Group Buy - DDM 55w HID Kits - Dabears2k Performance

[Dabears2k]

What we have here is a Group Buy for HID Kits. I know they have been offered here before, but they have always been 35w kits. 35w kits aren't much brighter than the stock headlights (2800 lumens vs 1600 stock. This kit is a full 55w and is about 6x as brights as the stock headlights (over 6000 lumens).

In the picture below, you will see a ballast at the bottom that looks similar to other kits being sold on here. We used to use the same ballast, but have switched to the new one at the top because it is smaller, better quality, and weather sealed to repel water.

Make sure you can see down the road at night, order the 55w HID Kit from this GB. This is a plug and play kit, ready to install right out of the box.

Don't be fooled by the McCulloch kits with high failure rates or kits from independent people with no manufacturer support. I am directly tied in with the manufacturer and the warehouse. All kits are backed by the manufacturer directly, with the lifetime warranty going directly through the manufacturer. The manufacturer is based in the US. Never worry again about being left high and dry if you have a problem.

This is the only kit on the market with less than 1 failure per 2000 kits sold and includes DIRECT MANUFACTURER support.

We are just completing a GB over on the lotus forums, and have had more than 75 participants. ALL very happy.

Here is a picture in the Lotus to show the difference.

Also, one of the lotus guys threw it up against a stock Mazdaspeed3 HID system...

A 55w kit is even THAT much brighter.

Smallest and thinnest ballast on the market. Same approximate size as a Motorola Razer Phone.

Details for the GB -

1. Go to nsx.dabears2k.com
2. Order your Lotus Specific HID Kit by Feb 29 (its a leap year, this year)
3. Pay - MAKING SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR FORUM USERNAME IN THE COMMENTS SECTION (otherwise it won't be counted in the GB)
4. Receive Order
5. Get Refund

Get refund you might ask?

Original Price - $170 (INCLUDING LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR FREE ON ALL ORDERS)

5 or more orders, everyone will get $5 refunded.
10 or more orders and I will refund $8.
15 or more orders and I will refund $10.
30 or more orders - $20 back.
50 or more orders - $25 back.
100 or more orders - $30 back.

And here's the best part. Orders ship out as you order them. No waiting until the end of the GB to receive your order.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A 2002+ NSX THAT HAS THE FACTORY HIDS (they are 35w from the factory) AND WOULD LIKE TO UPGRADE TO A 55W HID KIT, YOU MUST EMAIL ME FIRST SO THAT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY. matt @ dabears2k.com

List of GB Purchasers (I will keep this updated)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


You can either PM me questions here, or email me [email protected].

Thanks again for your support. Dabears2k Performance



NOTE: I did not have a 55w ballast on hand when I took these pictures. The 55w ballast is the same thickness as the 35w ballasts and 2cm longer. YOU WILL RECEIVE 55W BALLASTS with this kit. Thx

 

[ffffanman]

Whats with the morning bump, did you smash your head on your headboard when you woke up??? All joking aside, Don't bump your thread everyday.

You talk about a 55 watt system but choose to show us a 35 watt system.
Hum???????????????????

You talk about 35 watt systems being not much brighter than stock lights.
I would suggest thats not a good sales tactic. Turned me off right away, kind of cheesy to make false statements right out of the gate. Oh, unless you have proof that you have posted.

You state that 55w hid is 6x brighter than stock. Again, back it up if your going to make such a broad statement. What car was this on? What testing equipment did you use, maybe post us the actual measurements taken between the two. ie: lumens, footcandles, candlepower....
http://www.theledlight.com/lumens.html

I just bought a 55w set from elsewhere, I don't see it being any brighter than my 35w set that I replaced. Just an visual observation by the way.

I am Ukranian and take offense to your speaking English comment.

Trev

 

[Dabears2k]

Whats with the morning bump, did you smash your head on your headboard when you woke up??? All joking aside, Don't bump your thread everyday.

You talk about a 55 watt system but choose to show us a 35 watt system.
Hum???????????????????

You talk about 35 watt systems being not much brighter than stock lights.
I would suggest thats not a good sales tactic. Turned me off right away, kind of cheesy to make false statements right out of the gate. Oh, unless you have proof that you have posted.

You state that 55w hid is 6x brighter than stock. Again, back it up if your going to make such a broad statement. What car was this on? What testing equipment did you use, maybe post us the actual measurements taken between the two. ie: lumens, footcandles, candlepower....
http://www.theledlight.com/lumens.html

I just bought a 55w set from elsewhere, I don't see it being any brighter than my 35w set that I replaced. Just an visual observation by the way.

I am Ukranian and take offense to your speaking English comment.

Trev

First post updated with information.

I did not have a 55w kit on hand when those pictures were taken, but the 55w ballast is the same thickness as the 35w and only 2cm longer.

The lumens are substantiated by the manufacturer and have been tested by them.

Finally, the 35w vs stock lighting is based on my observation of 3 different HID kits on 3 different NSX cars and the comments of their owners. I am not sure why you didn't notice much difference between your 35w kit and your 55w kit, but once again, the testing has confirmed a LARGE difference in lumens as well as many people's comments about the brightness of the 35w kits vs the 55w kits offered by DDM through Dabears2k.com

I welcome all comments and questions about the kit. I have both sold and installed MANY kits that are out there and the DDM kit is by far the best with the best customer support to back it up.

Matt
Dabears2k Performance

 

[NSX-Nate]

I'm interested but have a question. On your website the PREMIUM UPGRADED Wiring Harness is $30, does that mean it will cost more to be plug and play as pictured?

 

[RON98]

you have an nsx?

or you just here to make money off us?

 

[Dabears2k]

I'm interested but have a question. On your website the PREMIUM UPGRADED Wiring Harness is $30, does that mean it will cost more to be plug and play as picured?

No, the wiring harness as pictured is included in the kit. The kit is 100% plug and play with no upgrades.

The PREMIUM UPGRADED wiring harness connects the HID kit directly to the battery and uses the headlight wiring to activate the relay.

The premium harness is not required on the NSX and due to the placement of the battery on the NSX, the premium harness IS NOT RECCOMMENDED.

 

[Dabears2k]

you have an nsx?

or you just here to make money off us?

My dad has a 97 NSX-T. The NSX-plug-and-play kit from Dabears2k.com came as he asked me to find him lights that would allow him to see well at night.

The NSX community deserves a Top-Quality kit at a reasonable price, with top notch customer service. That's where I come in.


As the members of the Lotus forums have recognized, my attention to detail and level of customer service is second to none.

"Now, how about the results you may ask? Simply awesome! I'm very pleased with the amount of light (as pictures provided above have shown) - bang for the buck, you can't find much of a better value! Thanks Matt" - Lotus username John

"Thanks for the quality product and service dabears2k" - Lotus username XTN

"I'm really happy with my lights. Thanks dabears2k. The service was quick!" - Lotus username Chris Mackey

"dabears2k - Thanks again for the group buy and all the help on the forum." - Lotus username Def

"MATT, you've been great and I feel the price and service are first rate." Lotus username Tonywa28

"Just ordered the 35w - 4500k for low beams. Thanks for hooking the ET crowd up Matt and the prompt reply to all questions. Customer service is critical in a competitive market place and you are killing it on that front." Lotus username SJM



Just to give you guys an idea...

 

[NSX-Nate]

I'll try it out, Payment sent.

 

[Dabears2k]

List of GB Purchasers (I will keep this updated)

1. NSX-Nate - 9006 6000k
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

 

[Hapa88]

I purchased the same kit from another vender for cheaper shipped with Lifetime Warranty and the extra wiring harness (he was listing on the Mazda3 forums). No Group buy necessary.

Do you guys match prices?

 

[scorp965]

I purchased the same kit from another vender for cheaper shipped with Lifetime Warranty and the extra wiring harness (he was listing on the Mazda3 forums). No Group buy necessary.

Do you guys match prices?

I have ordered two 55W HID kits from 'retro-solutions', these have a lifetime warrenty, and were $180 shipped, no group buy necessary.

 

[Dabears2k]

I purchased the same kit from another vender for cheaper shipped with Lifetime Warranty and the extra wiring harness (he was listing on the Mazda3 forums). No Group buy necessary.

Do you guys match prices?

PM sent.

That vendor does not offer the 55w kit. He offers only the 35w kit. My price on the 35w kit is the same as his, but he cannot match my price on the 55w kit.

 

[Dabears2k]

I have ordered two 55W HID kits from 'retro-solutions', these have a lifetime warrenty, and were $180 shipped, no group buy necessary.

Those are large ballast kits...

They ones that Retro-solutions offer are the same size as the apexcone ballast at the top, which is harder to mount has a higher fail rate than these slim DDM kits.


The DDM kits have the lowest fail rate in the industry and are top-quality

 

[NSX-Nate]

Just so you know your comparison picture is wrong. That's a 35W 4300k HID kit on a MazdaSpeed3, not a BMW, next to a 35w 6000k on an Lotus. It's still a good comparison pic, but wanted you to have the right info know so people don't freak out. NSX Prime is good at digging up dirt on people, just ask Nick Sitko.

It's on page 16 of the Lotus group buy:
http://elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50907&page=16

 

[Dabears2k]

My bad, thanks for the catch. I am changing the picture now. I must have misread the post on ET.


BTW, I read the nick sitko thing a month or so ago when it was linked from another forum. Great stuff

 

[NSX-Nate]

Hi guys,

My HID kit is on the way, and since I appear to be the first guinea pig I'll provide a review of the kit. I'll make certain that I include install pics and before and after pics of the headlights pointed down my street.

To start off I don't know Dabears2k, but I did see his Group Buy on the Lotus forums because I occasionally lurk over there, and it seemed to go well with a lot of satisfied Lotus owners.

So why did I choose this kit? Simple, none of the other prime vendors have offered a slim, digital, 55w HID kit in this price range yet. I've purchased a lot of stuff from Eric (evof575gtc), and the JDM Super Digital HID kit he offers made me drool when I saw it on his car in person, but I couldn't justify the $460 price tag to myself. Honestly, if you have the money and want the highest quality Eric's digital kit might be the one for you. But if you want a cheaper alternative in the slim, digital, 55w category I think Dabears2k is offering us a winner that worked well for the Lotus club.

Why do I need or want a really bright kit? I owned an S2000 before I purchased the NSX, and I've never driven a car with such spectacular headlights. The factory NSX headlights are horrible in comparison and I want to really see the road again like I could in the S2000.

I've given this information upfront so you guys know my hopes for this kit are a bit high. If it meets, exceeds, or falls below my expectations I'll let you know. If I see a problem with the build of the kit or the wiring I'll also let you know, and I've been an Electronics Technician in the military for 10 years so I know crap electronics when I see it. (Everything in the military is from the lowest bidder...) Lastly, for the record I fully believe in supporting Prime vendors, but I also think if we want any choices in product offerings and we want to attract more quality vendors we need to give the new guys a chance once in a while.

Anyway, that's my opinion and where I'm coming from. You'll get the full update after I receive the kit.

Nate

 

[Exiled]

Hi guys, just wanted to help prime members save some money. These kits appear to be made by apexcone, retro-solutions as mentioned by scorp, sells these units as well as xenonexpert. Both of these vendors I believe are located in the same warehouse as Apexcone. If you do a search on google you'll find plenty of threads from bmw to mazda forums on these units, overall reviews have been good I believe.

The 55w kits have been on sale for a very long time now, priced at $160 shipped and for $25 extra you can get a lifetime warranty. When placing your order for the regular kits you actually may end up getting the DDM ones because the regular ballast are out of stock. Apexcone lately has been automatically upgrading the regular orders to the DDM slim version. I know this bit of info from emailing Olivier at xenonexpert. Hope he doesn't mind me saying this lol. And no, I have absolutely no affiliation with any of these vendors. Just trying to keep an eye out for prime members. Here is the link for the sale prices:

http://www.xenonexpert.com/apexcone_sale.html

 

[NSX-Nate]

Hi guys, just wanted to help prime members save some money. These kits appear to be made by apexcone, retro-solutions as mentioned by scorp, sells these units as well as xenonexpert. Both of these vendors I believe are located in the same warehouse as Apexcone. If you do a search on google you'll find plenty of threads from bmw to mazda forums on these units, overall reviews have been good I believe.

The 55w kits have been on sale for a very long time now, priced at $160 shipped and for $25 extra you can get a lifetime warranty. When placing your order for the regular kits you actually may end up getting the DDM ones because the regular ballast are out of stock. Apexcone lately has been automatically upgrading the regular orders to the DDM slim version. I know this bit of info from emailing Olivier at xenonexpert. Hope he doesn't mind me saying this lol. And no, I have absolutely no affiliation with any of these vendors. Just trying to keep an eye out for prime members. Here is the link for the sale prices:

http://www.xenonexpert.com/apexcone_sale.html

Your information is incorrect, nobody I could find is selling the DDM Slim 55W kits for $160, those are probably 35W kits your looking at. For instance, the link you posted charges $170 for a 35w DDM kit plus $70 for the lifetime warranty which = $240. I sent them an email for clarification, but they have directly said on other forums that they DO NOT OFFER SLIM DDM 55W KITS AT ALL. In the 55w range they have a racing kit with a larger ballast, but it's not the same. I'll let you know if they answer my email any different.

You mentioned the BMW forums, I'm a member on E46fanatics (hahnn002) because I own an E46 BMW 3-series. The DDM Slim 55W kits are being sold over there right now for $225 plus $30 for the warranty, more than Dabears2k price with or without shipping and not including the group buy refund that makes our price even lower. Also he's selling a ballast design that doesn't look like any of the current DDM ballast.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=536633

Mazda forums? Just look for yourself, the company who's link you posted (Xenon Expert) did a group buy on the Mazda forums before Christmas. Some of the shipping dates were excessive and some of the orders were mixed up, it left several forum members unhappy and made for a short sale thread.

I understand looking out for the forum members, we are on the same page there, but before you slam any sale thread make sure your not comparing the price of his apples to the price of the other guys oranges. If I find this same kit at a much lower price I'll post it, but I'm a member or lurker on a lot of other car forums and I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Dabears2k]

Your information is incorrect, nobody I could find is selling the DDM Slim 55W kits for $160, those are probably 35W kits your looking at. For instance, the link you posted charges $170 for a 35w DDM kit plus $70 for the lifetime warranty which = $240. I sent them an email for clarification, but they have directly said on other forums that they DO NOT OFFER SLIM DDM 55W KITS AT ALL. In the 55w range they have a racing kit with a larger ballast, but it's not the same. I'll let you know if they answer my email any different.

You mentioned the BMW forums, I'm a member on E46fanatics (hahnn002) because I own an E46 BMW 3-series. The DDM Slim 55W kits are being sold over there right now for $225 plus $30 for the warranty, more than Dabears2k price with or without shipping and not including the group buy refund that makes our price even lower. Also he's selling a ballast design that doesn't look like any of the current DDM ballast.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=536633

Mazda forums? Just look for yourself, the company who's link you posted (Xenon Expert) did a group buy on the Mazda forums before Christmas. Some of the shipping dates were excessive and some of the orders were mixed up, it left several forum members unhappy and made for a short sale thread.

I understand looking out for the forum members, we are on the same page there, but before you slam any sale thread make sure your not comparing the price of his apples to the price of the other guys oranges. If I find this same kit at a much lower price I'll post it, but I'm a member or lurker on a lot of other car forums and I haven't seen it yet.

Very well said Nate...

What he says is correct. I am not charging an "NSX Premium" on these kits. I am offering them at the best price that I can and at the same price, if not less than most other vendors out there.

I think that Nate and everyone else who chooses to participate in this GB will be VERY HAPPY with this kit in terms of Price, Quality, and Ease of Install with my customer service before and after purchase being second to none.


-Matt
Dabears2k Performance

 

[Hapa88]

Hi guys.
Thought I'd speak up here since I bought from XenonExpert.com over from the Mazda3 forums. I bought three 55 Watt kits from XenonExpert.com with two at the price of $205 shipped ($150 for the kit, $30 for an upgraded wire harness, and $25 for "lifetime warranty"). I ordered the first two well before Christmas and they arrived as Apexcone 55Watt ballasts (the big ones). These kits went into my MazdaSpeed3 headlights and foglights. I was so impressed with the light output I ordered my last kit days before Christmas for my NSX. By then the price increased $10 to $160 so the total with the warranty and harness was $215.

I went on vacation and got back and they didn't arrive (about 2 weeks later). So I sent a quick reminder email to Oliver and he sent it out that day (from San Diego) and arrived the very next day.

When it arrived and I took the ballasts out of the box. First thing I noticed was that the ballasts were the slim design with DDM stamped on it (as opposed to Apexcone). I emailed Oliver as I was a little concerned because all the DDM slim kits on his site are 35Watt and he replied that he sent me the new improved 55Watt DDM ballasts (I'll post pictures soon, but the ballast is blank and has no mention of the wattage on it - so if I'm wrong, I'd like to know so I can return them).

So basically Oliver states that I got the DDM 55Watt kit for $160 + $30 for the upgraded harness and $25 for the lifetime warranty ($215 total).

I used the same link as LastExile posted:
http://www.xenonexpert.com/apexcone_sale.html

 

[Dabears2k]

Hi guys.
Thought I'd speak up here since I bought from XenonExpert.com over from the Mazda3 forums. I bought three 55 Watt kits from XenonExpert.com and all at the price of $215 shipped ($160 for the kit, $30 for an upgraded wire harness, and $25 for "lifetime warranty"). I ordered the first two well before Christmas and they arrived as Apexcone 55Watt ballasts (the big ones). These kits went into my MazdaSpeed3 headlights and foglights. I was so impressed with the light output I ordered my last kit days before Christmas for my NSX.

I went on vacation and got back and they didn't arrive (about 2 weeks later). So I sent a quick reminder email to Oliver and he sent it out that day (from San Diego) and arrived the very next day.

When it arrived and I took the ballasts out of the box. First thing I noticed was that the ballasts were the slim design with DDM stamped on it (as opposed to Apexcone). I emailed Oliver as I was a little concerned because all the DDM slim kits on his site are 35Watt and he replied that he sent me the new improved 55Watt DDM ballasts (I'll post pictures soon, but the ballast is blank and has no mention of the wattage on it - so if I'm wrong, I'd like to know so I can return them).

So basically Oliver states that I got the DDM 55Watt kit for $160 + $30 for the upgraded harness and $25 for the lifetime warranty ($215 total).

I used the same link as LastExile posted:
http://www.xenonexpert.com/apexcone_sale.html

You may have gotten lucky with your kit being sent


Since there seems to be some questioning on price and "quality of deal" I am going to edit the first post and sweeten the deal by offering FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY ON ALL ORDERS. The deals will be updated with amount of rebate based on orders, but ALL orders will come with free lifetime warranty.


Thanks,

Matt

 

[Hapa88]

You may have gotten lucky with your kit being sent, but I talked to the owner of Apexcone/DDM and was informed that Oliver does indeed buy the "Large Ballast" kits and not the slim ballast kits like I am selling.


Since there seems to be some questioning on price and "quality of deal" I am going to edit the first post and sweeten the deal by offering FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY ON ALL ORDERS. The deals will be updated with amount of rebate based on orders, but ALL orders will come with free lifetime warranty.


Thanks,

Matt

Now that's what I call doing business. :smile:

 

[Dabears2k]

The question has come up regarding ordering 2 kits...

If you order 2 kits at the same time (either for your high and low beams or for your NSX and another car) I will give you free shipping on the 2nd kit.

Please pay for your order and pay for shipping on both items, and I will refund you shipping on the 2nd kit.

 

[Exiled]

Your information is incorrect, nobody I could find is selling the DDM Slim 55W kits for $160, those are probably 35W kits your looking at. For instance, the link you posted charges $170 for a 35w DDM kit plus $70 for the lifetime warranty which = $240. I sent them an email for clarification, but they have directly said on other forums that they DO NOT OFFER SLIM DDM 55W KITS AT ALL. In the 55w range they have a racing kit with a larger ballast, but it's not the same. I'll let you know if they answer my email any different.

You mentioned the BMW forums, I'm a member on E46fanatics (hahnn002) because I own an E46 BMW 3-series. The DDM Slim 55W kits are being sold over there right now for $225 plus $30 for the warranty, more than Dabears2k price with or without shipping and not including the group buy refund that makes our price even lower. Also he's selling a ballast design that doesn't look like any of the current DDM ballast.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=536633

Mazda forums? Just look for yourself, the company who's link you posted (Xenon Expert) did a group buy on the Mazda forums before Christmas. Some of the shipping dates were excessive and some of the orders were mixed up, it left several forum members unhappy and made for a short sale thread.

I understand looking out for the forum members, we are on the same page there, but before you slam any sale thread make sure your not comparing the price of his apples to the price of the other guys oranges. If I find this same kit at a much lower price I'll post it, but I'm a member or lurker on a lot of other car forums and I haven't seen it yet.

Nate, I'm sorry if you were the guinea pig for this group buy, I was only trying to help buyers such as yoursefl save a little money.

If you scroll half way down on the link I provided for the apexcone sale, you will notice that the $160 price is for the 55w Units, no where in the link I provided does it mention they are DDM. It doesn't mention what type of units they are, and most likely to the buyer it is just for the "normal" larger sized ballast.

I didn't want to elaborate on my previous post because I wanted to come off as someone who is completely unbiased towards xenonexpert. The fact is, I was just actually looking for a set of 55w HIDs yesterday and purchased the exact same set I am talking about through that link. I had emailed Oliver at xenonexpert about the unit and tracking info and in his reply he stated that I may actually be receiving the slim DDM units instead since the regular units are out of stock and probably for a while as well.

Here is what arrived by fed ex this morning. You can see the shipment date on the box as 05 Feb 08

I don't think it was a good idea for you to email apexcone about the DDM since I'm pretty sure they don't want this information leaked out mainstream that they are doing the free upgrade.

Here is my order receipt with personal information edited out:

This email confirms that you have paid Lux Design ([email protected]) $160.00 USD using PayPal.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PayPal Shopping Cart Contents
Item Name: Apexcone Racing Conversion Kit 6000K 55W
Item Options: Bulb Type: 9006(HB4)

Item Number: Apexcone.Racing.Conversion.Kit.6000K.55W

Quantity: 1

Total: $160.00 USD



Cart Subtotal: $160.00 USD
Sales Tax:
Cart Total: $160.00 USD





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Payment Details

Transaction ID: 26K03406TN222792C
Item Price: $160.00 USD
Total: $160.00 USD
Buyer:
Phone:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


It may take a few moments for this transaction to appear in the Recent Activity list on your Account Overview.
Business Information

Business: Lux Design
Contact E-Mail: [email protected]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your confirmed address


Not trying to knock new vendors here on prime, we need more of them. Just trying to keep them honest and actually give us the best deals possible. Instead of trying to pull a fast one on us like nick sitko.

 

[Dabears2k]

Nate, I'm sorry if you were the guinea pig for this group buy, I was only trying to help buyers such as yoursefl save a little money.

If you scroll half way down on the link I provided for the apexcone sale, you will notice that the $160 price is for the 55w Units, no where in the link I provided does it mention they are DDM. It doesn't mention what type of units they are, and most likely to the buyer it is just for the "normal" larger sized ballast.

I didn't want to elaborate on my previous post because I wanted to come off as someone who is completely unbiased towards xenonexpert. The fact is, I was just actually looking for a set of 55w HIDs yesterday and purchased the exact same set I am talking about through that link. I had emailed Oliver at xenonexpert about the unit and tracking info and in his reply he stated that I may actually be receiving the slim DDM units instead since the regular units are out of stock and probably for a while as well.

Once again, I will say that you might be one of the lucky ones...

The large ballast kits are going to be in stock VERY soon and will begin shipping again.


The bitterness of poor service lingers long after the sweetness of cheap price is forgotten.