hmmmm...

 

 

I'm retro'ing some FX's with E30 lens swap into mine now, can't get around to finishing it though. Always something else to do...

The FX's aren't as great as the TL/ZKW combo, but they also only cost me $90 for the projectors and lenses. I'll post pictures when I finally finish, probably after finals.

 

I wish they would do this for 4Runners:

http://xenondepot.com/product.php?product_id=95

 

See now that is what i am talking about!

I would buy that as is but would grab it quick if it had some higher quality parts. like a 50w ballest ect..

 

for 800 bux it better have 50 w ballasts and 50 w rated bulbs, and a few strippers to boot! lol

 

for 800 bucks i could go to the strip club and have fun. spending 800 bucks on lighting, no way. ill stick with halogens. haha.

 

LOL, yeah that are my thoughts but i figured you would make some comment about me being a cheapsate again....

BUT that is just what i am talking about, a pre-made plug and play retrofit kit.

 

oh no no I didnt make the comment about paying to play that was the other dude. He has a point that the top of the line retro's like superjoe83's (and mine) is going to cost some money but, 800 is a bit exorbitant imo. You should be able to pull off a good retro using HIDs, doing your own work it should be in the 250-300 range.

However the modification, while 100% custom, is not too terribly difficult. The worst thing that could happen is that one mars up a pair of H4 housings that cost about 10 bux and 20 in shipping.

The actual HID projectors are left alone and one maked the ebay H4 housing conform to fit the projectors.

Im planning on posting some pics of my retro. Thus far my biggest hurdle, aside from the $$$, is getting the passenger side prjector to fit - Ill probably have to move my battery.

 

That is one thing I was going to ask about the retro fit ( I had to move my battery back and take some of the plastic parts out when I put the H4 conversion in my truck) Not much room in there at all

 

I'm not saying that it's worth $800 or anything, I think that is rediculous but, would you buy that kit if they made it for your truck?

Probably not. And then your excuse for not doing HID's properly would be: "The only kit they make is too expensive, so I am just going to half@$$ it so I can look cool and say I have HID's"

Instead of what it is now: "Nobody makes a kit for my truck, and I don't want to do the work myself, but if they did make it, I would buy it."


Now, don't get me wrong, none of these are your exact words, This is just my interpretation of what you have said so far......

Now, I don't know about that company making those kits, but from the write-ups I've seen, with the amount of time and cost for parts involved in a custom retrofit (that doesn't look like total @$$). If I was making a kit myself, the price would be pretty close to what that company is asking

just my .02

 

Ok, i misread your posts.

I will be honest, i know how the retro works but never did really take the time to really look up the work for it. I just knew that it was a custom job that involved a lot of cutting and such and that if you messed it up you would either not have lights or they would not be aimed right. I knew that i was not going to do that so i just grabbed a kit as i have to have the HID for the long dark road out here and the deer.

Actually i NEVER say something that i will not stand behind (unless i am way to tired to think stright ect...) If these were priced reaonable (say under $500 - $600 for a set of both lights and all the stuff to make them work, yeah i would buy them. It would not be for awhile but i WOULD get them. I would want to get the SC and a few others things done first but i would get them. I have the projetor style fogs and i love them.

 

So what about 3rd gen 4Runners? You can't just buy a new H4 housing for $30... But I do have some aftermarket 99+ housings ($180 shipped), and they look great but I'm not too happy with the beam pattern... so what might be involved in that process? Are the projectors you are buying new or used? Is it a pretty straightforward process?

 

I've been doing a 'lil Google searching for companies that do retro fit into halogen fixtures:

http://www.hidtech.com/retros.html

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/services.html

http://customlightz.com/

http://www.jwhiteslights.com/Service...%20Package.htm

 

the projectors and ballasts most likely will be used. you can get new ones, but its costly. its a process of removing the lights, heating to get the glass off, dremeling the reflector housing out to fit the projectors in, seating them to aim, sealing it up w/ jb weld or watever, and wiring everything up. sounds decent but could turn out to be a huge headache. the end product will be awesome though. with 3rd gen light housings, youll need a bixenon, and have to check depth, h, w, etc to get it nice. try looking into projectors from the tl, porsche, murano for good bixenons. cheaper ones include e46 and e55 ones.

 

oh, read up/buy on hidplanet the forum is really helpful, and theres tons of pics of awesome setups, which will show you CLEARLY, how read hid's are better than everything else

 

Nice, now there is somehting that i could get my hands on!

Just need to look at them closer and see how much it would cost and what i would get. But I think that i will be hitting one of those places up when i can get the $$$ saved up ad finish the more pressing stuff first. the last one looks like it would be about $800 for a full bi-xenon setup with all the parts ect... if that is so that is about $200 for the labor to do it and i can live with that to have it done right. I have drove one to many cars with the headlights not lined up right and just can't take it anymore!

 

Do not use Matt with Retrofit Source, he is known for doing half assed retros, there are a few threads on HidPlanet showing his work, he used wire, and duct tape on some of his retros!

if your not a member yet, i would recommend joining HidPlanet and do some reading before you decide on what you want

JWHite is a respected retroer and member on HidPlanet BTW

 

Thanks for the info! i did some reading on there back before i bought my kit a long time ago but have not messed with it since. I will have to look over there again.

It will be a good while before i can get the retro anyways. I first have to replace my toolbox then i need to get some of the more important things like the SC finished before i can do lights. But when it is time be assured i will do a lot of reading like normal and do it right!

 

I definately agree on the price bit, I just wish that they would give you philips or a better brand for the bulbs/ballasts, esp for $800, They have a hit for the 6054 lights that are used in all the toyota's with square headlights before the taco, and that kit is $800 too And it looks like crap IMO, they look like they bulge out way too much for my liking, but like you said, for 5-600, I might be able to get over that, or 800 with better components