I was wondering if there is an aftermarket solution for our head light reflector problem. I would like to replace the pods and get it over with once and for all.

nope. many have tried, and only ended up with sub-par results.

the problem is two-fold. The area inside the gen 1 headlight housings is too small to deal with the heat generated by the halogen bulb. The second problem is the reflective material Sylvania(the manuf. of the housings) used cannot stand up to the test of time.

many have separated the lense from the housing, and re-coated the reflective surface with either chrome tape, or hi-temp chrome spray paint. This only improved the problem slightly.

My friend bought a brand new pair of headlight housings. They are much brighter than his old ones were, but still pale in comparison to most modern cars.

I suggest either adding a set of aux. lights behind the grill, or installing a 1996 Mark VIII LSC pair of HID's(pricey)

Would the 96 HID conversion also entail replacing the housings? If so would used 96 housings have the same problem with the reflective meterial? How much does this typically cost?


nope. many have tried, and only ended up with sub-par results.

the problem is two-fold. The area inside the gen 1 headlight housings is too small to deal with the heat generated by the halogen bulb. The second problem is the reflective material Sylvania(the manuf. of the housings) used cannot stand up to the test of time.

many have separated the lense from the housing, and re-coated the reflective surface with either chrome tape, or hi-temp chrome spray paint. This only improved the problem slightly.

My friend bought a brand new pair of headlight housings. They are much brighter than his old ones were, but still pale in comparison to most modern cars.

I suggest either adding a set of aux. lights behind the grill, or installing a 1996 Mark VIII LSC pair of HID's(pricey)

i have a set of lights they need to be refinished but i do that too make me and offer
Eric

its 1200 from max , for the bulb and lenz for both side, save the money, put your brights on and make your car faster. make other pepole see you! :) !!!!

Would the 96 HID conversion also entail replacing the housings? If so would used 96 housings have the same problem with the reflective meterial? How much does this typically cost?

When you go from regular to HID's everything is replaced. So, the housing is replaced as well. The HID lense is a clear plastic, so it is completely different than the base housing lense.

Any used, or even new....after a short period of time, will give you the same problem. Unless you go with HID conversion.

It costs about $600 per side....give Max a call....1-800-866-1520 ext. 236 and he can help ya out.

Here are a few pix of the difference in the lenses between the base model, and HID's.... :Beer

i wish some one would start making universil kits, could make some good money. i want some of those but for 1200 dollers. ouch!

i wish some one would start making universil kits, could make some good money. i want some of those but for 1200 dollers. ouch!


Actually I only paid like $600 for my entire set......I pieced it together off of ebay. I even purchased a whole other entire set for the same price....so I had 2 sets for that price.......and I sold the one set for $400. :Beer

This might sound silly, but why does it cost you the entire assembly?

I am interested also. I could almost live with 400 or 600 for the entire setup. Also, what it the purpose of those ballast resistors? Do these things draw less power?

This might sound silly, but why does it cost you the entire assembly?

What exactly are you trying to ask? :Beer

I am interested also. I could almost live with 400 or 600 for the entire setup. Also, what it the purpose of those ballast resistors? Do these things draw less power?

You might be able to part it together off of ebay, you may not. I have noticed lately that they are getting more expensive every day. But, most of the ppl lately know what they are selling that is why the price has gone up.

The purpose of the ballast resistors is because it takes more power to light a HID bulb than a regular bulb. Therefore the ballast is like an amplifier for the voltage for the HID's. No, they do not draw less power, they just amplify the power that is there for the HID bulbs.

You could also try www.car-parts.com also for the HID's. It is a national junkyard search engine for car parts. :Beer

Thanks for your help. Do you have a parts list handy?

You might be able to part it together off of ebay, you may not. I have noticed lately that they are getting more expensive every day. But, most of the ppl lately know what they are selling that is why the price has gone up.

The purpose of the ballast resistors is because it takes more power to light a HID bulb than a regular bulb. Therefore the ballast is like an amplifier for the voltage for the HID's. No, they do not draw less power, they just amplify the power that is there for the HID bulbs.

You could also try www.car-parts.com also for the HID's. It is a national junkyard search engine for car parts. :Beer

Thanks for your help. Do you have a parts list handy?


http://www.markviii.org/~1wykdmk8/page2.pdf

Do you have any more pictures of your car with the HID setup? I am interested to see how it looks with the install complete.


When you go from regular to HID's everything is replaced. So, the housing is replaced as well. The HID lense is a clear plastic, so it is completely different than the base housing lense.

Here are a few pix of the difference in the lenses between the base model, and HID's.... :Beer

I want to get the HID setup but wtf is up with the pricing for these damn things? $1200 for just headlights is about a 1/4 of what I bought the damn car for! Is there a discount for just being a LVC member or is there a bigger one if your a gold member? Because I just cannot seeing myself spend that much just for some headlights.

I thought I could do without them, however visibility is terrible. It's like driving with your parking lights on.

Check out my other post.
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?p=45582#post45582

Do you have any more pictures of your car with the HID setup? I am interested to see how it looks with the install complete.

Here are the only other ones I have.... :Beer

I guess I'm lucky, my 93 came with HIDs. But, I got a call last week from my friend Brian at Godfather Customs asking if I knew anyone interested in HID conversions. He was selling the ballasts, bulbs, etc for $200 a side in universal kits. But those non-HID headlights housing wouldn't project the extra anyway, would they?
Thanks for keeping my hopes high on my Cobra R hood project.

At this point I think anything would be an improvement. I am sure that they will not project the full intensity, however I am betting that it will be an equivilant or slight improvement over when the car was new. Got this guys number?


I guess I'm lucky, my 93 came with HIDs. But, I got a call last week from my friend Brian at Godfather Customs asking if I knew anyone interested in HID conversions. He was selling the ballasts, bulbs, etc for $200 a side in universal kits. But those non-HID headlights housing wouldn't project the extra anyway, would they?
Thanks for keeping my hopes high on my Cobra R hood project.