Members projector retrofits

[triz]

I cant tell if the projector bowl is painted or not. Not sure if I should paint mine or leave them as is.

 

[littleblazer]

I didn't paint mine if it helps.

 

[Aarkon]

needs aligned but gotta wait till black widow is back together sent some parts out for painting

 

[smitty5150]

some more love

 

[triz]

I'm pretty excited to start working on mine. Got the projectors and pick up my light from the box Monday am. Still waiting on paint.

 

[Mounce]

I'm pretty excited to start working on mine. Got the projectors and pick up my light from the box Monday am. Still waiting on paint.

What projectors did you pick out? And paint color?

 

[triz]

What projectors did you pick out? And paint color?

I went with the Mini H1s for my first retro. Mini gatling for the shrouds. My truck is Dark Grey Metallic, so it probably wont show much of a difference, but I m going to color match it. Im a bit nervous about screwing it up. But Ill take it slow.

 

[Blckshdw]

Im a bit nervous about screwing it up. But Ill take it slow.

You worry too much

Everything will be fine, and you'll be driving around like when the sun goes down after you get them done.

 

[littleblazer]

It's not bad. Take your time, carefully disassemble and note how it goes together. In all honesty you'll spend more time aligning then anything if you're like me and want it to be as perfect as possible, but mine curve and I need to adjust the bulb seating, but it's only noticable at close range. You'll be fine.

 

[Mounce]

Yeah, you got this. Hardest part will more than likely be opening the headlights.

 

[Aarkon]

Cant wait to see what you end up doing to it[emoji106]

 

[Aarkon]

Tried to space out this post since I cant upload pics in edit but I am really loving the silver on these lights

 

[Sib]

Looks sweet that's a lucky guy getting those.

 

[littleblazer]

Got flashed for the first time today. Granted the rear was loaded with about 400 lbs of stuff, so it was sitting 2 inches lower in the rear and that raised the cutoff about a foot. So I flashed back and he immediately turned off his high then when he was almost past me flashed his rapidly. Dude I told you I know, really? For the little I'm going to drive at night with that much weight I'm not going to knock them down. It's such a pain.

 

[Blckshdw]

Got flashed for the first time today. Granted the rear was loaded with about 400 lbs of stuff, so it was sitting 2 inches lower in the rear and that raised the cutoff about a foot. So I flashed back and he immediately turned off his high then when he was almost past me flashed his rapidly. Dude I told you I know, really? For the little I'm going to drive at night with that much weight I'm not going to knock them down. It's such a pain.

For all he knows, you could have meant

instead... Keep in mind, he wasn't just getting the stay glare from a PNP setup, he was getting the focused beam from below your cutoff. No bueno.

If you know you're going to be hauling that much weight at night, and the result is your cutoff raising enough, to be courteous to other drivers on the road, I don't think it would be too much to keep a socket handy. A couple turns of that star gear on the top of the headlight would take what, 30 seconds? Then when you unload, another 30 seconds for a couple turns to put it back.

 

[littleblazer]

Thats the other thing that annoyed me, I pulled up behind a civic and I'm still about 2 inches below his mirror. Mr mini van I would hope is higher than a car. I have them aimed further down for that very reason since I hate (and it's everyone I've ever seen) every lifted truck with a plug and play kit and the ford's are particularly blinding for some reason. Guess I'll give them a quarter turn down and see how that is. Weird thing was a week ago I took a 30 mile drive carrying the same load and didn't get flashed a single time. This was literally between my house and 7/11, about a quarter mile. Hopefully the shafts break free again because the amount of salt the put down Last winter was insane and I had to spray them with wd40 a month after they were on the truck.

 

[Matt]

It was more likely the person being a farkwit. I just have a pnp set and I've been flashed about 4 times since 2008 when I got my first HID, then LED and now back to HID.

 

[littleblazer]

I got the screws to turn, so I'll knock them down anyway. I know how it feels so I keep them low.

 

[Mounce]

Hilly around your area, LB? I've only been flashed once and it was on a hill. I can see that just about every sizable hill here puts my cutoff in the face of other drivers but I have them aimed low already so...

OEM projectors do the same thing on hills unless they're auto-leveling.

 

[littleblazer]

There was about a 2 foot elevation change over that section of road, me at the top. Under acceleration with the added weight the cutoff was inside the average car. I was accelerating at an increased rate since I wanted my slurpee. [emoji13] He was probably just being a jerk and I only flashed once to acknowledge him. I gave them a quarter turn down and I'll check that tonight and adjust accordingly.

 

[Mounce]

That's probably what caused it then, the elevation change.

 

[smitty5150]

And a little more love.

 

[djthumper]

Wow those already look bright.

 

[Aarkon]

needs switch back strips

 

[triz]

I got the headlights apart in about 30 minutes. I need to prep the bezels for paint and get some of the glue off. I had some goobers attach to it pretty good.

Did a quick mock up with the projector to see how much I have to cut. I need to cut the back of the reflector and grind this part down to even be able to thread the nut on the H1s it seems. Thoughts?
http://s266.photobucket.com/user/triz369/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150518_193833_zpsdf876ba3.jpg.html]

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[Mounce]

Might have to.. A dremel with a sanding drum will make quick work of that though.

 

[triz]

For the most part, does the shroud suppose to sit "flush" with the back reflector or float? In order for it to touch the reflector more sanding needs to be done it seems.

 

[littleblazer]

I took it flat with a dremel

Edit: yes, atleast I made mine fit to the bowl.

 

[smitty5150]

You do need to grind that down. I use a diamond cutoff wheel to get it done. How the shroud sits depends on the shroud you get. The deeper ones are also wider, so some trimming of either the shroud, light bezel, or a combination of both needs to be done.

 

[Mounce]

I'm assuming you, triz, got the standard mini gatling gun shrouds with your minis. The shrouds can be anywhere in the bowl of the headlights as long as they're screwed down to the projector bowl.

 

[Daniel644]

Thats the other thing that annoyed me, I pulled up behind a civic and I'm still about 2 inches below his mirror. Mr mini van I would hope is higher than a car. I have them aimed further down for that very reason since I hate (and it's everyone I've ever seen) every lifted truck with a plug and play kit and the ford's are particularly blinding for some reason. Guess I'll give them a quarter turn down and see how that is. Weird thing was a week ago I took a 30 mile drive carrying the same load and didn't get flashed a single time. This was literally between my house and 7/11, about a quarter mile. Hopefully the shafts break free again because the amount of salt the put down Last winter was insane and I had to spray them with wd40 a month after they were on the truck.

The reason Fords are particularly bad with the PNP kits is because most fords typically have a single high/lo bulb setup (as opposed to are separate "buckets" for high and low beams) so when Ford guys do PNP kit's it's like they have there "HIGH BEAMS" on at all times, even the 99-04 Mustangs are real bad about it, I've been blinded by the reflection off my mirror during the DAY from a mustang that was behind me in my firebird due partly to the angle of the road.

 

[smitty5150]

Truth. Most of the hid kits for single lamp are an hid lamp with an added halogen lamp attached to it. Glare all over.

 

[Mounce]

Another thing that's bad about fords and their love for 9007 bulbs is that unlike a 9003 or similar that has a blocker on one side of the bulb, the 9007s are just a plain undirected bulb.

 

[triz]

Got my headlight bezels scuffed up. Should have them primed and ready for paint possibly tomorrow. Then I'll start modifying the reflector bowls and getting them ready for the H1s and Mini Gatling shrouds.

 

[triz]

So I gave them a quick sand, primered and painted them. Hard to tell but it's Dark Grey Metallic. If anything maybe it will keep them from getting light gray. Next will be the reflector bowls.

 

[triz]

A small update, painted the reflector housing after sanding down the inside to get the projector mounted. I'm working in the shrouds and clear corners next. Hopefully will have them ready in a few days.

 

[Aarkon]

look at that cutoff [emoji23]

 

[Sib]

Sweet lol

Are those house light bulbs in there?

 

[Aarkon]

Yes sir only the best haha

 

[smitty5150]

Looking good. Here's another set I finished up over the holiday.