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374 Posts
It was with great trepidation that I set out on this adventure...leaving home and hearth in the Shire...and so on....
My OEM headlights...regular halogen lights...were pretty much hazed over...with the coating on the outside cracked and weathered off in places. After trying to sand and buff them out...I realized this was hopeless and started looking for new lights.
Some parts stores simply don't carry replacement headlights...others like AdvanceAP have them but at prices near to $500 for a pair.
So it was off to Ebay land. Here there are many choices....with prices ranging from under $100 for a pair of regular halogen headlights to over $300 for halogen projectors and more $ for HID projectors.
Problem being that most sales were final...and shipping isn't cheap. I wanted the halogen projector lights but decided the risk was too high that they wouldn't be well made and I'd end way up strange headlight creek without a paddle.
I could find NO reviews on any of these aftermarket lights on Amazon or elsewhere.
So I opted to buy some thru Amazon...where at least I could return them...with shipping paid for. (check the return process carefully)
I ordered these...left and right:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H8XPAW/ref=ox_ya_os_product
They are made by TYC in Taiwan (supposedly). They were well packed...box in box, etc. Under $100 for the pair shipped.
Quality left something to be desired. The shells were not gooped together very well...I ended up using silicone caulk on at least 3/4s of the outside edge to be sure they wouldn't leak. The fit at the mounting points was around 95%...with a bit of "adjustment" needed to get them installed. When installed they fit the bodywork on the outside pretty well. And the front lenses are clear and not distorted any. These are plug and play...with the right connectors. Have SAE/DOT molded in front.
One big issue is that the pass side light was not assembled right...with one the the ball and socket joints that allow adjustment of the bulb/bucket assembly not connected. So instead of packing the headlight up and returning it...I decided to use a hole saw to drill an opening under the headlight in order to get a pair of needle nose pliers in there and snap the ball/socket together...somehow this worked...and I glued some alum over the hole and installed the headlight.
So how do they work? Well...the pass side headlight puts out much more light than the driver's side for some reason...the bulb on the drivers side? I'll probably replace it. Other than this issue the light pattern is OK and I can see out pretty far...but not a well as I'd have liked. Replacing the driver's side bulb will probably help.
I guess I'll live with what I have. They look pretty good and for under $100 I don't have a lot in them. And once you've figured out how to get them in and out this isn't too big a deal.
Too damned bad I have to rebuild most stuff I buy these days. [rant]
I'm going to miss having those projector headlights with the blue LEDs though...but then again...considering everything....maybe not. Might have side-stepped 2Xs the trouble. - [dunno]
My OEM headlights...regular halogen lights...were pretty much hazed over...with the coating on the outside cracked and weathered off in places. After trying to sand and buff them out...I realized this was hopeless and started looking for new lights.
Some parts stores simply don't carry replacement headlights...others like AdvanceAP have them but at prices near to $500 for a pair.
So it was off to Ebay land. Here there are many choices....with prices ranging from under $100 for a pair of regular halogen headlights to over $300 for halogen projectors and more $ for HID projectors.
Problem being that most sales were final...and shipping isn't cheap. I wanted the halogen projector lights but decided the risk was too high that they wouldn't be well made and I'd end way up strange headlight creek without a paddle.
I could find NO reviews on any of these aftermarket lights on Amazon or elsewhere.
So I opted to buy some thru Amazon...where at least I could return them...with shipping paid for. (check the return process carefully)
I ordered these...left and right:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H8XPAW/ref=ox_ya_os_product
They are made by TYC in Taiwan (supposedly). They were well packed...box in box, etc. Under $100 for the pair shipped.
Quality left something to be desired. The shells were not gooped together very well...I ended up using silicone caulk on at least 3/4s of the outside edge to be sure they wouldn't leak. The fit at the mounting points was around 95%...with a bit of "adjustment" needed to get them installed. When installed they fit the bodywork on the outside pretty well. And the front lenses are clear and not distorted any. These are plug and play...with the right connectors. Have SAE/DOT molded in front.
One big issue is that the pass side light was not assembled right...with one the the ball and socket joints that allow adjustment of the bulb/bucket assembly not connected. So instead of packing the headlight up and returning it...I decided to use a hole saw to drill an opening under the headlight in order to get a pair of needle nose pliers in there and snap the ball/socket together...somehow this worked...and I glued some alum over the hole and installed the headlight.
So how do they work? Well...the pass side headlight puts out much more light than the driver's side for some reason...the bulb on the drivers side? I'll probably replace it. Other than this issue the light pattern is OK and I can see out pretty far...but not a well as I'd have liked. Replacing the driver's side bulb will probably help.
I guess I'll live with what I have. They look pretty good and for under $100 I don't have a lot in them. And once you've figured out how to get them in and out this isn't too big a deal.
Too damned bad I have to rebuild most stuff I buy these days. [rant]
I'm going to miss having those projector headlights with the blue LEDs though...but then again...considering everything....maybe not. Might have side-stepped 2Xs the trouble. - [dunno]
