HID Headlight Conversion: DONE! (Wow)

[Anadrol]

So, I've been talking about this on here for a while, and I finally got it done. We ordered a new 7" Lamp Housing, which my installer had worked with before and knew it was easy to swap the bulb out with a bulb from an HID kit. So he basically just swapped the bulb and installed the kit. It took less than an hour, and my dear lord did it make a difference!

My Chevy went from being dangerous to drive at night (it literally seemed like I was driving with one headlight in a car with 5% limo tint on a dark night) to being brighter and better than my buddy's '09 Mercedes. It's so friggin' bright, you wouldn't believe it.

From the front, the truck looks no different besides that the lights look new and shiny. They are the exact same size and shape, and appear to be totally stock. I'm trying to keep this truck completely 1978, but upgrade it with any and all modern technology that can fit within the '78 retro styling. So I'm really happy with the Lights-off appearance. As you'll see in the pictures below, the gay little $15 Wal-Mart fog lights have been removed.


Yes, this will probably annoy other motorists, but this truck is rarely driven on public streets at night any way and my NEXT mod (Yellow HID Projector Fog Lights "Frenched" into the front bumper) should make it so that we can turn the headlights off if need be.











3rd Person View from the Driver's Side


Camera Placed on top of the Bed Rail, at the rear, Driver's side of the truck


Camera Placed on top of the Hood, just left of where the Hood Ornament would be

[73step]

man that looks awesome I was thinking about looking into something to make my driving at night easier. can you so the same thing with the square single headlights?

[Anadrol]

Originally Posted by 73step

man that looks awesome I was thinking about looking into something to make my driving at night easier. can you so the same thing with the square single headlights?

Absolutely.

You just need the bulb housings, HID/Xenon Bulbs to replace the existing ones, and the HID ballasts and wiring.

The key to this is finding a bulb housing that is easy to take apart and that the HID bulb can fit right into. That is where you need an experienced guy who knows what to buy and where to buy it.

This mod was $380 total. That's for the bulb housings, the kit, and the install. It was a 1 hour (maybe less) install. Now, if a bulb goes out, it's as easy as buying a new bulb and replacing.

This mod had the biggest "wow factor" for me out of any mod I've ever done. We fired those things up and I thought "I've never seen headlights this bright in my entire life!" It's a PLEASURE to drive at night now. It's like when you look outside and there's 10 inches of snow and you know you've got a 4x4 lifted truck to drive in. Can't beat that feeling of "I have the perfect tool for the job!"

[Wildstreak]

Dude that looks so fricken bright I love it. I think you should do a how to thread for some people like me

[73step]

i would love to have a step by step on this process.

[BLE 'BURBAN]

Ok nice But..... How's it work for lowbeam/high beam? The stock headlights have dual filiments while all the real HID bulbs I've seen only have a single filiment in them. and the bulbs themselves run around $180.00 to $240.00 each.

[Stitch]

you need to reaim your headlights seriously...you are going to blind some one...do you know what's like to not be able to see where you're going ....not like weak headlights, like can't see anything like blind...that's what you're going to do to everyone you encounter...what is it with people thinking only about themselves these days...since you want to just think about yourself and what you can see...think about this what happens when you blind someone coming at you and they hit you head on because they can't see you...

another person I'm glad doesn't live in my state...it's illegal and stupid...

[Wildstreak]

no sarcasm intended, but how is that illegal?

[Stitch]

your headlights need to be adjusted correctly in order to be legal...they have to be operating properly and not a hindrance to other drivers...he's already been told that it's illegal to have them aimed like they are in another thread, but evidently he cares more about seeing a mile down the road than other safety...that's going to wind up hurting someone if not killing them...he can reaim the headlights and they will still light up the road just fine and they won't blind anyone...if he had actually done the HIDs correctly, they would have been put in a projector housing and they would have had a cutoff...

[71swb4x4]

Don't HID's normally run special projector housings that direct where the light is going? I am no expert by any means, but I think you are going to have big problems with those lights like that. Best case scenario you make someone mad. Worst case you cause a big accident or have some road rage stuff going on.

[Stitch]

This is what it takes to do HIDs correctly...

HIDs done the right way

and this is what I was talking about cutoff...you don't get this by putting hid bulbs in a halogen housing...

[qu1cks1lver56]

Originally Posted by Fat Hoe

This is what it takes to do HIDs correctly...

HIDs done the right way

and this is what I was talking about cutoff...you don't get this by putting hid bulbs in a halogen housing...

while true, properly aimed HID's in reflector housings will still work and not bline people at night. i've been driving with HID's in my van's stock housings for over a year and i've never had anyone flash their brights at me.

[Wildstreak]

How can you do this safely with the later style headlights? like his and my 72. your example was a late 80's early 90's style headlight. Just curious, never seen HID in these years or even considered it.

[Stitch]

you'd have to fabricate something...if you can find a headlight housing that has a glass lens and a plastic or metal housing, you can fabricate and mount a projector in the housing...the lens needs to be glass...plastic won't nearly stand up to the heat from HIDs like glass will...

I did ALOT of research on this when I had my 99 tahoe...glad I didn't put the time and money into the swap because I traded it, but it's pretty involved to get the housing right to have the HIDs mounted and operating correctly...

just because you can put an HID bulb in a halogen housing doesn't mean it's legal or safe...also, the lens and housing might be DOT approved, but that's when you use a halogen bulb not an HID bulb...


If you want alot better light out of your headlights and modern technology, you might want to look into the Jeep conversion for the 7" headlights...

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...jeep+headlight

[andrewmp6]

In most states a HID bulb in a halogen housing is illegal because it blinds people.

[menace121978]

Wow!! thats awesome man! nice upgrade... i love it!! i hate how dim the regular headlights are and this looks like it more than solves that problem.


btw, i dont understand why people have to come in and piss on someones thread. talking about pistol whipping and this and that. if you dont like it move along. and DONT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT!

[68 TT]

My wife's old car had the severe cut off HID lights on it from the factory. They sucked for seeing anything like road signs. The ground was bright and the signs were in the dark and impossible to read. Being super low to the ground didn't help either.

Even when aimed right so they were not right in peoples eyes changing out the bulbs can be illegal if they exceed the 55 watt low beam / 60 watt high beam light output limits the DOT has in the US.

[staggerd86c-10]

The conversion came out nice. I would have the lights aimed down a bit but its easy to do if you park your truck in front of a wall or garage door. You can aim them where ever you want. As for the "nay" sayers, its sad how you can be mis-informed and then try to preech to other people. In no way shape or form are HIDs illegal. They are by far one of the most popular mods in the market today. You dont need a pair of projectors to aim them correctly and no you won't get shot for blinding people, the most you might get is someone flashing their high beams back at you. I dont think they notcied that your truck was raised so it might look like it has its high beams all the time. As far as what you paid for the conversion i think you could of done it yourself for half the price. Cause I pay about 75 bucks for the HID kit and the lights are about 25 bucks each. Installation is all plug and play you just have to get a kit that is bulb number h4 thats what most of those housings take. You can also spend about another 30 bucks on the HID kit and get what they cal a bi-xenon kit which will allow you to keep your high beams and low beams.

Androl, nice work! and like menace said if you dont like it click the back button and continue to another thread.

[lyrikz]

That looks awesome, but your that guy thats behind me at night where its SO bright i can see dust in the air. AHAHA

Looks really good man.

[Anadrol]

It's funny how many people have a problem with the brightness and cutoff of a headlight, but if I came on here and said my truck could do 105 MPH, those same people couldn't care less how I came to that knowledge or who I endangered while trying to do 105.

For your information, Chet, I DO know what it's like to be driving when I can't see. I deal with that every time I pass anyone else with HID's, Xenons, or those who just drive with their fog lights on at all times. Yes, it's annoying, but I'm not driving into trees because of it.

Regardless of cutoff pattern or bulb housing, HID's hurt people's eyes. When I pass a normal Mercedes with HID projectors, I can't see for a couple seconds. HID's are perfectly legal, they're just annoying. But all the rich people seem to have them in their Benz's, Acuras, BMW's, and Jaguars and there's nothing I can do about it, so I guess I'll fight back with my bright new HID's.

Regardless, you must have missed the part where I said I don't drive this truck on public roads at night anyway.

If anyone wants help doing this, I'll be glad to oblige. First, just google Sinister Autosports in Indianapolis. Call there and ask for Mike. He knows how to retrofit any old vehicle with HID kits without altering the look of the original ride. You can just tell him your truck year, make, model, etc. and he will sell you all the stuff you need, plus give you directions on how to do it yourself, or you could just take the kit up to any auto mod shop and they'll do it for you. Tell him you saw a picture of the '78 Chevy monster truck he did and he'll give you a deal.

[Stitch]

I'm done with this thread and explaining things that obviously you don't want to understand...

I would like to point out though that my name is Chuck not Chet...

[menace121978]

Originally Posted by Fat Hoe

I would like to point out though that my name is Chuck not Chet...

that just made my morning!

[andrewmp6]

If the hid kit or your head lights don't say dot and a number they are not dot approved meaning its illegal.A blue headlight in something that didn't have them stock like our trucks is illegal.

[RAMM_80SHORTY]

Love the lights bro....and speaking on the illegal note...people dont act like theres not one thing or another on your late model truck that isnt legal..come on...calling mike tomorrow thx for the info anadrol!!

[79SWBchevy]

Unnecessarily bright and dangerous