Gen2 salvage rebuild (cosmetic only): best bang for the buck headlight option?

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jrand

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First post from a grateful 2 yr troll; This question is somewhat contrary to all the other posts about headlights in that I think I may want to downgrade from gen2 to gen1 instead of upgrading...

My 2005 LS recently suffered cosmetic impact damages on nearly every panel. Insurance co. salvaged it. The car is low mileage and runs and drives great but with a salvage title its not worth making it sexy again. I just want to make it a legal daily driver. I will need RH headlight housing, RH taillight housing, and the rear bumper to get the job done. The bumper and taillight are easy decisions, but the headlights are throwing me for a loop. I want the headlights to look presentable, to match, and I dont want to spend an arm and a leg or do a ton of customizing. My gen2 LS came with the OEM HIDs. The drivers side is perfect, but all thats left of the passenger side is the wires and the things you plug the bulbs into. I cannot find the passenger side HID housing for less than the $1800 - $700 range, which is too pricey for this car, especially when I see gen1 headlights at a fraction of the price. So I think I am going to sell the OEM HID. Can anyone recommend buying and installing gen1 housings on my gen 2 car? I am not familiar with HIDs at all, are there aftermarket HIDs that will fit into gen1 housings AND plug right into the wiring that is already in place on my gen 2 car from the OEM HIDs?? I have read that the 'mounting bracket' is different when installing gen1 housings on a gen2 car, but i didnt see a bracket in there when i was removing the smashed remains of my OEM HID, so any tips on how to install a gen 1 headlight housing in a gen 2 car would be appreciated as well bc i cant find anyone else who has done this.

I could re-wire for a downgrade to the gen1 halogen if that will be easier. I will definitely remove the yellow reflectors from the gen1 housings if that is the route i go. Am i correct that a gen 1 housing with the yellow reflector removed and some type of HID package (please recommend) is going to be the best 'bang for the buck' headlight option in this case??
 
...simply sell the OEM HID headlight and buy a matching set of halogen genII headlights... if you look on ebay/craigslist often you might find a great deal. Do not waste your time trying to retrofit genI headlights - you will regret that forever.
 
What he said ^^^^

Any HID bulb that is put in a gen1 isn't going to disperse light properly since those housings were never designed for that type of output. You will also have a gap in front of the lights since Gen1's housings are smaller then the 2nd gen
 
Shoot, the gen1 & gen2 housings appear to have the same dimensions when mounted on their respective cars; must be a depth issue that causes the gap. I will take your word for it, thanks.

I have to re-wire if I am going from gen2 HID housings to Gen2 Halogen housings because of different connectors, correct?

The wires, ballasts, and ignitor are still good for my broken HID, I think my best might be to find a HID lens and reflector plate with missing ballasts, bulbs, & wires.

Seems easier to shop for one partial HID (or a good deal on a complete one)than it would be to shop for two halogens, sell the working HID, and re-wire from HID to Halogen (if necessary?)
 
No need to rewire. It's been mentioned that you will need to file down a tab to get the connector to fit.

I just sold a set on eBay. The buyer is taking their sweet time on getting payment to me so they may be relisted. Keep your eyes peeled on here if I do. Just an option.
 
jmtiseo said:
No need to rewire. It's been mentioned that you will need to file down a tab to get the connector to fit.

I just sold a set on eBay. The buyer is taking their sweet time on getting payment to me so they may be relisted. Keep your eyes peeled on here if I do. Just an option.
Click to expand...
I hate when that happens... I would have bought your lights if I had the money, I just can't justify it right now. My lights just really need a polish job... far beyond what otc products can deliver.
 
I wouldn't mind as much if I didn't read feedback given days after the sale reading "quick payment", "pleasure to do business with" etc.

Anyways...
 
jmtiseo said:
I wouldn't mind as much if I didn't read feedback given days after the sale reading "quick payment", "pleasure to do business with" etc.

Anyways...
Click to expand...
and of course eBay got rid of seller negative feedback... you could always do neutral "slow payment" . lol
 
$700 for those is a more than fair price. Maybe the buyer will complete the transaction tomorrow or Tuesday.
 
jmtiseo said:
No need to rewire. It's been mentioned that you will need to file down a tab to get the connector to fit.



I thought it was the other way around. Like in my scenario. Going from Halogen to HID and not the other way around.
Click to expand...
 
I'm unsure, just mentioning that it doesn't need to be rewired. Just a simple plug modification at most.
 
jmtiseo said:
No need to rewire. It's been mentioned that you will need to file down a tab to get the connector to fit.

I just sold a set on eBay. The buyer is taking their sweet time on getting payment to me so they may be relisted. Keep your eyes peeled on here if I do. Just an option.
Click to expand...

HID or halo?
I think I am going to go with HID instead. I saw the $70 price tag of the Gen1s and thought that was a better deal than the HIDs, but Halos v HIDs, I think I might as well get the HID
 
jrand said:
HID or halo?
I think I am going to go with HID instead. I saw the $70 price tag of the Gen1s and thought that was a better deal than the HIDs, but Halos v HIDs, I think I might as well get the HID
Click to expand...

Halos and hids are two completely different things.

Halos are the same as angel eyes and simply for looks. HID's project forward and are actual driving lights.
 
BlackLS06 said:
Halos and hids are two completely different things.

Halos are the same as angel eyes and simply for looks. HID's project forward and are actual driving lights.
Click to expand...

i was shortening 'halogen' into 'hal-o'.
im not a huge fan of the angel eyes, probably wont be doing that. I like the stock look on an all black gen2 with the chrome waterfall and the stock HID. I was shopping for rims when i was totaled, i never really found what i wanted (18-20in daytons). so now I will be leaving the rims stock unless i fix the whole car and i just dont see that happening with it having a salvage title now..
 
jmtiseo said:
These...

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=84280
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oh ok i saw those on ebay actually, if i needed two i would be all over it. I think I am going to call around and see if i can just get a good housing and reflector and be done w it.

one guy got a set for $125 hahaha is there a smiley for 'admiration'? I actually say a VGC (cosmetically at least) '03 black/black v6 go for $1200 @ public auction here in OH. head gasket was blown, so they sent it through as 'dealer-only' instead of 'public'. i couldnt find a dealer to bid on it for me, but that would have been a steal for me, every part i needed to complete my rebuild was there and i would have scrapped it when i was done..
 
Where in Ohio are you located? I will tell the member with the $125 HID's that you gave him a shout out for the score.
 
marcredd said:
Where in Ohio are you located? I will tell the member with the $125 HID's that you gave him a shout out for the score.
Click to expand...


oh ok that was you! nice score. im in columbus, i think we played ironton in football a few yrs, that was a few too many concussions ago ha
 
Ironton is 5 miles east of me. I am between Ironton and Portsmouth. And yeah, Ironton traditionally fields a very hard hitting and competitive team.
 
how can you guys tell which gen2 lights are halogen and which are hid from just a picture on ebay/craigslist? for instance jmtiseo's bulb guard/shade looks different than the one that is on my oem hids. mine is round and smooth, his looks polygonal with edges.. maybe its just the reflection of the reflector bowl thats making his look shaped that way, i cant quite tell. i have read that the reflector bowl is different but does anyone know definitively how it is different?

I dont mean to beat a dead horse with this; if i didnt have a salvage title i would have no problem stuffing a shiny expensive oem hid in there and throwing my pieces&parts in a box for a rainy day. i am just in a unique situation in that i have pieces of the light that are still good (ballast/ignitor/wires/the bulb guard) and the reflector bowl could possibly be repaired and stuffed into a halogen assembly to replace the halogen reflector bowl... possibly saving me around $500 or so
 
If you have time on your side, it seems as if we have hit a albeit small, but recent trend of finding oem hid's at very good prices. Actually, the left one that I posted a pic of Sunday night has pretty much sold(unless something fell through for that member after we last spoke yesterday morning). Grafted, it is not the norm that they do appear but hey, cannot hurt to hit Craiglsist and eBay hard yourself and patrol the Craiglist thread here damn near daily to see what comes up.

I have a set of gen 2 Halogens(already refinished by Manoli) but they are on hold for another solid member til October or so. If his plans change before then, I will reach out or you can pm me. Up front, I have $450 in them. Not looking to get every penny back because I understand the value of making a sale and also helping a member(never know when I will need a favor) but my asking price will be one that should make them easily worth purchasing.
 
jrand said:
how can you guys tell which gen2 lights are halogen and which are hid from just a picture on ebay/craigslist? for instance jmtiseo's bulb guard/shade looks different than the one that is on my oem hids. mine is round and smooth, his looks polygonal with edges.. maybe its just the reflection of the reflector bowl thats making his look shaped that way, i cant quite tell. i have read that the reflector bowl is different but does anyone know definitively how it is different?

I dont mean to beat a dead horse with this; if i didnt have a salvage title i would have no problem stuffing a shiny expensive oem hid in there and throwing my pieces&parts in a box for a rainy day. i am just in a unique situation in that i have pieces of the light that are still good (ballast/ignitor/wires/the bulb guard) and the reflector bowl could possibly be repaired and stuffed into a halogen assembly to replace the halogen reflector bowl... possibly saving me around $500 or so
Click to expand...

The bulb guard and the reflector are both different. Somewhere on here I posted pictures on each (my 04 is halogen and my 06 is HID).
A yellow high voltage warning sticker on the top of the headlight assembly is a really good clue that it is HID. Please note that the plastic housing itself is the same for HID or halogen, so it is marked as both HID and halogen. You have to go by the yellow sticker or the presence of the factory ballast on the underside.
 
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