Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

After being here over a year, I've finally decided the final big mod for my WDP 2006 will be a custom headlight clearing... but something a bit different than what's been done before.

I've seen the simple orange lens clearing, BBQ grill and engine enamel blackouts, and was particularly inspired by the RRP body colormatch with ZKW lenses (can't remember the owner of that one)...

So I'm beginning my foray into this project with lofty goals... and a plan to photo document the entire process and possibly solicit a bit of input.

So here's the plan:
I bought a 2nd set of headlights (well actually 1, the other had to be returned, damaged in shipment, replacement's on the way).

Took em apart and I'm gonna have the interior trim pieces proffessionally painted to colormatch the dark silver of the bottom of the A-Spec kit (or inner portion of the grill). I'm hoping professionally paint will stand up to the sun/heat/UV better... because I'm not doing this again anytime soon.

These parts will be painted dark silver:




Also note how I plan to mask off the reflector here. Painting the piece of the reflector renders it near useless, and greatly reduces light output of the running lights.
The rest of this housing will be painted silver to match.



I plan to buy a loose carbon fiber B-pillar overlay and trim it to fit this flat piece of the painted housing. This is really neat location to do something cool. CF, a small sticker, or some LEDs. I'm going for the CF accents here:



The most exciting thing (for me) is installing ZKW lenses (crystal clear, no fresnel). ZKW lenses are from a 2001-2004 BMW e46, and are all the rage on HID planet. Acura TL bi-xenons with ZKW's are considered the absolute best out there right now. They're in such high demand that a $50 pair of optical glass lenses are selling for $250-300.
I bit the bullet and and snagged a set off ebay, as the price only seems to be climbing.



Philips 85122+ are the best HID d2S bulbs out there. A perfect 4300K pure white light with an output of 3400 lumens... about 200 more than any other out there. They also resist colorshifting (after about 100+ hours of use, most HID bulbs shift to a more blue, say 5000K color, but loose a lot of output intensity in doing so).

Umnitza finally released an Angel Eye kit... See here, ordered a set of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=250159933452

This is really exciting, I think thse are gonna look really sharp. I plan to wire them to come on with my running lights...

I'll then install orange led running light/turn signals, probably these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-AMB...spagenameZWDVW

When the paintwork is done... I'll then swap these parts into my existing headlight housings. This will allow me to clear headligths in one afternoon... all probably about 2 weeks away.

So here's the first bit of input I need.
What do you guys think of getting rid of the chrome strip in the headlight? It's there to support the orange lens, which no longer exists.

I have an old and busted headlight I snagged off ebay, and have mocked up this look. I just broke the black trim off. Imagine how that would look all "silvered out".





Think I should cleanly dremel the chrome bar and support off?

Feel free to post questions/comments... I look forward to the input.

Stay tuned for updates.

jmbnova

Nice.... you know my thoughts on this now that the cat is out of the bag!!!

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

Angel Eyes are SICK!!!

lopopo

angel eyes are NICE.. i thought of putting on my tl.. but my parents would probably own me...

PPLAPW

Wow...

I like your ideas a lot. I think it will complement your car well. Do the lenses really make a difference? Just better light output I guess. Removing the silver/chrome accent is a tough one. I like how it looks, without the strip, on the headlight itself, meaning not on the car yet, but I feel that when it goes on the car it MIGHT look too empty? Who knows, once painted it will look different.

So your going to basically paint the entire inside headlight minus the masked part? If so, I'd leave some black in there...

Over all great idea! I think it will look sick, and most importantly, won't look like others, just original...

03 TL TypeS

can't wait to see how it looks

ililillilillilil

congrats on going ahead with your plans.
very sick headlights on the TL....coming soon
I hope you don't have any problems with the c/f & color match.
to be honest, keeping it simple may be better.
you will have a dark silver housing around the head/foglight
a chrome/blank spot for the turn signal/
and carbon fiber on the corner.

it's going to be a 3 tone headlight.

so, how dark is the silver??

Zkw lenses..way to go!
and the color cut off??
good luck, i can't wait to see the outcome.

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

definitely coming back to check your progress

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

wow kennedy..haha those are definitely without a doubt going to be the hottest custom lights Looking forward to these man!

Ahh I wanna redo mine now Mine didn't come out PERFECT like I would like them to be..but better than stock


BTW-How did I know that you were gonna get ZKW lenses before I even opened the thread haha

Bearcat94

Kennedy, you're car is gonna look great with the plans you've got - regardless of whether the chrome strip is left in or not.

I like the chrome strip in the blacked or cleared lights I've seen. But you're trying to get to "the next level", so if haven't considered this already, another thought:

- Leave the chrome strip in but paint it. Either the silver or as a contrasting alternative WDP or Black.

Depending on how your car is "themed" one of those colors might help "pull things together".

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Like the input thus far...

Go out and look at the bottom edge of your A-Spec lip. That's the color I'm targeting to paint the internal housings. Black seems to be a little too dark for WDP, and I have this hangup about tying the front to the rear (rear TL-S tails). The silver is dark, so you get the menacing look, but is also silver to match the bottom edges of the A-spec lips.

I was inspired by ding069 and darksom who some of the first to execute a blackout with the blinker reflector masked so the reflector was still semi usable.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ight=headlamps



Imagine this picture with the angel eye and that blank left corner (note the flat spot) covered in carbon fiber



Another side benefit of painting that front chrome bezel will be the minimization of glare form my 3000K HID fog retro (yes, I know... )

You can see the glare here, which should be eliminated as it's stray light reflecting off the bezel.



In retorspect, and looking over ding's pics again... The strip has to stay. If it servers one purpose, it partially covers the led bulb in the turn signal.

Bear, you're right. I need to think on that a bit more.
"that strip really ties the car together... - D. Lebowski"

jmbnova

I have a feeling this thread will be going on for awhile... Kennedy has been a serious innovator of ideas...

I really can not wait to see these... for my own reasons...

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

x2

conan777

The whole idea sounds great, I can't wait to see the finished product. Especially interested in seeing the Angel Eyes!

architectonic

you are my hero...great work

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

So today I set up a projector. I blacked out in the front portion of the projector body, the forward side of the foreground limiter, and both sides of the cutoff shield using a flat black ceramic based engine enamel (that should hold up to the heat and light intensity).



I made the spacers you need to use the ZKW lens and installed that beauty, along with the Philips 85122+ bulb.



... and here's what the internal blackout does for you... Staring into the gnarly eyeball (anyone ever see Dazed and Confused?). The lens is so clear you can actually see the galvinization of the forground limiter and cutoff shield. Now it's black like lucifer's eye's.



Yes, a bit overkill, but the devil's in the details... and there ain't much improving this according to the HID experts. Unfortunately, I cannot leave well enough alone.

jmbnova

dude... that looks evil... I love it...

I am seriously impressed with your ideas... things I never would have thought about. Have you made a decision as to whether or not you are going to keep the horizontal strip or not?

ayethetiense

from your description, it seems like a lot of work and cash put in with not that much difference from other headlight clearings. only the final product will tell if the minor details are worth the extra cash and work.

good luck.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Thanks Jeff...

Well, the bar is staying, for reasons stated above ( it blocks a direct view of the turn signal. Those LED cubes are kinda an eyesore.

I'm still depating the chrome.

Options noted: black, WDP, or color match.

I had a really wild idea. I used the stuff on my motorcycle called electroluminiescent wire (also called glowire). It a 3 mm wire that glows.

http://www.glowire.com/



How cool would it be to fill that be to fill that little channel with glowire. Unfortunately, I have to many concerns:
- One it will probably not match the Angel eyes, and if it did, it would probably be too busy
- It's not very attractive during the day, kind of a white/puke green color.
- It requires yet another ballast/driver to power it.

I dunno, It's kinda ghetto fab too.

In the end, I'll probably just leave it in, and leave it chrome. I'll make a decision when the paint work is done.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Thanks.

$440 before paint... but you're correct... but "worth" is relative. I could spray pain the housing shithouse red just to be different, but I'm improving form AND function with these mods.

I could take the guts and have them painted proffessionally black or silver for < $50 and be like everyone else too. I'm electing to have the pro paint becasue I've read a few folks bitching that thier BBQ grill paint is fading in the sun.

but the high dollar stuff IS the descriminator...

- ZKW lenses are worth every penny, but unless you're driving at night, you'd never know thye were there. Black spray paint and ZKW lens are still $310.
- Angel eyes are $130... but have you ever seen a TL with Angel eyes? I'm pretty sure I'll be the first pre 2007 too. That'll be cool.
- The CF overlay is really cheap
- I don't expect to pay more than $50 for the trim paint... so that's cheap too.

The bulk of the cost lies in superior lenses and angel eyes.

But this isn't about being "cost effective". I'm going all out, because I think it's cool, and I can afford to... and having lots of fun at the same time, and that's what it's all about.

lopopo

quick question.. does the angel eyes function as the head light? or ?? im kinda confused..

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

No, that's what the ZKW lenses are for, it functions more like an accessory light, I guess that's what theyre called?

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Most will say they're purely an aestetic mod... which mainly they are. They're a little neon ring that surrounds the HID lens.

They're OEM on many BMW's, which were designed to actually serve a purpose. European spec headlights REQUIRE the headlight have a dim output setting called "city lights" (for which the angel eyes serve). European's require you to turn off your main headlights (and use the city lights) as you drive through town so you're not blinding people.

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

Damn, those Umnitzas are gonna look nasty on the TL I mean that in a good way, btw haha.

lopopo

ooo icic so its kinda like daytime lights?

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Thanks ballin

Kinda. but I'm not gonna wire em as DRL's. They're gonna come on with running lights.

lopopo

ic damn its gonna look HELLA nice.. cant wait to see the results..

lights

iTrader: (1)

how much are those ZKW lenses cost these days?
was gonna do that long time ago but haven't gotton a chance since they're always sold out...

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

I paid $300 with the BMW projectors... No need for those though, I may be able to sell them for $30 or so. My lenses are flawless.

I just saw a set sell on hidplanet for $200, but one had a scratch and one had a non output affecting chip.

Shoulda jumped back in the day, it's gonna cost ya now.

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

Kennedy..you don't even know how excited I am about your headlights..as weird as that sounds..haha but what kind of turn signals are you going to be using? Switchbacks/LEDs/Chrome-Amber?

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

You have no idea... I'm so stoked, I come home and look over the parts pile every day. Replacement passenger headlight should be here Wednesday, all parts will be off to paint by the weekend.

As for running lights/turn signals, I've actually given this a lot of thought. I was gonna do white leds... but here's what I've learned...

- I converted my side markers to white leds, and they blew up after about 3 months, so I'm going back to stock. This means they'll never match.
- I'm doing the 07 mirrors just as soon as I find a WDP set in a salvage yard... I have my sources. I don't wanna have to convert them to white too.
- Switchbacks require you to chop up the housing to get them to fit, and...
- White leds don't match the HID unless you're running crappy output 10000K bulbs.
- I drive 80 miles a day up and down I-95 - Northern VA. I see 3 state troopers each way. No sense attracting too much extra attention (like the badass TL on Volks don't already).

Put all those together, and that's more than enough reason to select a nice yellow led array. I ordered these yesterday:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-AMB...spagenameZWDVW

jmbnova

Man... I cant wait to see this....

Anything I can do to help?

lusid

i'm posting in this epic thread. It'll reach new heights.

HQTL6SPD

Kennedy, what happened that you need a replacement headlight?

sunny201

Hey Kennedy IMO dont you think you should wire up the angel eyes with the park lights? This way they also go on with the headlights and they can be on without them, because with the projectors on they wont be that easily noticed. Once again, this is my opinion.

IvoryGT

way to go on the ZKW...

jmbnova

What happened to the dudes post that was talking about the ZKW lenses? It was at like 0500 this morning??

AM I losing my mind??

ballinfizzle89

iTrader: (6)

That's great man! I agree with the white LED's and Switchbacks, this will give you a nice kinda stock look. You're going big things with this project


Haha..what kind of "sources" haha you made it sound shady as hell haha

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Call Vision and let them how happy you are with the work they did, and let them know you're sending a buddy thier way, hopefully they'll be expecting me and will take good care of me.

Nothing, I bought a lightly used set of headlights so I can conduct all this painting operation without my car being down. When it's said and done, I'll simply have to swap the headlights out.

I hear you... It's no big deal if they're on with the projector, that won't hurt anything. Remember, runninglights ONLY turns on the side markers and corner leds (no HID). If I wire to that, I'll get side markers, corner running lights and angel eyes with no HID.

I was thinking of wiring them as DRL's, but then they'd go OFF at dusk when I turn the headlights on. If I wire them with the running lights, I can turn both the leds and the eyes on and drive at dusk like that until it's dark enough to use the headlights.

If I get to freaky about it, I'll put the angel eyes on it's own switch so it can be independently controlled... but that's overkill right now.

[QUOTE-jmbnova]What happened to the dudes post that was talking about the ZKW lenses? It was at like 0500 this morning??[/QUOTE]

Huh?

I use a common online salvage yard web-site for scouring parts recyclers for parts, but I don't really wanna divulge it until I have a set of mirrors for myself.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

Wow, Kennedy, awesome post and great ideas. I was looking to do something different with the headlights as well and you are definitely on the same track as I was thinking but you really went several steps above what I had thought. I'll probably be talking about this with you when you are done.

Heck this may even prompt me to get the new headlights ordered now so I can start the work. I'm also glad to see that you aren't painting over the reflector dish for the turn signal, I was planning on going that route as well.