great white
Well-Known Member
*NOTE* Keep in mind, "on the Cheap" is a relative term here. You can only do HID's "the right way" so cheap.
I'm currently low on cash (who isn't?), but I need to do a light upgrade.
As in headlight upgrade. As in HID upgrade.
Mine are so dim now that the wife asks at least once a trip if my headlights are on. It's become a safety issue now for the darker than black @$$ night driving we have to do here and Moose running around flagrantly disregarding the rules of the road.
The factory lenses have been cleaned over and over, but the halogens are old. Doesn't matter, I need more light even from a fresh set of stockers. The fact that even the cheapest cars have better lights from the factory doesn't help when one is behind me. They even wash out my truck's headlights from behind. My truck just makes a dark patch in front of me where it blocks their headlights!
:rolleyes5:
I've polished the lenses several times (sand, polish coat, etc) and no real difference. No matter how you cut it, the stock composite lights on a GMT400 just plain suck.
I considered changing the bulbs out and installing a relay setup for bat voltage right to the bulbs, but if I'm going through that expense and trouble I'm just going to do an HID upgrade and be done with it. I've got OEM HID's in my 300M special and boy oh boy, that is the cure!
So, I pulled a set of Acura TSX projectors out that I've had on the shelf for years now.
Yup, still as pristine as the day I bought 'em (stuff you see on the lens in the picture is just fluff from the packaging it was stored in).
So, step one and no money spent (well, was spent a long time ago).
Now, I need ballasts and D2s capsules.
In truth I would already have a set of Denso Ballasts and bulbs, but some SOB named Keith Carlos (Lives near Atlanta) ripped me off for 200 bucks way back when I bought the projectors. Took my money and strung me along for 6 months. They're in the mail, I'm mailing them friday, I returned your money, I forgot and I'm sending it western union, etc, etc......
If you're out there you F'er, yes you're still a crook, yes you're a SOB and yes, it's just one more thing you'll have to answer for it when this life is up and you're standing in front of the "pearly gates".....you dirty F'n thief.
Anyways, needing some stuff but low on cash I trip on over to the last refuge of the "strapped for cash" shoppers.....eBay.
Search for a while and I come across a used set with cut wires, but it's all there. May or may not work.
8 bucks.
Snatch.
Mine.
It was a last minute "opportunity grab". Kid of like the stuff that hangs on the shelf at the cash register lines in the store.
Even if the ballasts don't work, I'll get my money out of the connectors and wiring bits. If the bulbs and ballasts work, they may become my high beams in a set of "non cut off" projectors I've got lying around. Just too cheap to pass up.
So, I still need a set for the low beams.
Not wanting to trust my used eBay stuff for either the start of the build or full time use, I have a look around for something better.
Sure enough, any Denso ballasts or other OE quality stuff is just too expensive for me right now.
I find a cheap "china" kit (what the hell isn't made in china anymore anyways?) that's got an affordable price tag on it.
35w Ballasts, 4300K D2S bulbs, Amp to D2S adapters and mounting brackets.
Everything I need to get started.
40 bucks, free shipping to Canada.
Done.
I know, not the best quality but it will get me through until I can pop for some good ballasts and Phillips bulbs.
More importantly, it allows me to get on with retrofitting HID's.
So far I'm up to 60 bucks, not counting the 110 I spent once upon a time on the reflectors.
I'll also be building a relay kit to power them directly from the batteries. I could buy one, but I've already got all the bits here to make it to fit my truck. I may work a 4HI setup into the relay harness as well.
I'll have to keep the DRL's, they're law in Canada.
Since it's in the low beams on the halogens, it won't work the HIDs and I'll have to come up with a different plan.
I'm thinking to build an LED board for the turn signals and make a couple rows white to run DRLs, the rest amber for turns and running lights. That will give me a smidge more room to run intercooling piping back there anyways...
Now, I just have to find some clear lens housings that isn't going to cost 150 bucks.
There's two I'm looking at:
There's advantages/disadvantages to each. Both will come in right around the 100 buck mark with shipping.
The black are set up for easy installation on the TSX projectors:
A bit too much of the "racer boy black look" for my personal taste and I just don't think that looks that good on a GMT400. But it will be easy to work with to install the projectors and the black will make it easy to touch up if I need to so some shaving on the housing.
I'm just not so much a fan of the black look.
The sliver reflector models will be more work (cutting, mounting, etc) to fit the projectors, but I much prefer the silver. More of a factory look and it goes well with the GMT400 look. It will be a serious Biotch to make look nice if I mess up the reflector surface and may end up black in the end to cover any imperfections.
Got some thinking to do.....black is probably the smarter choice for the retro, it's just that look...:skep:.... ugghhh.
I'm currently low on cash (who isn't?), but I need to do a light upgrade.
As in headlight upgrade. As in HID upgrade.
Mine are so dim now that the wife asks at least once a trip if my headlights are on. It's become a safety issue now for the darker than black @$$ night driving we have to do here and Moose running around flagrantly disregarding the rules of the road.
The factory lenses have been cleaned over and over, but the halogens are old. Doesn't matter, I need more light even from a fresh set of stockers. The fact that even the cheapest cars have better lights from the factory doesn't help when one is behind me. They even wash out my truck's headlights from behind. My truck just makes a dark patch in front of me where it blocks their headlights!
:rolleyes5:
I've polished the lenses several times (sand, polish coat, etc) and no real difference. No matter how you cut it, the stock composite lights on a GMT400 just plain suck.
I considered changing the bulbs out and installing a relay setup for bat voltage right to the bulbs, but if I'm going through that expense and trouble I'm just going to do an HID upgrade and be done with it. I've got OEM HID's in my 300M special and boy oh boy, that is the cure!
So, I pulled a set of Acura TSX projectors out that I've had on the shelf for years now.
Yup, still as pristine as the day I bought 'em (stuff you see on the lens in the picture is just fluff from the packaging it was stored in).
So, step one and no money spent (well, was spent a long time ago).
Now, I need ballasts and D2s capsules.
In truth I would already have a set of Denso Ballasts and bulbs, but some SOB named Keith Carlos (Lives near Atlanta) ripped me off for 200 bucks way back when I bought the projectors. Took my money and strung me along for 6 months. They're in the mail, I'm mailing them friday, I returned your money, I forgot and I'm sending it western union, etc, etc......
If you're out there you F'er, yes you're still a crook, yes you're a SOB and yes, it's just one more thing you'll have to answer for it when this life is up and you're standing in front of the "pearly gates".....you dirty F'n thief.
Anyways, needing some stuff but low on cash I trip on over to the last refuge of the "strapped for cash" shoppers.....eBay.
Search for a while and I come across a used set with cut wires, but it's all there. May or may not work.
8 bucks.
Snatch.
Mine.
It was a last minute "opportunity grab". Kid of like the stuff that hangs on the shelf at the cash register lines in the store.
Even if the ballasts don't work, I'll get my money out of the connectors and wiring bits. If the bulbs and ballasts work, they may become my high beams in a set of "non cut off" projectors I've got lying around. Just too cheap to pass up.
So, I still need a set for the low beams.
Not wanting to trust my used eBay stuff for either the start of the build or full time use, I have a look around for something better.
Sure enough, any Denso ballasts or other OE quality stuff is just too expensive for me right now.
I find a cheap "china" kit (what the hell isn't made in china anymore anyways?) that's got an affordable price tag on it.
35w Ballasts, 4300K D2S bulbs, Amp to D2S adapters and mounting brackets.
Everything I need to get started.
40 bucks, free shipping to Canada.
Done.
I know, not the best quality but it will get me through until I can pop for some good ballasts and Phillips bulbs.
More importantly, it allows me to get on with retrofitting HID's.
So far I'm up to 60 bucks, not counting the 110 I spent once upon a time on the reflectors.
I'll also be building a relay kit to power them directly from the batteries. I could buy one, but I've already got all the bits here to make it to fit my truck. I may work a 4HI setup into the relay harness as well.
I'll have to keep the DRL's, they're law in Canada.
Since it's in the low beams on the halogens, it won't work the HIDs and I'll have to come up with a different plan.
I'm thinking to build an LED board for the turn signals and make a couple rows white to run DRLs, the rest amber for turns and running lights. That will give me a smidge more room to run intercooling piping back there anyways...
Now, I just have to find some clear lens housings that isn't going to cost 150 bucks.
There's two I'm looking at:
There's advantages/disadvantages to each. Both will come in right around the 100 buck mark with shipping.
The black are set up for easy installation on the TSX projectors:
A bit too much of the "racer boy black look" for my personal taste and I just don't think that looks that good on a GMT400. But it will be easy to work with to install the projectors and the black will make it easy to touch up if I need to so some shaving on the housing.
I'm just not so much a fan of the black look.
The sliver reflector models will be more work (cutting, mounting, etc) to fit the projectors, but I much prefer the silver. More of a factory look and it goes well with the GMT400 look. It will be a serious Biotch to make look nice if I mess up the reflector surface and may end up black in the end to cover any imperfections.
Got some thinking to do.....black is probably the smarter choice for the retro, it's just that look...:skep:.... ugghhh.
