cheapsk8

Here is a few pictures of my '98 ES with HID's out of a '00 ES. I had been holding out posting this thread until the auto-leveling system was complete, but I am still working on that project.

Anyway, here is my car so far!

cheapsk8

Lights on.....color looks a little whiter in the photo, but it has a cool purple hue...light on the road is pure white.

cheapsk8

close-up of drivers side headlight. This picture was taken about 1 sec. after start up and it more resembles the actual color that the camera didn't pick up.

cheapsk8

this is an under-hood shot showing the notch that had to be cut out of the core support. A small amount also had to be taken off of the bottom of the headlight hole, but the main thing I had to do under there was detach the wiring harness that runs under it and slide it out of the way, this isn't required but it helps alot in fitting the headlight.

Also I should point out that the extra metal that is showing where I made the cut will be removed and sanded smooth and painted. I am waiting to get the OEM plugs for the back of the headlight so I can get rid of my cheap wire-terminal/electrical tape connections.

people have been asking me for pix, so here they are!! not quite the format I wanted but still shows the potential of the retrofit. Questions/comments welcome!!

later,
-c

cheapsk8

my engine really isn't that dirty in real life!!!! camera glare ya'know!!!!

siniquezu

Question: since you've got reflectors, why is it purplish? Do you have 6000K bulbs?

lexusk8

Nice pics and congrats with the '00-'01 ES retrofit onto your '98 You may be the first I know who has done that (the ES certainly looks more modern and cleaner-looking with the distinct-bowled headlight assemblies), and from your description, it doesn't look like a nightmare project

Can we see a couple pictures of the ES lighted up at night, particularly in front of a white wall or garage so the cutoff can be clearly seen?

tiguy99

Yeah pics would be awesome. Also, if you can post whether or not you would do the tails from 00+ year (or if you have done it already). Reason being, I'm actually upgrading my ES to your year and color yet, I'll be doing the 00 tails with Valeo ECE Xenon retrofit. Thanks....

cheapsk8

It's hard for me to explain color, but I'm not saying its Bimmer or Audi purple, but the light oncoming is basically white with a slight blue tint thats more blue than the cheap simulated HID bulbs but less purple than a projector.... kind of in between I'm using stock 4100k bulbs.... I'll post some night pics with a better camera.

-chris

cheapsk8

I WOULD like to do the '00 tail upgrade, also maybe go to 16" wheels for a fresher appearance. The new ES 330's really caught my eye, but after doing a few update mods to my car I think I can live with it a little longer!!!
will post night pix ASAP. Just adjusted my drivers side light down a hair to match pass. side tonight. Made the cutoff a little more distinct....not as sharp as a proj. but pretty good for freeform.

-chris

cheapsk8

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lexusk8
[B]Nice pics and congrats with the '00-'01 ES retrofit onto your '98 You may be the first I know who has done that (the ES certainly looks more modern and cleaner-looking with the distinct-bowled headlight assemblies), and from your description, it doesn't look like a nightmare project

THANKS!!
Project was not as hard as I thought it was going to be, granted I still have a few cosmetic things to do to the retrofit to make it more professional looking.

The HARD part is going to be the auto level system that includes the computer under the steering column and the vehicle hight sensor at the rear of the car... I am almost knee deep in schematics and wiring diagrams, at night I have dreams about junction boxes, splice points and vehicle ground locations!!

One thing I will say about this retro is, because the leveling motors on the headlights aren't connected to anything, the beam pattern on the ground tends to flutter a little bit when you hit any bumps in the road.....not really problematic, just a quirky thing you notice.
-chris

squarehat

Looks great! I've been waiting for somebody to do this on a 97-99! I wouldn't lose any sleep over the lack of auto-levelling, the Acuras of the same vintage didn't even have it to begin with. Sorry to hear about the "flutter" of the hinged reflector bowl caused by the disconnected motors-there's got to be a way to freeze them in place.

Now I've seen both lighting mods I wanted to see done on a 97-99--the 00-01 tails and the 00-01 HID housings. Now we need somebody to TRD supercharge a pre-VVT-i 97-98!

cheapsk8

thanks!
the flutter is strange, the leveling motores are connected to the back of the reflector bowl, but there is no current to the motors. My guess is that the leveling motors compensate for this flutter on stock systems so you don't notice it.. seems like a really solid connection but I guess it only takes a slight movement of the bowl to make a difference on the ground... I wonder if any other stock mods have this problem.

-chris