Planning my Projector retrofit

[GottaBeTRD]

hahaha i wish i was in Hawaii I went there once and have been dreaming about it ever since!

So I did my taxes today and im getting a pretty good return. Thankyou Obama! Ill be ordering some parts soon though. thanks again for all this helpful info, anybody with some sweet pics of their retrofit's or some good ideas would be welcomed!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

hey guys, im getting ready to order some stuff today, i have a question though

Im getting the morimoto mini D2S projectors and my question is would the DDM d2s bulbs work for these?

 

[chad99]

I am sure the DDM ones will fit, that and they come with the pig tails (at least it says so on their website last time i checked).

I used two different generic sets of D2S bulbs in my projector and both of them had different problems one set of bulbs got wayy too hot and both sets for some reason messed up my cutoff pattern. I ended up going on ebay to buy real Philips D2S bulbs, found a guy selling new real bulbs for $49 (total for a set) free shipping. When I put them in they fixed my cutoff pattern and ran cooler.

The main advantage of using D2S projectors is that you can use the real thing.

Others may argue that generic is just as good but from my experience no.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

what are the pigtail exactly? and how did you know the aftermarkets were running too hot?

Those phillips are expensive! geez i almost fell out of my chair!! :wow: you got a killer deal on those!

So I emailed matt from the retrofit source and see what kind of deal he can give me on those with everything, I may try the DDM's too, duno

 

[GottaBeTRD]

just had a dream lastnight of driving with the retrofit and wow! amazing! sooo im gonna order my stuff finally im still kinda stuck on what looks the best, im not sure i loke the big fish eye look but maybe it looks better in person i duno.

so help me out, iv'e narrowed it down to these two. should i get the morimoto mini with the H1's like these:

or the morimoto d2s that will kind of look like these (bigger shroud)

 

[K092084]

just had a dream lastnight of driving with the retrofit and wow! amazing! sooo im gonna order my stuff finally im still kinda stuck on what looks the best, im not sure i loke the big fish eye look but maybe it looks better in person i duno.

so help me out, iv'e narrowed it down to these two. should i get the morimoto mini with the H1's like these:

or the morimoto d2s that will kind of look like these (bigger shroud)

The bigger shroud should fit the H1 projector as well, just the mini gatling gun shroud screws on making it easier to mount the shroud.

Matt at retrofit source will know for sure.

 

[SQ.MD]

Hey gottabeTRD,I am also planning on getting projectors from retrofitsource. Which shrouds are you getting? what color temp? and would you be getting the H4/9003 wire harness relay since our headlight bulbs are 9003/HB2 (based on: http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/LampReplacementGuide/AutoLRG-Results.htm ). thanks in advance man!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

yeah i've been talking with Matt He's awesome to work with He suggested i get the bigger shrouds and that the little ones would look tacky. i duno i kinda like the smaller ones but i think its all different in person. I may go with the bigger ones (sigh) its the only thing holding me up now.

SQ.MD
Matt sent me this link as a package deal which i think im gonna do
PNP Upgrade: Bi-xenon - Complete Retrofit Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc
it comes with everything you need if you already have a PnP kit in your truck. These fit in H4 OEM adapter you just have to make sure to ask for a sylicone spacer for the H4 hookup, it basically just screws in there is no cutting needed for the Morimoto Mini H1 or D2s
Im going to go with the gatling shrouds with a 5k bulbs Ive seen most of what the other shrouds look like on the 4runner now i think the only one i haven't seen on a 4runner is the Apollo which i have seen in person and it is HUGE! my buddy was going to put it on his mustang but threw it out

ive been doing a ton of research on the morimotos so let me know if you have questions i think i know almost everything there is to know about them now haha

 

[SQ.MD]

yeah i've been talking with Matt He's awesome to work with He suggested i get the bigger shrouds and that the little ones would look tacky. i duno i kinda like the smaller ones but i think its all different in person. I may go with the bigger ones (sigh) its the only thing holding me up now.

SQ.MD
Matt sent me this link as a package deal which i think im gonna do
PNP Upgrade: Bi-xenon - Complete Retrofit Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc
it comes with everything you need if you already have a PnP kit in your truck. These fit in H4 OEM adapter you just have to make sure to ask for a sylicone spacer for the H4 hookup, it basically just screws in there is no cutting needed for the Morimoto Mini H1 or D2s
Im going to go with the gatling shrouds with a 5k bulbs Ive seen most of what the other shrouds look like on the 4runner now i think the only one i haven't seen on a 4runner is the Apollo which i have seen in person and it is HUGE! my buddy was going to put it on his mustang but threw it out

ive been doing a ton of research on the morimotos so let me know if you have questions i think i know almost everything there is to know about them now haha

thanks for all the info man. I was going to go with the complete kit (which would be $275) but I guess I could buy the HID kit from DDM and the PNP upgrade kit (the site you mentioned above) and it would be cheaper in the end. Which HID kit do you have and can you recommend any from the DDM website? I was thinking this HID Kits, BMW Aftermarket Bumpers & Lighting, DEPO - DDM Tuning with 35W, h4 bulb, harness, and mounting brackets. Is your original HID kit 35 or 55? Also, do I have to get a kit that is D2S or will the retrofitsource PNP upgrade kit work with any since it has "D2S bulbs" and "AMP to D2S ballast adapter"

thanks again!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

yeah i have the 35 watt Apexicone kit from DDM with the regular ballast. (same link as you posted) It comes with the relay and everything You dont need any of the other stuff in the 2nd section like the harness monting brackets etc. the brackets are new thing so i think they're just there to mount your ballast but you can use 3m tape for that.

with the smaller projectors (morimotos) you can only run a 35 watt kit due to all the heat. so get that one if your going with the morimotos. If you end up wanting the 55 watt kit you may need that other stuff listed on the DDM site and different projectors.

as for the last question i was little confused, (sorry) so ill answer it to the best of my understanding. the D2s kit above comes with an adapter (the red and black chord looking things) and im not completly certain how it works but it basicly makes it so, if you have aftermarket ballasts it will plug into those. however I think these adapters just plug into the bulbs though.

and as for the H1 morimoto kit it doesn't need adapters its cheaper and the shroud comes with it free plus its bi-xenon on top of being a plug and play like the D2s.

now the D2s i guess is more common bulb and you can find anywhere, plus the highbeam is amazing! from what i have seen on HIDPlanet.com. its been my orginal choice in my gut so i may be getting these

 

[boostincoupe2]

I'm literally planning the exact same HID retrofit for my 1999 Highlander - Morimoto D2S projectors & unknown shrouds for now. Where did you find those pictures of retrofitted 4Runner headlights?

 

[SQ.MD]

should retrofit projectors not use a harness?

 

[GottaBeTRD]

I'm literally planning the exact same HID retrofit for my 1999 Highlander - Morimoto D2S projectors & unknown shrouds for now. Where did you find those pictures of retrofitted 4Runner headlights?

haha that sweet! how soon are you into it?

but yeah at first, that was my first hang up cause im not a fan of any of the shrouds really. But it may look different in person im not sure. as for the pics... oh man... at first i googled 4runners with a retrofit and found a lot of the pictures but then ive seen some of the guys on here... its been a long search to find what i like. I think im gonna bite the bullet today and just get the morimoto D2s kit. i may modify the Gatling shroud to make it look different.

but here are a couple pics i found just now. thanks to those who own these runners im gonna borrow these for a sec
the golf shrouds i think?

this kinda looks funny to me i dunno lol

not a fan i think these are custom made

the gatling (normal size)

[

should retrofit projectors not use a harness?

You know im not completly sure how the harness works yet. which ones were you consitering? this is my understanding:

as for the the D2s if you were to get the DDM kit that you posted above make sure you get the h4 hi low so you get the relay harness. you can use this with the kit in the link that i posted and you should get everythng you need. You just wouldn't use the bulbs that DDM supplies. the nice thing about these is i've read you can run a hologen bulb in these too in case you have a light burn out.

for the h1's if you get the h4 hi/lo ddm kit you could get H1 bulbs instead and then these projectors will work with an h1 bulb. They have the pig tails that somehow wire into the relay harness (i think) but this is how the bixenon works instead of the D2s converter what cords (the balck and red ones in the link) the down fall to these ive read is the plunger that moves the flap has a tendicy to get stuck

 

[Clemsonfan15]

Those Gatling ones don't look bad. Are you going to black out the inside?

 

[K092084]

yeah i have the 35 watt Apexicone kit from DDM with the regular ballast. (same link as you posted) It comes with the relay and everything You dont need any of the other stuff in the 2nd section like the harness monting brackets etc. the brackets are new thing so i think they're just there to mount your ballast but you can use 3m tape for that.

with the smaller projectors (morimotos) you can only run a 35 watt kit due to all the heat. so get that one if your going with the morimotos. If you end up wanting the 55 watt kit you may need that other stuff listed on the DDM site and different projectors.

as for the last question i was little confused, (sorry) so ill answer it to the best of my understanding. the D2s kit above comes with an adapter (the red and black chord looking things) and im not completly certain how it works but it basicly makes it so, if you have aftermarket ballasts it will plug into those. however I think these adapters just plug into the bulbs though.

and as for the H1 morimoto kit it doesn't need adapters its cheaper and the shroud comes with it free plus its bi-xenon on top of being a plug and play like the D2s.

now the D2s i guess is more common bulb and you can find anywhere, plus the highbeam is amazing! from what i have seen on HIDPlanet.com. its been my orginal choice in my gut so i may be getting these

The AMP to D2S adapter does let you use aftermarket ballast as opposed to factory which can cost double.
From my understanding the H1 morimoto projector is the preferred out of the 2. It can be modded to have a sharper cutoff and better intensity the the DS2, but like the said D2S is very common and H1 is not.
So ti each his own I guess.
I will most likely go H1 in my other car, but thinking about redoing my current retro with some more TL, mine are currently slightly slanted some, drives me nuts.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

so i just ordered the D2s set up with some 5k bulbs i forgot to see how much it was, though i think it was under $200 with shipping i think???

Those Gatling ones don't look bad. Are you going to black out the inside?

you know i decided to not buy an extra set of headlights and instead ill risk using the OEM's but im thinking i may paint a little bit of it like in the above pic. i really dont want it to look like big bug eyes. I may also do some trimming on the shrouds i got a buddy thats really good at fabricating so we'll see what we can come up with

The AMP to D2S adapter does let you use aftermarket ballast as opposed to factory which can cost double.
From my understanding the H1 morimoto projector is the preferred out of the 2. It can be modded to have a sharper cutoff and better intensity the the DS2, but like the said D2S is very common and H1 is not.
So ti each his own I guess.
I will most likely go H1 in my other car, but thinking about redoing my current retro with some more TL, mine are currently slightly slanted some, drives me nuts.

thanks for clearing that up. im still kind of confused why the D2s needs the adapter while the H1's dont. Matt was telling me the H1's still can work with the aftermarket ballasts, but dont require an adapter.
I got the D2s cause the reviews said it beat the h1 as far as the highbeam and distance which i was going for, but your right that the h1 has a sharper cuttoff and sharper light
but what projector are you running right now?

 

[K092084]

thanks for clearing that up. im still kind of confused why the D2s needs the adapter while the H1's dont. Matt was telling me the H1's still can work with the aftermarket ballasts, but dont require an adapter.
I got the D2s cause the reviews said it beat the h1 as far as the highbeam and distance which i was going for, but your right that the h1 has a sharper cuttoff and sharper light
but what projector are you running right now?

Not sure but my guess would be that the H1 plug for the bulb just plugs into AMP plugs on the ballast while you need the AMP>D2S adapter for D2S bulbs.
That's just my guess though.

I am running Acura TL bi-xenon projectors with a ZKW-R clear lens, very large projector.
You can kind of see them in my picture album.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

ah i see! Your projectors look good, is that the gatling shroud?
the only hang up i saw with the super clear TSX or what ever lenses... was that the cutoff was so good and the light was so crisp that it was hard to see street signs due to the lack of spayed light? is this an issue with yours?

Im actually considering doing a 2nd set depending on how much i like the D2s but i want to spend some time on the the next set so ill probably be getting a set of headlights i can hack up. In general i want to modify it to have a legit looking DRL. I may be trying out the bigger FX-r projectors as well, duno? I hope these D2s rock my world though. I almost wish i would have saved the $40 and got the H1's but i think these will do pretty good.

 

[K092084]

ah i see! Your projectors look good, is that the gatling shroud?
the only hang up i saw with the super clear TSX or what ever lenses... was that the cutoff was so good and the light was so crisp that it was hard to see street signs due to the lack of spayed light? is this an issue with yours?

Im actually considering doing a 2nd set depending on how much i like the D2s but i want to spend some time on the the next set so ill probably be getting a set of headlights i can hack up. In general i want to modify it to have a legit looking DRL. I may be trying out the bigger FX-r projectors as well, duno? I hope these D2s rock my world though. I almost wish i would have saved the $40 and got the H1's but i think these will do pretty good.

it is the gatling shroud, took some trimming to get them on the projectors.
I don't really have a problem with street signs, one projector has a crisp cutoff while the other had a thick color band, which drives me crazy since they don't match, not sure how it happened, but the color band lights the signs up pretty well.

From reading the fx-r isn't that had to make fit, not quite as large as the TL.

You'll be happy with the D2S, I mean you are coming from stock, 1 projector should perform just as good as stock lights. I'm thinking about buying another set of lights and modding them as well, was rushed on this set so its so-so, too me it is at least. Only problem you will have after you have them installed is that you won't be able to go back to stock halogen lights again, because it will look like crap compared to the projectors.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

yeah i hope so, ive been watching videos and looking at pictures forever and it looks good on camera but real life could be totally different. But yeah i have these HIDs in my stock housing now and i really dont like it. I aimed them down and now i cant see anything ahead of me. I STILL get flashed every once in while. (very rarely)

thats crazy about the difference between your projectors, is the color band the same thing as the color mod these guys are doing?

I think my only hang up with the biggger projectors was having to cut the housing and then have to glue it in there. All the allighning and reaiming and everything errr... sounds like a big project! I may try this my 2nd attempt but as for now i dont want to risk it