Hella 90 mm headlight conversion

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon May 23, 2005 10:20 pm

It's not love, it's a disease. My cousin who I haven't seen in 15 years asked me if I had a girlfriend. When I told her 'no', she asked why. My unthinking response was, "I'd rather spend the money on my car." Inevitably, this response is always followed by the asking of what kind of car I drive. When I tell them, I'm filed in the Rolodex in their head under 'whack job'.

If there were demand or you were rich and didn't care, you could have molds made to make these without the flutes. I could use mine as a template, but they're probably not perfect enough.

Steve

musketeerracing · Post by **musketeerracing** » Mon May 23, 2005 10:51 pm

Well, my girlfriend will come to my rallies, support the TV show, etc., but when I take her somewhere in the Legacy, she doesn't understand why I drive a "dad car." So I tell her about closed decks and LSDs and her eyes glaze over and she says "yeah - like I said."

Sigh.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon May 23, 2005 11:09 pm

When I'm done with it the cute chicks will understand. Maybe if my books sell thousands of others may too. Hell, our cars may even appreciate in value. Eh, probably not.

Steve

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:04 am

the lens ist really necesary though is it since these projectors are fully sealed units that are capable of being exposed to the elements.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Tue May 24, 2005 5:45 am

No, and I would recommend NOBODY follow my route of clearing the flutes as it is a horrific experience, especially with borderline ADD and no patience. There are easier ways to pull this off that would look as good or better.

If I had more foresight and patience I would've put the headlights closer together and relocated some kind of blinker in the inner corners so I could relocate the license plate to where one of the blinkers are now when the FMIC goes in.

Steve

corsair · Post by **corsair** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:44 am

so what would you have done then? fibreglass it all in? buy some polycarbonite stock, cut, heat, rinse and repeat?

FMIC huh Steve? don't you need a- wait a minute, hah can't wait for more, you and your car are an inspiration, or two, or something

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed May 25, 2005 2:25 am

The people I inspire will be done before I am at this rate.

You could do Morette-style lights by glassing around them or even just paint the lenses and cut out two holes in them with a hole saw for the lights to shine through. Another thing I was thinking was combing the headlight housings and grille so that it swept all the way across the nose, fill it with grille work, and leave the lenses 'floating' at the outboars edges something like a '68-70 Charger with the headlight doors flipped up. That would be a PITA, too, but probably quicker than removing the flutes.

Steve

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Wed May 25, 2005 5:51 am

i like the hole saw appraoch and just mount the lights a bit farther forward.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed May 25, 2005 6:00 pm

Thay can't go much farther forward than where I have them.

Steve

ultrasonic · Post by **ultrasonic** » Wed May 25, 2005 6:31 pm

You could do Morette-style lights by glassing around them or even just paint the lenses and cut out two holes in them with a hole saw for the lights to shine through

I had considered both of these options, as I have a friend who does custom CF fabrication exactly like this. Other financial obligations have preempted the project though.

Thay can't go much farther forward than where I have them.

Steve, why can't they be mounted further forward? I'll admit that I have not had a very close look at the hardware.

AWD_addict · Post by **AWD_addict** » Wed May 25, 2005 6:34 pm

evolutionmovement wrote:It's not love, it's a disease. My cousin who I haven't seen in 15 years asked me if I had a girlfriend. When I told her 'no', she asked why. My unthinking response was, "I'd rather spend the money on my car." Inevitably, this response is always followed by the asking of what kind of car I drive. When I tell them, I'm filed in the Rolodex in their head under 'whack job'.

Is the cure more awesome projects like this or an increased income? I've fallen into this too, and with the stupid-expensive things I can dream up I doubt my income will overcome my car fixation.

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Wed May 25, 2005 6:57 pm

Werd.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:21 pm

The housing is angled in at the top and the lenses aren't that far from the mounting holes. The housings themselves would have to be pretty much discarded to try to move them farther forward as the lamp mounting brackets are taller than the inside of the housing. Even if you could fit them within the housing, thoug, you'd only gain about 1/2".

Money is definitely my constraint. I have about a dozen projects I'd do, not least of which is a close to 1000 hp RWD wagon with an engine in back running fans to suck it to the ground, a P-51 Mustang and Morgan Trike inspired car, and a twin engine homage to pre-war LSR cars.

Steve

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sun May 29, 2005 5:52 am

Finally getting somewhere ...

Here's what I had to chop out of the body for fitting. The cut has been made to expand the outside of the existing hole (close to the side marker).

These are the mods I made to one housing bracket (top) compared to the non-modified one on the other side.

Here's some pics of the unit installed, but not completed. That lens still need a little work, the mesh installed, and the lamps needs to be aimed, but you get the idea.

Steve

jake15 · Post by **jake15** » Sun May 29, 2005 7:18 am

that looks cool!!!! i wish i had money for a set

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:27 pm

I give the f'n hell up! I have the low beams connected and they actually work, but I need to order another connector to do the high beams as Subaru reversed the pattern of power and ground on the pass side! Bastards. Anyway, the lenses look like shit on the units (and they look like shit without them, too) so I'm going to hole saw the deal and paint the surround after all. What a waste of at least 100 hours. I'm going to hole saw the original headlights and keep the cleared covers just in case I get adventurous again, but this is totally done for now.

I also discovered that you need to make stand offs for the outboard side of the housing to keep the (headlight shock absorption?) spring from pulling it too far into the headlight bracket. Also did more mods to the bracket. For the stand off, I used a short piece of threaded lamp tubing (sold in the lamp making sections at Home Depot) and drilled the inside out just a little to slip over the lower outboard lamp adjuster on the low beam and used the nut and washer kit for the same lamp tubing. Theis adjuster goes through the larger hole in the headlight bracket that the spring hooked into originally. I drilled a new hole for the spring.

Anyone wanting to do this project could do it in a fiftieth of the time it took me if they don't bother with the lens clearing, mesh dressing inside and finishing to the inside of the housing (as it's unnecessary with the hole-sawed and painted lenses).

Another easier, much faster, and cheaper, but glass-involving job would be to make brackets like those sold for these lamps, but taller to span the headlight opening and bolt to the body (get rid of the old headlight housing and bracket), then glass together the top and lower portion of the grille to the top, bottom, and outside edges of the old headlight lenses and fill the space with some grille work of choice. Imagine the finished effect similar to a Lamborghini Espada. Of course, you can modify theis idea multiple ways for your own effect. No more sleeper look, but I think this kind of does that in anyway.

Steve

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:03 am

Don't give up Steve! As long as they are on the car (or in the car) for the Feed and Speed, I'll give you mad props

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:54 am

They're on there - I just give up on the lenses.

Not as pissed now - just used them and HOLY SHIT! These things really throw some serious light! I can't imagine ever having to use the high beams unless I go rallying at night.

I really need to align them better.

Steve

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:58 am

evolutionmovement wrote:They're on there - I just give up on the lenses.

Not as pissed now - just used them and HOLY SHIT! These things really throw some serious light! I can't imagine ever having to use the high beams unless I go rallying at night.

I really need to align them better.

Steve

is this the hole sawed version that works so well?

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:24 pm

No, these are the hideous bare brackets mounted to the front. I need to borrow a hole saw to finish the lenses.

Steve

corsair · Post by **corsair** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:15 am

crap I have a 92mm hole saw!!!!!!1

you probably don't want to put it off that long but I can let you borrow it or whatever at the Feed and Speed... if Phil doesn' take that EJ22T it's yours!! (hah kidding)

--edit: or on second thought I could try to send it to you and it would probably get there before the Feed and Speed, but there is probably one closer---

Don't give up Steve!

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:46 am

I got the saw at work today and did the job. Was almost defeated by a 1/2" shank, but was able to use the impact wrench and some patience. Good thing the saw's so big so it had enough weight to cut as the impact wrench gives no continuous torque.

Anyway, the fluted lenses actually look pretty decent with the holes in them. I may not even paint them. I'll try to get them on and align everything more properly tomorrow. I'll get pics if I do. Ordered the extra connectors for the high beams today, but I'll be able to get lit shots with the low beams on. The light signature is really cool! The beam pattern is sweet, too, as it has a seperate lower-light-level beam that shines high to illuminate signs but isn't bright enough to blind anyone.

Steve

corsair · Post by **corsair** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:13 pm

I figure I'd bump this back to the top because I saw them at the Feed and Speed and they are money. As soon as I have the money and lights laying around I'm going to do this.

Its great that someone finally opened up a viable alternative to the stock lights, and even better than that it was our man, Steve.

legacy92ej22t · Post by **legacy92ej22t** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:11 pm

They do look totally dope.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:52 pm

I just need to get them mounted perfectly so it looks less ghetto. Still not sure if I want to paint them or not.

As an important note, I noticed there is a great possibility of this being an alternative for the post facelift cars also - it would be tight, but it definitely looks possible as the height (the important dimension) is a little taller than the height of the pre facelift where it meets the grille. Even better, the post facelift don't have the damn headlight brackets to deal with as the housing seems to attach directly to the inner body.

Steve

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Hella 90 mm headlight conversion