Auxiliary lighting question, pic request too

neonrog · Post by **neonrog** » Wed May 27, 2009 12:23 am

I got my Neon back (finally) from my son. He has used for the last 3 years of college and I want extra lighting. I have extra lighting, not just fogs, for my Jeep and truck. So I want some also for the Neon. 2003 Neon with non-fog fascia. I need to replace the original headlights and like the Modern Performance Depo projectors pricepoint. But still want additional lighting.

I don't need a rally car pod on the hood either. I may modify the fascia to fit 6" 130 spots.

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Wed May 27, 2009 12:02 pm

PIAA makes driving lights that are absolutely amazing output wise.

The output on the Modern Projectors in my opinion is worse than stock. Because they are cheap projectors from China they don't output as much light as a higher end projector. The ultimate lighting modification is retrofitting OEM HID projectors from another car into aftermarket Depo headlights for a neon. Or retrofitting them into the Modern Performance projectors.

Why so much lighting?

My car, Low beam only H7 Retrofits with projector foglights. Headlights have 4300k HIDs and foglights have 3000k HIDS

Speeder · Post by **Speeder** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:56 pm

LilSparkPlug wrote:PIAA makes driving lights that are absolutely amazing output wise.

i use there 9007 headlight bulbs
and there foglight kit #9212 <-( i think)

PhillyLS1 · Post by **PhillyLS1** » Wed May 27, 2009 10:29 pm

FWIW and I get flamed for this by ricers is that cars that come stock with HID's have a special plexiglass designed to reduce glare.

When you retrofit HID's into headlights that aren't designed for them you created glare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuSSdZNsZw

This explains it better then I can. Then again I think the projector headlights on neons are rice as fuck.

neonrog · Post by **neonrog** » Wed May 27, 2009 11:40 pm

I don't want HID. At least not without a proper design to prevent glare and scatter. Thats just bad manners for me to do to other drivers. I do want extra lighting for extended desert driving at night. Hence the 130 watt spots.

LilSpark, if i could afford the higher end projectors, I might consider them. But I have two kids in college and a wife in and out of the hospital. And my Jeeps and Ranger eat my project money. I need to get at least one new headlight assembly anyway, so Modern's lights fit my price range. Besides, I can put in better bulbs at least I'm sure.

jT · Post by jT » Thu May 28, 2009 1:54 am

IMO if you're not going to use HID then there's not much of a point spending the money on the projectors....... like LSP said the projectors are cheap china crap, and that carries over when using regular halogen bulbs also... you will get much better lighting from stock headlights

i had to use the H1's that came with my projectors in the low beams for a night last week when my hid ballasts went out and the output was so bad it was almost like driving with no lights on... yes that is a slight exageration but not too far off. granted the H1's they include probably aren't the greatest to begin with but either way it represented what to expect.

keep the stock headlights and get some of those PIAA bulbs (which I've seen as very expensive) and add some good fogs or whatever.. but stay away from the projectors if you want more lighting..

supermike · Post by **supermike** » Thu May 28, 2009 8:59 am

As far as I'm concerned, the projectors are all a matter of opinion. I got mine from modern, put silverstars in them, and the light ouput is better than my stock headlights. I'm still planning to get HIDs though. So I guess it just depends who you ask. If you do get them, definitely get them from modern, they have great customer service.

nineball · Post by **nineball** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:45 am

PhillyLS1 wrote:FWIW and I get flamed for this by ricers is that cars that come stock with HID's have a special plexiglass designed to reduce glare.

When you retrofit HID's into headlights that aren't designed for them you created glare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuSSdZNsZw

This explains it better then I can. Then again I think the projector headlights on neons are rice as fuck.

it's not a special plexiglass, it's the projector housing that focuses the light pattern. here are some examples:

projector housing

non-projector housing

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Sun May 31, 2009 2:58 pm

PhillyLS1 wrote:FWIW and I get flamed for this by ricers is that cars that come stock with HID's have a special plexiglass designed to reduce glare.

When you retrofit HID's into headlights that aren't designed for them you created glare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuSSdZNsZw

This explains it better then I can. Then again I think the projector headlights on neons are rice as fuck.

That is not actually retrofitting. That's just buying a different bulb setup and installing it into a halogen housing. Retrofitting is what I did, taking an OEM HID projector from a car that came with them from the factory and installing it into my headlight assembly. There is no difference in the lens, the difference is one has a projector and one doesn't like nineball said.

neonrog · Post by **neonrog** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:02 am

neonrog wrote:I need to replace the original headlights and like the Modern Performance Depo projectors pricepoint. But still want additional lighting

I cannot keep my original headlights, one is broken and the other is cracked. I need to replace them (see original post).

The pricepoint for projector housings is not too bad, and I do not want HID conversions since they produce bad glare, unlike HID lighting as designed by OEMs. OK, OEM not as bad as conversions. I don't want or care for Halo or LED glow stuff. I have two kids in college and a fleet of vehicles to care for so I don't need expensive trinkets.

What I would really like to see is what people have done for EXTRA lighting (fog lights, driving lights) and how they were mounted or attached.

Didn't realize how a simple question could go so off topic.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:18 am

Just an FYI, we are the gods of off topic.

For replacement housings check the junkyard, ebay or the FS section here for OEM housings that are still in good shape.

How handy are you with body work? I bet the lower grill could be modified to fit some extra driving lights and look nice.

neonrog · Post by **neonrog** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:22 pm

I'm used to some OT in forums, I'm on a couple the mods really hammer OT discussions.

I can find drivers side ones all over the place, the one I NEED is the passenger side. And they are all either cracked or have broken pounting. I figure starting with new housings isn't a bad way to go, and I just don't do evilbay...

Bodywork? I've done some, but not real good. And never the flexible bumper covers. I've worked with fiberglass some though. Thought maybe if I find the right lights, I can find some ABS pipe about the same size and 'glass in a ring to support and close off any opening I need to cut. I can make brackets to mount the lights easy enough. relays to handle the lights and done.

Steel on the other hand, not sheetmetal, I can work with. I mean, I'm a Jeep guy... Mechanicals, I just rebuilt a transmission for my son's Explorer, headgasket swap and other work on my daughter's Cherokee, steering box and alignmnet on my Grand Cherokee, and do I need to cover the cab swap and fabricated motor mounts on my Ranger project?

Steel I can do, finish work and detail stuff? Not so much.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:38 pm

I hear ya on that. I can make a piece of steel look real purdy, but body work no way.

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:52 pm

racer12306 wrote:Just an FYI, we are the gods of off topic.

For replacement housings check the junkyard, ebay or the FS section here for OEM housings that are still in good shape.

How handy are you with body work? I bet the lower grill could be modified to fit some extra driving lights and look nice.

I had a set of original housings that came out of my Neon when I replaced with with DEPOs from Modern.

Granted, they were somewhat fogged... but someone willing to invest in the time & labour to get them cleaned up would have a good set of housings for cheap.

I was asking $20.00 for the both of them on the "used stuff for sale" forum for the area I live in... they were advertised for a month with no takers.

I'm not surprised... their own headlamp housings are likely fogged too so why purchase these.

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:14 pm

You are going to have to either cut holes in the facia or replace it with a fog light one. Laying out the holes where there is clearance behind it is prolly the cheaper option. A dremmel/die grinder and a steady hand will achieve that. Then like you said, you can glass in some mounts to the back side. Or fab something from sheetmetal. 3M structural adhesive will hold the sheet metal to the facia. This way the oly visable stuff will be the holes you cut. Just trace out or use a compass to make the circles to the diameter you want/can fit. Then carefully make the holes to size.

3M Structual Adhesive can be found at Car Quest Auto Parts.
It is the same thing that holds your car together where there are no spot welds. It is a two part adhesive. Awsome stuff. I used it to glue speaker mounts to the interior roof of my Raider three years ago and they haven't fallen off yet. Hot sun/winter cold/strictly off road.

neonrog · Post by **neonrog** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:30 pm

Thanks Demon... I get a discount with the local Carquest guy anyway. Structural Adhesive sounds like the ticket to fix some other stuff around here also... (if my boss would stay seated in his chair long enough...)

I'll probably cut a "ring" off a piece of ABS pipe and glue to the backside of the fascia. Haven't decided on a 5" light or a 6", but 130watts will be the ticket, making it much easier to spot wildlife and bovines.

2GN.ORG

Auxiliary lighting question, pic request too

Auxiliary lighting question, pic request too

Re: Auxiliary lighting question, pic request too