Notices
Automotive Discussion Automotive talk that is not technical can be posted here. Posts must address the general population.

What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Thread Tools
 
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 10:56 AM
  #1  
ka-nife's Avatar
ka-nife
Thread Starter
Registered Member
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
ka-nife has disabled reputation
Default What's a legit HID kit to buy?

I seen some no name-ish brands & they sell between $100 & $150 are they ok to buy? If not can someone link me to a site that sells legit HID kits for a 92-95 Civic. THANKS!
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 11:02 AM
  #2  
Corey's Avatar
Corey
Yup, jolly poopbuggy
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,600
Likes: 0
From: Hampton, VA
Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

There are multiple vendors that sell HID kits here. They are decent products from what I've seen.
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 12:17 PM
  #3  
Fabrik8's Avatar
Fabrik8
Racetracks
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,668
Likes: 0
From: How long is a piece of string?
Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

HID kits put in stock reflectors are crap. If you're going to get a kit, get a reflector retrofit kit that isn't just a stock-size bulb replacement.
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 01:52 PM
  #4  
RandomTask's Avatar
RandomTask
Registered member
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,252
Likes: 0
RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask RandomTask
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

+ make sure whatever you get is DOT approved. Otherwise you'll have a difficult time getting it to pass inspection.
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 02:14 PM
  #5  
ka-nife's Avatar
ka-nife
Thread Starter
Registered Member
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
ka-nife has disabled reputation
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by Fabrik8
HID kits put in stock reflectors are crap. If you're going to get a kit, get a reflector retrofit kit that isn't just a stock-size bulb replacement.
What's a reflector retrofit kit? Is that the projector lens?
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 03:15 PM
  #6  
dc/dc's Avatar
dc/dc
Registered member
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,807
Likes: 0
dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc dc/dc
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by Fabrik8
HID kits put in stock reflectors are crap. If you're going to get a kit, get a reflector retrofit kit that isn't just a stock-size bulb replacement.
Best advice yet.
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 03:18 PM
  #7  
Thurm@n's Avatar
Thurm@n
Still spinnin'
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,998
Likes: 0
From: away from you
Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n Thurm@n
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by Fabrik8
HID kits put in stock reflectors are crap. If you're going to get a kit, get a reflector retrofit kit that isn't just a stock-size bulb replacement.


They make retrofit kit's now?
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 03:20 PM
  #8  
Atlantis's Avatar
Atlantis
OV-104
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 0
From: W. Palm Beach
Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by RandomTask
+ make sure whatever you get is DOT approved. Otherwise you'll have a difficult time getting it to pass inspection.
or you can take 30 secs to pull it out and put it back in
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 04:16 PM
  #9  
V12's Avatar
V12
Registered Member
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
V12 has disabled reputation
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by RandomTask
+ make sure whatever you get is DOT approved. Otherwise you'll have a difficult time getting it to pass inspection.
There is no such thing. The NHTSA ruled in 2003 that if the car didn't come with HIDs from the factory it wasn't legal to add them.
Old Jul 12, 2008 | 04:54 PM
  #10  
Fabrik8's Avatar
Fabrik8
Racetracks
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,668
Likes: 0
From: How long is a piece of string?
Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8 Fabrik8
Default Re: What's a legit HID kit to buy?

Originally Posted by Daddy Dollars


They make retrofit kit's now?
Some HID kits are just HID bulbs that go into the stock reflector just like the stock bulb (like the link in the next post). These don't work very well, because the HID beam pattern is very different than a standard bulb. HID bulbs that are made to go into the same housing (OEM ones mostly) are designed to work with that housing, not just some generic drop in replacement. That's why HID retrofits have a crap beam pattern and blind everyone on the road. There is more to a headlight than just putting out some light in front of the car.

The decent non-OEM HID kits come with a projector-type reflector which is actually designed for the bulb. They take a lot more modification than the bulb-only type (you have to integrate a couple inch diameter reflector into the stock headlight housing), but the results are much better and they actually work well. This is the next best thing to an actual OEM setup.

Last edited by Fabrik8; Jul 12, 2008 at 05:11 PM.



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:25 PM.