H4 headlights?

[Grand Marquis GT]

Ooo me likey..

[grimor]

ok....

but I think you're talking about 2 differnt systems. the normal H4 conversion and the HID conversion are differnt. I'm gonna say about $600+ to do it right for a HID conversion

[Paul_]

i thought i heard somewhere that the hid kits were illegal. i think its bullshit, but ya never know. i recently was doing research on auto lighting trying to figure out the best bulbs and crap like that. how the fuck is it that europeans can design a headlamp thats bright enought to see down the road, yet doesn't blind people and nobody over here can design shit

[grimor]

HID's

not illegal, but soon maybe..

http://danielsternlighting.com/nhtsa/NHTSA.html

depending on your state however, the tint of the HID light may not be legel unless it's OEM. In indiana blue lights are restricted to vol firefighter useage, green to EMT, forward facing red to police, etc....

I've read more than a little bit about vehicle lighting, NHTSA standards, Euro standards, lighting zones etc... if you're just looking for better lighting, HID's are usualy overkill and there are more cost effective methods. If you just want the purdy tint there are overly bright ricer bulbs you can buy. Also, the silver star sealed beams are nice and don't require a conversion at all. I would still do the relays though.

[mgm1989]

Re: ok....

but I think you're talking about 2 differnt systems. the normal H4 conversion and the HID conversion are differnt. I'm gonna say about $600+ to do it right for a HID conversion

I think your right. I know I want the Xenon (HID) system, and I don't think that is part of the H4 conversion. And your probably right with the $600 estimate, but I want to find out if it's possible. Looks like this might fit.

http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/Headlights-x4656.htm

[mgm1989]

Is the silver star a direct replacement for the sealed enclosures, or is it just a bulb (in which case I would have to do the H4 conversion right)? Also, I don't quite understand why running relays will help. Could you elaborate on this?

[Paul_]

i wish i knew what i know now about auto lighting when i bought the headlights for the jeep. i bought the fucking silverstars, and i looked at the package. said they were nice and bright. cool, i figure. cool when its not foggy out. and we have tons of foggy nights around here. i drove home with my hazards on and my head out the window one night because the silverstars were just crap. for the vic, i'll prob. grab the conversion for all 4 lamps but i figure put xtravisions on the lows and coolblues for the highs.
now that i think of it, slvania makes sealed beam versions of each. i'll def. do the relays tho. i also did some research and its funny how sylvania doesn't put a lumens rating on the xtravision but there is on the silverstar and the cool blues. they also don't mention how ridiculously short the silverstars lifespan is. one of em burnt out 6 months after i got em. i figured maybe it was just oils from my hand when i installed them. i guess sylvania doesn't want people knowing the cheaper bulb lasts longer and is brighter. corporate fuckers

[grimor]

hid

it will fit, but you need to get the H4 conversion housings for the HID bulds to go into. not the plastic ones that will melt either, some good metal and glass ones. then the HID system. The ones on e-bay look like they have cheap balasts, but they might work for a while. since HIDs have a nice low/high you proably won't need to do all 4 lights. You can disconnect your stock highs from the harness and wire them for fog lights, wig-wags, or whatever since you won't really need them. Or... mod the front end to the double wide 2 light system....


for why you run relays, read http://dsl.torque.net/images/Relays.pdf or goto here http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html

[mgm1989]

1989 MERCURY Grand Marquis Sedan

Low beam headlamp
H4656
H4656ST Silverstar High Performance Halogen Upgrade: The Look of HID: Whitest, Brightest
H4656XV XtraVision Halogen Upgrade: 3x brighter; 2x the life
H4656CB Cool Blue Halogen Upgrade: White Hot; Super Cool; 100% Street Legal
H4656LL Long Life Halogen Upgrade: Lasts 6x longer

High beam headlamp
H4651
H4651ST Silverstar High Performance Halogen Upgrade: The Look of HID: Whitest, Brightest
H4651CB Cool Blue Halogen Upgrade: White Hot; Super Cool; 100% Street Legal


I found this info on the Silverstars, but after reading what Evilcrownvic had to say, maybe I should steer clear.

[grimor]

silverstar

there are a few other (proably better) sealed beam bulbs that are an improvement over stock ones. silverstar was just the first brand name I could think of

[Paul_]

mgm1989, trust me if your area gets foggy alot, don't buy the silverstars. i can deal with the semi short lifespan, but driving in fog sucks

[mgm1989]

It looks like I will have to do a lot more research on this topic before I make a decision. Thanks for the link to the article explaining relays, it makes much more sense now. I also like the option they gave on setting up the system for 3-way instead of 2-way action, meaning you can run low beams, high/low beams, or just the single high beams. Very interesting! Thanks for the info guys.

[Grand Marquis GT]

One of my crazy ideas, is thunderbolt style ram air...

keep the outside headlights, but make the inners into ram air inlets! :rock:

[Paul_]

that actually would work pretty cool. just get a hold of an air cleaner housing with the dual inlets and you're good to go(after some rewiring of course)

[Grand Marquis GT]

Ill figure something out...

I always do, lol