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DIY HID retrofit!

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Old 10-23-10 | 02:57 AM
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DIY HID retrofit!

Tools:
philips/flat screwdriver
oven
dremel with sanding drums and cutoff wheel

Materials:
stock/aftermarket housing (polished lenses if using stock)
morimoto d2s projector
d2s bulbs (oem or morimoto)
ballast
e55 shrouds

projector/bulbs/ballast/shrouds can be purchased at theretrofitsource.com

Step1. Removing lens

Preheat your oven to 200f, then take a baking sheet cover it with foil and place your headlight housing on it and place it in the oven. Set you timer for 10 minutes and watch your housing carefully. DO NOT WALK AWAY, since every oven is different it may take a longer/shorter time to remove the lens.

Take the headlight out and stick a small flat head screwdriver between the lens and housing and twist slowly. Do this all the way around until you can get your fingers behind the lens and Slowly pull it off. IF the glue starts to harden again simply put it in the oven for a few minutes and try again.

You should end up having something like this.

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Step 2. Modify housing

This is where you break out the dremel. you have the housing looking like this at first.

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You want to cut and sand until it looks like this.

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Here are the cuts made in red.

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Next make a slit in the housing to run the bixenon solenoid wire through as seen in the picture.


Now for the inside. Sand up into the housing, this is so the projector can be angle up to fit the shroud. You should end up with it looking like this.

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Step 3. Bolt in projector

Insert projector from the front side, place bracket on the back of the projector then screw the nut on. Pretty self explainatory.

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Step 4. Adjusting rotational cutoff.

After everything is all bolted up you have to run your relay harnes and mount your ballast to your car. When your finished mount your lights to your car plug your bulbs in and turn on your HID's. You will notice your cutoff isn't horizontal. To fix this you have have to twist the projector until you get your cutoff adjusted.

Next make reference marks as i did in the above photo just in case they move out of adjustment.

Step 5. Mount your shrouds

This step is pretty simple. First mount your shroud to test fit it you may have to sand the inside edge a little bit for it to fit. You might have to move the projector up/down to fit it into the middle of the shroud, the projector has a some wiggle room since there is a rubber washer on the back of it.

When everything looks fine remove shroud and apply epoxy between the shroud and projector and push it on. I would let it dry over night after completing this step. This is what you should have so far.

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Step 6. Replacing lens

Now your project is almost complete. Simply follow the same steps as removing the lens. First place lens on the housing and gently push on it so it stays. Preheat oven to 200 then place your headlight in it but make sure you take out your bulbs before you do. After about ten minutes take out your lights and push on the lens firmly until it is fully seated into the housing. You can now put on the clips and screws back on.


CONGRATS! YOU ARE NOW FINISHED!




I am not responsible for messing up your car/lights or anything related to this modification.
Old 10-23-10 | 09:07 AM
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wow, nice write up! I love it!!!! It looks amazing buddy!!!!
Old 10-23-10 | 11:25 AM
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How about a picture in the day time of the front of the car with the headlights up?
Old 10-23-10 | 07:13 PM
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are those prices of projectors and ballasts for a single unit or for the pair?
Old 10-23-10 | 08:46 PM
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Great contribution for the pop up guys.
Old 10-24-10 | 01:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Aeka GSR
are those prices of projectors and ballasts for a single unit or for the pair?
Those are for pairs. All the parts come out to less than $300 before the discount for buying multiple items, that's not bad at all. Great writeup OP, I think I may do this very soon. My cheap plug and play HIDs arent cutting it after seeing real projector HID setups lately.
Old 10-24-10 | 01:28 AM
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great writeup! this sounds so simple but i have my doubts
Old 10-24-10 | 02:24 AM
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Can you just buy this kit?

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...09227529838d1c

But obviously change the shrouds... and do we have H11 with high beam tap?
Old 10-24-10 | 02:46 AM
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Originally Posted by theo481
Can you just buy this kit?

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...09227529838d1c

But obviously change the shrouds... and do we have H11 with high beam tap?
Yeah you can buy that one, you have a choice on the shrouds/bulbs, the fd headlight is small so there are only a few shrouds that will fit. I use the h4 harness.
Old 10-24-10 | 03:22 AM
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i just noticed i forgot something, when using stock housings you do not need to cut/sand the back of the housing only do the inside.
Old 10-24-10 | 04:04 AM
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Last question... Where do i get a new headlight housing?
Old 10-24-10 | 02:23 PM
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Coupon Code for free shipping!

TRS34
Old 10-24-10 | 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by theo481
Last question... Where do i get a new headlight housing?
I just did a quick google search and found these http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/4-C...X7C_YD/774895/

call them first to make sure they have it in stock.
Old 10-24-10 | 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by turboIIrotary
I just did a quick google search and found these http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/4-C...X7C_YD/774895/

call them first to make sure they have it in stock.
I was hoping for something cheaper... Only need passenger side.
Old 10-24-10 | 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by 2RotorsNaDream
Those are for pairs. All the parts come out to less than $300 before the discount for buying multiple items, that's not bad at all. Great writeup OP, I think I may do this very soon. My cheap plug and play HIDs arent cutting it after seeing real projector HID setups lately.
Oh wow, this is something I must do now.
Old 10-29-10 | 01:29 PM
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i forgot to add the picture with the lenses on.

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Old 10-29-10 | 01:45 PM
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These retrofit lights look very similar to the ones on the GB from Sakebomb ?
Old 10-29-10 | 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Lock & Load
These retrofit lights look very similar to the ones on the GB from Sakebomb ?
They LOOK similar but they are not the same We use a different projector that requires much more work to fit properly. Nice write up!
Old 10-29-10 | 02:14 PM
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Yeah SBG uses the fxr this retro uses mini d2s it uses the fxr lens but the projector bowl is different. In the first picture you can see a big hole in one of the housings, that's pretty much what you have to do for the fxr or other projectors.
Old 10-30-10 | 10:15 PM
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could you just go over the grinding proceedure a little bit more detailed please?
im kinda having trouble to see the difference from the 1st picture to the 2nd one.
sorry.
thanks
Old 10-31-10 | 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by scamil87
could you just go over the grinding proceedure a little bit more detailed please?
im kinda having trouble to see the difference from the 1st picture to the 2nd one.
sorry.
thanks
The 2nd photo, after the cutted pieces, should be seen inverted, notice the blue markers made
Old 11-06-10 | 08:10 PM
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This is epic, so gunna do this.
Old 11-06-10 | 10:43 PM
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a quick question turboIIrotary, with the lights on, do the headlights look like two sharp ***** of light, or does the light spread throughout the entire housing?
Old 11-07-10 | 01:27 AM
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just awesome.

I'm having a hard time finding clear lens housings. anyone have an idea? I really want to do this, but keep my stockers handy.
Old 11-07-10 | 01:35 AM
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Originally Posted by RLaoFD
just awesome.

I'm having a hard time finding clear lens housings. anyone have an idea? I really want to do this, but keep my stockers handy.
search for crystal rx7 housing on ebay. there should be several results for ~40+shipping.



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