So, how difficult is it to do a swap? Or would it be easier to buy an aftermarket kit? Also, what are some price estimates for both entire swaps?

I tried a search but it was difficult to wade through the useless posts

 

Mosr dealerships can just make it as an option for the car...DON'T go with an aftermarket kit...they are never as good as factory. I can say that because I've seen a celica with factory H.I.Ds and then my freinds modded celica GT with aftermarkets...bleh, and one of the bulbs burned out in a month!

 

very true...if you buy a cheap kit....

most aftermarket retrofit kits do scatter quite a bit...and can blind oncoming traffic....

but since the EVO has projector housings....u can still go retrofit and still have a clean cutoff line....with little scatter....

check out www.xendondepot.com ....they got some good quality Phillips kits...and won't blow out on you....

hope this helps.....u can check out my profile for sample pics

 

How much would asking the dealer to swap them run me?

 

Probably 500-600 bucks, and yes, philips is one of the few good kits that one can purchase, but the price is almost the same as factory so go with the one that has a warranty .

 

Oem HID housing'll probably cost you around $700 bucks...then they'll need to work in a harness as the base has a 9006 halogen harness, which is different from the HID projector harness....don't know how much that'll be....

...and you'll have to buy the D2S bulbs as well....which will probably run you (i'm guessing factory prices), $250+ on each.....if not more.....

Hope this helps.....I wanted HID's also, but not the other items....but buyin a base EVO has it's advantages and disadvantages.....

good luck!

 

Hm, that is expensive. That is almost 1/3 the price of the SSL package .

How hard would it be to do it myself? factoring in that I am FAR from wireing savvy.

Wish I coulda found a left over 04

 

1. If you go with a retrofit kit...not hard at all......it's plug and play....but...you have to pull the whole front bumper and headlamps....as the headlight bulbs are hard to get to....

2. If you go with the factory conversion...I dunno......never done it.....but it may be a bit of work to add the correct harnesses....either way, you would have to pull the bumper and headlamps as well.....


IMO.....as far as finding an 04.....i'd rather have the 05 with no SSL than an 04 w/SSL........05 has more power and front LSD....but that's just my .02....

good luck...

 

Thanks. I have been reading up on the Phillips Ultinon kits (6000k) from xenondepot.com. Would 6000ks get me pulled over too much? Is it that much brighter/bluer than OEM?

Well in that case, good thing I got the 05!

 

hell no....6000k looks awesome...they are just white enough to where you are not going to get pulled over.......

...and yes...it is a little bit bluer and whiter than stock OEMs.


4300k is just like stock EVO OEM HID's and 6000k would be like the stock OEM found on BMW's.....


congrats on the new 05.....what color...?

 

In a projector made for HID there is no reason to get a 6000K bulb.... The cutoff on the OEM does that for you and your car will apear to have a 6000K bulb due to the prisim effect and get whiter as the on comming driver gets closer to your car. All 6000K does it make your lights looks ricy purple and less light output. I don't know about you guys but I like to see at night and would rather have light output not purple lights. Plus my OEM hid projectors give me the look without the deminished light output. 6000K was mainly designed for halogen reflector/projector housings looking to mimic the effect of a HID projector.... Do not get a HID kit.... They will never give you the light output of OEM hids, the optics of HID projectors and halogen are different... My .02 cents.

P.S. No matter what all OEM HID's use A)4100K or B)4300K depending on the bulb manufacturer used in the car. What gives you the color is the cutoff of the projector.

 

Not necessarily...color is not defined from beam cutoff...color is defined by kelvin rating.

Although kelvin rating should not be misunderstood for light output. Higher kelvin ratings does not mean higher LIGHT OUTPUT...you actually lose light output.........BUT....if you want the purplish/white color, 6000k (IMO) would be the whitest and still be able to have pretty good visibility....I have a buddy who upgraded to 6000k bulbs on his STOCK OEM HID on his EVO, and there is a considerable amount of light output. Again..it depends on the quality of the aftermarket KIT or bulb....

Also, not all OEM HID's are set at 4300k. Some German OEM HID's use 5300k-6000k depending on what the make is. Mitsubishi uses OSRAM bulbs....German makes often use PHILLIPS Ultinons....thus the difference in light outputs and ratings.

I think Krucial just wants to save money and have HIDs. Same here....

If I were to list in order the light output, quality, and price.....it would be:

1) Halogen: Yellow yucks....(Free, came with car)

2) Halogen: Silvania Silverstars - a little brighter and whiter than stock. ($20-30 bucks)

3) HID retrofit (4300k-6000k): White - Purblish - Greater light output than stock, beautiful, but can be scattered. - ($450)

4) Stock OEM HIDs: Nice clean light output, nice solid light placement, no scatter. ($3000 - included in SSL package.....or roughly $1000.00 for OEM conversion.)


If you had stock Halogens on your base EVO, which one would you choose......?

 

Show me an OEM car that uses an ultinon from the manufacturer.... I also understand that color is rated in K But due to the refraction our HID projectors create a purple 6000K hue to them. Take a look at the Cut off of our car on a wall see the purple part now go sit eye level with that and tell me what color the light appears?

What creates the colorful cutoff band?
It is the edge of the cutoff shield that creates the colors in the cutoff band, not the bulb. It does not matter if the bulb is 3500K or 7000K, halogen or HID. The curved lens only amplifies the colors. In standard configurations, most projector units has a yellow/orange cutoff when distance to screen (=wall) is close. At longer distances, the blue color band gets appearant and sometimes even deeper in color. This would be the view that most people whatch when meeting cars with OEM HID.
The colorful cutoff band is probably what started the demand for blue bulbs in late 1990's.


85122WX: D2S Ultinon. Aftermarked only. Released Dec 2001. Ultinons label on bulb were later relabled to " Philips BL-2 Non automotive use"

Are you sure?

The hard facts on Philips 6000K Ultinon:
The Ultinon and standard lamps are identical with the visible exception of the 'salts' colour in the burner and the ceramic insulation on the earth return lead. Base is labeled: "Not legal for use in Europe/USA".


Not in this country they don't.

 

OEM Philips D2S is 3200lm bright (+/-450lm) and 4100K colortemp (0.380x 0.390y)

Philips Ultinon D2S is 2400lm bright (+/-250lm) and 5800K colortemp (0.327X 0.312Y).

HB4(=9006) W55 1100lm

Moral of the story is.... OEM HID is 3X OEM halogen, Rice lights (6000K) 2X OEM halogen, and halogen is well 1X OEM halogen....

 

its a Tarmac Black 05 base GSR, not here yet though, should be delivered tomorrow night

Hm, so I guess I will have to think longer about this HID problem. Regardless, I don't think I will be willing to thrown down for OEM swap but possibly go for the 4300k kit.

Thanks for the input.