Headlight - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

secondchance · 02-02-2011

while surfing the ebay I noticed quite a few HIDs that would fit our Zs at around $80. So, I did a quick research and found the following:

1. A lot of people who bought these $80 jobs wern't too happy. Especially the diamond cut lense seems to create bothersome patterns. Also, excessive glare was another reason for complaint. Generally these lights seems to be better at show than the actual performance.
2. True HID bulbs generate light by arcing between the anode and cathode through xenon gas - no fillament. Most of these aftermarket bulbs are fillament bulbs with xenon gas - not a true HID.
3. Xenon bulbs light generation is different from fillament bulb. Meaning lense/reflector assembly designed for conventional halogen bulbs (fillament type) does not perform correct w/ xenon bulbs. Xenon bulbs require lense/reflector designed specifically for xenon bulb to perform and produce desired light pattern.
4.At least one manufacturer, namely Sylvania, has developed and sell H6054/6052 headlights engineered properly under the model name "Xenarc". These set of lights currently sell for $588.

Having gone through the research I decided not to bother with $80 ebay specials and also decided I have higher priority modifications - no way spend $588 for headlights.

Eventually I ordered a set of Silverstar H6054CB (cool blue). It's not blue like 6000K+ HIDs but certainly a lot whiter than the Wagner halogens that were on the car. Yellow verses whiter was very evident looking at the light as well as the light thrown on the road. And, yes, the new set is a lot brighter (could be due to the age of lights replaced).

At $36 a pair, definately worth it.

Anyone looking to buy NCRS correct factory original Wagner headlights?

GOLDCYLON · 02-02-2011

Good write up. I went with the Silverstars for about a year which are a lot brighter than stock. Still not happy I went with the Hella housings that use the H4s blub. Then with 120W Xenon H4 blubs. (Happy) I tried the HID foglight upgrade which I liked when they worked. The problem I had was one foglight wanted to be dominant at the expense of the other. I tried mutiple grounding points and could not resolve the issue. 9 times out of 10 the lights would never come on together. I ended up sending the kit back for a refund.

-=Jeff=- · 02-02-2011

GC where did you get that kit from ( so I know where to avoid)

GOLDCYLON · 02-02-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

GC where did you get that kit from ( so I know where to avoid)

Corvettehid.com And your mileage may vary

secondchance · 02-02-2011

Cyclone,

You did the right thing choosing Hella housing. I understand that they make optically correct housing. Actually I thought about using the Hella housing and H4 HID.

It is interesting that your HID driving lights were fighting each other. My understanding is that the factorydriving light is 34 watt bulb. Silverstar 893s are 50 watts.An article I ran into claims that the factory wiring should support 15 amps (engineers like safety factor built in with plenty margin) which should support 50 watts.
http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_...g%20Lights.pdf

FYI. Early C4s had the driving light ground through the headlights. These cars (like my 84) the driving lights would not come on while the headlight switch was not on. I know Zr-1s, driving lights can be turned on with the light switch on parking light position - meaning the ground is not through the headlight. This allows for HID conversion easier from what I understand.

GOLDCYLON · 02-02-2011

Yep thats why I tried 4 or five different grounding points. No matter what I did the result was the same. Some folks have had success but I sure the hell did not. When they worked together I loved them but I was convinced I may have had a ballast problem or??? I tried multiple bulbs, Higher fuses etc. They could not get along. Also the HID bulbs are very long. The models I had once you got them into the foglight housings were scraping the backside of the foglight lens which was un-nerving and a damn tight fit. I ended going back to the orginal bulbs. GC

pantera1683 · 02-03-2011

I bought a cheap ebay HID foglight kit a year ago and haven't had any problems with it.

GOLDCYLON · 02-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by pantera1683

I bought a cheap ebay HID foglight kit a year ago and haven't had any problems with it.

Seller name and can you walk me through the install procedure. I want to see if its the same? For all I know I had a weak ballst.

pantera1683 · 02-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON

Seller name and can you walk me through the install procedure. I want to see if its the same? For all I know I had a weak ballst.

The seller's name is philipsxenon and the kit was a universal one. Try item number 360242794900. There is a good how to for the installation on the CF.

GOLDCYLON · 02-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by pantera1683

The seller's name is philipsxenon and the kit was a universal one. Try item number 360242794900. There is a good how to for the installation on the CF.

Awesome is it really a German made kit?

02-02-2011	#1
secondchance Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: McLean, VA Posts: 3,712	Headlight while surfing the ebay I noticed quite a few HIDs that would fit our Zs at around $80. So, I did a quick research and found the following: 1. A lot of people who bought these $80 jobs wern't too happy. Especially the diamond cut lense seems to create bothersome patterns. Also, excessive glare was another reason for complaint. Generally these lights seems to be better at show than the actual performance. 2. True HID bulbs generate light by arcing between the anode and cathode through xenon gas - no fillament. Most of these aftermarket bulbs are fillament bulbs with xenon gas - not a true HID. 3. Xenon bulbs light generation is different from fillament bulb. Meaning lense/reflector assembly designed for conventional halogen bulbs (fillament type) does not perform correct w/ xenon bulbs. Xenon bulbs require lense/reflector designed specifically for xenon bulb to perform and produce desired light pattern. 4.At least one manufacturer, namely Sylvania, has developed and sell H6054/6052 headlights engineered properly under the model name "Xenarc". These set of lights currently sell for $588. Having gone through the research I decided not to bother with $80 ebay specials and also decided I have higher priority modifications - no way spend $588 for headlights. Eventually I ordered a set of Silverstar H6054CB (cool blue). It's not blue like 6000K+ HIDs but certainly a lot whiter than the Wagner halogens that were on the car. Yellow verses whiter was very evident looking at the light as well as the light thrown on the road. And, yes, the new set is a lot brighter (could be due to the age of lights replaced). At $36 a pair, definately worth it. Anyone looking to buy NCRS correct factory original Wagner headlights?

02-02-2011	#2
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,154	Re: Headlight Good write up. I went with the Silverstars for about a year which are a lot brighter than stock. Still not happy I went with the Hella housings that use the H4s blub. Then with 120W Xenon H4 blubs. (Happy) I tried the HID foglight upgrade which I liked when they worked. The problem I had was one foglight wanted to be dominant at the expense of the other. I tried mutiple grounding points and could not resolve the issue. 9 times out of 10 the lights would never come on together. I ended up sending the kit back for a refund. __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V Last edited by GOLDCYLON; 02-02-2011 at 07:54 PM.

02-02-2011	#3
-=Jeff=- Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 7,154	Re: Headlight GC where did you get that kit from ( so I know where to avoid) __________________ 1990 Corvette ZR-1 #1051 Watson Headers (2" Primary) - Flowmaster Cats - Borla Catback Late Model IH - Plenum Coilovers - 4.10s Custom Interior NCM Lifetime Member #978

02-02-2011	#5
secondchance Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: McLean, VA Posts: 3,712	Re: Headlight Cyclone, You did the right thing choosing Hella housing. I understand that they make optically correct housing. Actually I thought about using the Hella housing and H4 HID. It is interesting that your HID driving lights were fighting each other. My understanding is that the factorydriving light is 34 watt bulb. Silverstar 893s are 50 watts.An article I ran into claims that the factory wiring should support 15 amps (engineers like safety factor built in with plenty margin) which should support 50 watts. http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_...g%20Lights.pdf FYI. Early C4s had the driving light ground through the headlights. These cars (like my 84) the driving lights would not come on while the headlight switch was not on. I know Zr-1s, driving lights can be turned on with the light switch on parking light position - meaning the ground is not through the headlight. This allows for HID conversion easier from what I understand.

02-02-2011	#6
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,154	Re: Headlight Yep thats why I tried 4 or five different grounding points. No matter what I did the result was the same. Some folks have had success but I sure the hell did not. When they worked together I loved them but I was convinced I may have had a ballast problem or??? I tried multiple bulbs, Higher fuses etc. They could not get along. Also the HID bulbs are very long. The models I had once you got them into the foglight housings were scraping the backside of the foglight lens which was un-nerving and a damn tight fit. I ended going back to the orginal bulbs. GC __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V Last edited by GOLDCYLON; 02-02-2011 at 11:17 PM.

02-03-2011	#7
pantera1683 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 396	Re: Headlight I bought a cheap ebay HID foglight kit a year ago and haven't had any problems with it.