HID lights? / LED tail lights

[old valet]

I'd love to find an HID conversion for a '65 Ghia. I believe the guys at Airkewld have something although I'm not certain the manufacturer... whether it's a quality set-up or not. Anyone have thoughts on who may have or if there exists an HID set-up for another car that would fit with a little massaging? I've seen Porsche lights as well as Mini lights grafted in but they are getting a bit too far away from the original flavor I'm trying to maintain. While I've got this post open... can LED lights be substituted for the stock tail lights/blinkers? If so, where do I source LEDs? Thanks in advance.

Russ

[ricola]

There are loads of different aftermarket H4 type kits for HIDs, ebay will throw several up. I went for retro swaps from production cars for my last couple of cars but wiht the low prices of the aftermarket kits I think I will go that way next time. You can also easily buy LED clusters with bulb bases making them a straight swap in, not in US but I use www.ultraleds.co.uk
Rich

[Eatoniashoprat]

or superbrightleds.com (http://superbrightleds.com/)

[Steve C]

Hi

Phillips make a H4 base high & low beam HID bulb that will fit into any H4 reflector. They actually mechanically move a shade on the bulb to give both beams.

Steve

[djmatio]

I am also interested in Airkewld's HID kit. Are there any users of this kit that attest to the quality/practicality?

Are HID kits typically just low beam only? I will look into the phillips bulb.


Phillips lighting: http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_en/automotive/bulb_lookup.php?main=us_en_automotive&parent=0&id=&lang=en

Doesn't give you many details though.

[vwdevotee]

I don't want to sound like a hater, but please for the love of God don't use the crappy HID conversion kits. The reflectors were designed specifically for the light output pattern of a filament, not an arc. Using the conversion kits throws lots of light places it was never intended to go and will dazzle other drivers. If you want good HID's look for ones that were designed from the outset to be HID, one that comes to mind is the Valeo Sylvania Xe7 and Xe7R (there used to be the XenArc also, but I think they stopped making that one). The Xe7 is a projector style designed to fit into original 7 inch round holes, and the Xe7R is a reflector style that would look pretty stock. The only downside is that you'll have to modify the retaining cage and the bucket to fit, and they cost $890 for the pair.

[evilC]

Conversely, there are standard HID installations that are IMO quite deadly to the driver. The BMW ones that I have driven spring to mind. The main beam is fantastic but as soon as you go onto dip the cut off (presumably to prevent the high intensity light dazzling oncoming drivers) is so sharp that you go from a wonderful field of vision to a small pool of light that stops 25m in front of the car with pitch blackness beyond. On unlit twisty roads that can be quite deadly since you go from seeing everthing to seeing nothing when you dip for an oncomiming car just as you go into a bend. IMO the dip beam needs a 'bleed' of light around the periphery to retain vision. We all had the problem when we went from tungsten 45/40W to halogen 60/55W and there were similar complaints about brightness. I would hope that we all get used to HIDs with a little bleed as they can be useful. Besides, its kinda futile having sharp cut off when you have a heavily loaded car or one that is approaching over a bumpy road.

Clive

[vwdevotee]

Hmm... I've never noticed that the light pool is so small. When I've driven HID cars the low beam pool is still pretty substantial. I don't really see the problem with a loaded car or on bumpy roads since most factory installations have self leveling mechanisms.

[evilC]

I must admit the BMW light pattern is particularly abrupt on dip beam. Obviously, when travelling on main beam your focus is generally at the focus of the beam i.e. 50+ yards (50m) down the road then when you switch to dip the focus necessarily changes to about 10-15 yards (10-15m). with normal tungsten or halogen lamps there is enough bleed out beyond the focus distance for you to be aware of objects at least. that does not happen with BMW lights, the cut off is so sharp that its either daylight or pitch black. The intensity of the dip beam is such that the even if there were an ambient backlight the eye would not be able to react acceptably to it. The effect of this intensly controlled focus on dip beam is that at the speeds being travelled say 50, 60 70mph........ on country roads is for the driving control to need to be highly reactive with liitle time to assess the condition and react smoothly. If you want to observe the effect ride a bicycle along the road focusing on a point about 50 yds ahead and then ride it looking at the front wheel - you will end up wobbling all over the place.
The self levelling mechanisms on most cars here in Europe consist of a manual adjustment on the dashboard. Most drivers never use it, they either ignore it, don't know how/where to use it or are unaware of it (my wife being a prime example of the breed). It is only the very expensive cars that have totally automatic headlamp levelling and even they can't cope with the basic bumpy country roads around here. As for the big European wagons with HID......................................

[Joel]

ive switched out every bulb in my bug for LEDs except obviously the main headlights and i didnt worrry bout charge and oil as theres alot of extra work involved in that but all the others are LED now

main reason i did it was the coloured bulbs totally ruined the effect of my clear indicator and elephants feet lenses but my electrical system is working 100x better now without the load of normal bulbs

eventually ill put a HID kit in

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/boostedbug/LBug/LEDs010.jpg~original

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/boostedbug/LBug/LEDs001.jpg~original

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/boostedbug/LBug/LEDs002.jpg~original

[evilC]

What did you do about the flasher relay? did you swap to an led relay or add resistors?

Clive

[Joel]

the shop i got all the bulbs from also sold the LED flasher relays

cost me $90AU all up
took him a week to get the little BA7s bulbs for the speedo tho
not a real common bulb as nearly all other cars use t5 wedge bulbs

[Steve C]

Hi Joel

Do your speedo bulbs dim on the light switch?

VW recently lent me an R36 Passat with HIDs for the weekend, I drove in the country at night in some pretty filthily weather, I have nothing but praise for these lights (and the rest of the car) in all conditions.

On my daily 1303 I fitted 4 100w Cibie Super Oscars for a country drive, it was really noticeably dark when I had to dip the beams for oncoming traffic etc, I find its just a matter of memorizing the road until your eyes adjust.

Steve

[Steve C]

Just remembered I had a photo with the Cibies on

[evilC]

Just remembered I had a photo with the Cibies on

I bet you had to tow an alternator and battry pack behind it!:D

Clive

[Joel]

Hi Steve, is the old girl back together yet?

theres something up with my rheostat, its just on or off no in between so it doesnt worry the LEDs
but if it did work properly there would be dramas
ive had a discussion with people on thesamba about it and there is ways to make it work but i cant really see the point

nearly 15 years driving bugs i never once recall being nearly blinded by the glare of the speedo lights, i always just have them flat stick

[Speed Dreamer]

I don't want to sound like a hater, but please for the love of God don't use the crappy HID conversion kits. The reflectors were designed specifically for the light output pattern of a filament, not an arc. Using the conversion kits throws lots of light places it was never intended to go and will dazzle other drivers. If you want good HID's look for ones that were designed from the outset to be HID, one that comes to mind is the Valeo Sylvania Xe7 and Xe7R (there used to be the XenArc also, but I think they stopped making that one). The Xe7 is a projector style designed to fit into original 7 inch round holes, and the Xe7R is a reflector style that would look pretty stock. The only downside is that you'll have to modify the retaining cage and the bucket to fit, and they cost $890 for the pair.
Before paying $890 or $985 for a pair of Valeo Sylvania Xe7 and Xe7R you can buy two HIDs I have sitting on the shelf waiting to be installed in my 1963. By the way you save $200. There is no downnside you dont have to modify bucket to fit(not sure about post 66 buckets) I prefit them before sending my car to paint and body shop. I love these, no dips, and they look wonderful just sitting in the buckets. Yes they are made for motorcycles but once I adjusted them I dont think anyone drove by and said that looks like two motorcycles, anyway but good light is good light.

http://www.oviedosafetylights.com/JW-Speaker--HID-&-LED-Lights/JW_SPEAKER_Model_8100_DOT_Approved_HID_Motorcycle_ Headlight

[Steve C]

Hi

Those Oviedo units look sweet, which is the high and low beam, the top or the bottom?

Steve

[Speed Dreamer]

The Hid low beam is on top, the h3 bulb high beam is on the bottom. And the you have the option of a high beam only and the low beam turns off or have the low beam stay on when you turn on the high beams (no dips). I love these lights, worth every dime!!

[Steve C]

Hi Tony

Thanks for that. I asked this for another reason that may help other users.

We have a law with our local authorities that say that the headlight centre height must be 600 mm from the ground.

As the low beam in this unit is actually higher in the unit than a stock style sealed beam, this actually raises the low beam headlight centre, win win, better lights & higher headlight centre.

Steve

[Kaefarrera1303]

CSP Shop has new LED taillights

http://www.csp-shop.de/cgi-bin/cshop/front/shop_main.cgi?func=detail&artnr=23356b

http://www.csp-shop.de/cshop/images/artikel/detail/2335x.jpg

[fast Ed]

Has anyone tried these LED inserts from Technostalgia for the earlier taillights?

http://www.cool-leds.com/beetle.html


cheers
Ed N.

[hugovw1976]

Some one try this led head lights?

http://www.levineautoparts.com/ledheadlight.html

[evilC]

Some one try this led head lights?

http://www.levineautoparts.com/ledheadlight.html

This looks very interesting but I would like to see some proper data regarding light output, beam pattern etc. do they produce a dip beam as well as main beam?

Clive

[volkdent]

They don't mention output, I'd be surprised if they meet HID. They compare them to standard incadecent, but not to HID, so I'm guessing they are better than standard but not as bright as HID. Their appeal seems to be their lifetime use and durability, not amazing output. I really like the idea, I'll have to research that a bit more before I start the HID purchase.

Jason

[evilC]

Hi Jason,

I would still like to see the data. They may be better than incandescent but does that mean the old 45/40W bulb or the 60/55W +50% halogen units that is the norm nowdays? I would doubt that the military have a long range headlamp requirement but would have a durability one. Having competed behind various lamps I am acutely aware of the performance of various reflector/lens/bulb combinations that range from diabolical to brilliant (forgive the pun) and all of those were with lamps that were for road use so saying that it is better than an incandescent lamp leaves me looking for even more proof.

Clive

[vdubzack]

LOOK AT THESE BABY'S
http://www.csp-shop.de/cgi-bin/cshop2/front/shop_main.cgi?func=detail&artnr=23356b

[vdubzack]

CSP Shop has new LED taillights

http://www.csp-shop.de/cgi-bin/cshop/front/shop_main.cgi?func=detail&artnr=23356b

http://www.csp-shop.de/cshop/images/artikel/detail/2335x.jpg
Ordered mine today!

[toddygates]

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/classic-car-hid-conversions-c-66.html

look impressive