Info on Sacramento-Mustang H.I.D. kit
01-28-2009, 04:59 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Posts: 621
Info on Sacramento-Mustang H.I.D. kit
http://www.sacramento-mustang.com/cg...t.pl?db=sm.dat
(just search "HID" and it is the only result)
I was looking at different HID/xenon light kits for early Mustangs. Different Mustang parts retailers have different versions of HID kits-most only have bulbs that go into stock outlets, while some offer sealed headlight/bulb kits for under 40 bucks)
Sacramento-Mustangs seems to have the most legitimate looking kit. For starters, it IS an actual kit. I do understand the bulb classification they have, however, I was a little confused about their purchasing options:
They have a 'low beam only' kit, with all bulb options; and they have a 'high/low' kit...which costs more and has only 2 choices for bulbs.
I was unsure what they meant, so I sent an email:
"If I buy the standard kit I will only have a low beam and no high beam, correct? How does the high beam setup work? Does the single bulb just get brighter? If someone were to get the 4000k bulb for their low beam, would they even need the high beam kit?"
my response was:
"Correct. The standard kit is a low beam only. If you purchase the high beam kit, it is still only one bulb. But on the back of the bulb is a solenoid that moves the angle of the bulb when you switch to high beam. This changes the direction of light. The 4000K bulbs will be brighter than some of the others because it has the least amount of color in it, however without the high beam option you will not be able to change the angle and raise the beam. So sometimes if you want to brighten up the trees or other surrounds up higher than the road or look further down the road, you will want the high beam. "
So it turns out, there is no actual high beam. It's just a bulb-position change. Eh, seems kinda weird but reasonable. However, if I were to consider this kit, I would not get the high beam simply because it only has the option to come with the colored bulb.
That's just some info I thought I would share.
So what do you guys think? Could you live with a SUPER BRIGHT headlight (and no high beam)?
I hate it when other cars have blinding headlights, but our Mustangs are low enough I don't foresee it being a real issue. I searched for the company that makes the kit (Euro Dezigns) and couldn't find any bad news about them.
(just search "HID" and it is the only result)
I was looking at different HID/xenon light kits for early Mustangs. Different Mustang parts retailers have different versions of HID kits-most only have bulbs that go into stock outlets, while some offer sealed headlight/bulb kits for under 40 bucks)
Sacramento-Mustangs seems to have the most legitimate looking kit. For starters, it IS an actual kit. I do understand the bulb classification they have, however, I was a little confused about their purchasing options:
They have a 'low beam only' kit, with all bulb options; and they have a 'high/low' kit...which costs more and has only 2 choices for bulbs.
I was unsure what they meant, so I sent an email:
"If I buy the standard kit I will only have a low beam and no high beam, correct? How does the high beam setup work? Does the single bulb just get brighter? If someone were to get the 4000k bulb for their low beam, would they even need the high beam kit?"
my response was:
"Correct. The standard kit is a low beam only. If you purchase the high beam kit, it is still only one bulb. But on the back of the bulb is a solenoid that moves the angle of the bulb when you switch to high beam. This changes the direction of light. The 4000K bulbs will be brighter than some of the others because it has the least amount of color in it, however without the high beam option you will not be able to change the angle and raise the beam. So sometimes if you want to brighten up the trees or other surrounds up higher than the road or look further down the road, you will want the high beam. "
So it turns out, there is no actual high beam. It's just a bulb-position change. Eh, seems kinda weird but reasonable. However, if I were to consider this kit, I would not get the high beam simply because it only has the option to come with the colored bulb.
That's just some info I thought I would share.
So what do you guys think? Could you live with a SUPER BRIGHT headlight (and no high beam)?
I hate it when other cars have blinding headlights, but our Mustangs are low enough I don't foresee it being a real issue. I searched for the company that makes the kit (Euro Dezigns) and couldn't find any bad news about them.
01-28-2009, 08:40 AM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Antelope, Ca
Posts: 616
I looked in to theses as well, i don't like going into sac mustang if i can avoid it (and i only a mile from them). This link will provide you a little more info http://www.hidguy.net/index.php?main...540c35c81a28d5
01-28-2009, 12:27 PM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 800
Little info for you to digest.
First, all these HID kits will be coming from China, regardless of maker or German/Japanese/European/wherever engineering or designing. As such, they will not be the same quality of an OEM HID setup. The bulbs for hi/low operation are notoriously poor, the solenoids crap out and stop functioning, or do not adjust the bulbs properly- headlight bulbs are done to exact dimensions, the filament must be in a certain specific spot, and the HID equivalent bulb will often need slight adjustment to get a proper light output.
Second, you will have to get new headlight housings for the HID bulbs, they will be reflector housings because a good projector housing will be way more than you want to spend, if you can even find them. Because they will be reflector housings, you won't have as good a light pattern as you would with projector housings, and they will be quite bright to oncoming traffic unless you aim them very low, but then you'll have trouble seeing. You will also need to install a relay to get them to work without frying your stock wiring, that's no big issue unless you don't want extra wires under the hood.
Third... that website says these are DOT approved. They are not. HID retrofit kits are illegal to use on the road, in every state- they are for off-road use only. Now, enforcement of that illegality is slim, but in combination with the reflector housings throwing light at oncoming traffic the HIDs may draw attention to you and get you pulled over.
So what this boils down to, is that because these kits are all basically the same, you're just as good going with a cheaper (sub $90) kit from ebay plus some housings (I'm not sure if the tri-bar housings commonly used for basic halogen light conversions will work because they may not be deep enough for the HID bulbs) and spending a lot less than the $180/270 you'll have to spend from that site.
First, all these HID kits will be coming from China, regardless of maker or German/Japanese/European/wherever engineering or designing. As such, they will not be the same quality of an OEM HID setup. The bulbs for hi/low operation are notoriously poor, the solenoids crap out and stop functioning, or do not adjust the bulbs properly- headlight bulbs are done to exact dimensions, the filament must be in a certain specific spot, and the HID equivalent bulb will often need slight adjustment to get a proper light output.
Second, you will have to get new headlight housings for the HID bulbs, they will be reflector housings because a good projector housing will be way more than you want to spend, if you can even find them. Because they will be reflector housings, you won't have as good a light pattern as you would with projector housings, and they will be quite bright to oncoming traffic unless you aim them very low, but then you'll have trouble seeing. You will also need to install a relay to get them to work without frying your stock wiring, that's no big issue unless you don't want extra wires under the hood.
Third... that website says these are DOT approved. They are not. HID retrofit kits are illegal to use on the road, in every state- they are for off-road use only. Now, enforcement of that illegality is slim, but in combination with the reflector housings throwing light at oncoming traffic the HIDs may draw attention to you and get you pulled over.
So what this boils down to, is that because these kits are all basically the same, you're just as good going with a cheaper (sub $90) kit from ebay plus some housings (I'm not sure if the tri-bar housings commonly used for basic halogen light conversions will work because they may not be deep enough for the HID bulbs) and spending a lot less than the $180/270 you'll have to spend from that site.
01-28-2009, 03:46 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: California
Posts: 181
I've seen them in person, and they look pretty good. The light output was amazing. I almost thought it was a BMW or a Benz coming up to the light in the next lane, but it was a 68 GTO that pulled up next to me.
01-28-2009, 06:03 PM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Posts: 621
God that looks really funky..
It seems that they require a lower wattage so they should actually be cooler?
Either way they do appear to be illegal everywhere.
It seems that they require a lower wattage so they should actually be cooler?
Either way they do appear to be illegal everywhere.
Last edited by 350kmileFord; 01-28-2009 at 06:09 PM.
01-31-2009, 06:46 AM
#9
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 4,462
Retrofitted HID is illegal. I have to say though that I hate HID anyway. The blueish white light scatters and is obsorbed by dark blacktop. It also sucks in incliment weather like rain or fog. We have a Nissan Maxima with factory HID and I really don't care for it much. I'm just glad the car has halogen fog lights.
HID just emits excessive glare to oncomming drivers and produces what I call false colors.
The best inexpensive thing to do is get some good halogen lights. The sylvania xtravision is actually a 55/65 watt instead of a 35/55 like most of the sealed beam halogens. Secondly, add a headlight relay harness like this one or make your own. That way the lights get the full volatage and the switch and factory wiring don't have to carry the load of the higher wattage lights.
I have this kit and will say that it is very well made and is half the price of the painless one from summit and jegs etc.
http://rjminjectiontech.com/?p=8
HID just emits excessive glare to oncomming drivers and produces what I call false colors.
The best inexpensive thing to do is get some good halogen lights. The sylvania xtravision is actually a 55/65 watt instead of a 35/55 like most of the sealed beam halogens. Secondly, add a headlight relay harness like this one or make your own. That way the lights get the full volatage and the switch and factory wiring don't have to carry the load of the higher wattage lights.
I have this kit and will say that it is very well made and is half the price of the painless one from summit and jegs etc.
http://rjminjectiontech.com/?p=8
Last edited by tx65coupe; 04-08-2010 at 04:55 AM.
