Headlight Recommendations?
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 332
From: Virginia
Headlight Recommendations?
I want to swap out my standard halogen headlights for a newer headlight which will blend more with a darker scheme front end. I can get black instead of chrome housings and some even offer smoked, but I don't want any less light output than the standard light which is pretty bad anyway, hopefully I can get it a bit brighter but want to stick to white lights not blueish. Confused between, halogen, projectors, HID, LEDs etc. Any recommendations on types/brand? This is a DD so they must be street legal. Thanks...
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 471
From: MD
Retrofit if at all possible. I had the smoked raxiom projectors and even with HIDs the output was not good.
My housings were painted black so they appear dark, but doesn't diminish output at all.
My write-up:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/2010...ofit-hids.html
Excerpt:
For comparison, retrofit is by far the best option (aside from factory HID). HIDs installed in factory reflector housings cause glare, and throw light upwards. It's not very usable. You get the "look" of HID, but none of the cut-off and color flicker you get with projectors.
Raxioms are a good step up from HIDs in halogen reflectors. I had the smoked lens version, which definitely reduced light output. IMO, HIDs are a necessity for smoked Raxioms. The light the included halogen bulbs provide is on par (if not slightly worse) than standard reflectors + halogens. Even with HIDs, the Raxiom projectors don't put out enough light, especially on foggy/rainy nights. You get a decent beam cut-off, but it's not very straight, along with minimal color band.
Retrofit is the best choice. There is a sharp beam cut-off line, with a great color band and wide beam pattern. The 5000k bulbs I'm running provide more light (at least 25%) than Raxioms with 4300k bulbs. Remember, the higher the kelvin, the lower the lumens. So even with a lower lumen count, the retrofits put out more usable light than Raxioms with a higher lumen count bulb. This is due to the better quality Morimoto projectors and clear outer lens.
If you're going to spend the $ on projectors, skip the Raxioms and do a Retrofit. The extra cost means a world of difference in performance.
My housings were painted black so they appear dark, but doesn't diminish output at all.
My write-up:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/2010...ofit-hids.html
Excerpt:
For comparison, retrofit is by far the best option (aside from factory HID). HIDs installed in factory reflector housings cause glare, and throw light upwards. It's not very usable. You get the "look" of HID, but none of the cut-off and color flicker you get with projectors.
Raxioms are a good step up from HIDs in halogen reflectors. I had the smoked lens version, which definitely reduced light output. IMO, HIDs are a necessity for smoked Raxioms. The light the included halogen bulbs provide is on par (if not slightly worse) than standard reflectors + halogens. Even with HIDs, the Raxiom projectors don't put out enough light, especially on foggy/rainy nights. You get a decent beam cut-off, but it's not very straight, along with minimal color band.
Retrofit is the best choice. There is a sharp beam cut-off line, with a great color band and wide beam pattern. The 5000k bulbs I'm running provide more light (at least 25%) than Raxioms with 4300k bulbs. Remember, the higher the kelvin, the lower the lumens. So even with a lower lumen count, the retrofits put out more usable light than Raxioms with a higher lumen count bulb. This is due to the better quality Morimoto projectors and clear outer lens.
If you're going to spend the $ on projectors, skip the Raxioms and do a Retrofit. The extra cost means a world of difference in performance.
Last edited by BKamp613; Apr 19, 2012 at 12:29 PM.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 332
From: Virginia
Thanks - Great Write Up
Thanks for your feedback and the writeup included was great, answered many of my questions. Guess I should have searched first and would have seen this, wasnt even thinking about the headlights until today so probably read right past it when it was originally posted.
Retrofit if at all possible. I had the smoked raxiom projectors and even with HIDs the output was not good.
My housings were painted black so they appear dark, but doesn't diminish output at all.
My write-up:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/2010...ofit-hids.html
Excerpt:
For comparison, retrofit is by far the best option (aside from factory HID). HIDs installed in factory reflector housings cause glare, and throw light upwards. It's not very usable. You get the "look" of HID, but none of the cut-off and color flicker you get with projectors.
Raxioms are a good step up from HIDs in halogen reflectors. I had the smoked lens version, which definitely reduced light output. IMO, HIDs are a necessity for smoked Raxioms. The light the included halogen bulbs provide is on par (if not slightly worse) than standard reflectors + halogens. Even with HIDs, the Raxiom projectors don't put out enough light, especially on foggy/rainy nights. You get a decent beam cut-off, but it's not very straight, along with minimal color band.
Retrofit is the best choice. There is a sharp beam cut-off line, with a great color band and wide beam pattern. The 5000k bulbs I'm running provide more light (at least 25%) than Raxioms with 4300k bulbs. Remember, the higher the kelvin, the lower the lumens. So even with a lower lumen count, the retrofits put out more usable light than Raxioms with a higher lumen count bulb. This is due to the better quality Morimoto projectors and clear outer lens.
If you're going to spend the $ on projectors, skip the Raxioms and do a Retrofit. The extra cost means a world of difference in performance.
My housings were painted black so they appear dark, but doesn't diminish output at all.
My write-up:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/2010...ofit-hids.html
Excerpt:
For comparison, retrofit is by far the best option (aside from factory HID). HIDs installed in factory reflector housings cause glare, and throw light upwards. It's not very usable. You get the "look" of HID, but none of the cut-off and color flicker you get with projectors.
Raxioms are a good step up from HIDs in halogen reflectors. I had the smoked lens version, which definitely reduced light output. IMO, HIDs are a necessity for smoked Raxioms. The light the included halogen bulbs provide is on par (if not slightly worse) than standard reflectors + halogens. Even with HIDs, the Raxiom projectors don't put out enough light, especially on foggy/rainy nights. You get a decent beam cut-off, but it's not very straight, along with minimal color band.
Retrofit is the best choice. There is a sharp beam cut-off line, with a great color band and wide beam pattern. The 5000k bulbs I'm running provide more light (at least 25%) than Raxioms with 4300k bulbs. Remember, the higher the kelvin, the lower the lumens. So even with a lower lumen count, the retrofits put out more usable light than Raxioms with a higher lumen count bulb. This is due to the better quality Morimoto projectors and clear outer lens.
If you're going to spend the $ on projectors, skip the Raxioms and do a Retrofit. The extra cost means a world of difference in performance.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 471
From: MD
No problem. The cool thing about retros is its entirely up to you how much you want to spend.
Depends if you can go headlight-less for a couples weeks, or have a spare set. There are clear lens raxiom-like (different vendor) headlights out there. I had two sets, but there were imperfections on the projectors. Returned them. It's about $50-?? more for retrofits, so the aftermarket ones aren't worth it IMO.
Depends if you can go headlight-less for a couples weeks, or have a spare set. There are clear lens raxiom-like (different vendor) headlights out there. I had two sets, but there were imperfections on the projectors. Returned them. It's about $50-?? more for retrofits, so the aftermarket ones aren't worth it IMO.
Last edited by BKamp613; Apr 19, 2012 at 12:56 PM.
Looking into retrofits..
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 471
From: MD
Some after dinner shots (iPhone 4):
Weather still kinda sucks so I didn't take it anywhere cool to take pics. The last shot shows the very edge of the color band. The bulbs are 5000k, but the color varies depending on angle. These are very white at night:
Old pic (the trees in the back behind the traschcan are about 50ft away. I could also aim them up a little, but on the road they're perfect)
Weather still kinda sucks so I didn't take it anywhere cool to take pics. The last shot shows the very edge of the color band. The bulbs are 5000k, but the color varies depending on angle. These are very white at night:
Old pic (the trees in the back behind the traschcan are about 50ft away. I could also aim them up a little, but on the road they're perfect)