| Author |
Message |
Mike Charness (Mcharness)
New member
Username: Mcharness
Post Number: 9
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 1:06 pm: | |
To get rid of the "blue dot" issue from what Kyoto includes as a "parking bulb", I took care of it with a 5 minute $3 fix from Autozone. Just replace the secondary blue bulb (which I'm not using anyway) with a clear one -- size is "194" courtesy bulb -- and then it's almost invisible, even if you're showing off your new light assemblies during the daytime.
Mike
www.fca-se.org
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Mike Charness (Mcharness)
New member
Username: Mcharness
Post Number: 5
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 9:34 am: | |
Bill, the conversion kits aren't listed at their Kyoto Usa website (I didn't ask why), but you can see them on the ebay links I'd included. If you want to actually follow up with their conversion kit main person via Kyoto's toll-free number, her name is "Sherry", or her email is [email protected] and she can tell you if they also have them in the smaller round size. I've seen them advertise rectangular conversion kits as well, so hopefully they'll have the 5" rounds also.
Mike |
William Badurski (Billb)
Junior Member
Username: Billb
Post Number: 71
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 8:53 am: | |
Mike,
Tried to find the "diamond cut plasma generation" product you mentioned at the link given, but could not. Are they also known by some other name or description? Looking for a conversion that fits the old four 5" headlamp configuration. |
Kelly J. Vince (Tifosi1)
Member
Username: Tifosi1
Post Number: 325
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 9:39 pm: | |
Mike welcome aboard. |
Mike Charness (Mcharness)
New member
Username: Mcharness
Post Number: 4
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 9:36 pm: | |
There had been some discussion on the Ferrari list about upgrading the headlights on 308s and 328s without actually going full on HID. There had been a couple of conversion kit postings on ebay, at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1842617316
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1842619773
I ordered a conversion kit with xenon bulbs from that company (www.KyotoUsa.com) for my 308/QV for $58/pair including shipping for glass lenses, reflectors and high output Xenon bulbs.
The light assemblies came in, and I tried them out, and here are my comments and observations and personal opinions.
Though I thought my car had original sealed beams, the first owner had already changed them out to the then illegal (except for offroad) Hella H4's in Halogen. These are purported to give an approximately 50% increase in light on the road over sealed beams. So that's what I'm comparing to.
My recommendation in a nutshell: If you already have Hella H4's, *DO* get the new high output blue-white Xenon bulbs for them. If you don't, *DO* get the Xenon H4 "Diamond Cut Plasma Generation" conversion kit. The Xeonon bright blue-white light is so much better than the yellow of sealed beams or even Halogen. The color of the light is more like daylight. I changed out just one light to the Xenon, and while still daylight pulled the Ferrari out of the garage, closed the garage and pointed the lights at the door... I was at first a little distressed, thinking that the new bulb was already burned out, because I couldn't see it's beam next to the yellow pattern of the Halogen bulb on the garage. The reason was only because the Xenon blue-white is so near to daylight color (like true HID really is). In the dark, it's like the difference between an incandescent bulb and a high output florescent, and that's quite an improvement for most people's eyes. I don't see all that well at night anyway, and I need all the help (all the light on the road) I can get.
Now, here's the differences between the Hella conversion assembly (which will run you around $80-$100 per pair plus shipping) compared to what was advertised on eBay (which will run you around $55 per pair INCLUDING shipping and higher output bulbs). The Hellas have a metal reflector assembly and are very high quality. The "Plasma Generation" Xenon kit on ebay's reflector is a chromed plastic, which certainly is cheaper feeling. However, once assembled into your car, it fits fine and you'd never know it was plastic since it is all hidden. The glass lens on the Hella is a diffusion and patterned ("graded") lens, and that's how the beam shape on the road is controlled. On the Plasma Gen the glass lens I got is more modern looking and completely clear (though some of the pictures make it look blue, and you can actually order it in blue if you wanted it that way) with just a few crosscut lines, with the beam shape controlled by panels in the reflector. The Hella externally looks pretty much like any regular sealed beam headlight. The Plasma Gen looks like a modern euro headlight. When I had both the Xenon bulbs in with a Hella unit in one receptacle and a Plasma Gen unit in the other one, my 16 year old daughter happened to come out and said, "Wow Dad, that one on the driver's side really looks cool!" Enough said on that, I guess! I decided to keep the Plasma Gen reflector/lens units instead of just mounting the Xenon bulbs in the Hellas. The light pattern on the road is slightly different between them (I did test drives both ways), but not enough to really give me a preference in that regard one over the other.
The bulbs are higher wattage than standard, but in running around for a half hour, I didn't have any problems with fuses, didn't have anyone flash their lights at me as if they thought I had my high beams on, and when I disassembled one of them afterwards, the wiring only felt warm to the touch, not uncomfortably hot (though the socket was definitely hot, but that happens on standard watt bulbs too).
One thing that I thought would bother me is that small blue bulb they have built in as a "parking light". I knew I wouldn't be using it, and that blue dot looks stupid. HOWEVER, that would only be a problem if you had a car that the headlights were visible when they aren't turned on. On our 308's and 328's, the headlights only pop up when they're lit up, and then the blue dot is not noticeable. Neither is the fact that the Xenon bulb has a blue tint to the glass of the bulb itself (not the outer headlamp lens), except if you're examining the assembly with the lights not actually on (which again, on your Ferrari, you'd never see). When the lights are on, they give the appearance of "almost HID" headlights like on a newer Mercedes or Lexus... and with the Plasma Gen lenses that really looks striking. If you can get over the separate blue integrated "parking light" bulb (which you actually could replace with a small clear bulb and it would be invisible) when you're holding the assembly in your hand (since you won't notice it once it's installed) and you can get over your initial repulsion of it having a plastic rear reflector, this is a WONDERFUL low cost addition that not only improves the appearance of the car, but the functionality by putting more and "better" light on the road.
Installation was truly "plug and play", and the kit would fit any 7" round headlight that was using H6024 or compatible sealed beam bulbs. The only thing to be careful is because of the plastic rear housing, be careful not to overtighten your original chrome retaining ring.
THUMBS UP here, on the Plasma Gen's on my 308/QV! A *very* cost effective improvement.
Mike C.
1984 308/QV red/tan
www.TradeTutor.com/photos/ |
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