A few days back there was interest from a few people when I mentioned some Hella HID foglights I had converted from halogen to HID.
http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=87155&mesg_id=87155&page=2

Here a few quick photos of the results in the Pilot Automotive housings.

I still recommend spending your money first to retro a true OEM HID projector into either an ebay housing or an old factory housing before you go to the trouble to add HID fogs. I had an old McCulloch HID kit after I did my E55 conversion so I installed it into some halogen projector fog lamps from Pilot Automotive (Hella Optilux series works nicely too).

I used H3 based HID bulbs and with the bulb energized, I fine tuned the bulb position slightly and I also tweaked the cut-off shield a little. The end result was a very nice flat beam patterm with a welcome amount of that pretty blue flicker when you view them from a distance away. The back of the housing was sealed with RTV silicone. As I walk around the car, the light escaping above the cut-off line seems no worse than with the Hella projectors I use in the low beam position.

Those look absolutely amazing! I will definatly be doing this, along with my headlights...

Most Ingenious 2GNT'r in my opinion. Great job Dave. I would give points but I can't.

that is exactly the type of HID light i want emitted outta my headlights. So exactly what type of kelvin is that light? 8000K??

If you are running a true HID system with a projector lens then the color temperature of the bulb has little to do with the amount of "blue dazzle" you see in the last photo. The blues and deep purples are from the lightwaves bending through the glass projector lens as it passes over the cut-off shield. That same bulb in a non-projector style lens would not have anything but white light emmitted.

If you bought an HID conversion kit for your stock Eclipse lights (9006 bulb) and wanted a purple or blue look that is why you would have to use a higher color temp bulb(maybe 6000-8000K?). The problem is the light emmitted would be that color all over. Not just at the cut-off line.

The reason you see all the different color temperature bulbs (both halogen(simulated HID) and even real HID is the desire everyone has to get that special blue color look. The blue/purple flicker that turns white as you approach cars can only be acheived with true HID bulbs in a projector style lens.

The lights in the picture use a 5000K color temperature HID capsule (bulb). That's the lowest color temp I could get in an H3 re-based bulb. Most HID OEM cars use color temperatures lower than that to get the purest white light and the maximum brightness. As bulb color temp goes up, the actual light emmitted goes down.

well put, makes sense. So you used the ebay projectors, and i'm guessing modified the housing to make it a true HID projector?

Originally posted by 96rs-t
well put, makes sense. So you used the ebay projectors, and i'm guessing modified the housing to make it a true HID projector?

I completely removed the projectors that came with the ebay units and installed OEM projectors from a Mercedes. Not an easy task but worth the effort and cost.




Note the angel eye ring is gone in order to fit the bigger diameter E55 lenses. Some OEM projectors will fit in much easier.

so whats the edge of the beam look like on a 8000k+ bulb in a projector lense? are the edges still refracted to a different wave length from the overall beam color?

just kinda curious... i actually prefer my entire beam to have a slightly bluish tint to them :P

i miss my 8000k kit :(

I am sooooo going to do a retro-fit once i get some money. Seems like it's well worth the labor

Originally posted by azdave
I completely removed the projectors that came with the ebay units and installed OEM projectors from a Mercedes. Not an easy task but worth the effort and cost.

just curious, what is the cost? mercedes = $$$, no?

i checked out the prices on the mercedes E55 projector, it's about 185$ for the projectors alone.

Originally posted by azdave

Originally posted by 96rs-t well put, makes sense. So you used the ebay projectors, and i'm guessing modified the housing to make it a true HID projector?

I completely removed the projectors that came with the ebay units and installed OEM projectors from a Mercedes. Not an easy task but worth the effort and cost. Note the angel eye ring is gone in order to fit the bigger diameter E55 lenses. Some OEM projectors will fit in much easier.

That looks amazing!
have any more pics you can post or a write up? :) :) :)

Originally posted by undisputed
That looks amazing! have any more pics you can post or a write up? :) :) :)

are you serious??

idk how many HID threads he's posted his writeup in already. :wary

http://www.rcaz.com/rcaz/sub%20indexes/E55_install/index.htm