[Super_Marv]

There's allot of people upgrading their cars (Mk2 VW Golfs, etc) to aftermarket HID setups here in England, and the kits available seem very effective.



Has anyone looked into how hard it would be, to convert the headlights in a 968 to HID? My only concern is that the pop-up mechanism might somehow cause complications?



I find the OEM headlights on my car very underpowered, and pretty much discourages me from driving fast in the dark (although full beam is great!)



If it's something that can be done, then HID's will be my next modification to my 968 (after a full RS Barn Exhaust system, that is! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/cool.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> )

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Etnier]

This must be a UK thing: in the US the stock headlights were astonishing in terms of the performance improvement they offered over, say, the 944 (direct experience here). The light/lens assemblies were computer-optimized for best performance, and they really light up the road.



From factory literature:

New-design headights– State of the art projector type headlights employ a variable focal point system which increases light output at the sides by more than 30 percent. (italics added)

That said, I have gained a bit over that, by using what sold in the US as Sylvania Silverstars. I have no idea as to what the EU-equivalent bulbs would be.



I'm pretty sure some owners have retrofitted HID systems: they cost many hundreds, maybe even over a thousand dollars here in the US. It certainly seemed like overkill to me.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

I've posted a bit in the past regarding this, but I'll give it another stab here for you. Hid's is a bit of a hobby of mine.





Basically, to do change to hids, there are two options... well, one good option, and one not really an option, but technically can be done, so I'll mention it.



you can either use a cheap drop in hid kit off ebay, or do the right thing and retrofit in projectors.



The drop in hid kits off ebay basically replace the current headlight bulb with an extremeley low quality part that doesn't work right. The stock headlights are designed for halogen bulbs, and despite what anyone says, hids don't work in them. You end up with tons of glare, which is unsafe for you as a driver and for everyone else on the road. Also, these kits fail all the time. The quality is extremeley poor. Bad performance, unsafe, and unreliable. Like I early said, not really an option.



If you want hids, and you want to do it right, you have the option of retrofitting in hid components. There are several ways to go here... either open up the stock headlights, clear the lenses, and mount some projectors in them, adapt 993 headlights to work, etc. You could have them fixed, or still pivot like stock. Whatever you're doing, you're using quality oem components designed to work well with hids. This is certainly the way to go, however, the price is going to be much higher than the cheap drop ins. It's the only good option though.



Either way, this is an illegal modification. With drop in hids, it's not only illegal to have them on the car, it's illegal to bring them into the country. Also, with the glare they cause, they immediately bring a lot of attention to them. An hid retrofit is illegal as well, but due to performance identical to stock vehicles, the likelyhood of ever having an issue is minimal.



The first major modification I will be making to my 968 when I purchase it(hopefully within the week) will be an hid retrofit.



That said, I think the oem 968 headlights work amazingly well for stock halogen units. They blow my honda's headlights out of the water.





Etnier... it's interesting you mention the silverstars. They're really not that great of bulbs. The blue coating on them that gives their white color(and appearance of being brighter) actually reduces total lumen output(as it's a color filter, and effectively is blocking a good chunk of the light created). See if you can't find a similar bulb without this blue filter, and compare to see how much you're really missing out on.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Super_Marv]

Thanks for the advice - I'll have to do a little more research and weigh up my options, but either way, I think the lights on my 968 are far worse than those on my Mk4 VW Golf!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[au968]

[quote name='Super_Marv' post='29870' date='Jan 14 2007, 06:04 AM']Thanks for the advice - I'll have to do a little more research and weigh up my options, but either way, I think the lights on my 968 are far worse than those on my Mk4 VW Golf![/quote]



FWIW, the lowbeam on my HID equipped Golf is a lot better than the 968 lowbeam. On high beam, where the Golf is non-HID, the 968 has better lights.



If I could change the colour of the 968 low beams to be closer to the HID's I'd probably do it - I find myself looking at the voltmeter in the 968 because the lowbeams look so yellow after driving the Golf.



Michael

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

au968... most colored halogen bulbs meant to produce a color similar to hids do so with a color filter on the bulb. This works by basically just blocking the yellow wavelengths of light, so you end up with a good bit less light on the road.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[au968]

[quote name='saxman' post='29873' date='Jan 14 2007, 09:36 AM']au968... most colored halogen bulbs meant to produce a color similar to hids do so with a color filter on the bulb. This works by basically just blocking the yellow wavelengths of light, so you end up with a good bit less light on the road.[/quote]



Yea, I know. Maybe if I up the watts at the same time to compensate...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

[quote name='au968' post='29875' date='Jan 13 2007, 07:06 PM']Yea, I know. Maybe if I up the watts at the same time to compensate...[/quote]

unfortunately, upping the wattage tends to cause the bulb to burn at a lower color temp... it's a bit of a catch 22



you'll still get more light at a higher wattage, don't misinterpret what I'm saying... it's just a crappy circumstance

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ender]

I don't think my stock lights are that good/bright (especially when compared to my girlfriend's 07 bmw 328i's xenon lights). Would changing bulbs help?



What about this Xenon kit?



http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAc...&ProdID=237

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

have you tried refocusing the lights? one thing that tends ot make people think they aren't bright enough is when they focus them too far down the road or to the sides



also, the lenses may well be clouded - this will dramatically affect the output



i have actually been trying to figure out a way to cut some of the light DOWN, because i think they are too bright in stock form, without changing the light to yellow

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

[quote name='ender' post='40639' date='Aug 31 2007, 01:18 PM']I don't think my stock lights are that good/bright (especially when compared to my girlfriend's 07 bmw 328i's xenon lights). Would changing bulbs help?



What about this Xenon kit?



http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?PageAc...&ProdID=237[/quote]

illegal, low quality, and unsafe





to name a few of the issues with them

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Etnier]

[quote name='saxman' post='40643' date='Aug 31 2007, 06:33 PM']illegal, low quality, and unsafe

to name a few of the issues with them[/quote]



Or with Lord Byron...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[gryphon]

I still have a set of 6 Silverstars to install, but the recent posts on short life expectancy have made me lose some enthusiasm. Eventually I suppose I'll them put in. Just for curiosity, how much time should this take and how difficult is it?



Tom

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[jfrahm]

I had Silverstars in Euro H4 lenses in my 944S2 Cab for a few years, and last spring I installed an inexpensive bi-xenon kit on that car. The difference was amazing. No problems at all with the kit, a friend has one on his 928 and another friend has a set on his A4. The 6000K HIDs made the Silverstars look a curious yellow.

I am ordering a kit for the 968 I replaced the S2 cab with as we speak.



-Joel.



   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

the glare in that photo is horrible, the light distribution is horrible, etc





if you're content knowing that you're endangering everyone else on the road and reducing your night vision due to poorly focused and directed light, then by all means, carry on

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

lol - yeah - what he said

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[jfrahm]

I got a kit for my 928 too. It'll be interesting to see how they work in the 8" 9005 and the 968 lenses. I preferred the less sharp cutoff than I had with filament bulbs and E codes.



Lots of classy folks on this board.

-Joel.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

"Lots of classy folks on this board."



well, actually i tried not to be rude, but i think it is a big mistake to install those lights - there is a huge government study to back that up too - brighter is not necessarily better



there is a whole thread on this though, so no need to rehash the point by point science here



if they could figure out a way to focus that light into a tighter beam, change the color to a lower wavelength, and drop the brightness a bit, then they would be fine - as it stands now though, the light just bounces off of everything, and washes out any definition, makes way too much glare, and ultimately affects the ability of the pupils to react, and the rods and cones to makes the necessary distinctions in the time necessary to be safe - blue light is difficult for the human eye - yellow is better (though we will never get that passed) - dull white is as good as it will probably get



i still need to change out the lights on the denali to halogen and dump those piece of junk HIDs - way too glarey and a horrible pattern - useless anywhere but around town, and even then it's annoying to other drivers - those lights all but got me killed on the hershey run when i hit the storm - it was almost as bad as having bright dash lights - i had to pull over and get off the road



maybe it's my old tired eyes, but i hate those things - i do seem to be hearing compalints more from older people than the kids though (which was also supported in the study)



i long for the days of my 80 watt yellow Cibie lights

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[saxman]

There's plenty of debate to be had over the benefits of hids, etc. I know flash and I stand at different ends of the debate regarding proper hids, but that's another matter. What's being discussed here is not proper hids. You're talking about taking a poorly made product, meant to jimmy in a bulb that has no business in your headlight. It is not a safe conversion. It causes horrible glare issues for yourself and every other person on the road, doing nothing but putting everyone in danger.



I'm all for upgrading to hids, however, it must be done right, using the proper parts to make it safe and effective. This involves major changes to the headlight itself.



Remember, your headlights were specifically designed for a very specific halogen bulb... both in its size and shape, and in its light output.



These hid kits you're referring to take a bulb that is not the right size(and as such, messes with the proper focusing of the light, and then put a whole lot more light in there. It is not safe.





I'm sorry if I came off a little crass in my first response, but do realize your first post on this board was promoting an illegal modification that endangers the lives of yourself and those around you, even if you didn't realize it.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

that brings me to something i should have asked before - can you point me to a car that you think has great HIDs? i have yet to see one, and i'd like to see what is supposed to be "right" - every car i've driven in with them sucks bad - more lumens, sure, but less visibility and definition, with a much more scattered pattern - i suppose it's possible that it's entirely subjective, or that i have just not had the opportunity to find a good one, but the 06 car i have them in now is really pissing me off they suck so bad - i would pay just about any amount of money to get rid of them and be able to see again- my better half won't even drive it at night, as she is even more bothered by it than i am



what i want is a tight spotlight type of beam, with no flute pattern in it, and prefereably a low wavelength to accommodate the human eye's natural predisposition to see yellow best

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.