# Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

OK so ive done a lot of searching and ive found that putting a hid drop in kit into a stock housing sux ass and that buying an aftermarket housing and using a kit sux. 
so since i dont have the $$$ for some oem hid's and i prefer smoked housings ive decided id like to do the retrofitting.
so here my ques.... how do you do it? lol are you guys using stock headlights and getting the entire projector setups from donor cars? 
i saw this pic posted by bongoRA3 and this is exactly what i want! the only thing i would need changing is the blinker in the bottom hole and with a clear lens.
















the beam cutoff is awesome, id like somethin a little more blue but other than that theyre great.
so how do i go about doing this type of conversion and help would be great. or even if someone is selling a set like these is an option.
thanx for any info











_Modified by phat03gti at 3:37 AM 12-9-2005_


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## EternalMind (Jun 8, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03gti* »_
are you guys using stock headlights and getting the entire projector setups from donor cars? 


in general, yes. depending on which projectors you get and how big they are will drive what else you need to do (ie. pull the lamp apart, make custom bracketry or bezels, etc.)


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

glad to see another person is interested in retrofitting. I myself did not have money for OEM hids and I really didnt like them as much. I wanted something unique which stood out from the crowd. 
Most people that do retrofits buy new sets of lights so that when your done with your retro you pretty much have brand new headlights. Another reason for this is that this is the only car we have so we can not afford to park the dub in the driveway for a while until the headlights were done. I honestly have to say that it doesnt matter what brand headlight you buy. I bought a really cheap and poorly cromed, but NEW, pair of lights for my retrofit off of ebay so start there. You may get lucky. 
Some people have retrofitted ecodes cause they wanted the city lights and leveling motors. I wouldnt cause they are plain simply not necessary for your application. If you can use a dremel tool and know basic wiring then your retrofit will be very easy. Heres some pics for clicks:
































Now I am not saying that this is a great job or anything. Personally it really doesnt matter if people like it or not, but its at least some close-up shots of what you can do. This "hopefully" gives you some insight on how you can start your project and mount your projectors. Hardest part of the retro is cutting perfect holes and choosing which projectors will serve you best. Goodluck and if you have any specific questions I would be happy to help.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

ok so 3 more questions:
one is where did u get the cylinder piece where ur mounting the projector and the bezel that goes around the projector?
secondly how did u get the original reflector section of the light so smooth?
and lastly is the any projector beams that you guys suggest most. are you buying kits online or finding the ballast etc from donor cars at the junk yard? 
i wanna get something bright with a slight blueish tint to it. so what should i get? somethin with high/lows? do i need anything to protect my wiring? any info that you guys can provide will be of great helkp!!!!


_Modified by phat03gti at 10:28 PM 12-9-2005_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

anyone>>>??


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

First thing, 
The bezel is something I bought off ebay, I am using 3inch hella bi-xenon(high/low beam) projectors and I found a seller on ebay that was selling this 3inch plastic bezels. I did some cutting and painting and wallah!
Second, 
All I did with the reflector part of the light was I put 3 coats of flat black HIGH Heat Resistant paint. Some people snad down the reflector part but I dont think it is necessary.
Lastly, 
There are all kinds of projectors out there. I am using projectors made by hella that are used in the '05 maxima. These projectors are easy to retrofit but do not have the best output compared to some of the others.
There are 4 companies that make projectors. Hella, bosch, valeo, stanley.
Stanley has by far the best projectors on the market. They are used in the honda s2000, Acura TL, TSX, RL, lexus RX330, ls430 and maybe some others.
Valeo are used in acura's, and most of the cadillacs and other gm cars with expensive lighting systems.
Cant tell you which is the best but I can say that usually the more expensive projectors usually tend to be the better ones on the market. Right now the bosch's and hella's are not as expensive but the valeo's are expensive, and the stanley are very expensive. 
For more info on projectors I heighly recomend looking into HIDplanet. Check out the forumn as they have a tremendous amount of info on HID and also they sell a lot of HID projects.
Lastly if you are looking into piecing a HID setup togther from ebay, you would need projectors, D2S bulbs, and ballasts. Must make sure they will fit each other. Sorry about the length but this is the only way I could get all this infrmation across to you. If you have any more questions let me know and I will do my best to help.
email: [email protected]


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

thanx for all the info man i appreciate it. so is there anything i have to wire into the headlight to protect my wiring or anything of that nature?
is there a certain wattage level i would need to find?
and lastly what temp bulb burns at the slight bluish color?


_Modified by phat03gti at 12:41 AM 12-11-2005_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

so how great would these be to use???
the bosch ones on top...
http://www.hidplanet.com/package.html








The package includes: 

(2) Bosch Projectors 
(2) Hella/Philips LVQ-212 G3 Ballasts 
(2) D2S HID Bulbs 
(2) Ballast Covers/mounts 
(2) Ballast connectors 
Price* $369.99 + shipping*


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

yeah HIDplanet has got some great kits, the bosch projectors are nice cause they are easy to retrofit. If the kit comes with bulbs then it is most likely that the bulbs will be OEm color temp (4300K or 4100K). These bulbs give the best amount of visable light on the road. The cool thing is that by messing with the projector sheilds you can get some nice flicker color and also nice blue color in your cutoff. The higher the temp bulb the less light you will have at your disposal.
As far as wiring, check and see if HIDplanet sells a nice relay wiring harness. This allows you to keep your eletrical system in check by only allowing a certain amount of voltage to go from your battery to your HIDS. Without a relay harness with inlin fuses it is possible to damage or destroy your factory wiring harnesses. Be safe and go with seom relay harness. You dont want to bet your car on it.
As far as wiring goes I made my own relay harness and at that I made one for each headlight which to some may be overboard but I like double redundancy. If you know how to wire stuff then use your imagination.I will show you what I did for my lights with a pic....


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

This pic is one of the easiest diagram to follow when trying to understand how a relay wiring harness is put together(disregard the diode thingy)









This picture shows the back of my headlight. You can see where the projector sticks out of the headlight a little to the left. Also the blue connector you see in the center of the light is actually the pre-existing 9007 connector for my headlights. I actually found a couple of used 9007 bulbs and hacked off the filiment, then used the base of the bulb in my relay wiring harness so that when my lights are on my car all I have to do is plug the blue conector into the connector I fabed up which is actually the power which turns the HIDS on through the realy.








This last shot is the back all sealed up with my covers on. Notice how I mounted the ballast on one of the headlights covers.









If this stuff seems long to read I appologize. I am just trying to explain as much as I can so you understand. If this isnt clear enough let me know and I will reword this stuff.. reall tired right now..








By the way....do you have a GTI, or a jetta?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

i dont mind it being long. the more you can tell the more i will learn. and currentyl i have a gti but i am doing a front end swap on jan 7th. the jetta hood is a boser hood so ill only have the HID as my lighting so i want something bright so i wont need a HI-beam. ill also have to relocate the blinker to the fog light postion when i do this swap.


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

welcome to my side of the vwvortex world john!
john let me know when you want to do this i'll help!
this is the only forum worth going to in my opinion! lol


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## 2SlowGLS (Jan 17, 2005)

xenondepot.com wiring harness works wonders and saves you time and frustration! Worth every penny in my opinion.


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## 20valveturbo (Jun 9, 2004)

i would like to do the same thing but however i dont have the time or the skills to be able to do that







do u guys know of anyone that makes retrofit hids on the tex???


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## 2SlowGLS (Jan 17, 2005)

*Re: (20valveturbo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *20valveturbo* »_i would like to do the same thing but however i dont have the time or the skills to be able to do that









It's actually really easy and dosent take all that long with good instructions and materials. Give it a try!


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (20valveturbo)*

If you want a real nice retrofit done then I would suggest you look into some of the guys on hidplanet. Some of those guys do some of the cleanest installs around. This is only if you want to flip the bill for someone to do a retrofit for you and if you dont mind sending all your lights off to them even if they are located on the other side of the country. 
I would also suggest doing your own cause you can add your own little"flair" to it which in the end makes your stand out from the rest of the retrofits on the road. It only takes as much time as you are willing to put into it. The more time the better the retro I say. So think about it and if you need any help or suggestions then we will always be here to lend a hand, or a word of advise at least. Goodluck http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok question. can i buy the ballast projectors and bulbs all seperate?
like if i buy a ballast that is from an acura but it has no bulbs and no projectors would i have to find a certain type of projector and or bulb to match it.

along with this can you use any temp bulb with any ballast or must they match as well.
also what is the dif between d2s and d2r?


_Modified by phat03gti at 3:33 AM 12-13-2005_


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03gti* »_ok question. can i buy the ballast projectors and bulbs all seperate?
like if i buy a ballast that is from an acura but it has no bulbs and no projectors would i have to find a certain type of projector and or bulb to match it.

along with this can you use any temp bulb with any ballast or must they match as well.
also what is the dif between d2s and d2r?

_Modified by phat03gti at 3:33 AM 12-13-2005_

yes, you can buy everything separate john... check on ebay. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
and yes, you must make sure that you are using a d2s HID system or a d2r HID system.
any temp bulb can be used with any ballast as long as the HID system is a d2s bulb system or a d2r bulb system.
the difference between d2r and d2s bulbs... d2s bulbs are for HID projector headlights. d2r bulbs are for HID reflector headlights.


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 12:59 AM 12-13-2005_


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

You can buy a complete setup new from hidplanet, or you can go and piece one together from ebay. If you take the ebay route you can get everything for a smoking deal, problem is you have to be patient and know what you should pay for each component. I went the ebay route and stold my HID setup from someone who obviously didnt know what he should have got for the setup.








If time isnt an issue I say ebay it up! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok i think is the last question and ill b on my way. when lookin at the stuff on ebay how can you tell the dif between a HID projector and a Halogen projector. cuz you know people say they have one thing when they dont... and what is this stuff about flippable shields?


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

you just have to take the word for it i guess. some projectors, ive seen say "xenon" on it.
are you talking about the shields for H4 HID Bulbs?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

Thats alright the more questions the better prepared you will be. Flippable shields are shields that give you the ability to either turn your cutoff to Right hand drive or left hand drive. Some other version of flipable shields give you the ability to change the shape of the sheild so that you can get more flare on your cutoff. Most common projectors to have flipable sheilds are valeo's.
As far as being able to tell which preojectors are xenon and which projectors are halogen. Halogen projectors will always have very simple looking bulb holders. Some will actually look like the common bulb sockets on normal headlights. The xenon projectors usually have either a big black plastic bulb holder that actually sticks out like a sore thumb. This is common on most bosch projectors and hella RS6 projectors. The E55's are almost identical to the hella RS6 projectors except that they have four tabs on the back almost on the shape of a fan. All other projectors that are xenon usually have wire clips on the backs to secure the bulb. 
Best thing to do before you buy a projector that you are unsure about is post about it here, or post about info on hidplanet. I am sure that all of your questions will be answered there with no problems at all. If you post it here 7 times out of 10 someone will know what kind of projector it is.
Hope that helps any and goodluck with your project. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i think the main thing im tryin to find out is what is the most important part. if i get just any ballast will that make a difference. what i seem to notice is that the projector is most important followed by the bulbs.
are there any certain bulbs that someone would suggest for a HID projector setup?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

is is better to have a projector like this where the lens is farther away from the bulb?








or like this where the bulb is enclosed?








its seems like the first one would lose light..?

and are all of these projectors around the same size? im lookin online for the bezels and they are pretty much all the same size like this...
the kind i would like to get








or do i wait until after ive got my projectors?


_Modified by phat03gti at 12:31 AM 12-14-2005_


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

i'm tired of answerin you J!








BrunoVdub, please help him.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

hehehe I dont mind answering questions.
The first projectors you have pictured are bosch single beam projectors. These projectors are good but your right light does leak out of the sides. This isnt absolutly necessary to seal up but it does help especially if you do not want light to leak out behind your headlight bezel . The nice thing about these projectors is that they are not very expensive and easy to mount to a headlight. And lastly these projectors need those big black bulb holders that attach at the back of the projector. (they are not pictured there) prices for these are anywhere from 85 to 125 a pair.
The second projector pictured is a stanely projector used exclusively on mitsubishi evo's . These projectors are much bigger in diameter even to my hella rojectors. These projectors have crystal clear lenses and are completly sealed. This gives more intense light and also the ability to modify the projector for more color. This projector as you can see towards the back uses wire clips to secure the bulb. This method works well and also allows for pretty much any kind of ballast hook up so long as it is made for D2S. Final bad thing about these projectors.....they are WAY OVER PRICED! Last set I saw was for around $400! This is to much for projectors. but if you can find these for under $200 then I would say that you got a good deal.
The bezels you pictured there are exactly what I bought for my setup. They are from the retrofit-source. Good guy and they have good prices on some stuff. if he doesnt have something that you are looking for listed then email him and he mind be able to find i for ya, if he has it that is. These bezels were perfect for my application because pictured with the bezels are actual hella projectors. So the fit was perfect(minor cutting but pretty damn good) These would not work for the bosch projectors but, they might work for the evo projectors, if you actually bought a pair. 
Best bet for bezels is buy the projectors you like first, then find some bezels. For ballasts most work with each other but you can always ask us or hidplanet if they will wrok with the projectors you have. Lastly only get D2S bulbs because D2R bulbs are only for HID reflectors and some OEM projectors. 
Hope that answers those questions. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## 2SlowGLS (Jan 17, 2005)

HAHA! ^^^^ Good posting!


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (2SlowGLS)*

Schweet i think i have all the info i need now to get this project really rolling. i wanna get a set of these together soon.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

If you dont mind me asking, which projectors are you thinking of going with??


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

good question.
i don't wana influence him in a certain by saying my answer.


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## kwalton (Sep 3, 2001)

*Re: (phat03gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03gti* »_








_Modified by phat03gti at 12:31 AM 12-14-2005_

these are what i am going to try using. where did you find these??


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (kwalton)*

thats a picture of some bezels being sold on ebay.....the seller's name on ebay is (retrofit-source) I have bought things in the past from him and he is a great seller. Located somwhere in ohio.
By the way these bezels work best with and hella 3 inch projector.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ive been lookin at the acura tsx projectors. but i wanna make sure i get something good at a nice price. basically ill be willing to put out 300 for the full setup (projectors, ballasts, bulbs) if there are any good suggestions in that range im open.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

btw this is the car i will be puttiin em into....


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

sweet car!.....the TSX projectors are awesome they have excelent clarity and a pretty wide beam. They are however single xenon projectors. This means that you will only have a low beam and no high beam for flashing. You could retro a high beam into the headlight on the side of the projector if you wanted. Check out the 2006 passat. Those projectors the passat has are bi-xenon but they have a halogen high beam just to the side of the projectors.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

im not too worried about a high beam i figured the HIDs will be brighter than my high beam now will ever be. Do the bi-xenon high beams reall change the light that much?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

only if you are in a really dark area and need to drive with light above normal cutoff marks. Also you will not be able to flash other motorists because your high beam will not be connected to anything.

The next setup I do will incorporate a halogen high beam because I only use high beams for flashing and never for normal driving as my beams are pretty damn bright.
You should be fine with just a low beam but its your call. I know you said you woul have to relocate your blicker to the bottem spot but some people use the fog postion for a high beam flasher.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea i prolly wont go with a bi-xenon. i think im gonna hit the junk yard and see if i can find some ballasts and ignitors off a merceds or bmw. then i can put out some cash on a nice set of projectors.


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## 2SlowGLS (Jan 17, 2005)

Guys, do the bi-xenon projector. The high beams double your output! You think your low beams are bright now, just wait till you see bi-xenons *drool*


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (2SlowGLS)*

well how much did you get your bi-xenon hellas for and do you suggest any place to get them from?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (2SlowGLS)*

yeah the bixenons are great if you want to flood the road with lovely HID light!








But........if you are looking for the best bixenon projector then I would say go with the acura TL bi-xenon unit. Some people have bought these projectors and replaced the lenses with clear lenses from the TSX and WOW never sen that much color or intensity of light from any other projector. 
Problem is, it would be an expensive mod. The TSX are supreme for low beam but the hella bixenon and bosch bixenon do give you flexability. If you dont use your high beams much then I would say just stick with your idea of getting the TSX projectors. If you really want a high beam for flash to pass you could rig up a small halogen beam to the side of the main projector beam.
the hella Bixenon units cost anywhere 150 to 225. I think its the same with the boschs as well. I have heard that the bosch units are a little wider but not by much. 
I love my lights but I am always thinking of ways to improve them somehow


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

man...
the explanation of bi-xenons and xenon projectors is turnin me on!








BrunoVdub, your explanation's are the bomb diggity dude! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
can't wait to get started on my project!


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

hey I know how ya feel I love reading into new things about HID. 
Soon i will be doing a retro on some 03 grand cherokee lights for a friend of my fathers and then My best friend and I are gonna have to do something about his stock 99 grand marquis healights.







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Bruno:
I have to call on you, because it was you who finally convinced me to stop looking for the "perfect drop in" and start hacking and slashing.
I bought some Hella bi-x from XenonDepot ($425. US complete). Heck of a deal, nice guys to deal with (Steve in Toronto).
The first problem was one of shrouds and bezels. I see that you had some, but the OD of the assembly seems a bit much, and the fastening at the rear leaves a bit to be desired (and impossible to seal, thus your ingeneous coffee can lid solution). I figured that a smalled bezel OD would allow me to get the whole assembly closer to the front lense and free up the back spacing a bit. I also wanted to be able to install the entire lighting unit using the existing mounting holes and come up flush to the (many level) surfaces of the shroud/mount. Unfortunately, the only way to do that was to custom cast a set from polyurethane. I am late in the toolmaking process for that now. ("Damn you and your Christmas projects, Charlie Brown" said a very pregnant Lucy.)
My next "problem" is what to do with the DRL? I cannot find (from the wiring diagrams in Bentley) where the reduced voltage takes place. There must be a resistor somewhere, but I can't find it. I will either kill DRL completely, or re-route them to an auxiliary light (maybe stick something in the fog light pedastal). Obviously, the HID ballasts don't like the reduced power level, and I am not about to wear out the capsules and ballasts just to keep the appearance of being compliant.
Don't want to hijack the thread, but since it is the exact same conversion, I thought it might add a bit.
Pat


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pat Dolan)*

The "resistor" for the DRLs is just a small guage wire in the wiring harness. Easiest solution is just to install a relay for the ballasts.


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## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

Anyone know who makes the projectors in the New Beetle Bi-Xenons? I want to replace them with E-code projectors but I'm not sure if they're available from hidplanet/xenondepot/etc.


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## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

Are you sure about that? The reason I ask is that the DRL module dumps straight into the power wire from the headlight switch. This is 1.5 mm wire, and barely adequate for resistance bulbs but easily capable of carrying the HID loads.
Maybe VW doesn't even use reduced voltage for DRL as others do (for increased bulb life and decreased fuel costs). Anyone know?


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pat Dolan)*

"DRL module"? What wiring diagram are you looking at?


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## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

Bentley: 97-164 / 167 I should have said DRL RELAY.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pat Dolan)*

Looks like we're looking at different things. I'm looking at wiring diagram No. 61 (Daytime Running Lights, from May 2000) on the Bentley CD. Page 4 shows a 0.5mm2 wire from the relay to the passenger compartment wiring harness. I assume this is where the voltage drop occurs but I've never actually measured it. I have rewired my fog lights to run as DRLs and I connected a 20AWG wire to the relay and ran it up to the fog lights to provide the voltage drop. I do recall that the wire that I spliced into coming from the relay was smaller than the other headlight wires.
Hope this helps.


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## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

MOST interesting. I will look around when I get behind the dash pannel. It would be one of the few times that I find a Bentley manual of ANY kind that doesn't match reality! (BTW, obviously, I use the old-fashioned print manuals).
Pat


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pat Dolan)*

Does your printed Bentley show a larger wire there - or does it just not show the guage of the wires at all? Just curious and I can't remember what my what my old MkII Bentley showed - but I remember how much I hated the wiring diagrams in that one.


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## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

The printed one shows 1.5mm wire throughout that circuit.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pat Dolan)*

Thanks. I just double checked and the CD shows 1.5 going to the relay (pin 2) and 0.5 coming from it (pin 5).


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## slappyhoohah (Nov 5, 2004)

ok i think im going to have to attempt this now


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (slappyhoohah)*


_Quote, originally posted by *slappyhoohah* »_ok i think im going to have to attempt this now

ill be buying my stuff in another week. im goin with tsx projectors. i cant wait to start just gotta wait on my next pay check








o yea btw anyone selling some ballasts and ignitors... ill need a set asap http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (phat03gti)*

Same topic here.. I hate my depo projector from cullen, thinking of retrofitting a better one.. Where do I start since everything is pretty much set up? how many inch is the depo projector? What projector fits best wif some mods for my headlight?
Btw, is it real for hella ballast and philip bulbs for $300±? Isn't the drop in kit is abt $505? Thx


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_Same topic here.. I hate my depo projector from cullen, thinking of retrofitting a better one.. Where do I start since everything is pretty much set up? how many inch is the depo projector? What projector fits best wif some mods for my headlight?
Btw, is it real for hella ballast and philip bulbs for $300±? Isn't the drop in kit is abt $505? Thx

first, take apart your headlights and measure the diameter, the length, the etc of the Projector and just find an HID Projector with the exact same measurments and you'll be set.
and yes it is possible to find Hella ballasts w/Philips Xenon Bulbs for $300... its called Ebay.








btw happy new years guys! i just got home from a party, kind of drunk, and its about 6:46AM and i'm still typin


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

One of the guy posted $350± from hid planet, is that really hella/philips combo? Oke so that's all I have to do, no extra wiring or anything? What projector is the best bang for the buck and must be better than what depo is using now? I understood all the stuff except playing wif the sheild to get a good cut off color, care to explain wif a lil more detail?

Happy New Year everyone!!!


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

yes, HIDplanet.com has an actual kit that includes everything you need to do this kind of project. and it really is a hella/philips kit. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif make sure you get a relay harness too but i think it should be included with the hid kit.
well i made a previous post and it looks like the best projectors on the market are the European Projectors. like the Projectors found on BMWs and Mercedes-Benz', basically anything Euro. and you might want to look into the Mitsubishi Evolution Projectors & Honda S2000 Projectors too but they are pricey. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif but for the money, i say go with the Bimmer Projectors. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
as for the sheild & cut-off color, what you do is you take washers and you place them directly behind the projector and based on the number of washers you place behind the projector, you get a very strong color of either purple, blue, yellow or orange.


----------



## rocketPack (Mar 20, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

I'm interrested in this as well... Even after reading this whole thread I'm still a tad bit unsure of what to buy, but from what I read BMW x5 projectors are excellent. I have my OEM lights (halogen reflectors) and some Helix projectors as well, I'd probably have to mod the helix ones (depo I think makes the projector) since they have great _seperate_ hi beams, city lights, etc. etc. etc. If anyone has information on a simple way to get HIDs into them I'd be interrested in hearing it.
On a side note... I feel I should mention that it's a very, very, very good idea to wire a diode from you hi-beams into your low-beams so that if you flash you hi beams your HIDs will *stay on*. The problem with "flashing" an HID bulb on-off-on is that it actually _needs_ a few seconds to cool down because when they fire on a very high voltage shock is sent through the bulb to ignite the arc and also to turn the crystallized xenon into a gas. If the bulbs are already warmed up and good to go, an attempt to "re-ignite" could spell disaster for your bulbs. Plus... how amazing would that be... Hi-beams + HID low beams... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif








Good information though... really appreciate all the time you guys are taking to explain this stuff out!


----------



## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: (rocketPack)*

Rocket posted: "Plus... how amazing would that be... Hi-beams + HID low beams... "
The answer is not very good at all. When you throw a bunch of light up close to the car, you destroy the contrast with the objectives further out - the ones you hope to be able to see and avoid on high beam. This is probably the most missunderstood of all the missconceptions surrounding automotive lighting. More (up close) is NOT better, in fact, it can be dissastrously worse.


----------



## rocketPack (Mar 20, 2005)

*Re: (Pat Dolan)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pat Dolan* »_Rocket posted: "Plus... how amazing would that be... Hi-beams + HID low beams... "
The answer is not very good at all. When you throw a bunch of light up close to the car, you destroy the contrast with the objectives further out - the ones you hope to be able to see and avoid on high beam. This is probably the most missunderstood of all the missconceptions surrounding automotive lighting. More (up close) is NOT better, in fact, it can be dissastrously worse.
Point understood and taken. Well said. Thank you


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (rocketPack)*


_Quote, originally posted by *rocketPack* »_Point understood and taken. Well said. Thank you









i agree with Dolan.
have you ever seen the new Acura TLs w/their HID low beams & the high beams on? its really pointless! http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
it looks like the HIDs cancel out the high beams. its just amazingly weird.







and in the end, the HID low beams are still brighter in the end.


----------



## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_
i agree with Dolan.
have you ever seen the new Acura TLs w/their HID low beams & the high beams on? its really pointless! http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
it looks like the HIDs cancel out the high beams. its just amazingly weird.







and in the end, the HID low beams are still brighter in the end.

What you're probably seeing isn't the high beams (TLs have Bi-Xenons) but is the Halogen fog lights that are integrated into the headlight housing and sit where one might normally find a high beam.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Pelican18TQA4)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (Pelican18TQA4)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pelican18TQA4* »_
What you're probably seeing isn't the high beams (TLs have Bi-Xenons) but is the Halogen fog lights that are integrated into the headlight housing and sit where one might normally find a high beam.

ohhhhhhhhhhhh








that's stupid!!!!!







damn Acura engineers!








cuz i see them being used as DRL so i just figured that they were high beams becuz alot of newer cars use the high beams as the DRLs.
thanx for the info. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 9:27 PM 1-1-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

the integrated fog helps in inclimate weather. Whenever the roads are wet you will notice that HID light seems to be swalowed up by the road and it looks as if your lighting isnt as good. For some reason HID does not light up the wet roads well where as halogen seems to help a bit. With the integrated fog light the road will apear brighter than without the integrated fog.
My next project will be hopefully retroing some Evo8's with some sort of a running light that will act like the integrated fog. ...Well see...


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_the integrated fog helps in inclimate weather. Whenever the roads are wet you will notice that HID light seems to be swalowed up by the road and it looks as if your lighting isnt as good. For some reason HID does not light up the wet roads well where as halogen seems to help a bit. With the integrated fog light the road will apear brighter than without the integrated fog.
My next project will be hopefully retroing some Evo8's with some sort of a running light that will act like the integrated fog. ...Well see...

yea i noticed that so ok ok ok wait... so if i get a 4300K HID Fog Kit, will I still be able to see the road pretty well or should I just use Halogens period.
unless i get a 3000K HID Fog Kit which i was planning on doing?
jeeez! just when you think you start to understand lighting it just gets confusing again!


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

Which part confuse you? Doesn't matter which k, u should get halogen gas filles bulbs to light up wet road, the k in xenon gas fill bulbs just change the color, but they are still xenon. Hope this helps.


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_Which part confuse you? Doesn't matter which k, u should get halogen gas filles bulbs to light up wet road, the k in xenon gas fill bulbs just change the color, but they are still xenon. Hope this helps.

i understand that but i think i just answered my own question earlier on today when i was thinkin about it. thanx though http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
when i typed my previous question it was around 4AM and i was up ever since 7PM, the previous day, so i wasn't thinkin straight so i figured it out.
disregard my first question, sorry.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

3000K anything is yellowish and is a good kelvin rate for bad weather (fog, rain).
Personally I do not like the idea of driving with a 3000K hid system for main driving lights but I am considering using 3000K HID bulbs for aux driving lamps or fog lights.
The halogen is just a suplement and if you decide to incorporate a ny halogen components it shouldnt empty your pocket much seeing that those kinds of parts are not very pricey. 
Stick with your current plans using 4300K or 4100K hid cause in the long run they give you the most light in normal conditions which will probably outweigh the bad weather days. Then later on if your crazy like some of us you can go and get a second pair of HIDS and use 3000K for bad weather.


----------



## Pat Dolan (Sep 28, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

The yellow light for fog thing is an ancient leftover from much earlier times. It was supposedly the size of the droplets in continental Europe that made the French go with Yellow. You will note that nobody in Germany would do such a silly thing. Sending out anything less than a full spectrum of light simply removes a source of the emissions that are reflected back as a visible image. Not a good idea (either at 3,000K or 8,000K end).
You advice re: 4,100, 4,300 is spot on.
Pat


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (Pat Dolan)*

sorry but i'm such a euro whore and i'm a former Parisien myself so I GOTTA GO W/YELLOW FOGS!








actually seen Yellow HID Low Beams on an S4 at an East Coast VW Show and it was just Pure Hottness!!!!!







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 9:55 PM 1-2-2006_


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

hey all, i am gonna start joey modding my headlight soon. I have a few question.. 
1. I have a depo projector with laminx, issit oke to go into the oven with the lamin x? 
2. and another question (which is really stupid is), do i have to remove all the bulbs before i put the headlight into the oven? or it wont affect the bulbs at all? thanks alot.
and what kind of paint I should use? flat black or glossy black? any good brand name will be appreciated. Thanks alot.


_Modified by LA20 at 9:58 PM 1-5-2006_


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_hey all, i am gonna start joey modding my headlight soon. I have a few question.. 
1. I have a depo projector with laminx, issit oke to go into the oven with the lamin x? 
2. and another question (which is really stupid is), do i have to remove all the bulbs before i put the headlight into the oven? or it wont affect the bulbs at all? thanks alot.
and what kind of paint I should use? flat black or glossy black? any good brand name will be appreciated. Thanks alot.

_Modified by LA20 at 9:50 PM 1-5-2006_

1. i recommend you take off the lamin-x. it might melt and stick permanently to the Headlights due to the excess heat.
2. please take out the light bulbs. you don't want pieces of shattered glass in your oven. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
paint shouldn't matter as long as it can with stand the heat from the light bulbs which it most likely will. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
and gloss black sounds HOT! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 9:58 PM 1-5-2006_


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

thanks for the fast reply.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_thanks for the fast reply.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

no prob. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
i'm bored as hell!


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_


































That is exactly what I want to do in my GTi.
But has it ever been done before????


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (thenick)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thenick* »_
That is exactly what I want to do in my GTi.
But has it ever been done before????

oh yea!
many times, maybe even more then Jetta headlights like previously shown above. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (thenick)*

search for maxpowerz (hopefully I spelled that right).
He had a DIY with pictures for the retro he did in his GTI with I believe BMW X5 projectors. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Keep the retros going!!


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
Keep the retros going!!
















word!
i had to delete your quote in my sig cuz i had too much crap in there apparently and so the mods kept on PMing me.


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

I just do the 180 mod on my depo projector and I must say that it is a zillion times better than before. I still wont satisfy until I do a retrofit from my friend's s4 projector, which will happen in a month or two time (he is not in US right now, gone for holiday).
I also found out that one of the guy here has done a direct swap of an a4 projector to his inpro projector. Totally plug and play!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

Sleepy: I c Hey atleast you rocked it for a while. hehehe http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Have you decided on which projectors to go with yet?

LA20: Thats cool that they are plug and play. makes things a whole lot easier. Valeos are very impressize and highly recomended by most all of the moderators on HIDPLANET. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Sleepy: I c Hey atleast you rocked it for a while. hehehe http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Have you decided on which projectors to go with yet?


might go with the TSX Projectors then in the end but i still wana explore my options cuz like you said i've been hearing really good things about the Valeos.
so we shall see.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

Cool, if you go with valeos be sure to get ones with CLEAR lenses not fresnel lines. The clear projectors put out more light and give a sharper cutoff. I personaly think the DOT version of valeos are nicer looking but if you like ECE then go for it. I am assuming that you checked out some of the beam pics at hidplanet right?


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Cool, if you go with valeos be sure to get ones with CLEAR lenses not fresnel lines. The clear projectors put out more light and give a sharper cutoff. I personaly think the DOT version of valeos are nicer looking but if you like ECE then go for it. I am assuming that you checked out some of the beam pics at hidplanet right?

i havent seen the beam pics yet.
i'll be sure to check it out. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

just bought a set of tsx projectors and acura cl ballasts and ignitors. after i start on the project ill post up some pix and maybe some people can help make sure i dont eff stuff up. thanx for the info so far and ill keep yall updated!

ps this should end up a diy stick or sumthin bcuz there will b an ish load of info on here when this is over http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

Sweet! Cant wait, do keep us up to date and if you have any Q's let us know. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
and yes I am jelous cause I still dont have my TSX projectors to play around with


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

this is gonna be interesting.
i wana see this Jon.
let me know if you need help manually.
i'll be willing to help you out and i wana check out the Jetta Front End on the GTI. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

how did this guy mod his lens to put the color at the top of his beam????


----------



## Royale5 (Oct 26, 2002)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03gti* »_how did this guy mod his lens to put the color at the top of his beam????









I think that is done by using washers as spacers and place them between the bowl of the projector and the lense. This will lengthen the space between the bulb and the lense and will give you a prism effect of color.


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## Matt-K (Jan 21, 2005)

(into watched topics)


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

No heres a link for that modification but just dont get your hopes up to high cause its the most amount of color recieved from a TSX beam that has been documented. A TSX with this amount of color is like finding a needle in a haystack. There arent to many TSX projectors that yield that same amount of color. But I will say that by modifying them you will definatly recieve a lot of color from the projectors! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Link to Haknslash's MOD: http://www.hidplanet.com/forum...=8731
Heres another link by another member on hidplanet. He shows multiple shots using varying amounts of washers. Consult this thread after you look at the post by Haknslash.
http://www.hidplanet.com/forum...14870
hope these links provide suficient information. Any other questions let me know. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

Short answer: Two number 8 washers on each post located at the bottem of the projector. This will space the lense and shield a little farther from the bulb and split the light coming from the bulb so to speak to get some more color out of the light.
But please do look at the links all you have to do is sign in http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Short answer: Two number 8 washers on each post located at the bottem of the projector. This will space the lense and shield a little farther from the bulb and split the light coming from the bulb so to speak to get some more color out of the light.
But please do look at the links all you have to do is sign in http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
and BrunoVdub has become another strong supporter of hidplanet.com like gregom.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03gti* »_how did this guy mod his lens to put the color at the top of his beam????









*YOU* need to get ahold of me so I can HELP you with this Project Jon!
I don't want to see you mess it up and i just wana help!








retrofitting is fun!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

Well I dont know if retrofitting is fun but I do know that having a retrofit is fun. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Well I dont know if retrofitting is fun but I do know that having a retrofit is fun. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

its fun once the shield/bezel is already built-in the headlights.








and i got bad news, my suspension is messed up so i gotta hold back on the Projectors for another month.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

i just got my projectors and ballasts in today. ill start preppin the headlights this week to make em ready.

btw anyone know of any good plastic polish to get our headlight lenses back to a nice clear look??? the headlight i bought are a little foggy and i have to take a pair of eyelids off the front of em to. so let me know what products you have used.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03gti)*

well if they are foggy and hazy on the outside then I would suggest 2000 grit sanfpaper then some plastic polish. If you think polish will suffice then by all means. As far as who makes the best one. I think its like comparing a pontiac to a chevy to a buick to an oldsmobile(RIP). There all GM's so I guess whatever company you have an alegence too..
suggestions from the peanut gallery???


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_
its fun once the shield/bezel is already built-in the headlights.








and i got bad news, my suspension is messed up so i gotta hold back on the Projectors for another month.









oh man that sucks big time! hope everything works out alright. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
oh man that sucks big time! hope everything works out alright. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

thanx man.








its either a front axle, a cv joint or boot.








but anyways back to HIDs. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*

actually last thing off topic....suspension related.......About 5 months ago I have bought some FK headlights for like almost 400 bucks. I was on the highway going around a bend where one of the highway lights happened to be out. Before I knew it there was a big ass DEER laying dead right in the middle lane. I couldnt swerve cause there were cars on the left and right of me so my car had to run over it. Well after it was all over with all the plastic pieces under my car were ripped off, the right fender well liners (both front and back) were ripped off inside the wheel well spinning around, and last but not least my brand new lights were pretty much ruined cause the mounting points all broke. Thats not all. When I went to get all the plastic replaced I found out that both rear shocks were completly blown so I said screw it....this spring i am fitting bilstein sports struts with neuspeed sport springs and all new mounting hardware. SOO....i feel your pain......










_Modified by BrunoVdub at 2:39 PM 1-18-2006_


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_actually last thing off topic....suspension related.......About 5 months ago I have bought some FK headlights for like almost 400 bucks. I was on the highway going around a bend where one of the highway lights happened to be out. Before I knew it there was a big ass DEER laying dead right in the middle lane. I couldnt swerve cause there were cars on the left and right of me so my car had to run over it. Well after it was all over with all the plastic pieces under my car were ripped off, the right fender well liners (both front and back) were ripped off inside the wheel well spinning around, and last but not least my brand new lights were pretty much ruined cause the mounting points all broke. Thats not all. When I went to get all the plastic replaced I found out that both rear shocks were completly blown so I said screw it....this spring i am fitting bilstein sports struts with neuspeed sport springs and all new mounting hardware. SOO....i feel your pain......









_Modified by BrunoVdub at 2:39 PM 1-18-2006_

word bro word... i'm pourin one for your old suspension...








but i hope u like the new set-up better though.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (sleepygti28)*








can't wait!


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## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

2 things... 
- about that white beezel... you can find that at lowes or home depot..
SKU# at lowes. 611942 03267 9








- Ont thing to take into consideration while moding your projector is that
the ones used at hidplanet are made by stanley. I guess you just the matter of trying on the hella projectors.
anoter way to get a blue band is by bending the shiled closer to the bulb.


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (robin_lantigua)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robin_lantigua* »_2 things... 
- about that white beezel... you can find that at lowes or home depot..
SKU# at lowes. 611942 03267 9








- Ont thing to take into consideration while moding your projector is that
the ones used at hidplanet are made by stanley. I guess you just the matter of trying on the hella projectors.
anoter way to get a blue band is by bending the shiled closer to the bulb. 

your retrofit is super clean!
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (robin_lantigua)*

what white bezel? and yeah the stanley projectors give off a lot of color.


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

this is just painted. you can find this at lowes or home depot. < $5US












_Modified by robin_lantigua at 7:56 PM 1-19-2006_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*

ok so now im pissed.....
i finally take a good look at the jetta lights that i bought from someone on here. i knew the lenses were a lil fogged up and that a lil chrome was messed up b4 i bought em but now that i look at them all kinds of ish is broke and or missing.
first the chrome is chipped
then there are pieces of the frame that were cuts out
then the wiring harness was fried
and the f-en backs to the headlights were missing.
so now i need a new set of stock jetta lights to work with.
so if anyone has any from cheap to free lemme know whats up


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*

oh really, well thats cool. Hey atleast I know now right. Ya I went to lowes and hoe DEPO near me and niether of them carried anything like that. Besides I may have bought those for more money than i should of but hey doesnt matter cause my setup is like miles and miles and miles away from and OEM price.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Guess I was just unlucky, but I will tell you this much those bezels fit X5 and E55 perfectly with just a small amount of dremeling on the inside for the legs of the projector.
Thanks for posting that by the way makes me feel good. Ha HA Ha








Funny thing is now that I am changing my retro to either TSX or EVO, I think the bezels will most likely be coming out.


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 8:09 PM 1-19-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

oh, tough luck, well check this out, you can still use em if you joey mod them (alot) and then replace the back covers with ones from your stockies. just a thought.
You would be surprised how well the lenses clean up after sanding them a bit. havnt tried it myself but seems that most get good outcomes.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_oh, tough luck, well check this out, you can still use em if you joey mod them (alot) and then replace the back covers with ones from your stockies. just a thought.
You would be surprised how well the lenses clean up after sanding them a bit. havnt tried it myself but seems that most get good outcomes.


yea that would be nice but i recently did a front end swap with a guy and the headlights he gave me have no backs either becuas ehe had a hid drop in kit installed.

o yea so i was just wiping the reflector part of my headlight off with a wet rag and the chrome is comin off like crazy so im removing all the chrome before i joey mod em. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_

yea that would be nice but i recently did a front end swap with a guy and the headlights he gave me have no backs either becuas ehe had a hid drop in kit installed.

o yea so i was just wiping the reflector part of my headlight off with a wet rag and the chrome is comin off like crazy so im removing all the chrome before i joey mod em. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 









that sux but i think i might now someone with stock jetta headlights in ok condition.
hum... i'll call you if they still have them.








and Bruno, GO WITH THE EVOs!


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_








that sux but i think i might now someone with stock jetta headlights in ok condition.
hum... i'll call you if they still have them.








and Bruno, GO WITH THE EVOs!










thanx man lemme know. ive had a couple people pm me with some offers, but let me know asap http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

ok so i took the headlights apart and i was jus wipin the reflector part off and the chrome started to come off so to insure that my black paint will stick later i decided to wip eall the chrome i could off.
while i was at it i sat half the projector in there to start pondering what ill be doing and i took a lil pic with the celly....


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_ok so i took the headlights apart and i was jus wipin the reflector part off and the chrome started to come off so to insure that my black paint will stick later i decided to wip eall the chrome i could off.
while i was at it i sat half the projector in there to start pondering what ill be doing and i took a lil pic with the celly....










http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
this is def gonna become a DIY.
i think i should post up my pics too then.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

i might be replacing the stock blinker with a fog projector lens as well as put another fog under that to use as a fog.... then ill have 3 projectors in one light


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

suggestion::: use the bottem fog light or whatever as your high beam spot. I know you said that you dont care much for having a high beam but this atleast gives you the ability to flash to pass or whatever.
just a thought......
BTW nice yellow headlight!







yeah joey mod them and you wouldnt even know. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

but what would i use as a reflector? or do u just put the bulbs in there sticking out?? i was gonna use the top and bottom spots for 2 fogs. one being a blinker and the other a fog. bcuz of my boser the bottom spot has to be a blinker. the top fog would only b there to look good and keep the projector uniform look in the entire headlight.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

As far as what to use.....i say let your imagination run wild. theres no wrong way. I just suggested that one of the spots be conected to your high beam so that you could tap the wand on the steering wheel and be able to flash to pass.


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_oh really, well thats cool. Hey atleast I know now right. Ya I went to lowes and hoe DEPO near me and niether of them carried anything like that. Besides I may have bought those for more money than i should of but hey doesnt matter cause my setup is like miles and miles and miles away from and OEM price.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Guess I was just unlucky, but I will tell you this much those bezels fit X5 and E55 perfectly with just a small amount of dremeling on the inside for the legs of the projector.
Thanks for posting that by the way makes me feel good. Ha HA Ha








Funny thing is now that I am changing my retro to either TSX or EVO, I think the bezels will most likely be coming out.

_Modified by BrunoVdub at 8:09 PM 1-19-2006_

I went by lowes roday and this is what they have...








*2.94 With TAX!!!*



_Modified by robin_lantigua at 9:25 PM 1-20-2006_


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robin_lantigua* »_
I went by lowes roday and this is what they have...








*2.94 With TAX!!!*


_Modified by robin_lantigua at 9:25 PM 1-20-2006_
















did you take this pic while you were still in the store?!?!?!?!


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

YUP


----------



## 2SlowGLS (Jan 17, 2005)

That's what I used...except mine is a little longer and covers the entire projector housing. Works wonders!


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (2SlowGLS)*

updated pic of the car these will be going into!!!
















ok so now i have a new question!!!
i have my spare headlights, tsx projectors, acura cl ballasts, orasm4300k bulbs and something i found as a bezel for thee projectors...
so heres my question well two of them actually.
1. What is this i am reading about a relay and fuse needing to be installed and where should i intstall this at?
2. Now here is the tricky one which may require my making a new thread. As seen in the pic above i will only be able to see a part of my top blinker section sooo i will need to reloacte that to the bottom. 
what my idea was is to put a fog lens in the bottom part and use that as a blinker and a fog. so how would i wire it so if i wanted to be off unless i hit the blinker switch or if i had it on as a fog blink when i hit the switch. hard to kinda explain but i basically want it to be a blinker and a fog light.....


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

ooh....still think that car looks dead sexy.....onto the relay/fuse question:
here is a diagram that has been used extensively as far as how to properly wire a set of ballasts up with relays and fuses(its pretty self explanatory if you have knowledge of wiring)








NOTE: if you are making your own wiring harness, I highly recomend you soldering and shrink wrapping if you know how too. Gives everything a better contact and better weather proofing.
As far as fuses.....any store will do
As far as relays....dont get junk taiwan made ones.....get some beafy 
car relays from either an audio installation store or some reputable car parts dealer....I used bosch SPDT(single pull double throw)
basically they have two positions for a wire to fo to each headlight
I used a seaparate harnes for each light so that if one relay or fuse fail then I still have one light on(its your choice but dont worry about it until your done retroing the lights)
hope that helps with the relay harness question
As far as relocating the fog/blinker and wiring them up......sorry never done that so I dont want to give you bad information...guys that would know this kind of stuff (no offense if i didnt name you)
.........NATER..........
.........Dennisgli.........
from experience they know a lot when it comes to wiring random things up so ask them or hopefuuly someone else will post here soon
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

if i bought a wiring harness would all i need to do is plug it into my current 9007 socket and wire that to the ballasts?


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

btw thanx for helpin out soooooo much!!!!!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hey no problem....umm..not sure how the harness is set up.
Reason I am saying this is because I made mine from scratch. With this being done I made a connector to slip into my 9007 light socket. This plug then was run to the relay and wired to that. This is what turns the relay on and off to provide power to the ballasts. I think that it should be as easy as plugging it in but I am not for certain as I have never used a pre-made wiring harness...sorry


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

is there a need for a relay if you only are going to be using the HIDS as low beams> it seems that jus putting an inline fuse in the positive wire going to each ballast would be enough? why do you need the relay is basically what im asking....


----------



## Gigitt (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_is there a need for a relay if you only are going to be using the HIDS as low beams> it seems that jus putting an inline fuse in the positive wire going to each ballast would be enough? why do you need the relay is basically what im asking....

The relay is there so you supply can supply more power (current) to the devices. The 12V+ power is supplied by a relay directly from the battery rather than through the cars thin wires and through the fuse box (long wire runs). The OEM wires are only rated to a specific current draw, but HID's have what is called a Startup current and this can be high for about 1-2 seconds. This could be enough to heat up the OEM Thin wires to melt the wires sheilding or worse Start a Fire... Better to be safe. The Other benefit is that you are getting a Better source of 12V+ to the HID system so you will be having longer life and better output.
Most car owners want to brighten up the light output... they go buy globes and wonder why they do not last as long or are not much brighter that stock...
Upgrading to a Fused Relay Harness is the best thing you can do.
Hope this helps
Cheers


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

ok bare with me....I know we have electrical brainiacs in this forumm just lurking to shut people down with better answers but here goes.
A relay basically is like a junction for turning a power source on and off. It allows a signal to be recieved so that it may open a path up and provide a certain amount of power, in this case to a ballast. inline fuses are only half of it. Fuses are used to kep the amount of current in check. If the ballast you are running calls for a certain amuont of current the inline fuse is in place so that if a spike in voltage occurs the ballast will not be recieving that spike in current which could result in two things: damage to the ballast because of the high input of current or damage to the electrical wires running the lighting system.
in the diagram I posted there is a 30 amp fuse then a relay and then two splits off of the relay with 15 amp fuses each. This keeps the current draw to 30 a piece for each ballast. If you put in fuses higher than these you could overload your ballast.
The relay is there in place to act as a switching mechanism. When you provide power from your headlight switch to the relay, it will open current to the upgraded lighting system. Without a relay there is constant current being supplied to the ballasts. that is bad. 
Does that help at all?? Sorry if it is long and kind of sketchy...


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Gigitt)*

so where would i find a preassembled version of this. all the parts prolly would cost as much as one i could get online. lemme know if you have any suggestions...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

well if you dont mind wiring, you can always make one yourself and make it how you want too.....some kits come with smallish gauge wire, its always suggested to get something atleast 14ga. or thicker to keep current heat down in the wires. Alot of people have talked in the past about having problems with relays cause they just arnt that beefy. Its been said that a nice heavy duty car relay from either and audio installer or autoparts place is the way to go......other than that do a search I beieve there are different kinds or harnesses online to buy for around $20.
my setup is a little custom so thats why I made my own








EDIT: heres a rite-up from hidplanet if you might want to tackle it yourself... http://www.hidplanet.com/forum...=6612


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 9:26 PM 1-26-2006_


----------



## whytie (May 22, 2005)

can someone give me the info and know how or guide me in the right path to get Bi-xenon to work with my 9007. relay info, how to get it to function with the stalk, all of that.. i have TL's which are bi-xenon, hella gen3's and id LOVE to use them. plz plz plz


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (whytie)*

hey whytie, I think I just emailed you information I already posted for you in your other post!














wow I think i need some sleep. i didnt make the connection that you were the same person.








sorry....


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

Easiest path is to buy 2 wiring harness from 
autolampsonline or XenonDepot. They come wrapped in a
way that it looks like 1 cable and they use a relay to
power the ballast. I think is worth the investment.
I used the harness from autolams online.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*

cool deal thanx for the info ill pick one up from there this week.


----------



## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_ooh....still think that car looks dead sexy.....onto the relay/fuse question:
here is a diagram that has been used extensively as far as how to properly wire a set of ballasts up with relays and fuses(its pretty self explanatory if you have knowledge of wiring)








NOTE: if you are making your own wiring harness, I highly recomend you soldering and shrink wrapping if you know how too. Gives everything a better contact and better weather proofing.
As far as fuses.....any store will do
As far as relays....dont get junk taiwan made ones.....get some beafy 
car relays from either an audio installation store or some reputable car parts dealer....I used bosch SPDT(single pull double throw)
basically they have two positions for a wire to fo to each headlight
I used a seaparate harnes for each light so that if one relay or fuse fail then I still have one light on(its your choice but dont worry about it until your done retroing the lights)
hope that helps with the relay harness question
As far as relocating the fog/blinker and wiring them up......sorry never done that so I dont want to give you bad information...guys that would know this kind of stuff (no offense if i didnt name you)
.........NATER..........
.........Dennisgli.........
from experience they know a lot when it comes to wiring random things up so ask them or hopefuuly someone else will post here soon
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


This diagram above is EXACTLY how I wired mine up two years back. One 15a inline fuse to each side and one MASTER 30A fuse just after the battery and before the relay.
Works like a charm.
AND,
If you blow a fuse (other then the master) you only lose one lamp.
If you keep one fuse that protects both circuits (both lamps) and you lose it, then you are SOL.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (nater)*

I have seen a lot of diagrams while searching for this and they all sucked compared to this one. Kinda idiot proof and was a sinch to follow. ...but I dont know who posted it the first time I saw it....hmmmmm


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

come on, one of you please come up with DIY Retrofit Project!!!!


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

Oke I think I am going to do a retrofit with the help of some professional.
Please correct my list:
1. Stock headlights/ 337 headlights with fog.
2. HID projectors with bulbs, ballast and HID wiring.
3. Home-made relay as shown in the above diagram.
***4. Shrouds? or the one from lowes/homedepot or both shrouds and the round thingy???
5. Flat black high temp paint.
***6. Dremel Kit??
Question about the wiring. The wiring included is the normal HID wiring, from ballast to bulb and from ballast to car battery. What we need is to replace the one from ballast to battery with the home-made wiring shown above?? is that how we do it?? 
Will it make any difference if I use the stock plastic housing instead of e-codes glass??

*** This part I am not sure



_Modified by LA20 at 11:40 AM 1-31-2006_


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

im going to be using plastic but as always eventually you will wind up with a fog or yelllowish tint. but im willing to see if that happens and if necessary buy new lenses. 
the shrouds can vary from anything to anything. im having a lil problem becuase of how wide the tsx projector is but i have a few ideas up my sleeve.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

Sorry i dont have a DIY for a golf headlight. The setup should be similar to the jetta light as far as size of the headlight. But you will have an advantage in the back because the access panel for the low beam is much bigger than the jetta panel. 
Shrouds....take your pick. Whatever projector you choose to go with just find something that will fit over the front lense and your golden.
As far as the stock wiring, the only wiring you must alter is the harness for your low beam. There are different ways to hook up your wiring harness to the ballasts. If you choose to make a relay harness or buy one then your simply just tieing it into the ballasts, battery, and stck harness for the lights.
If you ever have any questions about tieing all of that in dont hesitate to ask cause I am sure between all of us here we can come up with solutions and such. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
EDIT: About what kind of lenses to use, most headlights come with plastic so I would just stick with those. Both have advantages and disadvantages. You shouldnt really have a problem with either one.


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 1:20 PM 1-31-2006_


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

nice.. thanks bruno, I am going to take my time to do this.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

cool, glad to help. Time is my biggest suggestion. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i was originally set to use a regular shroud for my projector but i think im going to test out a fiberglass setup and move around everything in there. 
might use a halogen high, put a fog in and a blinker. im def takin my time and waitin for a warm day to expirement


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

cool!...do it up get creative..wish I new how to use that stuff.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i made a fiberglass box for my sound system a while back and it turned out pretty well for my first time messing with it. ill be making a new one soon that looks a little better. if it gets warm this weeekend ill throw something together and take some pix.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

something struck my mind, will we be able to use the stock adjuster tab after we do the retrofit??


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

YES


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

bruno, sleepy after such a long time considering and reconsidering, analysing, research, cost and risk assessment, etc.. I will be doing the retrofit in a couple of days/weeks.. I am just waiting for the pending sale on my current headlights setup.








one big question for now:
after you cut the right size hole for the shrouds/bezels to fit in, what kind of stuff do you use to glue the shrouds to the headlight housing? and what do u use to smooth the edges and make them look good?
thanks.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robin_lantigua* »_YES

wow u did a hell of retrofit! good job!!


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

*Re: (LA20)*

Thanks.. is kind messy on the back... Never got time to seal the housing 100%. I just got 2 new projectors and a new set of head lamps. I will start it all over whne I get a chance.
I will like to do an Angel eye single projector combination to see how it looks.


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_bruno, sleepy after such a long time considering and reconsidering, analysing, research, cost and risk assessment, etc.. I will be doing the retrofit in a couple of days/weeks.. I am just waiting for the pending sale on my current headlights setup.








one big question for now:
after you cut the right size hole for the shrouds/bezels to fit in, what kind of stuff do you use to glue the shrouds to the headlight housing? and what do u use to smooth the edges and make them look good?
thanks.

before you glue anything... make sure the projectors are sititng in the correct position. Dont want to glue enything to later find out the
beamPatter is mess up.
Jbwweld should be ok..


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_bruno, sleepy after such a long time considering and reconsidering, analysing, research, cost and risk assessment, etc.. I will be doing the retrofit in a couple of days/weeks.. I am just waiting for the pending sale on my current headlights setup.








one big question for now:
after you cut the right size hole for the shrouds/bezels to fit in, what kind of stuff do you use to glue the shrouds to the headlight housing? and what do u use to smooth the edges and make them look good?
thanks.

i would recommend a high heat silicone sealant from home depot.
i forgot what i'm using, its somewhere upstairs but i got mine from home depot. nevermind, its called polyseamseal Red High-Temp.
and i used a dremel kit with all those different kinds of little heads for to smooth the rough edges.
click on the link below... this is the kit i bought...
http://www.homedepot.com/prel8...=9876
btw home depot becomes your best friend for a project like this. and you've probably become one of their best customers too.
and make sure everything is fitting properly and sitting properly.







nevermind, rob lantigua beat me to it.










_Modified by sleepygti28 at 5:36 AM 2-2-2006_


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

btw... might be selling my golf hid retrofit headlights.
i might be doing a jetta front end swap so having the golf headlights seems pointless now.
i have a guy looking at the retro right now and i'll post it up, here, if he decides to back down.
and i'm not even done with the retro yet.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

post up some pics..
this might sound stupid.. but how do you intially cut the hole for the shrouds to fit in?? issit included in the dremel kit??
no way we can just keep filing till its 3" right??
just use a small saw blade or something?


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robin_lantigua* »_before you glue anything... make sure the projectors are sititng in the correct position. Dont want to glue enything to later find out the
beamPatter is mess up.
Jbwweld should be ok.. 

this is another thing that I am confused, I read your DIY and have this impression that the srhouds have to be angled so that the projector is aimed correctly horizontal wise..
I think this is by far the hardest part besides wiring.


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_post up some pics..
this might sound stupid.. but how do you intially cut the hole for the shrouds to fit in?? issit included in the dremel kit??
no way we can just keep filing till its 3" right??
just use a small saw blade or something?

yes, there was this cutter/round saw blade head in there.
its basically just a metal round disc and it made the job soooo much easier! cut the opening in about 15seconds.
oh and i suggest you draw any outlines with a sharpie before u do any cutting. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

hey, well in rob's retro he has a shroud that fits around the projector rather than a shroud that is fitted to the housing. I fitted a shroud to the housing and then J B weld time. I made sure that I could hook the projector into the shroud so that it wouldnt be flimsy and not stay on when going over bumps and such. 
Most people dont go the route I went. Most find a way to attach the projector to the rear of the housing and then fit a shroud in the front to cover up the entire face of the hole that the projector is fit into. If you are using a bezel from like a BMW or mercedes I would look at Rob's DIY about attaching the projector to the rear using metal strips. Looks great and from what he has said it is pretty damn sturdy.
I am re-retroing my lights in a near future and probably will be going an entirely different root. Tossing out the bi-xenon and going with a single, either modified TSX, 06 GS small projector, or some sort of a hi-brid Evo(this should take me a while to figure out) using any of these projectors will require me to make sure the hole in the back is big enough for the projector to stick in through the back and then fit a shroud to the front. I probably will be using J-B weld for strength unless I find something else that holds just as well.
But dont hold your breath on my conversion cause it will be a while before I get what i want figured out.








Hope that helps any....bTW what kind of projectors and shrouds are 
you thinking of using??
EDIT: YEAH like sleepy said sharpie is your friend!! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_
this is another thing that I am confused, I read your DIY and have this impression that the srhouds have to be angled so that the projector is aimed correctly horizontal wise..
I think this is by far the hardest part besides wiring.

My conversion was one of the first ones done in vortex.
a that time there wasn't much information regarding on that to use and
how.
If you look over my document. there are tons off stuff that could be done
different.
If my bezel was mounted by Squeezing the projector into it.. the Squeezing the
bezel and projector in the Hole... then holding everything in place by the
metal straps.
The disadvantage on this trial on error... I had to try the lights many times
on the car to find the proper ____/----- cut off...

I'm not sure what kind of bezel are you using. If you use the ones from 
Lows.. then you may have to Glue that first in the proper direction.
*Look at the turn signal edge*... your bezel has to point on the same direction.
then you just have to worry about moving the projector clock wise Etc.
Put the projector as deep as possible. This will prevent you for having the same
problems I had. 
While aiming the lights from side to side. the projector was touching the sides and I had to do more trimming inside the lamp.
And of course.. that is one more.. 
Bumper off... Oven on... lens off - projector off trim.. put all back etc..


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i guess i'm gonna have to weld it too then.
i only used that sealant to clog up any little holes or crevasses that were open to water around the projector and bezel.
and yes a sharpie is def your best friend.
especially when your friends are passed out drunk and you tattoo their faces with a sharpie! ah man! good times! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 8:20 AM 2-2-2006_


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

oke now i have all the pictures in my mind on what I have to do. the only usure thing is the wiring but i guess i will worry about it later and I am not that worry either cause it can be easily done and figured out.
the other thing i dont get is how the leveling tab works? do we make the beam goes up and down by turning the projector clockwise or anti clockwise??
I mean when you turn the tab to the right, the beam goes lower.. I assume that the projector dont point down suddenly right??


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

btw i will be using either audi TT or audi s4 projectors.., if i cant find a good priced one, i will go for bmw projectors.. if all else fail, i will buy bosch projectors from hidplanet.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

S4's usually use valeos, but I think they are D1S. most people prefer the valeos over the boschs but I guess that is just preference. Valeo makes a D1S, D2S, and halogen H7 projector. The best combo in valeos is definatly D2S, DOT shield __|------ vs. __/------, and "CLEAR" lenses(usually noted as ECE clear lenses) no fresnall lines. 
These tend to give you the best output and nicest cutoff, but again its all preference and from what I have seen they are the better setup amongst valeo. 
If you are using either one I dont think that lows gasket will fit them and I think you would be better off using somthing like an OEM hid bezel from the bimmers because their size should almost match that of the GTI headlight low beam diameter (double check this though).
and yeah fit the projector as deep in as possible, toward the headlight cover, so as to not run into any problems with the closing the back end up. 
Rob... I feel your pain as I too had a lot of fitting and refitting to do with my lights and there still not exactly how I would want them. However they are good enough for me http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

uh oh......
i might be doing a retrofit for jetta headlights since i'm tryin to make my car a JTI!





























so maybe i'll do a retrofit for Jetta headlights.
or maybe i might go OEM BORA Headlights!








later


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

really....
Well by OEM bora what do you mean?? 
i will say that jetta headlights when compared to Golf headlights are harder to retro cause the Golfs have nice perfectly round low beam reflectors. The jetta well lets just say Im not sure what their inspiration was for the design for that reflector housing.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ill be doin some fiberglassin tomorrow it should be a nice day out. i have a great idea for these lights...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif cool!


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_really....
Well by OEM bora what do you mean?? 
i will say that jetta headlights when compared to Golf headlights are harder to retro cause the Golfs have nice perfectly round low beam reflectors. The jetta well lets just say Im not sure what their inspiration was for the design for that reflector housing.









sorry, i meant to say, instead of doin a retro, i might just go with OEM BORA/JETTA HID Headlights.





























we'll see.


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

Im just gonna answer son q's that Ive seen on this page.
E46 BMW bezels are the right shape and size ( and also the correct depth ) to fit to the Golf headlamp, but one side is cut off flat to he rest of the bezel.
To test the beam's aim...
Have the front of your car off ( bumper, grille ,lights ) Only put the reflector/ projector assy in the housing and mount it dont put the trim ring or the lens on. Check and adjust as necessary.
Leveling Adjustment
If you mount the projector assy. ridgidly to the reflector you will have some adjustment in the same manner as normal lights.
It adjusts gradually not a sudden drop off.
In my opinoin so far BMW projectors are pretty easy to retro in due to the large mounting points on the base of the projector assy.
Fiberglassing
Make sure you get plenty of airflow around you. Resin will get you super high!!


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thenick* »_Im just gonna answer son q's that Ive seen on this page.
E46 BMW bezels are the right shape and size ( and also the correct depth ) to fit to the Golf headlamp, but one side is cut off flat to he rest of the bezel.
To test the beam's aim...
Have the front of your car off ( bumper, grille ,lights ) Only put the reflector/ projector assy in the housing and mount it dont put the trim ring or the lens on. Check and adjust as necessary.
Leveling Adjustment
If you mount the projector assy. ridgidly to the reflector you will have some adjustment in the same manner as normal lights.
It adjusts gradually not a sudden drop off.
In my opinoin so far BMW projectors are pretty easy to retro in due to the large mounting points on the base of the projector assy.
Fiberglassing
Make sure you get plenty of airflow around you. Resin will get you super high!!


haha yea i always do the glassin out in my back yard. now that i have 3 sets of jetta headlights to play with and a set of gti ones for parts i can afford to mess around. im gonna do a pattern kinda like this.
[O :.]---------------[.: O] 
O= TSX HID projector
: = top dot is high beam bulb with tiny reflector behind
bottom dot is blinker
. = halogen fog projecor 
the stagger will be at the same angle as my mean boser








the hardest part will be makin sure everything is shooting straight.

_Modified by phat03jti at 12:15 AM 2-4-2006_


_Modified by phat03jti at 12:16 AM 2-4-2006_


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

Getting the aim right is a b1*ch
And cuttin fiberglass with a razorblade is not fun.
( I ve been doing it for the last 3 hours )


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thenick* »_Getting the aim right is a b1*ch
And cuttin fiberglass with a razorblade is not fun.
( I ve been doing it for the last 3 hours )

i use a dremel to make my holes close then sand paper to get it down to perfect.


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_
i use a dremel to make my holes close then sand paper to get it down to perfect.

Im using the razorblade to get a beveled edge around the projector.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*

o ok. u got any pix of what you have done so far????


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## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*

*DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* 
top: Retros
middle: My usual set Joey'd with drop-ins and eyelids in satin black
bottom: Boring Stock
















Before adjustment


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*

nice man what did ya use for your shaping of the glass.


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Layer 1- Fiberglass
Layer 2- Bodyfiller
And alot of time with a longboard and a good eye. ( my wifes! )


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (thenick)*

very nice!
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## thenick (Jun 19, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

Thx.


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (thenick)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thenick* »_Thx.

no prob. it just looks amazingly clean.


_Modified by sleepygti28 at 8:22 PM 2-4-2006_


----------



## 00boraslow (May 22, 2004)

*Re: (thenick)*

i need to retrofit my jetta with some hid's


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (00boraslow)*

yes...yes you do my friend! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_yes...yes you do my friend! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

Ok so page 6 on this [email protected]! Anyone have an update on their projects or possible a bad joke to share just to amuse me further and see where the post ends up??


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Ok so page 6 on this [email protected]! Anyone have an update on their projects or possible a bad joke to share just to amuse me further and see where the post ends up??









haha i need a warm day to do the glassin and it seems as though its not comin anytime soon


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## lagunaroone (Jun 15, 2003)

This has been the most helpful thread Ive read in ages! Ive been wanting to do one of these retro fits for my GTi. I love HID's and am not going to spend 1200 on OE HID's!
This is what I picture on doing.
1)Buying a set of cheap reular Golf headlights.
2)purchasing the bosch HID kit from Hidplanet for 370.
3) Finding a bezel somewhere and molding it onto the headlight after some sanding.
4) painting the housing flatblack.
5)adding a relay
Is there anything else I need?
BrunoVdub, phatjti, you guys are great!








Cheers!


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*

hey ive been askin all the ques man. hopefully by the time i finish this project there will b enough info here to make it a sticky in theis forum. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lagunaroone* »_This has been the most helpful thread Ive read in ages! Ive been wanting to do one of these retro fits for my GTi. I love HID's and am not going to spend 1200 on OE HID's!
This is what I picture on doing.
1)Buying a set of cheap reular Golf headlights.
2)purchasing the bosch HID kit from Hidplanet for 370.
3) Finding a bezel somewhere and molding it onto the headlight after some sanding.
4) painting the housing flatblack.
5)adding a relay
Is there anything else I need?
BrunoVdub, phatjti, you guys are great!








Cheers!

i think tools are really critical for this install if you want to make it look really good. i recommend a dremel kit w/all the bits and pieces and you're set. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
and i also suggest a Sharpie so you can draw the outline and a ruler for to do all the measurements.
besides that... good luck, get ready for pain and frustration and have a lot of beer handy!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*

I hear ya on that one, I basically stumbled upon doing a retrofit by accident?? I saw the OEM stuff and didnt like it but was like whatever atleast if I can find a set cheap then I'll go for it. saw a kit on ebay and well the gears started turning. Honestly Robinlatiguana(I know I spelt it wrong) Nater, and Royale5 were the guys to talk to when retrofitting was still in its beginnings here on the tex. I am glad you found this thread to be helpful and props to Phat for making it! Also Sleepy (though a disturbing thought of seeing him go with OEM hids) has been a strong advocate for more info no the subject too. 
As far as your checklist, its all there. Also what sleepy said, the marker and dremel are a must have and time and patience are your biggest aset when retrofitting. Take your time, measure 42 times and cut once. Also ask questions if your not sure what to do.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I was wondering why I was getting massive pm's.........and then I stumbled upon this thread.







LOL
I'll throw in some teaser pics of what awaits those that do venture into retro fitting (did all of these really long ago...haven't bothered taking pics of the newer retro's I've been doing letely with TSX and TL projectors )







:








my car before WF11 ..(car never made it to WF...long story....)








dual blinks!
































Making some backside covers for one of Rayale5's retros:








The silicone ain't pretty but it works.....









Retro I did for GrayGLI : 

















Currently working on GTI lights.......that might appear in the classifieds pretty soon.









_Modified by bongoRA3 at 7:27 PM 2-16-2006_


_Modified by bongoRA3 at 7:32 PM 2-16-2006_


----------



## lagunaroone (Jun 15, 2003)

How much would you charge for a GTI projector with dual blinks? Those look amazing! Cheers!


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## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*

sent a pm to you.


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## ihavejetta (Dec 1, 2005)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*

and how much for a pair of Joey'd retro hid for an 03 jetta?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*

Bongo...always had some sweet retros...glad to see you stumbled upon the thread so you can show off your awesome work....for a while I thought you were out of doing retros for a while.
Glad to see ya back in here. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

im gettin pissed with this project bcuz of the ssize and odd shape of the tsx projector i cant keep it straight to mount the mofo. how is everyone mounting these level and such?


----------



## robin_lantigua (May 10, 2000)

post pics so we can see ....


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (robin_lantigua)*









ok so heres the plan. mount the projector there and put a fog in the bottom part on the right there. the fog will be serving as a blinker though not a fog. i just wanna keet a uniform 2 projector look. im gonna mask the entire front of the light with fiberglass so all you will se when im done is the hid projector and the fog/blinker bulb. but what i cant seem to do is find a way to mount the projector in there level in all 3 directions being up/down left right, or twisted.


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Your projector is sticking out way too much. You need to sink it in a lot more for the lens to fit back over that reflector housing.....
GO to your local hardware store and pick up some skinny long bolts and nuts......sink those bolts thru the reflector housing...and you can use that to help you to get them perfect. 
Hope you don't mind me asking....but why are you using tsx projecotrs in a jetta. You should look into TL bixenons or e55/e65 projectors. You never going to pass inspection in any state w/o highbeams.


----------



## Gigitt (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Use a spirit level and Get your car level 1st
just a sugestion for alignment and mounting...
Set some alignment marks so that you set both headlights the same.
Set you headlights to a mid adjustment setting - so that both headlights are the same, then install the rear part of the headlight in the car. that way you have a equal bearing to start with.
now using the spirit level mark the center vertical and horizintal on the headlight reflector - well it is going to be hidden anyway. just in case you need alignment marks for later. maybe even mark in V/H cross marks for mounting holes.
what you might want to do is test fit the projectors held in with some form of silly putty (something that will stick but not harden. that way you can test the beam pattern if correctly orientated and that it is not twisted or off center and be in correct alignment wioth your fogs etc.

So how to mount them...
Use long threaded bolts with 4 nuts per mounting hole. Have the bolt coming in from the back of the mouning plate. 2 nuts behind the mounting plate and 2 nuts infront. Using 2 nuts you can tighten the 1st nut then use the 2nd nut as kind of a locking nut over the 1st.
get it into a basic position that you want with about 1cm of thread poking out the front of the mounting plate. test the location of the projector so that it can sit where you want and the bolts are not too long but long enough to be close to the back of the headlight housing.
This way you can then use JB Weld to build up a mounting support with the bolt inplace. Once set you can remove the projector and finish the JB Weld bolf mounts. When finished you can use the nut positions to align the projector for final alignment with say your headlight fogs. Once these are match, you then use your normal headllight adjustments to raise or lower the headlight beam on the road.
So in a nut shell You are JB welding 3-4 bolts to the back of the reflector. you can then sit the projector on the bolts and align them with nuts. When you are happy with positionyou can lock them into place using a 2nd nut as a locking nut.
These nuts and bolts will be covered by a bezel so you will not see the them.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bongoRA3* »_ Your projector is sticking out way too much. You need to sink it in a lot more for the lens to fit back over that reflector housing.....
GO to your local hardware store and pick up some skinny long bolts and nuts......sink those bolts thru the reflector housing...and you can use that to help you to get them perfect. 
Hope you don't mind me asking....but why are you using tsx projecotrs in a jetta. You should look into TL bixenons or e55/e65 projectors. You never going to pass inspection in any state w/o highbeams.

i shouldnt have to get the car inspected and if i do then ill switch up to my stock lights.
and i want the projector out further to minimize it sticking out the back of the headlight. i dont have much room behind my headlights to have the projector sticking out.


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

this retrofitting is getting crazy!!!
aha i got so frustrated with mine that i stopped doin mine for awhile. i even PMed bongo to do some for Jetta headlights but i changed changed my plans to do a JTI and went bak to a GTI front end.
too much work related stress and bashin it out on a retrofit aint the perfect way to do it. :crazy:
good luck john!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

yeah I know what you mean. the TSX is great but the damn bowl size makes it interesting for when your trying to close up the back of the light. I will have a fun time as well cause I finally decided to go with SC430 projectors. Those things are big in the rear too..








best thing to do. The way you have those in there, try to keep the front lense secured at the position you have it sitting currently, then but the light together and hold the lense cover over the front to make sure the projector lense insnt hitting the front lense cover. if its hitting then your gonna have to go in through the back. Just try and get it snug so that its sitting far foward but at the same time its not butting up against the lense. Then like the guys said using the screws and what not. Its a pain but worth it in the end.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

the problem isnt how i will secure it or how to make sure it will fit in there. i jus cant seem to find a way to make sure this is level before i put screws into it. i mean it cant be tilted up of down or to the sides or even twisted. i liked the guy aboves idea of using the clay and such but i really would like to do the install without haveing to intall parts into the car and make adjustments. i would rather make it as straight as possible off the car and jus use the stock adjustment screws to make the little changes.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

i jus think the main question from me is exactly how much can they be adjusted with the light adjusment screws. if i can eyeball them pretty straight and use a level the best i can for some parts would a slight downward tilt or inwards tilt be able to be fixed with the screws even if when your lookin at the headlight itself everything appears to be straight?
i know im a confusin person but its hard to describe what i mean


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

its alright, i know what your asking. Honestly the straighter you secure them to the housing the better off you are. I know thst its not super easy but, for instance when I did mine I pretty much used the fog and blinker lights as a guide to make sure the shroud I had was sitting level and straight with those. This way when I mounted my projector all I had to do was make sure that the projector sat striaght inside the shroud. 
to make somre smaller precise measurments I used very small levels so I could see how level the horizontal and vertical alignment was. Now this you have to play with cause the housing was never meant for something like this. The back is rounded off and its more or less best guess fit. As far as adjustment travel, its not bad and its pretty forgiving. 
The biggest thing you have to worry about when making sure you have enough travel with the adjustment screws is how far of a distance the reflector bowl is from the back side of the inside if the headlight housing. Meaning when you adjust the lights up the reflector bowl will get closer to the back of the light. So making some mock measurments of how you see the projector sitting up against the housing is a good idea. 
if the projector is sitting right up against the back and you have no way of adjusting the beam up then the worst case senario would be to alter the back of the headlight. Although its not suggested if you really dont have to it is doable, but I dont think you would have to hack up the back with your setup, its not that big in the back. people fitting the TL projectors in the jetta headlights will have a harder time and they still get them in there ok.
hope that adds a little more encouragment to your project. Just make sure to take your time and think twice before cutting something to make sure its the right cut. 
take it easy and let us know how the project goes. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

thanx man. i have two sets of reflector housings so i might try to wing the first set and see how they turn out. if i mess up then ill have to be much more precise and the like with what i do.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

well that is a cool thing. Honestly if yur worried about how much adjustment you will have. take the damn lence and bowl in postion, scrwe the headlight fixture back in, and then see how much travel you get. I mean its not perfect but atleast it will give you an idea on how much room you have to play with. but like I always say. pointless to rush somthing when its somthing that you want to perform well. gotta give it time, a lot of thinking and dont force it. Sure their are guys out there that can rig you up a retrofit in minutes, it may be great, and it may be crapazoid. either way it all depends on how good of a fit you want.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_well that is a cool thing. Honestly if yur worried about how much adjustment you will have. take the damn lence and bowl in postion, scrwe the headlight fixture back in, and then see how much travel you get. I mean its not perfect but atleast it will give you an idea on how much room you have to play with. but like I always say. pointless to rush somthing when its somthing that you want to perform well. gotta give it time, a lot of thinking and dont force it. Sure their are guys out there that can rig you up a retrofit in minutes, it may be great, and it may be crapazoid. either way it all depends on how good of a fit you want. 

yea thats y ive been takin my time. i wanna do something dif than everyone else does. i dont wanna do the bezel look so as soon as i can find a way to make this thing nice n level ill be glassin something up to change mk4 retrofits around a bit. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_ i dont wanna do the bezel look so as soon as i can find a way to make this thing nice n level ill be glassin something up to change mk4 retrofits around a bit. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I think your barking up the wrong tree here......
Seems like your going to give yourself a major headache just because you want to be different and stir things up. Maybe Im missing something here...but retro fitting better design projectors is purely for the light output. If I was so worried about cosmetics, I'd purchase a set of oem hids....which are virtually headache free and you can't find a better look/finish. 
I mean ...it is good to care about the appearance of a finished product, but realizing your capabilities is just as important. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*

here's where I cant agree. Me personaly I dont like the look of the OEM Hids. I am more apt into retrofitting cause it changes the styling and gives you something different and unique. Now contrary to what everybody likes doing your own should really only impress you and not need the approval of everyone else cause at the end of the day you will be the only one looking at them and using them. 
so for the price, and for the change of looks retrofitting is more pleasing to me where as it may not be as nice as the OEM's for others.
being able to change it up and do something different is retrofitting's midle name (if it was a name).

So although it may be hard and take lots of time and get frustrating at times, its nice to see something different every once and a while.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea the main purpose to do a retrofit is to get better light output BUT i want them to look good to. Personally i dont like OEM HIDs and i wouldnt ever pay that much for headlights. I could do something simple and be like everyone BUT i wanna go beyond my expectations and do something different and make something more people may want to try and do. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_here's where I cant agree. Me personaly I dont like the look of the OEM Hids. I am more apt into retrofitting cause it changes the styling and gives you something different and unique. Now contrary to what everybody likes doing your own should really only impress you and not need the approval of everyone else cause at the end of the day you will be the only one looking at them and using them. 
so for the price, and for the change of looks retrofitting is more pleasing to me where as it may not be as nice as the OEM's for others.
being able to change it up and do something different is retrofitting's midle name (if it was a name).

So although it may be hard and take lots of time and get frustrating at times, its nice to see something different every once and a while. 

that was very well put bruno. *claps and nods*








by the way, i don't know if i've mentioned it before but i decided to go w/the Valeo ECE Projectors, i believe someone else did the samething too. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

thank you sir....yes the valeos are sweet!! you will be impressed. I have decided on which ones I am going to redo mine with as well...modified SC430 projectors


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Well I was bored so I thought I would post something seeing that I actually did something tonight whie being home. yeah i know its a saturday and I should be out but I have been sick and I am now just getting better so keep it to yourself.








Well I went down to the basment and look what happened!
















Guess the project is a go. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

time to make this a DIY my friend!







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Gigitt (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

Emma... bring me the shotgun... that 2 foot mice is back!









Jeep it up ... it's looking good.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Gigitt)*

due to my not having a garage i have to wait till a little warmer weather to work on my lights


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

someones selling TSX Projectors in the capital area so i might retro the TSX Projectors into my headlights intead. i'm 2nd in line though.








pray for me that the 1st person in line for them doesn't buy them! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

how much are they selling them for?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Hope you get them brotha.


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_how much are they selling them for?

*$40!!!!!!!!!*









_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_ Hope you get them brotha. 

thanx man.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

$40 you must be joking.....right..








EDIT: Holy****t I guess you wernt kidding. Who ever gets a set of those(assuming they are in good shape) is literally stealing them away. I thought like a 125 was cheap.
goodluck to ya ..that would be awesome if you got those for that price!










_Modified by BrunoVdub at 9:50 PM 3-5-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_$40 you must be joking.....right..









*NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!*








and the retro looks good. lets see that cut-off once you get a chance. are those the new Lexus projectors? http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

popped them inside the headlight to see how they would look. still need to drill some holes and mount them with screws, then I thinking about a clean set of E55 bezels. The projectors are off of the lexus SC430. pretty much identical to the S2000 in every aspect. The beam on them is like a night and day difference to my E55's. 
The only thing I have to figure out is what I want to do for my high beam. I will have to cut into the empy spot below the blinker and either retro a small high beam projector which I have laying around or maybe some sort of a reflector. I am just not sure yet, so maybe I will think about it when I get some sleep later. best time to brainstorm anyhow. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif








here are 2 beam shots in my basment for now until I get this wrapped up ina little while.


















_Modified by BrunoVdub at 9:58 PM 3-5-2006_


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

damn that's clean and bright output!!!!!!








http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
you're saying that the S2000 = SC430
i am def convinced. amazing that sh* really is bright.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

yup for the most part. Only chnage you have to make to the SC430 is the lense. The original lense on the SC430 is frosted and the cutoff is yellow and blurred. I stuck on a halogen crystal clear lense with some gasket spacers and BAM you get bright, sharp output.








so in stock form the SC430 is not the same as S2000 but after a small modification you get output similar to that of the S2000. I actually like the cutoff better on this than on the S2000's I have seen, but ofcource this is preference. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i completely agree. that cut-off looks really damn bright. alot brighter then the S2000s for sure.
so youre telling me that you took a clear Halogen lens and stuck it on there and it gave that cut-off?
that's amazing. i'm gonna be honest here and say that's the best and brightest cut-off i've ever seen. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
nice job man.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

yup, tell me about it. The nice thing is the SC's dont cost nearly as much as the S2000's do so I am siked because of the price and of the output.
A perfect replacment would be the S2000 lense itself but well i would have to buy a set of S2000's just to get the damn lenses. So instead I realized I had some smaller diameter halogen lenses that were perfectly clear and decided to test with those. I also used some TSX lenses and think that I got better output with the halogen lenses. 
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

what halogen lenses were they?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

well remember I told you that I had a new set of FK angel eye projector headlights break on me due to an unfortunate run in with a dead deer laying in the highway. Well I took those projectors out and played around with there output as a hid projector for a while. Then when I started messing with TSX peojectors I decided to interchange the halogen lenses found in the halogen projectors from my FK's and the output was a little clearer but didnt sit right in the TSX. I decided to use a TSX lense and the halogen lense inside the SC430 when I got those in and actually liked the output from the halogen lense better cause I think it is actually a little clearer than the TSX lense.
So to summarize that shi*** pretty much DEPO projector lenses. probably found in a lot of other aftermarket projector headlights. I was thinking about buying some dirt cheap used civic peojector headlights some time to see what kind of lense I can grab out of em. But not positive on which ones have perfectly clear lenses.
Downfall to lenses is that when you try and match a clearer lense to the lense you are replacing, you have to try and match there focal length as well. This is easier said then done. Basically its all hit or miss.


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea i remember, that was awhile back. lol
but an FK lens then... kind of shocking.
hey doesnt matter as long as it works.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_yup, tell me about it. The nice thing is the SC's dont cost nearly as much as the S2000's do so I am siked because of the price and of the output.
A perfect replacment would be the S2000 lense itself but well i would have to buy a set of S2000's just to get the damn lenses. So instead I realized I had some smaller diameter halogen lenses that were perfectly clear and decided to test with those. I also used some TSX lenses and think that I got better output with the halogen lenses. 
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

but how far away is the focal poitn of the halogen lens and how wide are they?>


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hmm...well I'll tell you what...let me try and get a comparison with the stock form and modified form.
an S2000 lense is perfect replacment but obviously I dont want to buy a set of those just for the lenses. Too expensive. The lense swap I did really is cost effective for me.







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## lagunaroone (Jun 15, 2003)

Ive been searching e-bay for some projectors and found some for good prices. Some people that I asked to do a retro for me quoted me a good price, but with shipping and everything still came to $1000. So for about $375 I got the projectors. Dont know if this includes the HID kit and everything. But I was thinking about just buying a set of Helix smoked projectors for $275 and buying a Mcculloch HID kit for $275. Thats $550 for everything brand new. What do you think. Some of you guys do amazing work, and I just dont think I could do it myself. Im not that handy...
John


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Ok I still need to find a bigger wall but here is atleast something to show you the difference between stock and modified.
stock SC:








Modded SC:








stock:








Modded:








Stock:








Modded:








The only thing I do not have a good shot of obviously is the width of the two. Like I said I need a longer wall for it cause ..well...there just so wide. But rest asure the width is almost the same if not just a tad wider with the lense swap.
Ok enjoy!







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif








EDIT: You can see it a little in the last picture, but the blue you se actually has a lot of purple in it as well. Kinda cool!


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 11:54 PM 3-6-2006_


----------



## lagunaroone (Jun 15, 2003)

So whats the difference between SC and Modded, yes I can see the drastic different but what are they?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*

wow, well I dont think it should cost that much for a retrofit. I think it really depends on what kind of projectors and ballasts you are going with. That $375? is that just projectors or ballasts and bulbs as well..?
If you go with the helix projectors with a drop in, they will be ok but really wont be up to snuff with actual "HID" projectors. you should have an ok beam pattern but you will have to expect drak spots in the pattern and not as an even beam with halogen projectors.
So all in all its a step in the right direction. Its better than a hid kit in halogen reflectors. If your tight on money and the only price you were quoted for a retro was $1000 then I say its not a bad idea if you want HID fast. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (lagunaroone)*

I did a lense swap and spaced the lense out just little from the cutoff shield. The lense is super clear so the cutoff is sharpened and spacing the lense out farther got a lot of color out of it.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

anyone make any more progress???

yeah Im bored with a major headache..


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

lol i finished my headliner swap out the other day and this week im doin as much work as possible on the lights. since i have no other projects it should take about 2 weeks or so.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

sounds good...well I am ading bits at a time to my redo retrofit. Other than that I need to order a coil, cabin air filter, thermostate, brake pads, and possible thikning about changing my fuel filter while Im at it.
yeah its like spring cleaning for my car.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

bump..


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

well today i got the first projector mounted into the headlight tomorrow ill be placing the fog into its position and tryin to glass the first light if i have time. ive been takin pix with my cell phone camera so ill post some of them up tomorrow night


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hehe sounds good. The post was falling behind so I bumped it hoping that it would attract new lookers. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea with the warmer weather coming on and me being on spring break i have a lot more time than usual to work on these. im really gonna try to get em done this week. so i hope i dont mess up and have to do it the way everyone else does...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

we have faith in ya bud. just remember to take your time. This way you can go slow and make sure you do it right the first time. I seriously wish I had the balls to learn about fiberglassing and even CF. I have seen some retro projects with that and when done right they really come out nice. Though i am not a fan of the CF look, I think it looks nice painted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

this one is of the thing my dad made so i can center my lens 








this one is with the projector in








projector is in blinker spot removed for glasssin and fog hole cut out for new blinker...








i sat the light on something and the beam seams to be slanting a little to the right so i have to think of a way to fix that...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

yummy, the bottem hole looks clean! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
yeah you may have to fiddle with the screws to get the slant corrected. but you shouldnt have to hard of a time.
glad to see some updates! keep up the good work.







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_ I seriously wish I had the balls to learn about fiberglassing and even CF. I have seen some retro projects with that and when done right they really come out nice. Though i am not a fan of the CF look, I think it looks nice painted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif









Been there...done that....... I have plenty of experience with fiberglass, and its just way too much trouble in the end to make fiberglass shrouds for these lights. 
All I have to say...is I'm pretty curious were this is all going. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*

its undertandable...if I knew what i was doing I would atleast like to have the option of being able to implement it in small aplication, nothing big but you know touch ups. 
hey are you out of the business now or just swamped???


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok so here are a couple of the light on the wall from 10ft...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

looks good, are those washer modded or stock form. They look modded but not to sure as TSX lights all are different.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i have one washer in the bottom two middle spots and one washer on each top side where the screws are.after looking at the light on a different wall it seems to be pretty straight. i dont think that ill mess with it too much. 
but heres a quick question should the tsx beam pattern with both lights in a car aimed at a wall look like
this _____/-------______/-------- or _____________/---------------


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

itll most likely be cold again tomorrow so ill mount the other projector in the other light and take my second set of headlights apart for the fogs that i need out of them. ill glass everything once i get a warm day for that ish to cure...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

when you go to aim them on a wall, park 25 feet from the wall and when you look at the distance between steps it should be a few feet or so nothing to big but most likely wont se them blend into one beam. At a far distance then yes they probably will blend to one step but again I think you would have to be pretty far to see it.
Also when you aim them park up close to the wall, tape off the top of the cutoff, back up to 25 feet and then your cutoff should be roughly 2 .5 inches lower than the bottem of the tape. this way if you put your car parrallel against a wal your cutoff will look as if it were going down. 
example:







(civic with valeos


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

schweet deal thanx for the info.. bump for me most likely buying another new axle and a rear sway...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hehehe bump for you indeed. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

ok i found a new HID Projector competitor...
the Acura RL Projector.
i'm pretty sure nobody knows much about them yet but i've heard that the RL Projectors are better then the TL Projectors...
so please, lets talk...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

yup the RL projector is very nice. Unfortunatly you have to do a lense swap though in order to get that output. 
The RL projector is like the big brother to the TSX. it is single xenon but unlike the TSX has a little more width and more foreground lighting. But size for size its close to the TSX projector. a "similar" projector to the RL is the M45 projector on the ..yup you guessed it...M45 infiniti. 
When the RL is modded it has some nice blue and good spread. unfortunatly though like i said before you need to swap in a TSX lense or something comparable to a TSX lense to get the better output.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok so today i got the other headlight all ready. and both of them nice and mounted. now i jus need a warm day to make my fiberglass headlight shroud!!! i already know exactly how im gonna do it and i have the lenses removed fromt eh projectors ready to go! come on warm weather!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hey thats great to hear. Just a word of caution: not that you havnt thought of this but make sure that you dont get anything from glassing on the projector bowl chrome finish. having to clean the bowls only sets yourself up to mess with the finish and if possible its best to just cover up the lense holder hole that that nothing gets in there.
Again not trying to tell you your business, just dont want to see something go wrong is all. when you get this all done remember to get us some pics. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_hey thats great to hear. Just a word of caution: not that you havnt thought of this but make sure that you dont get anything from glassing on the projector bowl chrome finish. having to clean the bowls only sets yourself up to mess with the finish and if possible its best to just cover up the lense holder hole that that nothing gets in there.
Again not trying to tell you your business, just dont want to see something go wrong is all. when you get this all done remember to get us some pics. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif









cool deal man thanx for the words of caution. ill make sure that i stuff some paper towls in there then tape over the top of it so i dont get anything down in there http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok so i did a quick mock-up with everything in its place before glassing... basically take this picture and imagine that the only thing visible after glassing in the HID projecotr lens and the lens for the fog which will actually be hooked up as my blinker....


----------



## Gigitt (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_
cool deal man thanx for the words of caution. ill make sure that i stuff some paper towls in there then tape over the top of it so i dont get anything down in there http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

Yes be very very carefull - You cannot clean the silver/chrome inside the bowel... as a test just try and get a fingerprint off of a inconspicuous part of the bowel - eg around a mounting point... the silver/chome comes off really easy!
Be very careful with tape too - you don't want it to pull the silver/chome off alsow - test it 1st.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

nice, she looks like shes getting there. by the way maybe a stupid question but why did you cut away the top position where the blinker use to be?? are you going to fill in that hole at all or..?


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_nice, she looks like shes getting there. by the way maybe a stupid question but why did you cut away the top position where the blinker use to be?? are you going to fill in that hole at all or..?

i am going to glass over everything and that would have messed up the shape i was looking for so i got rid of it... and i tried to put the back covers for the headlight on and the only thing that ill have to trim a hole for is right where the ballast plugs into the bulb.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

i did some glassin today and i must say it turned out quite well. ill have some pix posted up later. all i need to do is cut the holes for the lenses and sand everythingn smooth. then decide what type of black paint ill be using. so we should have em done by the end of next weekend! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

some pix....

this is them wrapped up








after one coat of resin








two coats of resin....

















next will be some bondo and sanding to smooth everything out and prep it for paint


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

damn jon!








i still dont understand the covering/replacing of hte blinker or fog or watever you;re going to do but cant wait to the end result in person.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif P.S. you suck!







lol btw we also went to iguana cantina the other night. you and claudia should have come man.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

claudia was feelin sick last nite i wound up in fells point like 5 min away from where u guys were...
btw the two section sthat you can see the circles at will be the hid projector and the fog projector. the fog projector will be a blinker and has to be located there becuase of my boser. im just using a fog projector instead of a regular blinker reflector to keep things looking somewhat uniform...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

nice progress...cant wait to see some finished results! Keep up the good work http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## DubbHatch (Dec 14, 2005)

Looks good!
I see what you are doing.


----------



## VdubTUNA (Aug 17, 2003)

*Re: (DubbHatch)*

Just a little off topic question if I could...
Would the spacing out mod be a bad idea with a retrofit kit on halogen projectors?


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (VdubTUNA)*


_Quote, originally posted by *VdubTUNA* »_Just a little off topic question if I could...
Would the spacing out mod be a bad idea with a retrofit kit on halogen projectors?

what spacing out mod?
if your using halogen projectors for hids why retrofit them? you can buy headlights with halogen projectors....


----------



## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

oop's...


_Modified by Cbaby22 at 9:51 AM 4-4-2006_


----------



## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_nice progress...cant wait to see some finished results! Keep up the good work http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

i cant wait to see the finished result either, im tired of being ditched for these lights of his








just kidding...but seriously, i hope he finishes these soon, he has my sideskirts and valance to be put on!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (VdubTUNA)*

hey Vdubtuna, I think you are reffering to the halogen hella projectors in your passat right??
If so then yes washer moding can possibly yield more color at the cutoff. Heres the catch.....you have one of two projectors....
1.) E55 style meaning that all you can do is bend the shield a little towards the bulb
2.) X5 style menaing that you could unscrew the lense holder from the reflector bowl and then add washers on top or bottem.
either way you would have to remove these projectors unless you have a lot of room in there and I dont think that you do.
If this doesnt make sense then PM me. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## VdubTUNA (Aug 17, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

PM sent


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (VdubTUNA)*

i still have to figure out what kinda paint to use when im done. i think i should get everything done and ready for paint by the end of this weekend. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

cacapipi!!!!!!!!








when i get my bike, i think i might wana retrofit a single Bi-Xenon HID Projector into the headlights!!!! oh yea!!!!!!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

hehe bike retrofits are in style too. A few guys in the past out in socal have retoed dual TSX projectors and even dual A6 bi-xenon projectors. Looks hot.
BTW: Phat you might want to try a lighter color of paint to draw more attention to the lights. Seeing that you have a black car using a dark color paint will just blend the lights to the car completly. Or if you really want black is the stealth color to go with. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea i was thinkin black but they might set everything off if i do em in a different color. idk i might paint each headlight a dif color and see what i like more...


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

with a black car some nice silver paint might make things look nice. I have sena few dark Gti like BubbaGti's ride and he hade a retrofit which was painted silver. I think it looked great. But again its what you want that is important so go experiment away and update us on what you have. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

tomorrow im cutting the holes out for the lenses attempting to take off the fiberglass so i can get the lens back in the tsx projector. then its off to do some bondo and sanding...


----------



## idioteque122 (Jan 28, 2006)

Sorry to intrude on the thread but since I am very interested in doing this, could anyone tell me if doing this is at all a good idea: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2517762
I like the look as far as the colors, but are there any issues considering he did the conversion on a projector headlight?


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (idioteque122)*

his arent projectors he just put in a drop in hid kit in a reflector housing... so no dont do that http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (idioteque122)*

Yeah what Phat said. putting a drop in kit inside your fogs or halogen reflector will just create lots of glare which will pss off other drivers. 
if you want to have HID and want it done the right way its either OEM hids or retrofit. Retrofitting is more fun but it does require some skill and a lot of work. but the outcome can be unique and one of a kind depending on how you do it. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## idioteque122 (Jan 28, 2006)

Ok, well then suggest to me a projector to use







I was thinking X5, maybe TSX. What's a good solid choice?


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (idioteque122)*

For the record, that car belongs to ArsinGTI and his car is sick!!! he has switched to OEM BORA HIDs now so that's why he's selling the Drop-in HID kits.
Back to the Subject...
TL Projectors seems to be the most popular but i say go for something else and be different. i say Evo Projectors or S2000 Projectors. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
TSX' aren't bad either.
X5's use the Bosch Projectors which are alright but the TL and TSX are still better Projector then the Bosches.
Just my .02 Cents.
GL


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

3 pix from todays work. one of my fiberglass faces cracked a lil bit so im currently fixing that. the other one i got both lights in and holes cut to give an idea of a lil mock up. so now all it needs its a lil smoothing and paint http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

nice job! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## DubbHatch (Dec 14, 2005)

are you going to use resin to fix the crack or bondo?


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## EternalMind (Jun 8, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_
when i get my bike, i think i might wana retrofit a single Bi-Xenon HID Projector into the headlights!!!! oh yea!!!!!!









sweet. i've done the viper bi-xenon and it was amazing (i wouldn't have ridden at night before it)...the difference was literally "night and day" ...stock bike lamps are horrible for the most part. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (idioteque122)*

the X5's are Hella made. They are aproximatly 3 inches in lense diameter, have a chromed bowl, good spread like the E55 and if modded a "little" gives a nice blue'purple color to the cutoff.
The TSX's are stanley made. They are aproximatly 2.5 inches in lense diamter, they have a highly chromed "LARGE" bowl, limit a little foreground, if modded they can produce some crazy color and have a sharp cutoff do to its clear lense unlike the X5's. These are also wider and put out more light. (note only pre 2006 has clear lenses)
Long story short, the X5's are more affordable, easyier to retrofit, and give good all around output. The TSX's are more expensive, more desirable, harder to retro cause of the size, but overall give one of the best outputs amongst the projectors on the market.
hope that helps.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (DubbHatch)*


_Quote, originally posted by *DubbHatch* »_are you going to use resin to fix the crack or bondo?

i already fixed the cracks. i taped the piece together up front so all the pieces were held tight together then i put down a lot of pieces of fiberglass mesh on the back and covered that with resin. honestly you could never tell that i broke one of them into 3 pieces. it was a great learning experience bcuz ill be fixing a fiberglass bumper this weekend http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

btw more pix comin below


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

So here we go! Both headlights in housings. all i need is some sanding and paint http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
i think for paint im going to paint all the fiberglass a glass black. ill leave the chrome ring around the projector and the chrome ledge in the front of the glass....


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

one more comparioson shot...


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

jus bought me a wiring harness for my headlights.. hopefully i get this in by sunday night http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
http://www.thexenonstore.com/relay.php


_Modified by phat03jti at 11:36 PM 4-6-2006_


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

pictures look clean. Are you going to fit a chrome bezel around both foglight and projector?? With an all black theme I think that would make them look clean. Just a thought ofcourse. Nice job! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_pictures look clean. Are you going to fit a chrome bezel around both foglight and projector?? With an all black theme I think that would make them look clean. Just a thought ofcourse. Nice job! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

im not going to get a bezel but if you lookat a stock fog projector its inset. the bezel on the inside im going to paint chrome and see how that turns out.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Yeah reason why I suggested that was because looking at your halogen buckets in the picture above the chrome trim ring around the fog looks great with the black, thats all.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

so tomorrow ill get the paint paint the little fog inside chrome. smooth out the exterior with some bondo and sanding. im hoping the chrome paint will match the stock chrome ledge.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

well....heres the thing.....unfortunatly most "chrome" like paint just doesnt come close to looking like chrome. Best you will get is a shiny silver and thats Best Case Senario. hehe kinda sucks cause chrome paint would make everyones lives better. Goodluck with the paint. its this reason why chrome bezels and suck are the only way to go.


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Ehhh.......


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i dont think that it would incredibly noticeable if they werent a perfect chrome because its so hard to see in there anyway. so as long as it can get the image i want ill be happy.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bongoRA3* »_Ehhh.......









whats wrong>?


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

don't mind him dude.








its lookin awesome so far man. very stealthy i must say. can't wait to the bad boy painted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
oh snap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who owned PAGE 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sleepygti28* »_don't mind him dude.








its lookin awesome so far man. very stealthy i must say. can't wait to the bad boy painted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
oh snap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who owned PAGE 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanx man! ive learned a lot about glassin stuff while doing this. i cant wait to find someting else to start workin on once these are done!
i might have to glass a little more bcuz if you look at the light directly from the top you can see through the glass and see the end of where the fiberglass is at before the black housing. so i might glass a straight ledge along that so i looks a little cleaner. if not i dont think itll matter because no one will ever pop my hood and stare at the top of my light.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hehe Yup its all about what you as the owner of these creations want. Thats what makes retrofitting fun, you can make of em what ya want. I hear ya on learning cause we can always learn new stuff and what better than to practice what we learn...no? Anywayz looking good , sounds like you have everything figured out and we're all waiting to see the final look when you get em done.







for you sir.
BTW: sleepy hows your project coming along, any news???


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

so tomorrow is gonna b more work than i wanted it to be. i tried to smooth everything with bondo today and all i can say it what a mistake that was. so now tomorrow i have to remake the front molds. although i think it will go much quicker bcuz i have learned from my mistakes... so this time im gonna make the glass as smooth as possible and just paint that. ill have some pix up later tomorrow night of the new molds


----------



## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
BTW: sleepy hows your project coming along, any news???









must i post pics?








ok i will.







just for you Bruno.
but see the thing is mine isn't really a retro becuz i just bought the new helix projector golf headlights and swapped out the Stock helix projectors for the ECE Valeo Projectors. is that still a retro though?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

sure it is, but you gotta have some beam shots to back it up brotha! hehe


----------



## bongoRA3 (Oct 8, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_so tomorrow is gonna b more work than i wanted it to be. i tried to smooth everything with bondo today and all i can say it what a mistake that was. so now tomorrow i have to remake the front molds. although i think it will go much quicker bcuz i have learned from my mistakes... so this time im gonna make the glass as smooth as possible and just paint that. ill have some pix up later tomorrow night of the new molds









Thats why I was pretty skeptical about your glass work. Sure its easy to make things out of fiberglass once you go over the initial bump...but the learning curve is very steep for making glass work look good.







Unless your really good, and plan on spending a lot of time on an initial glassed peice for a reverse mold (to make many more) , fiberglassing is very impractical for one time projects on such small scales.
But if you still insist on going this route, heres a few pointers. Use better defined rings for the projectors to mount. That initial circle is what makes or brakes your mold. (look into metal hanger rings or something with a nice rounded edge). Try and have the material you soak in resin for the initial shape be crease free. Key to that is high tension on the stretch. And when fillin fiberglass...you don't want to use "bondo" initially. Look into products called duraglass or dynaglass. (they're fiberglass reinforced fillers) Get your shape as close to perfect with that....then move onto a good filler. (bondo sucks btw, look into rage gold or jobber house brands). And finally you need a good glazing putty to make the job pinhole free, and ready for primer.
As you can see...its a lot of work for something you can really accomblish w/o touching fiberglass....for the sake of being different. 
Diminishing returns.......... 


_Modified by bongoRA3 at 2:17 PM 4-9-2006_


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (bongoRA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bongoRA3* »_ 
Thats why I was pretty skeptical about your glass work. Sure its easy to make things out of fiberglass once you go over the initial bump...but the learning curve is very steep for making glass work look good.







Unless your really good, and plan on spending a lot of time on an initial glassed peice for a reverse mold (to make many more) , fiberglassing is very impractical for one time projects on such small scales.
But if you still insist on going this route, heres a few pointers. Use better defined rings for the projectors to mount. That initial circle is what makes or brakes your mold. (look into metal hanger rings or something with a nice rounded edge). Try and have the material you soak in resin for the initial shape be crease free. Key to that is high tension on the stretch. And when fillin fiberglass...you don't want to use "bondo" initially. Look into products called duraglass or dynaglass. (they're fiberglass reinforced fillers) Get your shape as close to perfect with that....then move onto a good filler. (bondo sucks btw, look into rage gold or jobber house brands). And finally you need a good glazing putty to make the job pinhole free, and ready for primer.
As you can see...its a lot of work for something you can really accomblish w/o touching fiberglass....for the sake of being different. 
Diminishing returns.......... 

_Modified by bongoRA3 at 2:17 PM 4-9-2006_


well i dont really need a mold to make everything over again becuase i dont plan on doin anymore headlights after this. the original pieces i made were quite good until i got to trying to smooth them out. either way im stickin with the glass and now i have a lot better ideas of how to keep things more uniform and perfect from the start. i should be able to have these done by next week at least ready for paint. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_sure it is, but you gotta have some beam shots to back it up brotha! hehe
















oh i do my friend... i do.















but the light output of the valeos don't compare to the TSX' or TLs.
i need to try new projectors and i'll use the valeo ece projectors for the motorcycle.














http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

NO they dont beat out the TSX or TL but they are very good.


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## EternalMind (Jun 8, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_NO they dont beat out the TSX or TL but they are very good. 

i still say it's all about the new corvette projectors


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## turboxer (Sep 29, 2004)

*Re: (EternalMind)*


_Quote, originally posted by *EternalMind* »_i still say it's all about the new corvette projectors
















http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## kremserc (Mar 27, 2006)

what are your thoughts of how close you can get the projector lenses to the actuall headlight lense without issues?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (kremserc)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kremserc* »_what are your thoughts of how close you can get the projector lenses to the actuall headlight lense without issues?

Not sure who that was directed to but I will add my thoughts on that question.
if you retrofitting you want to actualy get the projector lense as close to the headlight cover as possible. You want to do this because the closer the lense is to the cover the less problems you will have with the projector extending out of the back so far, the more light output and forground you will have, and the less glare you will encounter if you keep the inside all chrome.
As far as accomplishing this task, its trial and error. You must set everything up and test fit the lense cover and adjust it forward and backward a little to make sure the inside light fixture with attached projector will clear the distance and not but straight up against the cover.
As a rule of thumb atleast 1 or 2 inches from the headlight cover and you should be good. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
Not sure who that was directed to but I will add my thoughts on that question.
if you retrofitting you want to actualy get the projector lense as close to the headlight cover as possible. You want to do this because the closer the lense is to the cover the less problems you will have with the projector extending out of the back so far, the more light output and forground you will have, and the less glare you will encounter if you keep the inside all chrome.
As far as accomplishing this task, its trial and error. You must set everything up and test fit the lense cover and adjust it forward and backward a little to make sure the inside light fixture with attached projector will clear the distance and not but straight up against the cover.
As a rule of thumb atleast 1 or 2 inches from the headlight cover and you should be good. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

















haha my projector is about 1/2" away from the front lense. the bulb doesnt even stick out of the rear. i may be able to contain everything inside of the original stock housing. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I came here to ask about E-codes... Now i'm gonna buy some cheap ebay lights and get some S2000 projectors.
Thanks for the inspiration guys!!
Also, Phat: That wiring harness you ordered... is that a plug and play kind of harness? Or do you still have to retro that? Cause I don't think I have the skill to piece together my own harness.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Need_Corrado* »_I came here to ask about E-codes... Now i'm gonna buy some cheap ebay lights and get some S2000 projectors.
Thanks for the inspiration guys!!
Also, Phat: That wiring harness you ordered... is that a plug and play kind of harness? Or do you still have to retro that? Cause I don't think I have the skill to piece together my own harness.

the whole harness is put together but i will have to splice that into my ballast wiring and into the stock wiring harness for the on/off to work with the inside headlight switch. not very much work at all. i just wanted something all nice and tidy that i wouldnt have to do myself.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

Glad that this thread has encouraged you to do a retrofit. Also I am glad to hear you want to go with S2000 projectors.
I am assuming you know the going rate of and S2000 setup? Also are you retroing halogen NA spec lights or aftermarket projector lights.??


----------



## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Right now I have some Cullen Ecodes, but i'm gonna sell those and buy a used pair of NA spec to mess with.
Also I didn't realize how pricey those S2000's are. Maybe I'll head over to a junk yard. I really like the looks of the TSX's, but I'd really like to have a Bi-xenon set


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

Bi-xenons you have to choose from are as follows:
Stanley TL's
Hella E55 bi-xenons
Hella RS 6 Bi-xenons
Hella A6 bi-xenons
Bosch E46 bi-xenons
Some more but to hard to retrofit......
If you can find some S2000's at a junk yard get them, you can always use the fog position on the halogen headlights as a high beam just to flash.


----------



## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Bi-xenons you have to choose from are as follows:
Stanley TL's
Hella E55 bi-xenons
Hella RS 6 Bi-xenons
Hella A6 bi-xenons
Bosch E46 bi-xenons
Some more but to hard to retrofit......
If you can find some S2000's at a junk yard get them, you can always use the fog position on the halogen headlights as a high beam just to flash.









True, the beam pattern on those S2000's are beautiful!! Just curious, but do you know what the S2000 uses as a high beam?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

yay for me! i think ill be purchasing a new set of those nice B&G coils droppin my car to the ground http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## imajeanius (Apr 9, 2004)

n00b question: i've seen some nice retrofits, and i've seen some ghetto ones. i've never seen one in real life, but all the pictures i've seen all consists of very custom mounts/brackets. so how are you supposed to aim them when all is said and done?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Need_Corrado* »_
True, the beam pattern on those S2000's are beautiful!! Just curious, but do you know what the S2000 uses as a high beam?

Well to answer your question. All of the S2000's use a high beam but the high beam is separate from the HID projector and consists of a halogen reflector. hehe
The S2000 projector from the start has only been a single low beam xenon projector. Even the new ones are still single low beam even though they have changed from clear lenses to fresnelled lenses. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
if you want S2000's in your retrofit then you would need to devise a plan to implement some sort of a high beam for flashing or just driving in extremely dark areas.
I am in this boat as I have projectors I am retrofitting currently into my Jetta that are low beam only but are very wide and very bright. The downfall is I have to use a mini halogen projector as a high beam to keep the uniformity of the headlight so it still looks "somewhat OEM. So In close they are great projectors if you dont use highs a lot but if you are in the country then S2000's will not work for you my frind. Sorry/


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (imajeanius)*


_Quote, originally posted by *imajeanius* »_n00b question: i've seen some nice retrofits, and i've seen some ghetto ones. i've never seen one in real life, but all the pictures i've seen all consists of very custom mounts/brackets. so how are you supposed to aim them when all is said and done?

I guess I can say that some guys that retrofit lights for clients have different styles and approaches to the projects they undertake. Some go for an all blackedout theme, where as some try and stay as OEM looking as possible. Either way the lights are CRAP if you cant retain simple adjustment functions. Lets face it if your hieght in the front or rear of the car changes then your beam level changes thus you need to reaim. 
Some people do use bracket systems in order to secure projectors in place depending on its size and what kind of light its going into but typically this is accomplished without interfering with the adjustment screws. You will only run into this problem if your using a very large or elongated projector as the size may hinder you the space for the inner light fixture to move when you manuely adjust the hight or direction of the beam pattern.
I have unfortunatly heard of a few instances where people have recieved some retrofits where they retain no way to adjust the lights and that is just not acceptable. Those lights are useless to me because having something glued in place without the possibility of being moved is stupid and doesnt require skill at all. You must take into account that time is needed to address these possible room constraints inside the headlight before you even start the project so you wont be running into problems that will doom the lights.
So yeah a little long but honestly retrofitting inst impossible or very hard but does require some ability to plan things out so that your lights will operate every bit as good as the next light out there but ofcourse twice as bright. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
















_Modified by BrunoVdub at 6:26 PM 4-13-2006_


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 6:28 PM 4-13-2006_


----------



## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Bruno, this is kind of a dumb question but, is the lense just the glass part on the front of the projector?
And I read that you can put the TSX lense on the TL. So can you interchange all the lenses if they are the same size? Say putting an S2000 on a TL?


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## imajeanius (Apr 9, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
Some people do use bracket systems in order to secure projectors in place depending on its size and what kind of light its going into but typically this is accomplished without interfering with the adjustment screws. You will only run into this problem if your using a very large or elongated projector as the size may hinder you the space for the inner light fixture to move when you manuely adjust the hight or direction of the beam pattern.

So basically you're hacking up the "original" reflector housing to add say a projector, which itself is tied to the adjustors, therefore, not affecting its ability for aiming. Is that riight?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (imajeanius)*


_Quote, originally posted by *imajeanius* »_
So basically you're hacking up the "original" reflector housing to add say a projector, which itself is tied to the adjustors, therefore, not affecting its ability for aiming. Is that riight?

correct this is you main goal. you have to get things in as straight and level as possible as well though. you cant fully rely on the aiming things.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

Yes, the lense on the projector is just the glass optics for the projector.
Yes some lenses are interchangable but you have to swap lenses exact sixe in diameter and hieght for them to work properly.
For instance:
The TSX has a 2.4 inch lense (basically 2.5 inch)
The TL has a 3 inch lense
The S2000 has a 2.5 inch lense
So you cant really use a TSX lense on a TL because it wouldnt fir right, too small. 
You can hoever use TSX lenses on some lexus projectors like the RX330 and LS430 to get brighter more colorful output.
The S2000 has by far the most superior glass clear lense of them all. The 300zx lense from its halogen projector is also one of the clearest lenses used for lense swaps. The TSX is great candidate as well. 
The problem with the E55 and X5 projectors is that the only clear lense alternative is something from a halogen projector out of a TYC honda projector headlight.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (imajeanius)*


_Quote, originally posted by *imajeanius* »_
So basically you're hacking up the "original" reflector housing to add say a projector, which itself is tied to the adjustors, therefore, not affecting its ability for aiming. Is that riight?

Yup, what Phat said. Though some adjusters arnt as forgiving as others the main point is to make sure you can use them to their full potential, whatever that might be..hehe


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## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Ahh, I found an RX330 light housing on ebay and it has a really nice bezel for the projector, but I doubt it'll fit over the TL's. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
But once again about the wiring, since i'm going Bi-xenon. I don't fully understand how it'll work, because I plan on getting a pre-made harness from xenondepot and will that still work alright when flashing the high-beams? 
Apparently it'll turn the low beams off and on, which can damage your ballast/bulbs, or am I confusing this with halogen high beams?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

The high beam for the bi-xenon function would not be wired through the harness from xenon depot. You would just need to connect that up to your high beam wire from the stock harness. 
If you want to keep the high beam xenon on continuosly you will need to connect a wire under the steering colum to the harness for the light switch.
but if you just need high beams for flashing then just tap the stalk back and you still have that ability, but if you click the stalk forward then your lights will turn off.


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## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Ahhh.... I see. That should not be a problem then, cause I've never really kept on my high beams


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Need_Corrado)*

yeah in that case I wouldnt mess with the rewire job under the dash then. Not necessary in your case. and with that said, you dont necessarily need bi-xenons and this gives you more options for projectors.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i should b back on my project this week. with east n ish along with all the school work nearin the end of the semester ive been to busy for glassing.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

PAGE 11 OWNED!!! bump for me being able to get this done b4 DOTL!


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

started redoin the glassin today. i should have them painted tomorrow (weather permitting of course). all i need to do is wait for my wiring harness which i didnt realize was coming from canada


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hehehe, shouldnt take too too long for the harness but yeah a little longer being that its coming from there..eh..hehe 
anywayz did everything go a little better this time around?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea this time i used something else to glass over and im not tryin any bondo. the way ive been puttin the glass on leaves hardly any imperfections in it so i might jus sand the things down a lil bit prime n paint it...


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## De Stijl (Sep 16, 2004)

Ok, ive read through most of the thread ( I gave up ) and i still havent gotten a clear enough answer for the step im at. 
I picked up:
2x Projectors/ballasts/bulbs/holders/wiring from a E46 M3 (everything cept housing)
2x Depo projector lights (no halos) with glass lenses
I need a proper way to remove the glass lenses, without ruining my headlights. Im trying to get the whole oven thing down, but im concenred about all of the wires and metal parts in the headlights causing trouble, and also how i would go about laying down the lights in the oven (would they rest on the lense, or on its side, etc.)... Anyone who could chime in would be much appreciated, im stuck here and i refuse to budge until i know what im doing is correct http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (pfunkn87)*

well not to sure on the specifics for the oven method. I think you have to preheat it to like 250 for like 10 or 15 minutes. Shut the oven off, place lights inside, wait 10 mnutes and then take them out. 
You can try a heat gun or blow dryer if you are nervous about the oven as these will work but will not be easy because its a glass lense. Gonna take some time and possible prying with a tool such as a scredriver.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (pfunkn87)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pfunkn87* »_Ok, ive read through most of the thread ( I gave up ) and i still havent gotten a clear enough answer for the step im at. 
I picked up:
2x Projectors/ballasts/bulbs/holders/wiring from a E46 M3 (everything cept housing)
2x Depo projector lights (no halos) with glass lenses
I need a proper way to remove the glass lenses, without ruining my headlights. Im trying to get the whole oven thing down, but im concenred about all of the wires and metal parts in the headlights causing trouble, and also how i would go about laying down the lights in the oven (would they rest on the lense, or on its side, etc.)... Anyone who could chime in would be much appreciated, im stuck here and i refuse to budge until i know what im doing is correct http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


exact method for taking apart your lights...\/
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1567138
i know that it works becuase its the way my headlights were taken apart http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

got the last layer of glass on today. saturday i will be sanding them down a little and painting them. so everything should almost be done this weekend. next weekend they will be installed for sure http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Boxy Squad (Oct 21, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

lets get the finished product here...lol
I love this thred


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (WiLd StAr)*


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok so i finally finished all the fiberglass ish. im semi happy with my first overall finished product . they have a couple little cracks but honestly i like the overall look. so i think im gonna try em out for a while and if i wanna change later ill do em so other way. all i have left to do is some wiring and seal the glass up. i also have to find a way to waterproof and mount my ballasts but that wont be too hard to figure out. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

some finished product pix
























when i finally get them installed ill take a pic using a reg camera and not my ishy cell phone one.


----------



## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

wow, i did such a good job sanding those things!!! Kudos for me


----------



## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (Cbaby22)*

nice job!! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

damn jon!!!!!!!
looks clean! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (sleepygti28)*

thanx... especially to my helper who sanded away at the fiberglass http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif i think i should have em in the car next weekend. jus have to get an idea of how i wanna waterproof the ballast and where to locate it...


----------



## Boxy Squad (Oct 21, 2003)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

I need to see them on the car already. lets go.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (WiLd StAr)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WiLd StAr* »_I need to see them on the car already. lets go.

















nicely done. Now show us how much better your night driving is..hehe


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
















nicely done. Now show us how much better your night driving is..hehe

as soon as i can find a place to mount my ballasts without having to make the wires longer. i also have to water proof them....


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

which ballasts are you using??


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i was told they are acura ballasts but im not sure from what vehicle. they are stanley ballasts if they helps any... i could snap a pic.


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_i was told they are acura ballasts but im not sure from what vehicle. they are stanley ballasts if they helps any... i could snap a pic.

Stanley = OEM Acura Ballasts http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Well based on the size and style of those ballasts....I would say either mount it right on the back around where the turn signal cover is or somehow mount it face up on the bottem. Best thing to do is get the rubber surround which surrounds the ignitor cable in the center of the ballast up inside the headlight so that it will give a nice seal to all the wiring for the ballasts. exterior exposure isnt a huge deal so long as it isnt in direct contact with water and outside elements.
They are too big to fit inside so a mounting plate for the ballast on the back of the light might be the best place.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Well based on the size and style of those ballasts....I would say either mount it right on the back around where the turn signal cover is or somehow mount it face up on the bottem. Best thing to do is get the rubber surround which surrounds the ignitor cable in the center of the ballast up inside the headlight so that it will give a nice seal to all the wiring for the ballasts. exterior exposure isnt a huge deal so long as it isnt in direct contact with water and outside elements.
They are too big to fit inside so a mounting plate for the ballast on the back of the light might be the best place.

well i know what im goin to do for the ballasts. im goin to have my dad (whos a machinest) make me a bracket that i can screw to the frame underneath where the fenders bolt on. the wires would then be just long enough to make it to the rear of the lights. im going to use the stock headlight door and just cut a small notch in the side so the wires can pass through. as for water proofing i think ill jus layer some silicon rtv over the hole where the wires leave the ballast so no water can pass by http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif im gonna try to at least get a night shot this weekend even if i can install them completely


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

jus ordered my new front bumper to go with the whole new look. check it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_the wires would then be just long enough to make it to the rear of the lights. im going to use the stock headlight door and just cut a small notch in the side so the wires can pass through. as for water proofing i think ill jus layer some silicon rtv over the hole where the wires leave the ballast so no water can pass by

Make sure that you mount the ballasts with the wires going down and you shouldn't have any problem with water. For the headlights I'd put the "notch" at the bottom of the cover. This is how I ran the wires into my lights - hope that helps.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

heres a shot of them in the car hardwired. ive yet to find a way to mount the ballasts


----------



## Need_Corrado (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Nice man!! Hows the aim??


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Need_Corrado)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Need_Corrado* »_Nice man!! Hows the aim??

havent aimed em yet because i dont have them fully wired in the car right now. so i just put one in while the car was in the driveway...


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

looks hot from what you got there so far. Really and truly the only way to mount those ballasts is to the back, gonna need some sort of a bracket though.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_looks hot from what you got there so far. Really and truly the only way to mount those ballasts is to the back, gonna need some sort of a bracket though.

yea. whats the word on making the wires from the ballast to the bulb longer>? is that not a good thing to do? the wires on mine are sooooo short maybe like 4 inches. i was thinkin of soldering in a nice extension of wires but i dont like the idea of chopping at my ballasts


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

hmmm not a good idea. Cutting into ignitor wires is not something that is suggested. Can you take a shot of the back of the light?? there has got to be a way to mount them with that short wire.
Something that just poped in my head. If you can disconect the bulb wire from the ballast, connect the bulb wire then drill a hole through the back of the light somewhere and then feed the wire back to the ballast and then mount it somewhere close.?? May give you some more travel on that wire.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

I don't understand why you can't mount them the same way that you did?


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

hehe yeah that worked wonders for mine. It could work for his as well however his ballast is just a litle bigger than mine.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dennisgli* »_I don't understand why you can't mount them the same way that you did?










i dont think my wires would reach that far but i can try that before i do anything else.... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Phat can you get a pic of the back so we can see what your working with? There has got to be a way to mount them. The TSX you have mounted shouldnt be sticking out to far so its possible to just have then almost piggiebacked with say a cover around the back end of the projector to keep out water.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

give me like 10 min and i can get a couple pix up http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

ok so here we go. first pic is a pic of the back of the light. i can put the door on behind the hid with no problem. once i put the ballast on the door cant shot so i have to cut a hole for that to fit. then as you can see the wires arent very long to be moving the thing all over the place....


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Wow, those wires are short.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Well the best possible place for that ballast is right next to the back end of the projector. Even with the short cord you should still be able to attach the bulb connector and place it in that position. 
I am probably going to be doing something like this for another ballast but it has a longer cord anywyaz.
I would invert the ballast so that the bottem is facing away from the headlight. This way the circular dome with the ignitor wires coming out can be placed insde of the headlight. All you would need to do is cut a circle the same size, and make some metal brackets to screw into the blastic cover and screw into the premade holes on the ballast.
Once this is done silicone around where the ballast enters the plastic cover and walla. This should give you enough room to feed the ignitor wire to the projector and plug it in. Also this setup would be great for shielding water away from the internals of the ballast. 
hope that made sense. let me know if it does or doesnt. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

yea everything you said makes sense but i also have to cut a hole where the ignitor plugs into the bulb. without a hole there the door wont close. so i have to cut a hole and make something to go over everything....


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## DubbHatch (Dec 14, 2005)

It looks like you are going to have to cut a big a$$ hole in the door where the ignitor plug is. 
get some kind of round cap from a spraypaint can and jbweld it on there. there are nicer plastic caps out there, but that is the only think i can think of right now. Maybe a PVC pipe cap.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (DubbHatch)*

yea i also forgot to add that i spliced into the old blinker wiring in the headlight and used the power from that for the fog blinker. well when i hit the blinker switch it worked fine for a min then it stopped working. im pretty sure i blew my fuse for the fogs bcuz my other headlights arent working and the lights for the blinkers on the dash dont work. so ill be puttin in a larger fuse to account for the larger power consumption.....


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

You did what? Fog blinker? Don't put larger fuses in. What are you trying to do?


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## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_









dang, look at those sexy legs


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dennisgli* »_You did what? Fog blinker? Don't put larger fuses in. What are you trying to do?


look at my light. i put my fog light in the bottom section and wired it to the harness in the headlight to be run as a blinker. so when i turn my blinker on that fog light flashes. i used a fog for a uniform 2 projector look. so im assuming that the fogs use more power than what the blinker was using so it blew the fuse....


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

ok so i cut the holes out so the ignitors can be on and the doors can shut. i also cut the slot so the wires can get out of the light. so now all i need to do is make a lil something to go over where the ignitor is.


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## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Ok, I know this is going to sound crazy, but it should be a very inexpensive and easy solution.
Why not just take a balloon and put it over the door with the tail of it inside the headlight? It will still seal around the rubber gasket on the door and it will easily cover the hole you've cut. The other holes you should be able to use silicon to close up and make waterproof.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pelican18TQA4)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pelican18TQA4* »_Ok, I know this is going to sound crazy, but it should be a very inexpensive and easy solution.
Why not just take a balloon and put it over the door with the tail of it inside the headlight? It will still seal around the rubber gasket on the door and it will easily cover the hole you've cut. The other holes you should be able to use silicon to close up and make waterproof.

thats not a terribly bad idea. i dont think id use a balloon bcuz of the high temps and such but some decent rubber would do a good job...
i might try to think of some other stuff that can work


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

one other wuick question people. what is everyone using to re-seal the headlight glass to the housing>?


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_look at my light. i put my fog light in the bottom section and wired it to the harness in the headlight to be run as a blinker. so when i turn my blinker on that fog light flashes. i used a fog for a uniform 2 projector look. so im assuming that the fogs use more power than what the blinker was using so it blew the fuse....

I'd be really afraid of frying the hazard switch, turn signal switch, and/or the central control module by hooking up a 55watt fog light to the turn signal circuit.
Besides the beam pattern for a fog light is different from the beam pattern of a turn signal/parking light. I suppose you could chop out the shield and cram a PY21W bulb in there or something - but it just seems like using a stock turn signal light would be easier. I don't really understand why there is this infatuation with projectors.


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## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*

You can use a 55W bulb for the turnsignal, no problem. You just need to hook up a relay that is triggered by the turnsignal and pulls juice from the battery.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Pelican18TQA4)*

I suspect that will cause the turn signals to flash too fast like there is a burnt out bulb.


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## DubbHatch (Dec 14, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_ 









what is that stuff you are using to water proof your ballast?
you could use a peice of aluminum from a beer can and jbweld it on the back of that door to seal it up. Or some peice of plastic might work a little better.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah the whole projector blinker this is a neat idea but not necessery, almost better off to put in a regular blinker so not to have to go and rewire things. I think Dennis is on the money about the whole hyper blink if using a relay which would be irritating. As far as sealant, I believe there is a black sealant out there somewhere similar to what VW uses from the factory. honestly I am lazy and didnt bother looking for it so I just heated up the preexisting black "gue" and added a little clear silicon sealant then pressed the lense and housing together. It worked fine and no leaks or fog at all.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_yeah the whole projector blinker this is a neat idea but not necessery, almost better off to put in a regular blinker so not to have to go and rewire things. I think Dennis is on the money about the whole hyper blink if using a relay which would be irritating. As far as sealant, I believe there is a black sealant out there somewhere similar to what VW uses from the factory. honestly I am lazy and didnt bother looking for it so I just heated up the preexisting black "gue" and added a little clear silicon sealant then pressed the lense and housing together. It worked fine and no leaks or fog at all.

haha thats what i was going to do. did u use the oven method or did you use a heat gun?

and as far as using the fog as my blinker i just wanted an uniform look to the light by using two projectors. i changed the 10amp mini fuse to a 15 and i havent had a problem. the fog blinks at the right rythem and such. i jus wanted a lil dif look to the lights....

and as a quick update since its supposed to be nice and sunny the next few days i pressed the lights together really tight and used the clips around the lens to hold em tight to test em out for a day or so and they are working great. one little alignment problem but other than that these things are great....! pix following in a couple mins http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

sounds good. Glad you are enjoying the difference in lighting. 
As far as what i used, I actually used a hair dryer. hehe yup worked wonders. 
the possibility of hyper blink would only be if you added a relay. The relay would be a great idea but unfortunatly its possible to have hyper blink. Changing the fuse may be ok for now. Not a fuse expert so I am not sure if your VW will like that in the long run but doesnt seem like to much of a power draw unless Dennis wants to step in on this one.
Definatly see where your coming from on the whole uniform look idea. Yeah projectors may be over the top but your right is does have a cool look to it. besides thats what your particular ride is all about. Front end conversion with a bozer and now a custom set of HIDs. Definatly got a sweet ride to flaunt! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif








cant wait to see some output pics. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok heres some pix of everything installed. dont mind the dirty @$$ car and the bird shiz on the hood







btw the paint chip in the bumper has caused me to buy a new bumper which is in the mail, the new bumper has spots for driving lights in the bottom so im prolly gonna do some yellow fogs http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
ok so on to the pix!!!!


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

CONGRADS!!! looks Great. you can appreciate the TSX's color and intensity over what you wer used to with lame as halogen buckets. hehe
the front end has a new message: "GET THE F* Out of My way!"








The beams look pretty level to me and the spacing looks good from the pics you have. 
Yellow fogs in the bumper would be a nice touch. Know what your going to use for those yet?
you just need to change your mesh grill out to a normal non badge bar grill and the front would be conplete....hehe j/k....or am I?















EDIT: BTW if it wernt for your boser the bird turd would be on your new lights. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 10:31 PM 5-10-2006_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_CONGRADS!!! looks Great. you can appreciate the TSX's color and intensity over what you wer used to with lame as halogen buckets. hehe
the front end has a new message: "GET THE F* Out of My way!"








The beams look pretty level to me and the spacing looks good from the pics you have. 
Yellow fogs in the bumper would be a nice touch. Know what your going to use for those yet?
you just need to change your mesh grill out to a normal non badge bar grill and the front would be conplete....hehe j/k....or am I?















EDIT: BTW if it wernt for your boser the bird turd would be on your new lights. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

_Modified by BrunoVdub at 10:31 PM 5-10-2006_

haha damn right the boser saved the lights!!








with the new bumper ill prolly change the grill up to something new. the lights ill be using for the bumper are stock bmw motorsports fogs bcuz the bumper is an m3 lookalike. i might go with either reflector yellow fogs or projector yellow fogs not sure yet. heres a quick pic of the bumper. and by the way yea ITS GREAT to be able to see agaian at night not only does halogen suck but having an angry boser cuts all light off!


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## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

the lights looked awesome last night. im finally happy that we can now see the road


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Cbaby22)*

i now vote for this thread to be a sticky or sumthin of that nature. i think this has a lot of information in it contributed by a lot of very intelligent people who know what they are talking about. i have tried to ask every question possible to people so that anyone else that wants to learn could read through this thread and make their own set of retros even if they dont plan on the same style i did. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

Thanks everyone for being soooooo helpful


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

I'd love to see before and after pictures of the turn signal beam pattern. But I suppose it's a little late to ask for "before" pictures!


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dennisgli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dennisgli* »_I'd love to see before and after pictures of the turn signal beam pattern. But I suppose it's a little late to ask for "before" pictures!


well anyone can take a quick pic of their stock jetta blinker beam and post it up. i can take one of mine now if you want....


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## jeffinca (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

I have some new Valeo HID projectors both single & Bi Xenon using D1S bulbs, Does anyone know of a place other that here:
http://www.suvlights.com/produ...id=70
for Osram 6000K D1S bulbs?
Has anyone tried LEDs in the turn signals? I though about using a LED attached to a rubber grommet for it.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (jeffinca)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jeffinca* »_I have some new Valeo HID projectors both single & Bi Xenon using D1S bulbs, Does anyone know of a place other that here:
http://www.suvlights.com/produ...id=70
for Osram 6000K D1S bulbs?
Has anyone tried LEDs in the turn signals? I though about using a LED attached to a rubber grommet for it. 

LEDs in the turns sounds like a decent idea if your tight on space and need to use them... 
as far as your trying to find a bulb i always read that its better to buy them in a set bcuz the color will be different on the 2 bulbs even if they are exactly the same models....


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (jeffinca)*

RallyLights.com carries Hella - which are probably made by Osram anyway. I'd also suggest buying a new pair rather than buying one 6000K to try to match a bulb that wearing out and turning blue.


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## ejg3855 (Sep 23, 2004)

needs to have a DIY written up for wiring


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## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (ejg3855)*

bump to keep as watched


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## sleepygti28 (Feb 24, 2005)

damn i have been on this side of the board in awhile!!!
good to see this thread is still up.


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## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

hey i'm live in md too. i haven't read through all the post to see if you've started your project or finished. if you want help i can help with them


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

Phat? Yes He did finish his retro. Did it with TSX projectors and brought the turn signals to the bottem slot on his lights. He did a whole custom fiberglass encasment for the lights.


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## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

diz'am i wanna see what page are the pics?
btw i talk to on hidplanet a couple of times my sn aww sheet


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

Yup I remember. You were looking for pics showing some ways to mount projectors into the jetta headlight.
Again the SRT retro looks great, just need to see some shots of the jetta retro.
The pics of Phat's retrofit can be found on page 12 of this thread.


----------



## 00boraslow (May 22, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i am going to start my retrofit some time soon. just got some E55 bi-xenon projectors and ballasts


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (00boraslow)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

those look sick. i wish i new how to fiberglass. i would do that w/ my srt.
so you wrapped a shirt around the light, and started applying the fiberglass? is the shirt still under there? (stupid question)
whats a general step by step on fiberglassing?


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

Damn i luckly stumble unto this thread after argument and brake up with the girl. I wanted to get a set of HIDs on my B4 passat but this is so much cooler so i might do this retro fit by august so i was wondering for those who have done it so far if they can summ up the basic parts and price so i can start working on this.
There is so much info here that im just over.
I found a set of TSX projectors with ballast and bulbs for $500 is that too much? Can i find a set for shipper? I know that not many of you are familliar with the passat B4 headlights but its ok i just want to know where i can get the parts and the rest ill make up.
Passats have two beams on each side so i will not touch the high beams at all instead i will retro fit the projector on the low beams with custom angeleyes and will put 100 watt halogen high beams i will wire the separately to a siwtch so i can use alone and i will use a 5 pole relay so that when i turn the hedlights on they come on and i can use the regular headlight siwth for flashing and stuff.
so i will need
2 projectors
2 (what ever is called plastic thing to cover)
2 Bulbs 
2 ballast 
1000 patience
is that all or should i get anything else
please advise me on brands and place to get things part numbers do pvs pipes from lowes work?
thanks sorry for long post but im very exited


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

OK here we go:
Firstoff: projectors and other equipment:
Sites to visit:
http://hidplanet.com (for OEM new stlye projectors and ballasts and bulbs)
http://hidplanet.com/forums (for topics exclusively related to HID lighting and retrofitting...this site is every retrofitters friend)
http://ebay.com (look here if you want to find parts cheaper, ay take longer to find parts and you must be careful of who you buy from but you can get a good deal here sometimes, it all takes time)

Projector Referance: hidplanet has a university section and on page three of that area there is a post showcasing various projectors and there output. This is a good place to start if you have no idea what this is.
* projectors vary in size, price, performance.
* the more money you pay the more you most likely get out of the projector unless its just very special and unique
* With VW lights space can be a little issue so make sure you get the dimensions on what your buying before hand so you can make sure the projectors will fit.
* there are low beam only projectors and there are bi-xenon projectors low and high beam
* Ballasts: hella, Bosch, ballasts made for a lot of the lexi and infinitis, valeo (all OEM, all better than drop in kit ballasts)
* projectors: there are tons of them. Find out what you want most color, output, width, size, etx. and then hunt for prices. If you need help consult HIDplanet and do a search. 
so i am guessing that you have the headlights with the fluted lenses?? If you do then you need to find the headlights with the crystal clear lenses so that when you retrofit projectors in there the beam wont be messed up. If you have the crystal clear headlamps then you dont need to worry about purchasing another set of lamps.

tools and stuff needed:
a dremel tool
J B Weld
might need paint
HID projectors
HID ballasts
HID bulbs
a watch
a calendar
a work area
some beer or something else that you would use to take a break with (sorry not a smoker so I cant say that)

Basic steps to retrofitting;
1.)First find out which projectors your going to use
2.)find out what kinds of bezels or shrouds you want to use for the projectors
3.)Find all necessary equipment for the HID 9ballasts, bulbs, any other wiring needed, relay wiring harness)
4.) open your headlights
5.) dissasemble the headlight, take out the reflector.
6.) next comes measuring, you need to make a hole so that thr projector can stick out through the reflector part. this hole you dremel out is crucial so take you time and measure many times to ensure you get it right the first time. Also your going to have to figure out how you want to mount them
here are some random shots showing two methods of mounting....
I have a Jetta but the ideas are the same here.....
first is mounting a shroud to the reflector and then mounting the projector to the shroud. 
































second method is mouting the projector using screws and then mounting a shroud to the front of the projector.
































.........ok back to the steps..........
7.) now after your projectors are mounted and shrouds or bezels are in place you must deal with any wiring issues. now you have a high beam so the high beam will stay wired exactly the same as before. however your low beam is not wired to the bulb. It needs to be wired to the ballast so that the ballast is powered when the low beam is turned on thus turning on the HID attached to the ballast.
now here is where the relay harness comes into play:
this is a diagram if you choose to make your own however they can be bought for like 20 to 40 dollars premade.








now if you can understand the wiring diagram for a relay harness then great. basically with this harness you are drawing power directly from the battery to power the ballasts. This way pwer is not going from the battery, into the wiring, into the switch, back into the wiring, and then into the ballast. Without a relay wiring harness you could potentially fry your stock wireing, or overload the ballast and shortens its life. 
8.) now you have to figure out where you want to mount the ballasts. Chances are there isnt enough room inside the headlight so you need to either mount them to the side or back of the headlight or elsewhere close by in the engine bay.
9.) now you shoudl test your HID after fitting it in place before you seal it up to make sure everything is working properly and that the cutoffs are straight anf not shooting off to the side or something. The straighter the cutoff line the better because if you seal your headlights up and have a crooked cutoff line it will drive you crazy!!!
10.) Seal the headlights back up making sure that everything inside is done.
11.) Seal up the back where the projectors are sitting. If you mounted your projectors in a way that forces them to sit further back and stick through the low beam access panel then you need to somehow seal that area up so that no water or debris enters the headlight. You can have the veryend of the projector sticking out sealing around the projector so that no water gets past it or you can add a cover or PVC tubing like this.....
























these are pictures so you get the idea of what is needed to be done. Take all this as a suggestion and do whatever you feel is necessary.
12.) mount your ballasts and plug everything in.
Now your lights should turn on and light up the world and if you buy all your components at a good price you should be well under the price of what OEM HID costs.
Shamless whoreing of my lights for a happy ending of this quickly written Guide:
























Ok hopefully that answers a few questions. This guide is rough and not perect but is atleast an idea of what is neded to be done.
























_Modified by BrunoVdub at 9:17 PM 7-12-2006_


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*















Wow first time i havent been directed to search lol many many thanks to you and yes i will start this soon and post pics for the fellow passat onwners. 
Will enginge paint resist enough heat?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

Anything High Heat will do the trick. Engine paint can sometimes be textured so check first before buying. 
but in the case that you want to black out the chrome or something, a good can of high temperature flat black paint will do the trick.
Yeah the Search button is everyones friend but in this case the Search wont get you to to much. I always end up getting questions so i figured I would knock out the gist of what you need to do and just post it up.
If you have questions though, ask, and Hidplanet is a great place to explore ideas. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## jsiani (Feb 20, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

phat03jti, Nice job on your HID retro. I have a question. Did you tape up the projector and fog light when you used the fabric and the fiberglass epoxy. Can you give me some help. I have to mount my e46 projector from the front of the reflector then the back, due to the solenoid hitting the dust cover frame. Thanks for any help you can give me. Jason


----------



## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Anything High Heat will do the trick. Engine paint can sometimes be textured so check first before buying. 
but in the case that you want to black out the chrome or something, a good can of high temperature flat black paint will do the trick.
Yeah the Search button is everyones friend but in this case the Search wont get you to to much. I always end up getting questions so i figured I would knock out the gist of what you need to do and just post it up.
If you have questions though, ask, and Hidplanet is a great place to explore ideas. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

you forgot to add one thing ...........
DEMONSTRATE PATIENCE!!!!!!!!!

if you try to rush this it willget all f'ed up. purposely take you time . it me 1.5 months to make mine. and they're still not fully complete for certain reasons cough cough cough







but they're installed

hey bruno who did you handle the drive-side? my headlight wouldn't fit with the battery tray, and my ignitor istouching the battery right now


_Modified by 1.8L8vVeeDub at 12:24 PM 7-14-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

A while back I removed the plastic surround for the battery because I installed a, well lets just say, "interesting" intake. I decided to kinda change things up and need to move the battery a little over and the surround wouldnt fit so it got yanked.
So since then I have just kept it off cause so what its plastic an voers the battery. 
My first retrofit I added plastic tubing on the back end and I almost didnt fit the passenger side as it butted right up against the windshield washer fluid resevoir. The driverside however wasnt really a problem.
This time around my projectors were left exposed right at the end, with no cover. However I made sure to weatherproof them completly right up around the back where the bulb and connector are.
So I pretty much dont have any room problems.
I would say that when retrofitting the jetta light and the Golf light, you have to make sure that the projector wont stick out to far out the back or you might have clearance issues. First you must test fit to make sure that everyting till fit then mount everything knowing that you wont have fitment problems.


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

will i need a special shroud or bazel to mount them with angel eyes? Im planing on Using TSX projectors
Please help me here also looking at HID planet.where can i get them shrouds or bazzels


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

if you want angel eyes and need to know what bezels to go with, it all depends on what kind of angel eyes you go with. You can get OEM BMW angel eyes which are CCFL (I think cold cathode flourescent light), which are OEM standard and extremely good qaulity. or you can get an Ebay kit which you can get to look good as well but it will be cheaper in price and therefore cheaper in quality.
depending on which kind you go with will decide how to mount them. I believe the BMW kind are thick and very rigid where as the ebay kits are smaller diameter and easier work with. This is my guess as I do not have a lot of experience with angel eyes. however Hidlanet has plenty of documented retrofits using halo eyes that you can search.
If you quickly search for some scion Tc retros I believe a few people have done angel eyes on those. Also here is a link for a member on hidplanet that did a jetta retrofit with halo rings. He is from romania and it would be hard to get in touch with him but maybe looking at the front can give you some ideas I guess.
here is the link: http://www.hidplanet.com/forum...20018


----------



## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i'll let Phat know that his page still exsists


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Cbaby22)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Cbaby22* »_i'll let Phat know that his page still exsists









Yeah that was bogus that your thread got axed. But like you said always must have hesitation beofre posting things in the MK4 forum as there are alot of losers with nothing to do but hate.
How is that project coming along?


----------



## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
Yeah that was bogus that your thread got axed. But like you said always must have hesitation beofre posting things in the MK4 forum as there are alot of losers with nothing to do but hate.
How is that project coming along?

yea your telling me. i hate being one of those girls whos feelings get hurt at the drop of a hat lol... but my car is STILL in the shop...i should get it back on Friday. I'm trying to get work (i work at the VW dealership) to loan me a dub to drive for the rest of the week haha... i'll post up another thread, but in the Capital Area


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Cbaby22)*

sounds good, have to check here out when shes done.








and yeah getting a job with VW can help in the long run.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (jsiani)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jsiani* »_phat03jti, Nice job on your HID retro. I have a question. Did you tape up the projector and fog light when you used the fabric and the fiberglass epoxy. Can you give me some help. I have to mount my e46 projector from the front of the reflector then the back, due to the solenoid hitting the dust cover frame. Thanks for any help you can give me. Jason


nice to see my thread has come back to life. i didnt have it in my watched topics anymore so i didnt even know people were using it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
but to answer your question first i mounted the tsx projector wherei wanted it after i was done. i then took out the lens for the projector and covered the rest of the projector with plenty of painters tape so the fiberglass wouldnt get on it. covered the whole thinkg in a t-shirt, ( in the end i wound up doin this agian with womens support stockings) but either will work. then went to town with a couple coats of glass. the next part is kinda tricky. you now i have to take the fiberglass cover off of the housing so you can cut the holes for the lenses, remove the tape from the projectors and then put the lenses in. once all the holes are cut i painted the whole thing with a gloss back engine paint then silicones the fiberglass mold back onto the headlight http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
pics to explain process...

























































and to answer the question about if the shirt is still under everything that would be a yes. once you apply the fiberglass the shirt is bascially no more its just one hard shell. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

im most likely going to be redoing my lights because i was in a rush when i was workin on them and i put a crack on both lights right by where the lens comes out. soo im gonna try and fixx that stuff up and repaint them black again http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Cbaby22 (Oct 20, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

dear boyfriend,
please make your pictures smaller.
thanx,
your lovely girlfreind


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Cbaby22)*

I am done doing the first step which is buying all the parts. I will post a 
"retrofit please help me" thread (in this thread) once I start doing my project.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_I am done doing the first step which is buying all the parts. I will post a 
"retrofit please help me" thread (in this thread) once I start doing my project.









thats cool. a lot of ur questions can be answered by reading through it but if you have anymore feel free to ask http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

Hey phat, good job on your retro... So, if you use this harness you dont have to mess with anymore wire? http://www.thexenonstore.com/relay.php
and also, I am going to do double blinkers, does anyone know if I can just tap the existing blinker wire without adding any relay or anything?


_Modified by LA20 at 10:09 AM 7-21-2006_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (LA20)*

pretty much just wire up the harness and go to town http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (LA20)*

worse case senario you have to change a few connectors. If you do have any problems post up and we can figure a solution no problem.


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

Thanks everyone.
Oke, just purchased the harness.


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## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

On the retrofit topic .. . it shouldn't be that difficult to retrofit a pair of ebay projector lights for a set of Audi TT Xenon lights







? I just purchased both sets and chose the TT Xenon's because they are smaller than most other xenon set ups. . . Wish me luck guys!







Don't be suprised to get a lot of questions thrown at the veterans! Thanks!


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

yes it is very possible to retrofit ebay projectors.
drzed just retrofitted some halogen projector lights with the same E46 (TT) projectors you bought.
And as always if you have any questions or problems with the process you can consult one of these threads, PM one of us, and even check out http://www.hidplanet.com/forums for more info and help.


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

thanks Bruno, your help as well as the help from everyone in this forum will be greatly appreciated http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Any pics on the ebay halogen projecter upgrade?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

oops forgot to post the Link for his halogen projector retrof project... http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2725079


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

BRUNOVDUB. . . . sorry, but where can i buy the harness premade?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

premade harnesses can be found at many online stores that sell hid kits and HID accessories. xenon depot is one.
Also PM this member, A2B4guy, he makes all sorts of wiring harnesses. If he does MK4s he might be a good source for a harness.
He may even make you a custom one to fit your application if he is open to that. Again I am just speculating and in no way am suggesting that this is something he would definatly do.
Just trying to send business to a fellow dubber who does some nice work. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

My ballast doest come with the wire that goes to ground and +12v. Can I just run two wires: one that goes to ground and the +12v that goes to my premade harness?
Do they sell that "end" that clicks to the black connector on the ballast? and what wire size should I get? 
Thanks.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

depends on the ballast. ON some ballasts if you run the opposite wire for power and ground you could fry the ballast. Which ballasts are you using?


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

stanley ballast, i have pics but I cant connect to my school network to upload it.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

this one.. i won the bid.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...QrdZ1
btw, what do I need to test if the bulbs are working? I don't want to give a good feedback on ebay before the bulbs and ballast are tested. There is a broken piece on the bottom part of one of the bulb that I hope will NOT have any effect at all.
I already started on the driver side headlight, will post pic later. I am stupid enough to buy the cordless dremel tool, have to wait for recharging the battery now! Hopefully I can finish this project as short as 2 weeks time!!


_Modified by LA20 at 6:25 PM 8-1-2006_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

if you have a power supply from a regular pc there is a 12v connector in there. i cut the end off of that and use that for all my testing of the ballasts and bulbs.... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

How do you test for negative and positive on the ballast? and do they sell those black connectors to connect to the ballast?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

Honestly. I would be careful with just using any one of those pin outs for positive or negative. If Phat is positive which ones are positive and negative then thats good. Howeverm wouldnt hurt to post up a small topic on hidplanet in the general HID forum asking which pij is positive and which is negative. Just for safe measure. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
OT Phat how goes your girls project???


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i have no clue which of those are positive or negative. you should def post a topic about that one. i was just saying once you get a plug for that and have some wires you can then use the power supply to test things... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

great work phat! looks great, everyone's work looks better than oem, and the price and output will be as well. What did you guys do to make sure they are aimed properly, I'm using bolts and washers, lol


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Ramo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Ramo* »_great work phat! looks great, everyone's work looks better than oem, and the price and output will be as well. What did you guys do to make sure they are aimed properly, I'm using bolts and washers, lol









i kinda eyeballed everything to get things straight. i did a little measuring ad such. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

That's what I'm plannin to do as well, just wanted to check if there was maybe a better way


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

well mini levels and mini laser levels are useful tools. Mainly you want to find a level surface on the projector and match it up with a level surface on the reflector.
It sounds easier than it is but its not very difficult. Just take your time and it will come out well. Using screws and nuts isnt very forgiving as when you drill the holes they are pretty much a done deal and moving the holes if the projector is on an angle isnt to easy.
So My suggestion is to take your time when you premark your holes for mounting the projectors. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I feel you, when I made my marks for the holes, I kept checking after each screw i put into to make sure it was right, because you have big point; once I make that hole, , and i'm off, it's really difficult to make a minor adjustment when there is a hole already!
I was actually concerned with aiming the headlights for optimum visability and that the beams and spread evenly, that's why I'm "planning" to use bolts and washers for minor tweaks to the angle of the beam, i've been taking photos to show my work when I'm done










_Modified by Ramo at 3:33 PM 8-2-2006_


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## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

This is what I have so far.. I am really concern about the light adjustment now. I already figured out to find which is postive and negative, but someone please tell me what wire size should I use for the ballast. 
Another question is that, should I cover the hollow space of the projector between the lens and bulb casing with aluminum foil before placing the projector into the shrouds?


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (LA20)*

I think 12AWG and you should be fine, but someone please chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.. . .
If you mean the space between the lense and the top rim of the projector "bowl," then no, as long as you have your entire housing sealed up good and anything that might have a tiny whole due to wires or something in that nature, make sure it's facing down avoid moisture droplets
Lookin good so far LA20 http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

can we use any spray paint to paint the housing? I went to home depot and walmart but couldnt find anything that says high temp paint.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

12ga. wire is great if you can get it to work. The larher thw wire the harder it is to work with.
It is suggested that for any work related to lighting, use atleast no smaller than 14ga. I used 14ga. for most of my wiring and it was easier to deal with and I have no issues. 
your ballast have no harnesses so I would use some 14ga wire for those. This way it will bend a little easier and not drive you crazy so much.
As far as covering up any space between the reflector bowl and the lense, if you can cover it up, perfect. The more sealed your projectors are the less of a chance you will have light leaking out of any small holes in the reflector. However its not absolutly necessary if the shroud you are using covers the entire front of the projector fluch so only the lense part is visable.
high temp paint. Find a local auto store and ask for temp paint. Walmart isnt really a great place for that kind of thing. high temp paint dries fast and will be better to use over regular paint especially if it will be in direct or intermediate contact with hot surfaces around the projector.
if you use regular paint, you risk the issue of running your HID, the housing heating up, and then the paint sort of evaporting just a little from the top layer and crating a film on the lense. NOt to mention there could be flamable issues. Doesnt seem too likely but better to be safe than sorry. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

thanks alot ramo and sean... 
the shroud I am using is original X5 shroud, I was surprised to find out that it didnt cover the entire "hollow part" up. It leaves about 1/4 of the hollow part.
And the shield in the middle is bent (I am guessing by the previous owner from hidplanet.com), so I can't wait to see the cutoff.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

OK so if you want to cover up some areas of the open part of the projector, use some alluminum Tape. I dont trust tinfoil. A shroud for that area would be best. Just a round circular piece of sheet metal and your golden. however if you dont want to do that, alluminum tape is another great Idea. if you use that just make sure that any surface exposed to the Heat of the HID is not the glue side of the Tape. this way nothing will ooze down into the bowl. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I think I will just get some metal sheet robin used to use when he mount the projector to the jetta casing. I will cut some up and cover the remaining part tomorrow. Meanwhile, I need to get a voltmeter, 14ga wires, wire stripper and some soldier. Man, I am so lacking of tools.
btw, I posted up this question earlier.. can I tap the 2 existing blinkers wires and run another blinker? Will it have any wattage problem or anything? 


_Modified by LA20 at 9:20 PM 8-2-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

whats the voltmeter for?
Yeah Robin had an AWESOME retrofit! that would work just fine.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

You might.
OEM HIDs run two blinkers off of one bulb. I am not positive if there will be an issue with the amount of draw from 2 bulbs for the blinkers. 
If possiblem try and devise a way to use one bulb. I believe thats the safer way to go. However, I guess you could test the current draw from one bulb when it is working as a running light, and then again as it is used as a blinker.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_whats the voltmeter for?
Yeah Robin had an AWESOME retrofit! that would work just fine.

One of the hidplanet members suggested to use a voltmeter to test which is positive and which is negative. I will try that tomorrow.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

oh ok I c. Good point. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

where'd you get that shroud from?


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_
As far as covering up any space between the reflector bowl and the lense, if you can cover it up, perfect. The more sealed your projectors are the less of a chance you will have light leaking out of any small holes in the reflector. However its not absolutly necessary if the shroud you are using covers the entire front of the projector fluch so only the lense part is visable.


Holy crap, really? so I should do that then? Cause I'm doin my retrofit in fk projectors, so obviously the project is much simpler. I didn't realize that I should have a shroud to avoid light loss, because we all want the best possible light output from our retrofitted hids, that's why where doin this! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

I got the shroud from ebay, its a whole X5 shrouds including the high beam, so I have to cut it up slowly to the right size.
I am having a ****load trouble finding 12v battery so that I could try out my bulbs and ballasts. I am an electrical noob and don't know anything about electricity


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (LA20)*

use your car battery, that's what i used to check my xenons to see if they were working correctly


----------



## drzed (Aug 26, 2002)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

My ballasts came with a connector for the 12 V source, and "starter" wire. It was 12 gauge, so I wired the entire system 12 gauge with a relay. I would not recommend 14 or above, simply after seeing what OEM wiring comes with for my ballast.


----------



## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

wait i'm lost what are you trying to do?


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *1.8L8vVeeDub* »_wait i'm lost what are you trying to do?

wiring up my ballast for the harness...

damn, no progress today at all.. the only thing I did was to test which pin is positive and which is negative. Got to finish up a 1500 words essay that will be due in a couple of hours.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Ramo* »_
Holy crap, really? so I should do that then? Cause I'm doin my retrofit in fk projectors, so obviously the project is much simpler. I didn't realize that I should have a shroud to avoid light loss, because we all want the best possible light output from our retrofitted hids, that's why where doin this! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I would say do this more importantly to reduce light "leakage". Light loss will not necessarily reduce your output to noticable levels. And for that matter trapping more light will help your output but not more than a few percent. Never a bad idea though.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (drzed)*


_Quote, originally posted by *drzed* »_My ballasts came with a connector for the 12 V source, and "starter" wire. It was 12 gauge, so I wired the entire system 12 gauge with a relay. I would not recommend 14 or above, simply after seeing what OEM wiring comes with for my ballast.

i will in no way disagree with this statement. You should always use the larger wire for a number of reasons.
however I was just stating that you could without a doubt and problems use 14 ga. anything lower will heat up to fast. its funny a lot of ballasts that I come across over the last 2 years, a lot of there power harnesses were 16 ga. Not my choice but sometimes its hard to pair a 12 ga. line with a 16ga. line.
But definatly, if you have the ability to use 12ga. and your comforatable with soing it, Its highly recomended. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I have never used any wire before, so I am not sure if I am comfortable with any size. I have made up my mind, I would use the same size as my premade harness wire, that go to the positive side of the ballast, is uisng. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

Can anyone confirm with me if my ballast (stanley) is for infinity cars? I need to buy the black connector piece.

I am not a 100% sure, but I think if I don't cover up the "hollow part" of the projector, it will leak out and create a fake angel eyes around the shroud. My shroud does not touch the reflector bowl and it leaves like an inch gap.


_Modified by LA20 at 8:20 PM 8-3-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_Can anyone confirm with me if my ballast (stanley) is for infinity cars? I need to buy the black connector piece.

I am not a 100% sure, but I think if I don't cover up the "hollow part" of the projector, it will leak out and create a fake angel eyes around the shroud. My shroud does not touch the reflector bowl and it leaves like an inch gap.

_Modified by LA20 at 8:20 PM 8-3-2006_

hmm.....I would say that it is atleast an acura ballast or mitsubishi. Looks to be stanley made but not sure which company it was made for. 
As far as your other question, I dont quite understand what you are asking.


----------



## 1.8L8vVeeDub (Mar 12, 2003)

i think thats a lexus ballast. one thing for sure its not a ballast used on european car.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (1.8L8vVeeDub)*

yes with out a doubt it is a ballast equipped on a car that comes from asia.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

It's infiniti Q45 ballast, the whole connector is conected to the car's wiring. The dealer sells them for $75. I solder up some 14 ga wires and they work just fine.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif awesome.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Driver side is 95% complete and tested.. what do I need to prep before painting? I am going to paint it black.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

lets seee some pix playa


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

I will take pics tomorrow... now the thing is being welded together by JB weld. I can't turn it over to take pics, it's exactly the same picture as I was posted before but with dual blinkers








I forgot to take pics when I was testing it on my car just now..








but the shield has been color modded by the previous owner of the projectors, very bluish cutoff. I know my friend's X5 cut off is not that blue.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

well when I did an all smoked retro the first time, I just sprayed 3 coats of heat resistant paint anf thats it.
however, some people suggest sanding to allow the paint to adhere better. this is a very good idea however will get a little messy. Also if you are spraying the plastic in some cases you may need a promoter base to allow the paint to stick to the plastic. you may not need to but I am no painting expert, just throwing out necessary input,
if you need the name of a good promotoer base I can give that to ya tomorrow. Or you can just paint the things with a few coats and let them dry. If they dont flake off or anything your probably fine.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

My original plan was to keep it chrome.. but you know how rough things got as you progress through the project.. I scraped alot of the chrome around the bowl and shroud.. so I have no choice but to paint it black.
2 things in my mind:
1. I want to wet sand it down, however my second blinker is glued on and it will get really really messy...
2. I am thinking of painting the reflector bowl of the HIGH beam black too, will it look funny?
AND.. there's someone in the forum selling lexan headlight cover for only $40 OBO.. so if you want to get them just search this guy's userid smashtheqube


_Modified by LA20 at 11:28 PM 8-7-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

well you could also paint the reflector part silver?? nice alternative to black.
Also dont paint the high beam black uless absolutly necessary. If you do then the high beam becomes useless.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I guess I will just keep the high beam bowl chrome. I don't have the mood to do the passenger side today. It's basketball today and soccer tomorrow.


----------



## spkn^GRMN (Jul 25, 2002)

*Re: (LA20)*

uh ohhhhhhh!!!


----------



## Seth-VDub.GLI (Feb 15, 2006)

*Re: (SPKNGRMN)*























I want! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (SPKNGRMN)*

Uhhh ohhh is Wes scratching the itch??


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (SPKNGRMN)*

I used to have angel eyes and I hate them.. I simply hate them because of the wirings and etc.. It's up to you, but I wouldn't use angel eyes.


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (LA20)*

Ok I haven't been able to follow up with any postings due to the fact that I'm very busy, but my final question is, what's the best method and product used to seal the headlight housings?


----------



## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

*Re: (Ramo)*

There was a specific tape that was bought from one of the dealerships that you could just apply around the perimeter. I forget what dealership it was though, and it appears that HIDplanet is down?


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (Retromini)*

been reading this thread for awhile now...im building a set of retros for my jetta using the projector,bulb,ballast of a rx330... one question i have is the ballast was sealed in the bottom of the lexus headlight and will be semi-exposed on my set up..is there anything i can wrap the ballast in or will it be ok semi-exposed?


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

Sean (Bruno) said just heat up the surrounding again.. I tried it for awhile and it seems to work just fine (the black glue is really strong). However, I am going to add clear silicon glue all around it just in case..

I think it is oke as long you mount the connector on the ballast downwards, so IF water ACCIDENTALY makes its way into your hood, it will not sip through the connector.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

ditto. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif








it is always best to keep the ballast out of the elements. however they can take some punishment. I ran a set of thin Generation 4 Hella ballasts mounted to the back of my lights for the old setup and believe it or not they were perfectly fine for more than 6 months. 
I have since took them off and changed my retro with some different ballasts. If possible, see if you can mount them in some sort of plastic holder, and definatly keep any electrical input areas on the ballasts away from water or debris.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

**update**
The driver's side is finally done. Next week will be crazy busy, so I won't be able to start on the other side. I think the hardest part of this whole retrofit is to fit the whole set back to the black housing where the adjusters are attached to.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

nice setup man its def lookin good http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

looks great! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Yes the process does take time with fitting everything back in.
The beam looks good except if possible the beam needs to be rotated counterclockwise about 3 degrees, unless your not on level ground. Not a huge deal unless your anal about haveing a level beam.
My beams are like 1 degree off and it sometimes drives me crazy hehe http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

how do u do that? just rotate the lens or the whole projector? If it's the whole projector then I won't be able to do it.. the mounting points are already jb welded.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

Yeah, you would have to rotate the whole projector. Its ok though. Honestly its not to far off anyway. The beam looks good. 
Question, are you going with dual turn signals??
The job looks great! Kepp up the good work. For future reference just take your time trying to level the projector when you mount it. if your using J B weld you have to make sure they are exactly level or they could slant really bad, and as you may know, J B Weld isnt to forgiving.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yes just like the pics, it is dual turn signal..
I already measured the beam before I JB weld it.. but I didn't know it was 3 degrees off like you said..


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (LA20)*

looks freakin dope http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Great job, I should be done with mine in one week! I'll post pics and a short description of how I did mine, did you bend your sheild or modify it???


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (Ramo)*

it was already like that when I received it.. I think the seller bend the shield.


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (LA20)*

hey guys, some shots of my retro....im farther along then these pics now, i just need to figure out how im going to seal up the back of the projector








started with these:








somebody unsuccessfully tried to steel these out of my brothers RX330








the projectors








housing waiting to start








i printed out the wiring harness pics, just wondering if anybody has details on the relays and where to get them....will post up more pics as others have...this post is http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by RJB121 at 6:37 AM 8-15-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (RJB121)*

I am using some Bosch SPDT relays. I think they are great quality. Ended up grabbing some off of ebay to ****s and giggles. I am sure if you do a quick search on google you will find a bunch for sale maybe like under $10 for sale. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
hell, even best buy sells a bosch relay package for like 15 bucks. Little more than I was willing to pay but hey you can see the product first hand.


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

cool thanks...maybe radio shack?...and one more question...can the grounds in the diagram be grounded thru the factory headlight ground?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (RJB121)*

for instance, when I connected the low beam into the relay wiring harnes, that ground is being grounded through the stock wiring. however the ground at the ballast is being grounded off on the chassis or negative terminal of the battery.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (RJB121)*

I still remembered you tried to sell the rx330 headlights long ago in the classified.
Good job, post up more pics.


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (LA20)*


_Quote, originally posted by *LA20* »_I still remembered you tried to sell the rx330 headlights long ago in the classified.
Good job, post up more pics.









yeah i had the one, nobody wanted just one so i sat on it and found one on ebay for dirt cheap with everything in it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif...more pics to come
Bruno
would there be an issue if i grounded the ballast thru the factory wiring instead of to the chassis or battery?...the reason i ask is the lights i started with have the mess of wires in the back and im trying to make it easy to remove them if i ever have to and grounding thru the harness would be easy to do


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (RJB121)*

well I guess it wont hurt. Its just suggested to ground them through other means.


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ill see how the wiring comes out soon...but here are some pics
all sealed up and waiting to be wired


----------



## quibe (Dec 2, 2004)

Hey guys... new to the RETRO world... bought some retro, waited like almost 2 months to get them, and then they were busted... (see this thread http://forums.vwvortex.com/zer...age=1)
















ANYWAY, I have final fixed them up... Here are the pics...
























The "foggy" look is due to the 40mm clear Lamin-X on them. Hopefully they will go on this weekend... and BrunoVdub you have a PM










_Modified by quibe at 10:52 PM 8-16-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (quibe)*

Hey, PM responded to. Let me know if that is any help or If you need me to explain better for you. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
about the headlights. Nice design, wow about the damage, bezel just didnt look very secure but then again can give speculation on wether or not it was something that was not adressed by the originaly maker of these or by the wonderful people at UPS.
The fogged lense cover? Are you saying that you installing some clear laminx over the fogged cover or is that picture of the lense cover with the laminx installed?? Reason why I ask is because I highly suggest polishing those lense covers like 5 times to get the covers as clear as possible. Light shining through dirty or fogged covers can really mess with beam patters especially with projected light.
All in all looks cool, just make sure when you wire them to make all good contacts and I think I forgot to mention that for relays you want some heavy duty car engine bay relays. The cheapo chinese relays arnt going to cut it. Find some bosch automotive relays or something comparitable. I bought mine online but Not sure where to buy them around town. I am pretty sure Radio Shack doesnt carry anything of that caliber so I would check with all surounding electronics businesses.








Oh and PM me if you have further questions. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

all wired up...hopefully start on #2 in a day or 2
sitting on the rad support








notice the stock HL lower left


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (RJB121)*

looks good.
suggestion, moving the shield a little away from the reflector bowl using washers can in some ways give you some color and maybe even more sharpness. 
Worth a try only if your interested. Other than that beam looks night an day over the stock wimpy headlight. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

nice i cant wait to start mine. Projectors ar on the way already here by monday. Anyways any one know if is there a way to get a hand on the kits that used to be sold on HIDplanet.com the philips gen 3 ballast with the 4300K philips bulbs. im trying to get this too soon since i need them for the install so i can see if its straight or not. Any one using other brands as far as ballast and bulbs. any input at this point will be apreciated. Thanks a lot. also that retro is nice is that a E46 bezel?


----------



## quibe (Dec 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_The fogged lense cover? Are you saying that you installing some clear laminx over the fogged cover or is that picture of the lense cover with the laminx installed?? 

I am saying that if the pic looks foggy (which it does to me) it is because there is 40mm Lamix-X on it. The lense cover was not damaged in any way, so I want to protect them...


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (quibe)*

issit glass or plastic? If it is plastic then it's a waste of money, and you should sand it down so that it stays clear and clean.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

hmm...Hella and bosch ballasts are good. The ballasts used on many of the infiniti and lexus cars are good as well.
pretty much just find some ballasts at or under $200 used and from a good source and your set.


_Modified by BrunoVdub at 7:50 PM 8-20-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (quibe)*

oh ok makes sense now. Sorry I wasnt sure if it was just the pic or the lense was that blurry in stock forum. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ok well i got brand new ballast Hella Gen 3 and brand new Philips D2S 4300K bulbs for 270 with all hardware







i hope i didnt get ripped off. well projectors ar in already now i have to find bezzels and decide if stay chrome or paint black well pics will be up soon


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

nope that sounds good for brandy new ballasts. What projectors are you using again?


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

TSX that i will be color moding for blue cuttoff. I will post pics as soon as i have a chance. i have the pics on the camera but to lazy to post them lol. if my ballast and bulbs arrive today as i expect i will post up pics of the colors. Im so exited is not funny.
Question. Does the headlight have to be tightly sealed? im gessing to keep moisture out. Im having some problems with that







o well thats what happened when i relocated city lights to the high beam


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

well sealing them well will definatly help keep out moisture.
Best thing is when sealing up the headlight when your done, make sure to heat up the preexisting sealant inside the headlight then press both the plastic headlight cover and the headlight bucket using clamps to hold pressure. Next you can add a thin bead of clear silicon around the opening to ensure zero moisture.
Other than doing that, sometimes messing with the breather tubes, two of them, which are located at the back of the light.
If you get this all done and need to ask any questions just post up or PM me, I dont mind trying to add some suggestions. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

Breather tuves?
I dont think my passat has them but oh well i can make my own lol. I was thinking to turn them on for a little before putting the rear caps? Will this be better? I really dont want the water spots later on my lens. Im also having a hard time to find something to make a bezzel and i really can not spend 100 bucks on ZKWs E46 so what other options do i have?
dog food bowl,
Under warmer stove cover
...




































Everythinbg is planned out perfect. If tomorrow when (as they should get here tomorrow) i try my projectors with the bulbs and if they dont leak light im putting them like that no bezzel.








Im really stock here and i need the car for thursday. Have a hot date


----------



## Ramo (Feb 3, 2006)

*Re: (juan3268)*

Anyone in the So cal area??? Maybe we can meet up and finish the project together. i just need help on the bumper removal, leveling and wiring up, anyone interested or at the same step, PM me!


----------



## gcorrado60 (May 2, 1999)

*Re: (Ramo)*

finished mine up....some pics
















no beam pattern or road pics yet, it needs to stop raining...but what a difference between stock, helix and lexus retro in helix


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (RJB121)*

and here is mine. for more pics see mi signature


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

Great work guys. Both your projects look clean and I am sure you are reaping the benefit of HID lighting.
Once you go HID you cant go back to halogen. Its too paniful. hehe


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

well i havent even driven it more than 5 times at night and the other day i drove my dads car with halogens and wasnt sure if they where on or not







is amazing how fast we get used to the good stuff


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*

Yes and the other sad truth is that over time you will be comparing your HIDs to other cars on the highway trying to see if yours are brighter or theirs are. Kinda frustrating.


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

where can i buy a harness for a bi xenon setup for a jetta?


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (szahanov)*

any one done 350 z projectors? if not i guess ill be the first


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*


_Quote, originally posted by *szahanov* »_where can i buy a harness for a bi xenon setup for a jetta?

unfortunatly I do not believe there are any pre-made harnesses used for bi-xenon setups. However you could buy a regular relay wiring harness and I and maybe some others can fill you in on what is needed to complement the rest of your wiring. 
PM me if you need further explanation. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *midnightbluegli* »_any one done 350 z projectors? if not i guess ill be the first









the smaller older style projectors or the newer bi-xenon projectors??


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

i got the small ones of my friends wrecked z any pics?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

Oh ok. 
Yeah the small older versions of the Z projectors have not been retrofitted into the Jetta that I am aware of. They are very small and unfortunatly are open on both sides which allows light to leak from either side. However the light leaking out of both sides is how it was designed because with the older Zs the reflector was part of the projector setup and the leaking light from the sides of the projector was reflected off, you guessed it, the reflector part of the headlight which creates a little more light to the sides and most of what makes up for the lack of foreground.
However I have a pair of these and have tested them out, I dont see why you couldnt try it. Only problem is how to set them in the headlight. They are designed to be completly exposed with no shroud to them to cover up the front. This is both an advantage and a disavantage. 
The advantage is that the ability to not have to worry about dressing the front of the projector up is great, just mount it and your done. However Some people do not like the idea of how it looks mounted in that manner as it may in some cases look unfinshed. 
What kind of pics were you looking for?


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

to see if anyone had done it


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

Thanks, i have a set of e55s on the way and im planning on retro fitting them i just need to figure out how to make my harness


----------



## juan3268 (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (szahanov)*

this may be a little of topic but have anyone heard of bulb aging? i remember reading something about these on HIDplanet.com but i cant find the thread now. What is it all i remember is that it had to do with the color of the bulbs and people will have them all also during the day to speed this up? Any one what im talking about?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (juan3268)*


_Quote, originally posted by *juan3268* »_ this may be a little of topic but have anyone heard of bulb aging? i remember reading something about these on HIDplanet.com but i cant find the thread now. What is it all i remember is that it had to do with the color of the bulbs and people will have them all also during the day to speed this up? Any one what im talking about?

hehe your talking about color shifting.
Color shifting is due to running your bulbs for many many hours. Eventually over time bulbs tend to show a little bluer output if you were to use 4300K bulbs.
People keep their lights on during the day to speed this up because naturaly everyone wants very white, almost blue looking output.
honestly I rather keep one set of bulbs for a very long time rather than to keep them running all the time just to get a little blue out of them. Silly kids...



















_Modified by BrunoVdub at 8:54 AM 9-8-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*


_Quote, originally posted by *midnightbluegli* »_ to see if anyone had done it








 
I dont think anyone has but I would also be curious to see if anybody did.
But if not then maybe you could be the first.










_Modified by BrunoVdub at 8:53 AM 9-8-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*


_Quote, originally posted by *szahanov* »_Thanks, i have a set of e55s on the way and im planning on retro fitting them i just need to figure out how to make my harness

No problem. If you have questions post up or PM me and I am sure you can get it all wired up no problem. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## quibe (Dec 2, 2004)

^^ Yeah Bruno has helped me out so much.. I owe him about 2,000


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (quibe)*


_Quote, originally posted by *quibe* »_^^ Yeah Bruno has helped me out so much.. I owe him about 2,000









http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Glad I could help out Eric. Everything going well with the fix?








oops...Pg 17 ownage!


----------



## quibe (Dec 2, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

we are getting there.... they go in tomorrow!!!


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

do you know how i would go about chroming the headlight thin after the retro fit?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

chroming the reflector part you need to cut a hole in??
If so then yes its possible but it needs to be done by a professional company and it may cost some money. Havnt priced that out yet but its not something you can do at home. The chrome like paints sold in stores just dont give you anywhere near the look of real chroming.
Just make your cuts diligently and measure a few times before you make the hole. Also key point, if you touch any part of the reflector in the front where the chrome finish is it may and in most cases rub off. Try to handle only the back end of the reflector so to keep the front in good clean condition. After your hole is done spray most of the plastic dust off with a conpressed air can and then when your completly done you can use warm water to wash it down then a microfiber towel to wipe it to mirror clean again.


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

got it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
got one more auestion lol.... ill im it to you


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif PM sent back at cha


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

mocked up with some card board to make the sealer plates
also tried an hid bulb in it its beutiful ill try to get pictures in a bit

























































edit for hid cutoff


_Modified by midnightbluegli at 5:23 PM 9-9-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

looks descent. Are those halogen 350z projectors?
let me know how the project comes along. Best bet for some used headlights is ebay or the vortex classifieds. Should be able to find a good condition set for around $100


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

the projectors are HID but they are off the 03-05 model the o6 has the bi xenon setup
bruno you have AIM? if so PM me with it
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

Looks like the odd shape of the projector makes it hard to retrofit.. Maybe easier for a jetta headlight, but for golf the blinkers will get in the way of the projectors..
btw, wat's up everyone


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (LA20)*

yeah they are Oddely shapped. However they are extremely small so even GTI headlights would fit them most likely. No only issue is making them flow with the headlight is all. 
Whats up.







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_yeah they are Oddely shapped. However they are extremely small so even GTI headlights would fit them most likely. No only issue is making them flow with the headlight is all. 
Whats up.







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

yah i already got the headlights for 70 bucks shipped to my door so imma start worming on them soon http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

i was trying to get the set of headlights for free but the deal never went thru


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

yeah but 70 isnt bad at all.


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

also im not sriving my car due to overheating problems







so this means more time during the week after work to messaround with them all i need to buy now is a dremel


----------



## midnightbluegli (Apr 5, 2004)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

so far i have invested into this 70 for the headlights projectors= lunch for my friend twice at hooter so technically 26 dollars lol and used bulbs and ballasts from a 350z @ local highend j-yard that owed my boss a couple of favors 100 bucks http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (midnightbluegli)*

sweet! Looks like you have a very affordable HID project on your hands. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## drzed (Aug 26, 2002)

Remind me... going to stay after work tonight to do some FINAL alignment against the loading dock wall here at work. 
I'm guessing 8.30 - 9 pm, it will be dark and ready to align. Hopefully this is the last kick at it.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (drzed)*

how did the alignment process go?


----------



## drzed (Aug 26, 2002)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

FINALLY.
It is done. 
Used shims under the housing to get the height I needed. 
All in all, I'm really pleased. My wife was driving infront of me last night and she said the lights looked awesome, and didn't blind her at all.
I'll post pix soon.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

just 1 question. 
i know some of you guys might have lost the high beam by doing a retrofit.
does this really bother anyone?? i am planning to do this project in 2 weeks and i am just worrying i wont be able to see those high-mounted street signs & highway exits.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

Picture of the front of my lights. notice the small mini projector in the top turn signal position.:








This is a shot of the low beams only:








This is a shot of the low beam with the high beam on:








hope that helps. If you using a low beam only projector it is possible to add in a small light for a high beam. I see be creative and you should be able to come up with a high beam solution if you really want to. I dont use high beams much so the small high beams that I have are primarily for flash to pass or lighting up some signs in extremly dark areas.


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

on that last pic is that your high on as well? do you have bi xenon's?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*

The last picture is a set of SC430 low beam only projectors and a set of mini H3 projectors with the cutoff shields taken out.
The low beam is HID and the high beam is halogen.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_The last picture is a set of SC430 low beam only projectors and a set of mini H3 projectors with the cutoff shields taken out.
The low beam is HID and the high beam is halogen.

very smart. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
but i am planning to make it bi-xenon enabled.










_Modified by oj1480 at 4:35 PM 9-15-2006_


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

oh ok well in that case. There is a fix to allow the high beam function from a bi-xenon projector to work.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1167457
this link shows how to activate the high beam and low beam together by modifying one of the wires underneath the steering columm cover.
Pretty straight forward mod.


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

has anyone done a bi xenon retro, i have a set of e55 bi xenon projectors on the way and am interested what is involved in the actual wiring 
thanks


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

*Re: (szahanov)*


_Quote, originally posted by *szahanov* »_has anyone done a bi xenon retro, i have a set of e55 bi xenon projectors on the way and am interested what is involved in the actual wiring 
thanks

i got mine already, going to do the retro next weekend.
i believe all u have to do is to wire up the jetta stock High beam into the bi-xenon Solenoid.


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

Hummm sounds almost too easy, i am using a set of depo headlights with a projector and a reflector for the high im going to be taking out the stock projector and replaceing it with the e55 i was windering if you could keep me posted on how you wire them up


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*

honestly....its sounds easy but its really the only way I suggest.
Whe you wire them up the whie wire and brown wire should be wired to the power sie and the negative side of theprojector selenoid.
The selenoid is 12v and does not need much power to operate. Someone PMd me earlier yesterday about the possibility of overloading the selenoid with power from the high beam lead but in my opinion you shouldnt have to worry about this. Everyone wires them that way myself included. I ran a set of E55s for about 9 months no problem.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

brunovdub, what do you think about supercharging the bosch ballast?
http://www.hidplanet.com/forum...21715
is it really safe? 
Yes i have the exact same ballast (gen2).
I want brighter, but dont want to burn anything.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

well based on PKSs modification....its works pretty well. However the ballasts longevity will suffer.
Unfortunatly with electrical components there is a shelf life and a somewhat pre-determined like expectancy.
If you are hell bent on having brighter HIDs hen go for it but know that if you dont follow the instuctions properly you may potentially junk the ballasts.
Also you may want to just go with a different set of projectors if you really want better output.
My personal feelings on supercharged HID......yes its awesome to bring daylight down the street with you but over time it may start to affect your vision at night when the lights turn off, meaning that you may not adjust well to dark vs. light. Besides its not absolutly necessary.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_well based on PKSs modification....its works pretty well. However the ballasts longevity will suffer.
Unfortunatly with electrical components there is a shelf life and a somewhat pre-determined like expectancy.
If you are hell bent on having brighter HIDs hen go for it but know that if you dont follow the instuctions properly you may potentially junk the ballasts.
Also you may want to just go with a different set of projectors if you really want better output.
My personal feelings on supercharged HID......yes its awesome to bring daylight down the street with you but over time it may start to affect your vision at night when the lights turn off, meaning that you may not adjust well to dark vs. light. Besides its not absolutly necessary.

hmm in this case i think i will try the original output first. if it is disappointing, i then will try the mod.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

hey i found a nice wiring graph for our jettas.








but something i dont understand: what are the Diode "a" "b" "c"?? are they the same diode?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

exactly why I dont want to use a diagram like that as I dont feel like playing around with diodes and resistance factors to make them work right and not blow anything up.
However if someone would like to test this out using the proper diodes and then give us a report on te install then I would be happy to try it myself.








until then I rather just perform the steering colum mod. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

can't we just use a regular harness if we do the behind the steering wheel mod so that the highs and lows are on all the time?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*

steering wheel mod has nothing to do with relyaing the HIDs. All it does is allow the highs and lows to work at the same time so that when you flip on the high beam for a bi-xenon projector...the HID low beam wont shut off.
using a relay wiring harness is still a must.


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

i performed the steering colum mod this evening waiting for the rest of my stuff to get in for my retro


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

http://www.xenondepot.com/prod...id=75
thats what i ordered comes with a wiring harness


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*

sounds good. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## szahanov (Jan 29, 2000)

now i have to figure out how to align them


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (szahanov)*

guys i need help. I need a passenger side glass lens for GTI if any of you have laying around. Or I need 1 pair of plastic covers in case I couldn't get the glass lens, I will just swap both with plastic. Let me know.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

i dont have any but you can find something cheap on the classifieds quick. 50bux or less for stock gti lights. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Thanks I've been keeping my eyes open, but no luck up till now.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

mine done!!
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2874082










_Modified by oj1480 at 11:46 PM 10-12-2006_


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

finally mine's done . Will post pics ASAP (actually depend on the weather).


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (LA20)*

here's mine....took about a week to cut and mount and 2 days of fit and aim.
Projectors are from a Evo9 stanley type projector. I'll post night shots later.


----------



## oj1480 (Jun 6, 2006)

looks weird to me, maybe the pics are too close.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (oj1480)*

well the evo projectors have very large and pointy crystal clear lenses. Sometimes when taking pictures of them up close gives off a colorful prism effect thus creating the picture that they look blue or something. Some other projectors are the same way but these things are cool.....put out some crazy colors to the sides of the beam pattern.
we want pictures Tboy http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## dieselgti (Apr 25, 2003)

*Re: (T-Boy)*


_Quote, originally posted by *T-Boy* »_









Looks like they turned out great!!! I like the blacked out look! Do you have any pics of the back of the unit?


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (dieselgti)*

I use pretty much the same thing Bruno did, so it looks indentical to how his looks......for the most part atleast
If bruno doesn't mid i'll just repost his pics here......


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (T-Boy)*

haha those pictures look familar. NO problem. Got any beam pattern pictures? Lights look very well done. If you did follow the same thing I did they should be pretty secure inside the lights as wel. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

I'll take some soon..... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (T-Boy)*

Ok, nothing great but just camera phone pics.....these will have to do till i can get a nice location with a better camera.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (T-Boy)*

looking good http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

you have a mini too....ever been tempted to do the same thing to the cooper? 
I have my mini cooper's headlight open debating the same mod http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_looking good http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

thanks

_Quote, originally posted by *Retromini* »_you have a mini too....ever been tempted to do the same thing to the cooper? 
I have my mini cooper's headlight open debating the same mod http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I was tempted to do a lot of things with the mini, but the wife doesn't want anything to do with mods on her car....althought she digs the HIDS....


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (T-Boy)*

once you go HID.....you will never drive halogen again. I tried once and almost couldnt see while driving in bad weather one night. I have become to dependent on HIDs.


----------



## T-Boy (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_once you go HID.....you will never drive halogen again. I tried once and almost couldnt see while driving in bad weather one night. I have become to dependent on HIDs.









very true.....


----------



## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dieselgti)*

If you're going to retrofit your Depo headlights with HID projectors why do you even need the retaining ring for a 9007 bulb?


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (dieselgti)*

bump this thread!


----------



## Vik F (Jan 3, 2001)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (LA20)*

whew..finally finished reading this thread and all its links... i forsee a hid retro-fit in my near future.








thx for ALL the info guys, and to Sean







for answering all my questions.



_Modified by Vik F at 2:40 AM 12-3-2006_


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Vik F)*








i was hoping this thread would be a help to anyone trying to a retro fit. i tried to ask and get almost every answer you could need in one thread, a lot of very knowledgeable people contributed to it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
btw post pix after the retro!


----------



## Vik F (Jan 3, 2001)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

will do ...hunting for parts now...


----------



## VWUberGolf (Aug 21, 2002)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (Vik F)*

Just thought I'd post some pic of my HID / LED (Running/turn signals )conversion:


----------



## silver_arrow_jetta (Jul 30, 2004)

in case someone here is interested in doing a retrofit, i got a nice set of hella DS2 projector for sale http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2954823
check it out!


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (VWUberGolf)*

Car looks clean. Retro looks clean as well.
What are you running for projectors?


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (BrunoVdub)*

my retros will be for sale soon. i wrecked my car last night and ill most likely be parting it out. headlights may be broken so all the parts will be pieced out.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Retrofitting Jetta w/ HID's (phat03jti)*

bummer man! http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif Hope You and everybody involved is ok.


----------



## ejg3855 (Sep 23, 2004)

Any one interested in building a set of these for me, I could do it just no time been working way to much latley.


----------



## Genuine Rolla (Oct 31, 2005)

too bad man. IF its not too cold out, ima go readjust my headlights tonight. i havent done that since i put my HID's in.


----------



## LA20 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: (Genuine Rolla)*

If it is not winter I might want to build you a set. However, I have no experience on Jetta lights at all.
And soon I will have an OEM HID gti lights for sale for cheap.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (LA20)*

well it looks like im gettin my car fixed but since i shattered my headlight its gonna be time for yet another awesome retrofitting project. im thinking about doign more crazy fiberglass work and incorporating in another projector for my high beams. i have a few ideas right now but im sure itll be another fun little project. ill be sure to post step by step pix again. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

heres what the car looks like now.....
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2966943


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

soooooooo lets wake this thing up! im making another set of retros that will be better than the last set http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif i just bought a new set of oem jetta headlights and yet another set of tsx projectors. ill be adding some new interesting pieces to the mix on this set though. im still not sure what just yet.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

soooooooo lets wake this thing up! im making another set of retros that will be better than the last set http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif i just bought a new set of oem jetta headlights and yet another set of tsx projectors. ill be adding some new interesting pieces to the mix on this set though. im still not sure what just yet.


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 24, 2002)

*Re: (ejg3855)*

Build up I did for a friend of mine. Actually he did most of the work:


----------



## Genuine Rolla (Oct 31, 2005)

that doesnt look half bad. Now...my question is that when you guys were drilling holes to mount the projector...how did you make sure that all you had the projector completely level...?


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (SMOOTH)*

SMOOTH, 
retro looks clean. My only critisism is the gaps around the shroud. I just actually repaired a retro that someone had utilizing those E46 shrouds and remembered that one thing I hate about those shrouds is the fact that it leaves gaps on both sides and doenst look flush. Not only does it not look flush it has a tendency to leak light from open design projectors out of those gaps.
For instance if you used E55 projectors they are not fully enclosed and therefore you would need to shroud the front of the projector so light does not leak into the headlight. 
Cant tell for sure but it looks like you may have used a projector similar to he E55 bi-xenon or identical. If you want a way to correct any light leakage you can try this which will block about 95% of the light leakage:








All it is a duct reducer 3x4 inch that was sort of cut to shape. Just an example. 
however I am in no way trying to say that the work doesnt look good because it definatly looks clean. nice job. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Genuine Rolla)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Genuine Rolla* »_that doesnt look half bad. Now...my question is that when you guys were drilling holes to mount the projector...how did you make sure that all you had the projector completely level...?

well....lets just say I have a very steady eye when it comes to mounting. haha
I end up using the horizontal level portions of the original reflector of the headlight to find a level mounting position. Some guys have used laser levelers to hold it in place and then just J B weld it to the reflector. I on the other hand do not like that method because if you dont weld it correctly it will crack when you hit a bump or when you try to remove it after you part out the headlight or something....its hell trying to get it free.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *phat03jti* »_soooooooo lets wake this thing up! im making another set of retros that will be better than the last set http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif i just bought a new set of oem jetta headlights and yet another set of tsx projectors. ill be adding some new interesting pieces to the mix on this set though. im still not sure what just yet.









ok lets see something different then. How about a low beam projector and a high beam projector? I know you had a fog projector last time but its not really the same.


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 24, 2002)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_SMOOTH, 
retro looks clean. My only critisism is the gaps around the shroud. I just actually repaired a retro that someone had utilizing those E46 shrouds and remembered that one thing I hate about those shrouds is the fact that it leaves gaps on both sides and doenst look flush. Not only does it not look flush it has a tendency to leak light from open design projectors out of those gaps.
For instance if you used E55 projectors they are not fully enclosed and therefore you would need to shroud the front of the projector so light does not leak into the headlight. 
Cant tell for sure but it looks like you may have used a projector similar to he E55 bi-xenon or identical. If you want a way to correct any light leakage you can try this which will block about 95% of the light leakage:








All it is a duct reducer 3x4 inch that was sort of cut to shape. Just an example. 
however I am in no way trying to say that the work doesnt look good because it definatly looks clean. nice job. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

This was my first retro fit. Trial and Error. At my buddy's expense! LOL! I personally don't like the E46 Bixeneon shrouds that we used but to each his own. He likes the TSX projectors too. I will be building a set of 7" single rounds soon with E46 Projectors and custom shrouds. I will put pics up as soon as I am done.


----------



## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (SMOOTH)*

hey for a trial and error set they look pretty good. No pictures of the back but the front looks very clean. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
The TSX projectors are better than the E46 projectors but if you get the bi-xenon version of the E46 you get the advantage of having a high beam HID option.
PLus the E46 projectors arnt very expensive and can be had a t a low cost.


----------



## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_hey for a trial and error set they look pretty good. No pictures of the back but the front looks very clean. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
The TSX projectors are better than the E46 projectors but if you get the bi-xenon version of the E46 you get the advantage of having a high beam HID option.
PLus the E46 projectors arnt very expensive and can be had a t a low cost.


ill have a high beam option with my tsx projectors.........







wait till u see what is to come.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Well based on your sale thread on hidplanet....I am guessing your going with 2 TSX projectors in each headlight?


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_Well based on your sale thread on hidplanet....I am guessing your going with 2 TSX projectors in each headlight?









hrmmm you would be correct good sir. ive yet to see it done on a mk4. a dual HID retrofit http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
cool.
yeah your right it hasnt...though I have been contemplating a set using a wide variety of projectors. Just not sure how to make look cosmetically sound. Really wish I had a vacum form machine so I could mold ABS around anything.








But yeah definatly keep us posted. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea i cant wait to start on the project. wait until you see the car im putting them on as welll


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

man your such a tease! http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

ill have pix soon enough. car is currently getting the new paint job. she had to be shaven up a little bit...


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

so im thinkin 5000k in the Low beam and 4300k in the High beams... idk yet tho. also have to find a second set of ballasts for a decent price. ill be making my own wiring harness this time for a much cleaner install since im now redoing my engine bay. also have to move that effin battery to the trunk so it wont be a PITA under the hood anymore...


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

anyone have a spare set of ballasts. im lookin on hidplanet now...


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

make sure you invest in either a set of Hella Generation 3 ballasts or the infiniti style circular ballasts with the longer ignitor cords. I never was a fan of theose TSX ballasts.
A good deal an a set of ballasts is anywhere from 125-150. Bulbs should set you between 30-75(new on hidplanet)
Not a tone of people selling ballasts on hidplanet...might have to ebay it.
I hope your not going to be using a TSX projector for a high beam. Kind of a waste as any old projector with out the shield will give you the same result. But hey atleast think about it.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_make sure you invest in either a set of Hella Generation 3 ballasts or the infiniti style circular ballasts with the longer ignitor cords. I never was a fan of theose TSX ballasts.
A good deal an a set of ballasts is anywhere from 125-150. Bulbs should set you between 30-75(new on hidplanet)
Not a tone of people selling ballasts on hidplanet...might have to ebay it.
I hope your not going to be using a TSX projector for a high beam. Kind of a waste as any old projector with out the shield will give you the same result. But hey atleast think about it.









yea im gonna use the tsx as a high beam. i wasnt really concerned with the price i was more concerned with a nice uniform look and the ease of install and such. but yea im def lookin for a set of ballasts with long ignitor cords. my other ones were short as a mofo.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Also I was just thinking...not really a good idea to keep powering HID for the high beam on and off. You will kill your bulbs and mybe even your ballasts. You really need a halogen high beam projector bud. Look for some valeo high beam projectors from the toureg. 
Or 2 a dual low beam TSX with a smaller high beam fog projector. that would definatly be interesting. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

y would it mess up the ballasts and bulbs from using it for HIgh beams???


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

well HID takes a little while to warm up to give its full output in lumens. When you just flash ti on for flash to pass its really not allowing it sufficient time to warm up and constantly fliping the switch will eventually wear out the bulb and possibly the ballast. 
Now if you had a bi-xenon projector and were using this in the same manner then it wouldnt be as bad because 50% of your driving would be done using the low beam HID on and then activating the high beam would only activate the high beam shield not the HID bulb itself.
So point, you can use a stand alone projector for HID high beam but it is not advised as you will be possibly neededing to replace components to the high beam more often.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

new toys!!!! hehe what ever shall i dooooooo


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

so...figured out how your going to place them yet or???







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BrunoVdub* »_so...figured out how your going to place them yet or???







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

haha hells no. well i know theyre goin fog bottom right, high beam middle center, and low beam top left.... but as to how im gonna mount em ill have to get creative again.


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## BrunoVdub (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

haha. Talk about getting the gear before planning it out. haha.
Thinking about this more I think you will be needing to cut most of the reflector away and using mainly the seams as a skeleton in which to mount the projectors.
No doubt you will have a tight fit but if you cut enough then you may be able to fit them all.
I got myself a little tight fit project myself involding a few projectors in one Jetta light as well. May come down to modifying some of the projectors dimensions.


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (BrunoVdub)*

yea i dont mind cutting away the reflector im gonna do the fiberglass overlay again so i just mainly need something to hold the projectors in place... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Genuine Rolla (Oct 31, 2005)

^^^
now that looks like a lot of fun. I just finished up my retro..I still have some tweaks to do with the aiming .


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (Genuine Rolla)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Genuine Rolla* »_^^^
now that looks like a lot of fun. I just finished up my retro..I still have some tweaks to do with the aiming . 

this was the first set. just imagine another tsx projector squeezed in there.....


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## BoraVR (Mar 14, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

bumping this thread up with a couple of questions:
I just started working on my first retrofit project, Bought the lights here on vortex, E46 bi-xenon projectors mounted in jetta housings, ds2 bulbs, ballasts... The previous owner (dragonfli_x is his user name, I believe) never had any shrouds mounted or the back of the lights sealed up, so that's what I'm working on now, plus want to wire up the high beam shield while I'm at it and use a relay harness for the low beams (I believe they were wired throught the stock harness before). 
So which shrouds would work best with this setup, should I just get the E46 ones? And there are three wires coming off of the shield motor, so 1 is power, 1 is ground and one is signal from the oem harness, right? Should I also wire them into the relay harness or just connect all three to the corresponding wires on the oem harness?
Thanks in advance!


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## krisfh (Sep 1, 2007)

wow
those retrofits look AMAZING!
Im insanely jealous!
Which brings me to my first 'noob' question, being a noob ass and all haha
Has anyone put in an aftermarket HID system into the stock mk4 jetta housing? How does that look/perform compared to these retrofitting ideas? Thanks for any advice in advance..i just obtained my jetta and am amped to learn lots from you all!


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## krisfh (Sep 1, 2007)

*Re: (krisfh)*

Ok
forget my last reply
but i picked up some stanley porsche bi xenon projectors
and some ballasts and bulbs and all that good stuff!
after reading through LITERALLY the whole thread..people kept mentioning the problems with be able to use the high beam function
Im wondering if i'll have this problem? Or if by having a bi xenon projector and the wiring harness from 'the retrofit source' made for the 9007..that i'll be ok to go? 
Gonna start my retrofit in coming weeks!


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## oneskll (May 3, 2005)

*Re: (phat03jti)*

Will this work for any projector/hid set up?

Another question for the guru's
I have a gti, with a jetta front end. If I just hook up the + and - from the solenoid to the + and - from the high beam wire and the + and - from the hid kit to the + and - from the low beam will this make it so my hids stays on when i flash the high beams and make the cutoff lower?


_Modified by oneskll at 3:24 PM 12-9-2008_


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## phat03jti (Mar 30, 2004)

*Re: (oneskll)*

these are for SALE!!!!!


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