Question: Headlights?

[Tuna]

Okay, what's the best choice for replacement headlights these days for a C4?

The Hella European lights I put in back in 95 are starting to show their age and I'm getting used to the HID's in my C6's.

 

[air1jpg]

MId-America has a conversion kit available to convert the old glass headlight to the newer permanent plastic lens and a bulb configuration. What is nice about it is that the plastic lens assembly is a great deal lighter than the old glass headlight and will extend the life of you headlight motors.

 

[Tuna]

MId-America has a conversion kit available to convert the old glass headlight to the newer permanent plastic lens and a bulb configuration. What is nice about it is that the plastic lens assembly is a great deal lighter than the old glass headlight and will extend the life of you headlight motors.

Lighter is nice but are they any better at lighting the road in front of me?

 

[G Winter]

That would depend on the bulbs you put in . If you know the style-base of the bulb you can order just about any wattage bulb out of Grainger industrial supply.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml


Glenn

 

[Tuna]

I see that MidAmerica sells them with either Halogen or High Intensity Blue bulbs. I'll have to check them out. Thanks.

 

[air1jpg]

I see that MidAmerica sells them with either Halogen or High Intensity Blue bulbs. I'll have to check them out. Thanks.

When my headlights go out, I am going to look into converting them!

 

[CharlesBrown]

There are all sorts of bulbs. Some $3.00, others as high as $35 or more. However, without a reflector designed for their use they are likely a waste of money. Only way to tell is to find someone that has made the conversion and get his/her thoughts.

 

[air1jpg]

There are all sorts of bulbs. Some $3.00, others as high as $35 or more. However, without a reflector designed for their use they are likely a waste of money. Only way to tell is to find someone that has made the conversion and get his/her thoughts.

The kit comes with the reflector housing units the bulbs are installed in. Check out the description I copied from mid america.

* Simplifies bulb replacements, extends bulb life
* Allows upgrade to high intensity bulbs for safer night driving
* Lightweight construction saves wear on Corvette headlight motors
* Rubber dust covers included for longer bulb life
* Replaces any 6052 or H6054 sealed beam
* Kit includes two headlamp housings with dust boots and either Halogen or HIB bulbs
* FREE Corvette headlight protectors included to insure your investment... a $12.99 value!!! ​

607-0841984-96Headlamp Conversion Kit w/ Standard Halogen Bulbs$69.99607-0851984-96Headlamp Conversion Kit, w/ High Intensity Blue Bulbs$79.99

 

[Tuna]

So, has anyone actually installed this lights yet?

 

[CulverC4]

I have replaced the original glass headlights with glass Sylvania Silverstar headlights, about 19.99 ea. The light quality is much brighter and whiter than the standard bulbs. I have HID's on a custom chevy truck and after I swapped the Sylvania's in a few of my friends asked if I had converted the vette's lights to HID as well.

 

[G Winter]

I have replaced the original glass headlights with glass Sylvania Silverstar headlights, about 19.99 ea. The light quality is much brighter and whiter than the standard bulbs. I have HID's on a custom chevy truck and after I swapped the Sylvania's in a few of my friends asked if I had converted the vette's lights to HID as well.

I put the same headlights in mine last spring, big difference over the stock. I thought about going to the HIDs but cost made me reconsider.

Glenn

 

[Toms007]

I bought some headlamp Housings/reflectors (?) similar to the Hella and then I just went up to my local parts store and had them order 100/65watt (I think that's what they were, hi beams were 100 for sure) halogen bulbs and put them in. Whoa a huge improvement in being able to see at night. Total cost was only about $50, $30 for the housings and $10/each for the bulbs.

 

[CulverC4]

All you need to do to convert your system to a full HID system is purchase the set of plastic lens conversion kit (with removable bulbs) and order the corresponding bulb-type (ie; 9006, H1, etc) HID kit. I got mine from eBay for my Silverado, paid about $200 plus shipping and handling. Then have a relay installed for the HID ballast wiring and plug in the new HID bulbs in the new plastic lenses. This should cost you about $230-250 in parts, plus installation charges for the relay set up. The lighting will be worlds apart from any incandescent bulb, the caveat lies in the fact that the HID bulbs are single filament. In other words, NO high beams. This wasn't a problem on my Silverado as it is a quad lamp system, separate high and low bulbs.

 

[jsinga]

I have Ciebe e-code lamps with 130/100 watt lamps. I got them through Daniel Sterns lighting he has a website.
They are at least equal to any HID lamps and better than anything else I've seen.
You have to decide what you want for lights. Don't get anything with "blue" bulbs, any coating on a bulb just cuts down on light!
Up watt bulbs in any reflector will give more light. I installed a relay kit and new wiring, otherwise you will melt down your headlight and dimmer switch or just blow fuses. The 100w bulbs pull 18amps on low beam.
Another fact to check is voltage drop through your wiring. Light output will drop quite a bit with a .5v drop through your wiring. That's what I had before installing the relays.
From what I have read the Hella lamps have a large spread between high and low beam and won't aim properly. The Ciebe lamps are e-coded, they have a sharp cutoff and a kick up on the sides, they shine the light down on the road not up in incomming traffics face. The kick shines up on signs on the road side. The other big plus is they don't shine up and reflect light off rain at night.
All together I spent about $200 on the upgrade. The Ciebe reflectors were about $55 each when I got them. By themselves with stock watt $6 H4 bulbs you will be far ahead of anyting for the money.
I spent a good part of a Saturday on the wiring. It's a pain to get new bigger wiring through the headlight buckets, but it's doable, find some of the high priced fine stranded wire with teflon insulation, it has a smaller diamater than what I used.
Since I was doing a lot of driving at night on the highway I thought it was the best money I've spent on my vette.
Do a search, I think I posted some pictures on where I mounted the relays.

JS

 

[LT4man]

I bought some headlamp Housings/reflectors (?) similar to the Hella

Tom, where did you buy the housings/reflectors? They seem to be pretty expensive depending on what brand.

SAVE THE

 

[John Robinson]

I have a question are the bulbs loosing candle power or are the glass housings becoming fogged? On my 93 when I put in the Hella bulbs and housings I noticed a significant improvement in night lighting. I would place 75% of that on the prism in the housing directing the light where it is needed. So if the glass is ok all you have to do is replace the bulb with whatever style you like. Brighter is not necessarily better if the light is in the trees or the left side of the road.

 

[Toms007]

John, I know that the original type sealed beams that were in my car when I got it (Plastic lenses) were fogged up pretty bad. These new housings that I got are a lightweight glass (I don't think they are plastic). I believe that the glass lenses stay clear longer, but I also think that the "focus" is different as well, giving the feeling that they are brighter.

 

[jsinga]

Here's the link to take a look at:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html

The lamp housings I have look like this:
http://dsl.torque.net/images/200HCR.jpg
He wants $64 each for them. Just these lamp housing and the cheapest H4 bulbs will give more light and outlast silverstars or anything else. A stock watt H4 bulb is $6 last time I looked.

From my experience the info on Daniel Sterns sight isn't BS.
The design and light focus is where the biggest improvement comes from.

JS

 

[jgr91vette]

i actually have installed the xenon hid in my 91 and i cant complain they are much better
than the factory's my kit cames with a switch that moves the filament up when you turn to high beam, its only useful on highway but i really never use it the low beam is more than enough. i had some troubles with the wiring but it has all worth it.

 

[jgr91vette]

HID'S on a 91 vette

here's my vettes headlights to give you and idea what they look like.