Mission Impossible: OEM HID

BlackLS06 said:
No they wont....a 2003 still retails for 9 grand.

You havent been on here a lot lately have you? It comes up in every other thread about how much they cost and a modified set with angel eyes sold on ebay for $800 i think it was.
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I don't give a crap about angel eyes, so I don't generally look at headlight threads. I believe my own '03 is only worth about $6000. I bought it going on 4 years ago for $12,500 with 60K miles, so it's hard to believe it's still worth $9000 with 150,000 miles, but it does have factory HID's:p
 
With 150K im getting a book value of $7,575.

The 9K estimate was for 100K miles.
 
jolinc01 said:
I'm being lazy and wanted to know if you have a rough idea of price and what fits in the gen 1 housing? I'm not really sure our cars would look good with a single projector....
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There is an outfit where I remember seeing them offering completed retrofits for $700, Gen1 or Gen2. You could get the projectors and HID kit to do it yourself for <$200.
 
Gus_Mahn said:
I think your arrows are going the wrong way. I didn't think factory HID's were that rare. What % of LS's came from the factory with HID's?
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oops, you're right. :D
 
I'm gonna give myself another month to try an OEM HID set. If no dice, I'll order a set (probably 2 - another for the fogs) and then try my hand at making some caspar shields for them.
 
I've spent a good chunk of time while working in going back and reviewing 3 years worth of posts on HID lights - including OEM, HID's in Halogen housings, and Projector Retrofits. I posted earlier in this thread that I'll give myself a month to find OEM HID's before going to Plan B of putting a kit in my halogen housings. The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking about just doing Plan B first, and then I can keep looking up to forever for a set of OEM's to go up for sale - either here or on Ebay. Some of the old posts in the Auto Parts for Sale forum have had some realistic possibilities - a set for $400 by one guy that got rid of his LS. When I first bought my baby, I found a set on Ebay in separate auctions that I could have bought for $225.00 a piece. I was "young and naive" at the time - I would have jumped on them in a heartbeat if they were there right now.

My thought process is this - I've got a buttload of work to do on the car, and I feel I need to get moving on some of it or it just won't get done (the main reason is that I have to extend our deck for the new pool I put up last fall). The new wheels are ready (pending the need for hub-centric rings), but I need to pull off all 4 calipers to clean and G4 paint them, replace the front lines to stainless that came with the RotorPros kit, and might as well paint the backing plates while I've got everything apart. I want to get my angels in, and know that this little job could take me as long as doing all 4 calipers. So, if I get a DDM slim 35 digital kit I can have HID lighting now - even though it won't be near as good as OEM. I can re-use the bulbs if I ever do find an OEM set.

To make a long post even longer, I'm looking for opinions based on experience of doing any of the following (I realize opinions vary for those that have not done any of this):

1. I'm pretty sure I want to get 2 kits - 1 for the lows and 1 for the fogs so that the colors match. Both would be the 35w 5000k. For those of you that have put HID's in your fogs, I'm looking for your experience with what happened to the light dispersion after installing them. Did it create additional glare for oncoming traffic and/or did it end up being less lighting/effective than the factory fogs? Gen 2 fog housing experience on this would be preferred.

2. Ballas mounting - I've seen pics on how Pete and John have mounted their ballasts, but I've also remembered reading that someone mounted their low-beam ballasts to the back of the headlight housing via brackets. Just looking for any and all experience here so I don't re-invent the wheel here.

3. Harness issues - I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have any load issues with the 35w kits, but I thought I read in some old posts where people had issues with the wires needing to be reversed to get them to work. For those of you that had to do this, was that in the fogs, the lows, or both? My search attempts didn't find those posts, so I KNOW they're out there. If anyone remembers who posted or any better words to search on other than "HID fog lights," let me know and I'll search again.

The only thing that will suck will be pulling apart my factory halogen housings to remove the angels if I do find a set of OEM's. Part of me says to just wait until I get a set - but the other part of me is too impatient. It would probably be easier to just try and sell the halogen housings with them in and just buy a new set of angels.

Thanks in advance for any experienced opinions!

Tru - all are welcome in the light (bonus points for guessing the movie reference)

P.S. Small-fry Post #400 :)
 
What wheels did you buy? I've seen you reference them a couple times but without any specifics
 
I message the guy from canada to see if he still had the lights. I'll let you know if he replies.
 
Alax, I think I found the post you were referencing in my search within the Auto Parts for Sale forum. I think his user name is Tank386. Was this the post you were thinking of?

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=40455&highlight=HID+headlight

If so, then his headlight housings were halogens. If not, then hopefully this will be a good chance at finding a set of OEM HID's.

Thanks for all your help, Alax! I really appreciate it!!
 
Bull, this is what I ended up getting. The price was really good, and everything else on the wheel was within what I was looking for (at least +42mm offset, 19", 8+" wide). I've got them mounted on Hankook V12 Evo K110's in 255/35/19 size (they're just a little wider than 245's, but slightly shorter than stockers). I did this to get the speed as close to OEM as possible in regard to the speedometer being off.

I would have preferred to find a 5 spoke design, but the only one that appealed to me were the Coventry Hornets, and those were a lot more money. Plus, I struggled a bit with how thin the spokes on them were. I really wanted something a little thicker or meatier like the Fondmetals. I was willing to go with a set of ASA's like Drizz had, but they were no longer made or available.

I think these will look good, though. If not, I'll have to grin and bear it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0270625879&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

HRRacingWheel.jpg
 
yeah him. His other thread said he also had Stock HID lights though

post 16

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=45734

another thread
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=45807

post #2
ill also throw in a set of 05 halogen headlights with hoen xenonmatch bulbs that are collecting
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post #7
The wheels are still for sale....I also have a KKM cold air intake (03-06 V8) and a set of OEM HID headlamps for sale...bought new in march of 2008 from a Ford dealer. Make an offer!
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I was debating on going with 245/35/19s or 255/35/19s for my wheels. Let me know how the clearance is with those tires, it will help me decided to get with the 255's or not.
 
Oh nice! I didn't know you were one of the two sets that have sold. For the price they are a steal. I also had been looking at those as I like mesh style wheels, but didn't like the contrast of the hyper silver face to the chrome lip. We need to see some pictures of them mounted soon!

For me hopefully my other option for wheels pans out if *cough cough* decides to box them up :shifty:
 
I may try mounting one in the garage tonight (that's a 50/50 chance) - if only to see if I'm going to need a hub-centric ring or not. I'm assuming I will, but miracles do happen.

If I try one on, I'll throw a pic up for it.

I was a little dubious about the silver/chrome combination, but was starting to feel that a total chrome rim would be too much with the ceramic white paint. Ultimately, I'd like to paint the hyper-silver to match the ceramic white - but that would not be a fun or cheap job.
 
Alax, yeah I'm a little worried that the extra width may be a rubbing issue, but it really wasn't too much more than the width of a stock tire - I think the stock is 235mm, so it would be a difference of 20 mm or a little more than half an inch.

I'll keep you posted, although the jury will still be out on this until I can get all 4 mounted and drive her a bit.
 
Tru, completely off topic, but reuse the stock banjo bolt when you switch to SS brake lines. The ones that come with the rotorpros kit are junk! I snapped the fist one trying to torq it at 10 lbs.
 
+1,

when I put my set on, I was about to use the rotor pro bolts, but then noticed the ones the shop put on my powder coated calipers, they looked of much better quality.
 
Tru-Blu said:
I've spent a good chunk of time while working in going back and reviewing 3 years worth of posts on HID lights - including OEM, HID's in Halogen housings, and Projector Retrofits. I posted earlier in this thread that I'll give myself a month to find OEM HID's before going to Plan B of putting a kit in my halogen housings. The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking about just doing Plan B first, and then I can keep looking up to forever for a set of OEM's to go up for sale - either here or on Ebay. Some of the old posts in the Auto Parts for Sale forum have had some realistic possibilities - a set for $400 by one guy that got rid of his LS. When I first bought my baby, I found a set on Ebay in separate auctions that I could have bought for $225.00 a piece. I was "young and naive" at the time - I would have jumped on them in a heartbeat if they were there right now.

My thought process is this - I've got a buttload of work to do on the car, and I feel I need to get moving on some of it or it just won't get done (the main reason is that I have to extend our deck for the new pool I put up last fall). The new wheels are ready (pending the need for hub-centric rings), but I need to pull off all 4 calipers to clean and G4 paint them, replace the front lines to stainless that came with the RotorPros kit, and might as well paint the backing plates while I've got everything apart. I want to get my angels in, and know that this little job could take me as long as doing all 4 calipers. So, if I get a DDM slim 35 digital kit I can have HID lighting now - even though it won't be near as good as OEM. I can re-use the bulbs if I ever do find an OEM set.

To make a long post even longer, I'm looking for opinions based on experience of doing any of the following (I realize opinions vary for those that have not done any of this):

1. I'm pretty sure I want to get 2 kits - 1 for the lows and 1 for the fogs so that the colors match. Both would be the 35w 5000k. For those of you that have put HID's in your fogs, I'm looking for your experience with what happened to the light dispersion after installing them. Did it create additional glare for oncoming traffic and/or did it end up being less lighting/effective than the factory fogs? Gen 2 fog housing experience on this would be preferred.

2. Ballas mounting - I've seen pics on how Pete and John have mounted their ballasts, but I've also remembered reading that someone mounted their low-beam ballasts to the back of the headlight housing via brackets. Just looking for any and all experience here so I don't re-invent the wheel here.

3. Harness issues - I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have any load issues with the 35w kits, but I thought I read in some old posts where people had issues with the wires needing to be reversed to get them to work. For those of you that had to do this, was that in the fogs, the lows, or both? My search attempts didn't find those posts, so I KNOW they're out there. If anyone remembers who posted or any better words to search on other than "HID fog lights," let me know and I'll search again.

The only thing that will suck will be pulling apart my factory halogen housings to remove the angels if I do find a set of OEM's. Part of me says to just wait until I get a set - but the other part of me is too impatient. It would probably be easier to just try and sell the halogen housings with them in and just buy a new set of angels.

Thanks in advance for any experienced opinions!

Tru - all are welcome in the light (bonus points for guessing the movie reference)
P.S. Small-fry Post #400 :)
Click to expand...


um...let me guess....Poltergeist
 
Tru...i just picked up a passenger side OEM HID on the 'bay for 560 shipped...to replace the one that got smashed by that four legged brown thing

buy it now price was initially 700...waited and saved 140 bux
 
Toecutter - you guessed it.

Yeah, I was watching that one on Ebay. I've never thought about waiting to see if the auction bombs and then contacting them. There was a left side one that was for 900 initially, got no bids, and was relisted for the same amount. I saw another right side have some bids on it - it was at $550 last time I looked.
 
Tru-Blu said:
2. Ballas mounting
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if you go with the DDM slim kits, you can mount the ballast right to the bottom of the light housing itself (factory HID ballast mounting location) i just used a little double sided tape t hold the ballast and the ignitor right to the bottom of the light. i dont think that this would work with the Raptor series as there was not a lot of extra room to slide the light back in with the slim's in there but this is just a guess



Tru-Blu said:
Tru - all are welcome in the light (bonus points for guessing the movie reference)
Click to expand...
What is it Poltergeist?????

Edit: damn i was beaten to it, thats what i get for not reading all of the post before posting myself
 
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