Good Brands of HID kits?

[alexx123]

Can somebody recommend a few good brands of HID kits and also tell me if the McCulloch kit is any good? Thanks

[alexx123]

Anyone??

[galant00]

i have 8000k hanabi HID set.. i love them i have them for 3 years never had a problem. real bright love the color.

[alexx123]

I was thinking of getting a 6000k kit, anyone knows how the color of the lights in a 6000k looks?

[SilverDragonGTZ]

6000k should be "blue" but with alot of white still in it....whereas the 8000k should be eye-catching blue...like pure blue....i think? lol i have a catz 4300k kit...and its called "rising white" whatever that is...but i love it....and its great in the rain, fog, pitch black country roads....

[GPTourer]

I have not used the MCullough kit, but what I have heard are mixed reviews slanted towards bad. All that stuff is illegal now, so IMO its all going to be trash. No manufacturing standards, no reliable source for parts. Philips and Osram Sylvania have the OEM market locked down, so to me - you just be throwing away $3-500 or so for a look a like kit that will give you these possible out comes:

1. It won't last long.
2. It won't perform very well (ie blinds other dirvers, doesn't light up the road well)
3. You will get a ticket.

Hook yourself up with a set of Silverstars or Cool Blues from Sylvania and be done with it.

[2000GTZ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GPTourer)</div><div class='quotemain'>

Hook yourself up with a set of Silverstars or Cool Blues from Sylvania and be done with it.</div>

yup. and dont forget some yellowish fogs so you can see in the rain.

[alexx123]

Ok thanks, what do you guys think would be the best combination of foglights for a 6000k kit? The blue or the yellow ones?

[Reelax]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GPTourer)</div><div class='quotemain'>I have not used the MCullough kit, but what I have heard are mixed reviews slanted towards bad. All that stuff is illegal now, so IMO its all going to be trash. No manufacturing standards, no reliable source for parts. Philips and Osram Sylvania have the OEM market locked down, so to me - you just be throwing away $3-500 or so for a look a like kit that will give you these possible out comes:

1. It won't last long.
2. It won't perform very well (ie blinds other dirvers, doesn't light up the road well)
3. You will get a ticket.

Hook yourself up with a set of Silverstars or Cool Blues from Sylvania and be done with it.</div>

sorry but silverstars or any other halogen bulb can't compare to real HID... i'm talking not even close, not even a little. you obviously have never had HID, OE or otherwise, on any car you've driven or else you would know the difference.

i have had PIAA SUPER PLASMA's and they are about as close as it gets to looking like HID but their output is less than half of the lumens of the dimmest real HID kit (silverstars are OK if you don't want to spend money on your headlights but PIAA's kill them). i now have JDM's (dual bulb - 2 hi, 2 low) and all of my headlights are HID (2 full kits). i suggest 4250K-6000K. 8000K is more purple but light output goes down (lumen) as color temp goes up (Kelvin). again even the brightest halogens are dim compared to the dimmest HID.

as far as beam pattern, yes OE headlights housings not equipped from factory w/ HID are not made to focus the intense light that HID will throw, so there is a risk of blinding oncomming drivers. just aim your headlights a little lower; this will not affect your vision or beam reach since you will be throwing more than twice the light from your headlights after installing HID anyways (and DOT patterns allow a lot of light above the cutoff line to light overhead signs). my HID have a decent cutoff and I CAN SEE EVERYTHING twice as bright as any halogen... w/ my hi beam HID on, i can see almost a 1/4 mile down the road (kinda looks like a heliopter searchlight on the road). the "best" install would involve retrofitting projectors from an OE application that came w/ HID from the factory to control the pattern, but this can add up $1000 on top of the price of the HID system alone. if you're not going to retrofit, make sure you get quality HID capsules w/ the arc center at exactly the same place the OE filament would have sat in the housing.

also HID, if installed well should last about 5-10 years. i don't know any high output halogens that can touch that.

if you are putting HID into the USDM 8G headlights, you want H4 hi/lo so that you can retain your hi beam functionality. try to find a kit that has a moving capsule or moving shield to change the beam pattern when the hi beam is activated rather than a seperate halogen hi beam bulb. look for HELLA ballasts and SYLVANIA capsules as these are VERY good regardless of the kit's brand name.

btw, i never got a ticket for my lights...

[GPTourer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Reelax)</div><div class='quotemain'>
sorry but silverstars or any other halogen bulb can't compare to real HID... Â*i'm talking not even close, not even a little. Â*you obviously have never had HID, OE or otherwise, on any car you've driven or else you would know the difference.
</div>

Did I ever say that Silverstars were better then HID's? Please point that out to me. What I SAID was, that retrofit kits are illegal now - so all the companies that invested money into making good quality kits are no longer in the market, and what you have left is a bunch of budget garbage from overseas with no real quality or standard. The only retorfits I've seen that are still legal are vehicle specific or come with their own driving light style enclosures and fit into the bumper of the car. The original poster didn't mention anything about canibalizing an Audi or BMW, installing pilot projectors in his housings and other wise investing $1000 into his lights. He's talking about currently available kits.

Adding HID's to standard halogen style reflectors and then aiming them down pretty much defeats the purpose. The idea is to see further down the lane on YOUR side of the road.

5300K is the closest to sunlight. 6000K is highest color that Osram Sylvania or Philips ever made and they have a bioply on OEM HIDs. They never put 8000K+ into a OEM system. That blue and purple stuff is just to impress the ricers. The bluish, purplish effects you get from an Acura or BMW comes from the optics, not the bulbs themselves. The next time one of them gets behind you, watch as it goes over bumps or dips in the road and you'll see the color fluctuate.

[Messiah]

I have the Hi/Lo Catz HIDs 6000k Galaxy White, they have a purple hue to them. Unfortunatly Catz no longer sell or distribute in the US, but they are still around in Japan. You might still find a set or 2 on Ebay once in a while.

And I don't know of anybody that's ever gotten pulled over for having aftermarket kit retrofited in a car that wasn't meant for it.

[alexx123]

Ok thanks, what do you guys think would be the best combination of foglights for a 6000k kit? The blue or the yellow ones?

Ok thanks but what about my question, the best color for the foglights to go with a 6000k kit?

[eatyourkix]

I guess off-topic in the post but, how do Silverstars compare to Eurolite or other similar brands? And what about GE Nighthawks. I was at wal-mart or something and I saw them, they look to be about the same thing, each one boasting that they are better than other brands...I guess it's just that I don't want to order bulbs off the internet I want to buy them and have them

...does someone know how the bigger-brand name bulbs compare to each other?

thanks

-kix

[Messiah]

Ok thanks, what do you guys think would be the best combination of foglights for a 6000k kit? The blue or the yellow ones?

Ok thanks but what about my question, the best color for the foglights to go with a 6000k kit?

Go with yellow

[blownoffvavle]

Can somebody recommend a few good brands of HID kits and also tell me if the McCulloch kit is any good? Thanks



McCulloch is pretty well known. But there are some many kinds outt here like Eagle eyes, Viper, Gen X etc... Another thing dont assume all the lighting ratings of kelvins output the same color. For Example. Say you like the purple HID lightings company A 6000k can be purple where as in company B a 6000k unit can be blue. So my point being, make sure you ask them to verify the color and see the actual company's HID kit. Hope this information helps.

[SilverDragonGTZ]

sorry but silverstars or any other halogen bulb can't compare to real HID... i'm talking not even close, not even a little. you obviously have never had HID, OE or otherwise, on any car you've driven or else you would know the difference.


Did I ever say that Silverstars were better then HID's? Please point that out to me. What I SAID was, that retrofit kits are illegal now - so all the companies that invested money into making good quality kits are no longer in the market, and what you have left is a bunch of budget garbage from overseas with no real quality or standard. The only retorfits I've seen that are still legal are vehicle specific or come with their own driving light style enclosures and fit into the bumper of the car. The original poster didn't mention anything about canibalizing an Audi or BMW, installing pilot projectors in his housings and other wise investing $1000 into his lights. He's talking about currently available kits.

Adding HID's to standard halogen style reflectors and then aiming them down pretty much defeats the purpose. The idea is to see further down the lane on YOUR side of the road.

5300K is the closest to sunlight. 6000K is highest color that Osram Sylvania or Philips ever made and they have a bioply on OEM HIDs. They never put 8000K+ into a OEM system. That blue and purple stuff is just to impress the ricers. The bluish, purplish effects you get from an Acura or BMW comes from the optics, not the bulbs themselves. The next time one of them gets behind you, watch as it goes over bumps or dips in the road and you'll see the color fluctuate.

41 posts in two years? i wouldn't be smartin off to a mod if i were you.... :roll: besides...legal schmeegal...if he wants blue, let him get blue...if he wants purple let him get purple...i aimed my HIDs down a lil...i still see great, and my hi beams are awesome...i say search on ebay...find a kit that's between 350-500....should be about right....you wont be sorry

[peanotation]

sorry but silverstars or any other halogen bulb can't compare to real HID... i'm talking not even close, not even a little. you obviously have never had HID, OE or otherwise, on any car you've driven or else you would know the difference.


Did I ever say that Silverstars were better then HID's? Please point that out to me. What I SAID was, that retrofit kits are illegal now - so all the companies that invested money into making good quality kits are no longer in the market, and what you have left is a bunch of budget garbage from overseas with no real quality or standard. The only retorfits I've seen that are still legal are vehicle specific or come with their own driving light style enclosures and fit into the bumper of the car. The original poster didn't mention anything about canibalizing an Audi or BMW, installing pilot projectors in his housings and other wise investing $1000 into his lights. He's talking about currently available kits.

Adding HID's to standard halogen style reflectors and then aiming them down pretty much defeats the purpose. The idea is to see further down the lane on YOUR side of the road.

5300K is the closest to sunlight. 6000K is highest color that Osram Sylvania or Philips ever made and they have a bioply on OEM HIDs. They never put 8000K+ into a OEM system. That blue and purple stuff is just to impress the ricers. The bluish, purplish effects you get from an Acura or BMW comes from the optics, not the bulbs themselves. The next time one of them gets behind you, watch as it goes over bumps or dips in the road and you'll see the color fluctuate.

all this talk about buying garbage, is like saying "pay $100 for a turbo and get garbage!!" no shit, HID kits are least $400 for a good setup, so you're going to have to spend money to get the quality you want. Phillips and Hella are the top of the line HID manufacturer (i think i'm forgetting two). so just buy kits from that company, and you won't be getting "garbage".

and the whole point of aiming your headlights down is because with regular halogen, the light output wasn't bright enough to blind other drivers. but with HIDs it will be, so you aim it slightly down, and still get to see further than you did with halogens, and get a much stronger light output. i have 7500K bulbs, and just those light up so much more road than someone with their highbeams on in a regular halogen car. halogen is completely outclassed by HIDs. if you're worried about the legal aspect, just get anything between 5300K-6000K and cops will never know the difference, it'll just look really WHITE. a lot of newer cars now are using halogen bulbs but have such a high wattage that the filament glows whiter.

[GPTourer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(peanotation)</div><div class='quotemain'>all this talk about buying garbage, is like saying "pay $100 for a turbo and get garbage!!" no shit, HID kits are least $400 for a good setup, so you're going to have to spend money to get the quality you want. Phillips and Hella are the top of the line HID manufacturer (i think i'm forgetting two). so just buy kits from that company, and you won't be getting "garbage". Â*
</div>

You still don't get it. The kits are ILLEGAL now. So the people who make QUALITY stuff aren't in the market anymore. Why is that so hard to understand? Even $400 is cheap because a true HID setup, starting with the proper housings with projector beams plus real bulbs, ballasts and electronics from Philips or Osram Sylvania would cost WAAAAAY more the 3,4 or even 5 bills. You are not going to get quality light from having purple beams stuck in a halogen housing. If that's all you want then just say so. You can fool yourself into thinking you have the same quality as an Audi, BMW, Benz or Evo but you don't. If you want to pay hundreds of bucks for lights that perform marginally better then halogens and look pretty at night, then that's cool do what you want. But don't mislead someone into believing they will actually have just as good a setup as an OEM system with the kits that are currently on the markit. He buys a used quality kit off Ebay, then who knows, he has good lights in poor halogen style reflectors which is brighter then halogen, but still inferior then true HID. He aims them down and has a pretty blue spot on the road right in front of him. Awesome. :roll:

[Messiah]

[quote=peanotation]all this talk about buying garbage, is like saying "pay $100 for a turbo and get garbage!!" no shit, HID kits are least $400 for a good setup, so you're going to have to spend money to get the quality you want. Phillips and Hella are the top of the line HID manufacturer (i think i'm forgetting two). so just buy kits from that company, and you won't be getting "garbage".


You still don't get it. The kits are ILLEGAL now. So the people who make QUALITY stuff aren't in the market anymore. Why is that so hard to understand? Even $400 is cheap because a true HID setup, starting with the proper housings with projector beams plus real bulbs, ballasts and electronics from Philips or Osram Sylvania would cost WAAAAAY more the 3,4 or even 5 bills. You are not going to get quality light from having purple beams stuck in a halogen housing. If that's all you want then just say so. You can fool yourself into thinking you have the same quality as an Audi, BMW, Benz or Evo but you don't. If you want to pay hundreds of bucks for lights that perform <span style='color:red'>marginally</span>

The kits are illegal for sale by vendors....

Marginal??? I don't think so....

Define true.... My kit has two igniters, two ballast, two HID bulb and a Hi/Lo circuitry...so...it's not OEM, is it fake?

[peanotation]

all this talk about buying garbage, is like saying "pay $100 for a turbo and get garbage!!" no shit, HID kits are least $400 for a good setup, so you're going to have to spend money to get the quality you want. Phillips and Hella are the top of the line HID manufacturer (i think i'm forgetting two). so just buy kits from that company, and you won't be getting "garbage".


You still don't get it. The kits are ILLEGAL now. So the people who make QUALITY stuff aren't in the market anymore. Why is that so hard to understand? Even $400 is cheap because a true HID setup, starting with the proper housings with projector beams plus real bulbs, ballasts and electronics from Philips or Osram Sylvania would cost WAAAAAY more the 3,4 or even 5 bills. You are not going to get quality light from having purple beams stuck in a halogen housing. If that's all you want then just say so. You can fool yourself into thinking you have the same quality as an Audi, BMW, Benz or Evo but you don't. If you want to pay hundreds of bucks for lights that perform marginally better then halogens and look pretty at night, then that's cool do what you want. But don't mislead someone into believing they will actually have just as good a setup as an OEM system with the kits that are currently on the markit. He buys a used quality kit off Ebay, then who knows, he has good lights in poor halogen style reflectors which is brighter then halogen, but still inferior then true HID. He aims them down and has a pretty blue spot on the road right in front of him. Awesome. :roll:

nitrous oxide is illegal for street use, and well, that pretty sums that point up. as far as the top manufacturers not producing the kits anymore, that's entirely false. i bought my Hella setup after they were announced "illegal". we're saying $400 for ballasts+bulbs is the route you have to take. and no one ever said the HIDs you stick in a halogen housing will perform just as good as lights in a projector housing made for HIDs. the light output from my HIDs compared to my halogens was beyond amazing. granted, i'm not utilizing 100% of the potential the HIDs possess, but i'm getting pretty close. oh yeah, and i'm not the only one to experience the results, pretty much everyone, no, every single person i know who put HIDs into their halogen housings were amazed at the difference.

you obviously have not put HIDs into a halogen housing, because the difference is remarkable, and you wouldn't be downing it so much.

[GPTourer]

Sigh. everbody takes things so personal these days. I never said YOUR kit was crap, that YOUR lights weren't any better, that it wasn't possible to see SOME benefit with a retrofit. My whole point was, things are a bit dicier now - that the buyer should be careful with what he purchases. It has been proven that anything significantly higher then 6000K does not produce enough lumens to be any better then a standard halogen setup. That's why you don't see that in OEM applications. I have seen tests done comparing OEM halogens, to OEM HIDs to popular retrofits in halogen housings to retrofits in retrofited projectors. IF you are happy with the results then big ups to you. Recommend exactly the same kit to the orignal poster.

I don't get the comparison to nitrous oxide at all.

[GPTourer]

Marginal??? I don't think so....
Define true.... My kit has two igniters, two ballast, two HID bulb and a Hi/Lo circuitry...so...it's not OEM, is it fake?

To be true, did your kit come with optics designed specifically for your car and the HID kit you added to it? No. OEM's do, the car's housings, optics and ballasts, bulbs and so on are designed just for that application.

Marginal yes because of these shortcomings. IF you are happy with the results then fine.

[peanotation]

Sigh. everbody takes things so personal these days. I never said YOUR kit was crap, that YOUR lights weren't any better, that it wasn't possible to see SOME benefit with a retrofit. My whole point was, things are a bit dicier now - that the buyer should be careful with what he purchases. It has been proven that anything significantly higher then 6000K does not produce enough lumens to be any better then a standard halogen setup. That's why you don't see that in OEM applications. I have seen tests done comparing OEM halogens, to OEM HIDs to popular retrofits in halogen housings to retrofits in retrofited projectors. IF you are happy with the results then big ups to you. Recommend exactly the same kit to the orignal poster.

I don't get the comparison to nitrous oxide at all.

comparing it to nitrous 'cause you said hids are illegal now. a lot of things are illegal that you can even buy in pep boys, the legality of something doesn't change anything. companies will still make HID kits for off-road use, track use, and people (thousands) will still buy the hid kits for the road.


IF you are happy with the results then big ups to you.

we're not talking about "oh wow, my car has 1 more hp from my intake" or "i took my subs out and my quarter mile is 1/100th of a second faster" the difference comes out and slaps you in the face. even 2 years later, i still turn on my lights and marvel at the high light output, especially when i'm stopped next to someone in a brand new car with halogens. the difference is amazing.

if you're happy with the results of adding a turbocharger to your car, big ups to you :roll:

[Reelax]

sorry but silverstars or any other halogen bulb can't compare to real HID... i'm talking not even close, not even a little. you obviously have never had HID, OE or otherwise, on any car you've driven or else you would know the difference.


Did I ever say that Silverstars were better then HID's? Please point that out to me. What I SAID was, that retrofit kits are illegal now - so all the companies that invested money into making good quality kits are no longer in the market, and what you have left is a bunch of budget garbage from overseas with no real quality or standard. The only retorfits I've seen that are still legal are vehicle specific or come with their own driving light style enclosures and fit into the bumper of the car. The original poster didn't mention anything about canibalizing an Audi or BMW, installing pilot projectors in his housings and other wise investing $1000 into his lights. He's talking about currently available kits.

Adding HID's to standard halogen style reflectors and then aiming them down pretty much defeats the purpose. The idea is to see further down the lane on YOUR side of the road.

5300K is the closest to sunlight. 6000K is highest color that Osram Sylvania or Philips ever made and they have a bioply on OEM HIDs. They never put 8000K+ into a OEM system. That blue and purple stuff is just to impress the ricers. The bluish, purplish effects you get from an Acura or BMW comes from the optics, not the bulbs themselves. The next time one of them gets behind you, watch as it goes over bumps or dips in the road and you'll see the color fluctuate.

first off, if you are going to quote me, do not take my quote out of context since i addressed all of your other arguments against HID kits in a platform not meant for HID in my previous reply. i believe you may have read alot of information about HID but don't really have any practical experience in the subject.

so go ahead and do a search for "Reelax" and "HID" on this board... i have pretty much written everything in the past that you have repeated; i might even have more posts just on HID than you have in total. in those posts i have covered lumens, Kelvin, optics, beam pattern, light shift, glare, JDM/USDM, ecode/DOT, OE manufacturers, wattage, housing design, cutoff, projector retrofit, hi/lo selenoids, wiring, sourcing and price range as well as others. the only thing i took issue w/ is your advice to just buy halogens and call it a day... halogens do not come close at all to real HID in any respect or in any automotive light housing. the downside is HID's are not cheap (i have spent almost $2000 on my setup including relay networks and housings) although you can get a quality kit in the $400-$600 range (H4 hi/lo)

agreed, HID in a housing made for halogen (wether it b projector or reflector), is infereior to HID in a housing designed for it (ala OE); but make no mistake, even the dimmest HID kit is an improvement over the dim halogens that come OE on the 8G. also 4250K is the preferred setup for auto manufacturers, since it is the brightest (assuming 35W since there are new setups as high as 50W-75W both OE and aftermarket). as a rule of thumb (maybe i'm over simplifying here), the higher the Kelvin (color temp), the lower the lumen (brightness), so my advice is to stay between 4250K and 6000K although even HID rated at 8000K is at least twice as bright as halogen.

finally as far as legality, it is illegal for vendors to sell HID kits for highway use... i have not yet heard or seen a consumer fined for having aftermarket HID. btw, in california almost everything is illegal as far as customizing goes, and if we were worried about legality, our cars would b stock.

[8ggalant]

amen to that brother

[GPTourer]

comparing it to nitrous 'cause you said hids are illegal now.

HIDs are not illegal. Only retrofits. I'm guessing you know that, but it still seems odd that you think nitrous is a good analogy. First, show me a car that comes from the factory standard with nitrous. None. I can buy a Benz with HID and know that the car's lights are legal to use. I can't say the same about a nitrous kit. I also know that most vendors don't even carry them anymore. There used to be good quality kits available from nopi, modacar, speedoptions or any of a number of online and local stores. Now they don't carry them. So most of the manufacturers have moved on as well. I can still buy a quality nitrous kit from the likes of NOS or Nitrous Express and several other manufacturers. That's why your analogy does not work.


first off, if you are going to quote me, do not take my quote out of context since i addressed all of your other arguments against HID kits in a platform not meant for HID in my previous reply. i believe you may have read alot of information about HID but don't really have any practical experience in the subject.

I quoted you because you made an assumption about me that was wrong, and you are still making it. It wasn't out of context.

[Messiah]

Holly wow! You are one single track minded guy. Think outside the box yo!

[peanotation]

comparing it to nitrous 'cause you said hids are illegal now.

HIDs are not illegal. Only retrofits. I'm guessing you know that, but it still seems odd that you think nitrous is a good analogy. First, show me a car that comes from the factory standard with nitrous. None. I can buy a Benz with HID and know that the car's lights are legal to use. I can't say the same about a nitrous kit. .

jesus fucking christ are you even READING what i'm saying? i'm comparing it to nitrous because......ok, nevermind. i'm going to break this down for a two year old.

1 - you said HID retrofit kits are illegal
2 - i am not arguing this point
3 - you then said because of fact #1, all the "good" companies will no longer make retrofit kits
4 - i am saying you are wrong because good companies will continue to do so, because hundreds of companies make EXCELLENT quality products (nitrous manufacturers being one) that are happened to be deemed illegal.

because something is ILLEGAL doesn't mean SHIT in the automotive world. if all of a sudden the wise state of california said "coilovers are illegal on cars, but springs are still legal"

guess what, not one company will stop making them.



we're not talking about "oh wow, my car has 1 more hp from my intake" or "i took my subs out and my quarter mile is 1/100th of a second faster"


Again high light output is one thing, but the focused beam of a true HID system is another.

AGAIN, you are not reading and understanding. please, please, please, go out and get some of your information from some REAL experience. NO ONE is arguing a retrofit HID system is JUST AS GOOD as a a true OE HID system.

the difference between halogens and HIDs retrofitted into a halogen housing is extremely noticeable and is a huge improvement. why don't you actually go out and learn from experience rather than shitty HID articles written by Joe Dickwad in his garage in north idaho.

[GPTourer]

Calm down Pea. It ain't that deep. Here is what I said in my first post:


All that stuff is illegal now, so IMO its all going to be trash.

Notice the "IMO". Do you know what that means - in my opinion. So you come along and say, "no I have a great performing kit that I bought after the law was changed and I would recommend it to anybody." The End. No need to get your panties all in a wad. I never said I 've tried every kit out there, and neither did you, so what. The idea was to recommend a solution to the original poster. Then the other guy starts bragging about how great his $2000 setup is. I'm sure it kicks ass, but somebody putting a $300 8000K in his stock halogen enclosures is not going to get the same results. All I've been saying is that there are many shades of grey between halogen and OEM HID, and that the laws have made things more difficult since then. HID is more then just plug and play with a $300 kit, but again I say if that's what makes you happy then cool, enjoy. However, there is a whole higher level of performance above that that is just as appreciable and attainable with retrofitting.

[Reelax]

All I've been saying is that there are many shades of grey between halogen and OEM HID, and that the laws have made things more difficult since then. HID is more then just plug and play with a $300 kit, but again I say if that's what makes you happy then cool, enjoy. However, there is a whole higher level of performance above that that is just as appreciable and attainable with retrofitting.

and you have silverstars or cool blues right? since that is basically what you suggested for anyone interested in getting HID:


Hook yourself up with a set of Silverstars or Cool Blues from Sylvania and be done with it.

[GPTourer]

I said, unless your willing to go all the way with a good retrofit kit (Catz, for instance) and good optics (ie buying new projectors from, lets say Pilot, or salavaging them from a luxury car) its not worth sticking a no name (ie. doesn't have Philps/Sylvania balasts or bulbs) and/or high color Kelvin kit in stock halogen housings. The latter either creates a lot of light on the right and wrong side of the road, or produces a color without enough lumens, or won't be quality product that will last - and a good set of halogens would be a more responsible choice.

[Reelax]

I said, unless your willing to go all the way with a good retrofit kit (Catz, for instance) and good optics (ie buying new projectors from, lets say Pilot, or salavaging them from a luxury car) its not worth sticking a no name (ie. doesn't have Philps/Sylvania balasts or bulbs) and/or high color Kelvin kit in stock halogen housings. The latter either creates a lot of light on the right and wrong side of the road, or produces a color without enough lumens, or won't be quality product that will last - and a good set of halogens would be a more responsible choice.

umm no that's not what you said... this is what you said:


I have not used the MCullough kit, but what I have heard are mixed reviews slanted towards bad. All that stuff is illegal now, so IMO its all going to be trash. No manufacturing standards, no reliable source for parts. Philips and Osram Sylvania have the OEM market locked down, so to me - you just be throwing away $3-500 or so for a look a like kit that will give you these possible out comes:

1. It won't last long.
2. It won't perform very well (ie blinds other dirvers, doesn't light up the road well)
3. You will get a ticket.

Hook yourself up with a set of Silverstars or Cool Blues from Sylvania and be done with it.

you didn't suggest CATZ (or the like) and a projector retrofit. you suggested sliverstars or cool blues.

i would have understood if you suggested a kit w/ sylvania /hella/bosch/phillips components and a hella/valeo/ projector retrofit as a supeior alternative to a "no name" HID kit w/ infereior parts and imprecise optics, but this not what you did... you suggested halogen over HID. that is just not helpful advice, especially to someone interested in doing an HID conversion and asking for a "good brand" both in the original post and in the title to this thread:


Can somebody recommend a few good brands of HID kits and also tell me if the McCulloch kit is any good? Thanks

you could have just answered this original question simply since you have read plenty about it on this and other websites.

[GPTourer]

You're right. I didn't suggest Catz because they aren't for sale anymore. I felt like all quality kits aren't for sale. IT was my opinion that none of the quality kits are on the market. That's why I said a good set of halogens were a better choice - a cynical and sarcastic one that didn't translate well into text. I never said halogens were better then a good retrofit kit. IF he can get one, then by all means do so. Talk about beating a dead horse.

[peanotation]

You're right. I didn't suggest Catz because they aren't for sale anymore. I felt like all quality kits aren't for sale. IT was my opinion that none of the quality kits are on the market. That's why I said a good set of halogens were a better choice - a cynical and sarcastic one that didn't translate well into text. I never said halogens were better then a good retrofit kit. IF he can get one, then by all means do so. Talk about beating a dead horse.

yeah, you really know your shit. Catz sure arn't for sale anymore :roll:

http://www.highrevmotorsports.com/catalog/...products_id=568 ('http://www.highrevmotorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=79_155_156&products_id=568')
http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/Xenon-...Lights-Kits.htm ('http://www.brightheadlights-hid.com/Xenon-HID-Catz-Lights-Kits.htm')

not to mention Ebay has a slew of brand-new Catz setups, and Hella and Phillips still make brand new kits

[GPTourer]

That's exactly the crap I was talking about. "HID look" "Zeta ballasts?" WTF is a Zeta ballast. Phillips and Sylvania are the only names worth having.

Notice the difference in costs between the two links you posted. Also notice on the second link how they say how many kits they HAVE LEFT. Now why would they say that I wonder?

Whatever you can find on Ebay from some wholsaler dumping his stock is another story all together.

Ha ha, whatever man. You're hopeless. Not for sale anymore, not produced anymore - just semantics. This is going no where.

[Reelax]

Phillips and Sylvania are the only names worth having.


so i guess according to you HELLA and BOSCH are not worth having... go tell that to audi and BMW since they must not know what u do ( http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/car-oem-hid.htm ('http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/car-oem-hid.htm') ) since these are the SAME ballasts in many of the HID kits available as we speak.

you just are not as knowledgeable as you think u are about this subject. stick to giving advice about something you do know otherwise you're just not helping.

[SilverDragonGTZ]

GP Tourer=
http://img7.exs.cx/img7/8398/owned76.jpg

[peanotation]

Phillips and Sylvania are the only names worth having.


so i guess according to you HELLA and BOSCH are not worth having... go tell that to audi and BMW since they must not know what u do ( http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/car-oem-hid.htm ('http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/car-oem-hid.htm') ) since these are the SAME ballasts in many of the HID kits available as we speak.

you just are not as knowledgeable as you think u are about this subject. stick to giving advice about something you do know otherwise you're just not helping.

haha, i didn't even see Catz in there once, and sylvania only made a few cameos. good link.

[GPTourer]

Wow, so you found some OEM's that use different brands of equipment, but not in a kit that's still being produced. Big whoop. I notice Osram Sylvania and Phillips were the only brands of bulbs mentioned. I believe they are the best, so in a retro kit I'd want their bulbs AND their ballasts. IMO they are the best, you can buy whatever the hell you want. I didn't see "ZETA" in there once. And why in the hell would the name Catz show up anywhere? That's a stupid remark. They are obviously an aftermarket company that used OEM components to make retrofit kits for other cars.

Owned, :roll:

[Reelax]

Wow, so you found some OEM's that use different brands of equipment, but not in a kit that's still being produced. Big whoop. I notice Osram Sylvania and Phillips were the only brands of bulbs mentioned. I believe they are the best, so in a retro kit I'd want their bulbs AND their ballasts. IMO they are the best, you can buy whatever the hell you want. I didn't see "ZETA" in there once. And why in the hell would the name Catz show up anywhere? That's a stupid remark. They are obviously an aftermarket company that used OEM components to make retrofit kits for other cars.

Owned, :roll:

so are you now or have you ever driven a car equipped w/ HID (OEM or other wise) or are you just going on knowledge you are regurgitating from other sources? my point is that w/o real experience, your opinion is just the opinion of others that you are following, therefore your opinion isn't really yours... so when you preface a statement w/ IMO, and your opinion doesn't exist, then you are just adding what you have read or heard. maybe you should have started all your replies w/, "from what i've heard" or "from what i've read".

[GPTourer]

My opinions are based on real world personal experience.

[Reelax]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GPTourer)</div><div class='quotemain'>My opinions are based on real world personal experience.</div>

sure. other peoples' personal experience.

this is going nowhere so as far as answering the original question, good brands of HID kits include HELLA, CATZ, SYLVANIA, PHILLIPS, and BOSCH or kits that include parts made by those manufacturers labled and marketed as other brands.

topic locked.