93mark8rules
Active LVC Member
I have a 94 Mark VIII and my headlights are miserable after almost driving off a dark road one night, I tried to half ass polish it and just wet sanded the lens and then used a polishing bluff and various compounds on my bench grinder and got the lens to look pretty clear but it still really didn't help. So I started to do a ton of research. From what I understand the best thing to do is cut the lens off with a dremel polish it and then coat the housing with trim brite. Ive done some research and found a company that does plastic chroming and seems reasonable they even do chrome reflectors for flash lights. I started looking for some cores on eBay and bought the best set I could find. Well it turns out these must have been either off a low low low mileage car or they were replaced before it was junked. I got a set for $160 shipped that have perfect chrome inside, and are actually bright, the lenses are clear and everything. I am honestly shocked at how much light these things throw!! I laid one housing on the radiator support and hooked it up and left the other original light in the car and its so bright and white you actually cant see the light from the other housing.
Now for the questions
First I know heat is what kills the housings, HID's make more light but, they still produce a dencent amount of heat. So Ive done some research and Ive found a 9005 conversion kit to use LED lights. They would use less power so that's less fatigue on the headlight circuit, also they barely generate heat, and a lot of tests show them to be brighter then HID's. So I'm considering them. Ive found 2 types one with a large powerful light at the tip of the bulb and ones without. Would a light at the end be better so it shoots straight into the reflector? Is anybody using them?
My reflectors seem to be a satin black finish and dont look burned, is that what theyre supposed to look like?
The new lights look like the clear coat is just starting to check at the bottom, almost like the clear coat does on our Marks. Its only a small amount maybe an 1/8 of an inch or less going right across the bottom. What do you guys recommend?
Some newer cars have black paint around the perimeter of the lens where you cant see it do you think it will do anything to help the beam.
My thinking was to do the LED conversion and then also rewire the high beam switch so you get all 4 with the high beams on and I figure they should throw light like the sun....
Then I want to cut open my old ones and send them out to get rechromed and see how they are by comparison.
Now for the questions
First I know heat is what kills the housings, HID's make more light but, they still produce a dencent amount of heat. So Ive done some research and Ive found a 9005 conversion kit to use LED lights. They would use less power so that's less fatigue on the headlight circuit, also they barely generate heat, and a lot of tests show them to be brighter then HID's. So I'm considering them. Ive found 2 types one with a large powerful light at the tip of the bulb and ones without. Would a light at the end be better so it shoots straight into the reflector? Is anybody using them?
My reflectors seem to be a satin black finish and dont look burned, is that what theyre supposed to look like?
The new lights look like the clear coat is just starting to check at the bottom, almost like the clear coat does on our Marks. Its only a small amount maybe an 1/8 of an inch or less going right across the bottom. What do you guys recommend?
Some newer cars have black paint around the perimeter of the lens where you cant see it do you think it will do anything to help the beam.
My thinking was to do the LED conversion and then also rewire the high beam switch so you get all 4 with the high beams on and I figure they should throw light like the sun....
Then I want to cut open my old ones and send them out to get rechromed and see how they are by comparison.
