, since I'm retrofitting, and I did get defected, I'm assuming I'd then have to buy myself a new set of headlights entirely or a S2 if I wanted to keep the projector style but halogen...

Posted twice

Last edited by fg08xr6 on Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

BA low beams are on the outside.

I've had 4300k and 5000k in mine (forget how long for each, currently 5000k) for a few of years and have had no unwanted attention. Have been through a couple of booze buses too.

Yes, if you did get defected, you would need to swap in a set of stock lights to clear it.

Like MAD, I have 5000k HID's in my ED...

My build thread in my sig shows it... I pulled the original lights to bits, stripped mini D2S projectors and fitted them inside the original lamp (big job on the ED XR)... My stuff came from The Retrofit Source (TRS) and was supplied set up for the australian side of the road...

From the front it looks factory... The light output is better than the BF turbo I also have... And the D2S are singles, but the drop away curtain in them when you go to high... It makes a big difference... I've heard the bi-xenon's that slide often bind up and don't work properly, but I haven't had any experience personally...

I got pulled up by highway patrol on my green p's years ago and the office tried to book me for my "blue" parkers which were actually white LED's... He was positive that they were the same shade as the flashing lights on his patrol car... Only dropped his case when I said I have spare blue ones in the boot and I'd fit them so he could compared side to side... This was a big problem to him, but the actually illegal HID right next door didn't even get a mention... And on that, I think I looked the fine up there one day... I think it was $83 in NSW...

Cheers,
Tim

Also the amount of high ride 4wd's I drive past with illegally fitted 6000k (blue) HID's installed into regular reflectors for halogen globes is ridiculous... They blind the crap out of you... None of these people seems to get booked for it... So HID's which are properly fitted into HID projectors with the cut off shield should cause you very little drama...

Cheers,
Tim

Thanks again, I drive interstate a fair bit and the 4wd HID (jeez get that s**t outta my face) is a common occurance, I'm often driving by the white lines at the side of the road to avoid getting dazzled by them.

Good to know about the projectors though seems the way to go and vast improvements, in my opinion they look better than a reflector too. I plan on having just enough temp for them to be white so up to a max of 5000k I'm thinking.

The retrofit source is where I've been looking, at the mini h1 projectors on there for $120 I think they are, with a good quality ballast etc from that website too.

35W is more than enough i take it?

I'm running the mini D2S with Morimotto 5Five Ballasts and the matching 55W Morimotto Bulbs... Haven't had a single issue... The ebay ones I had prior were crap... Still takes a few seconds to warm up but colour and beam output is awesome... And I run Phillips Diamond Vision highs which are as white as you can get in a Halogen to try and match the 5000K lows...

5000K is as white as you go before you get blues present at 6000K... 4300K will have tints of Yellow...

The mini D2S will fit right through a H4 halogen hole and comes with a locator for orientation... So you'll need near no permanent modification... The mini H1 might be the same, I'm not sure... If it is the retrofit will be fairly easy for you...

Cheers,
Tim

Minih1 are recommended to not use 50w bulbs.

The light output of a projector is so much better!