I might try the LEDs in the high projectors since light scatter isn't as critical there.
Headlight Upgrade - LED, HID, Etc
- Thread starter Fifty Fifty
- Start date
I still make them as people still ask me for them from time to time. I have parts in stock 1 4300k kit. LED does not work well with projector housing hence I never built LED kit.
Steve
Doc, I am still full time but will stop practicing at the end of this year. The company is corrupt by many scoundrels. Steve
Doc, no more medicine for me. Completely beyond burned out by the COVID pandemic. Steve
The OGS quad HID projector setup doesn't have the delayed-on flashing issue except in the daytime, and no issues with scatter. The projectors have a metal flap that covers the top part of the bulb and creates the sharp cutoff and all 4 are on continuously. (It's amazing on low beams.) When I go to high beams, the flaps on the two inner projectors flip up and expose the whole bulb. It's instantaneous. But in the daytime when the lights are normally off and I try to flash, I can see sometimes from reflections that the lights are just about getting up to full brightness when the headlight pop back down. I rarely flash people anyway so it's no cause for concern for me. LED tech is still evolving - quickly. I'm happy with the HID setup until LED state of the art becomes state of the shelf like HID.
PM me, I've made about a dozen sets for various Primer's who don't have their own 3D printer, or don't have a printer that prints the higher-melt-point plastics. (I also designed the caps, so I can modify for different LED bulbs like the multicolor/fogs etc...)
I can also help you print your own if you have a 3D printer but just need some help with it. You can see a few of my designs in the 3D print subforum under do-it-yourself. The threads reference the .stl's that are saved on thingiverse.
TT
(Definitely not doing another residency, despite the scoundrels. I can't understand how the scoundrels still weasle a 2M retirement bonus after they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. They must have something on somebody.)
I can also help you print your own if you have a 3D printer but just need some help with it. You can see a few of my designs in the 3D print subforum under do-it-yourself. The threads reference the .stl's that are saved on thingiverse.
TT
(Definitely not doing another residency, despite the scoundrels. I can't understand how the scoundrels still weasle a 2M retirement bonus after they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. They must have something on somebody.)
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Can you please educate a headlight upgrade "newbie"? Why doesn't LED work well with the NSX projector lens housings...or, since that statement was made nearly two years ago, have things changed due to newer & better LED bulb technology?
There's this new FB thread post on the topic, my birthday is in about three weeks, my wife asked me for "gift ideas / suggestions, my GPW '92 NSX is still on OEM bone-stock headlights, so I'd like to pinpoint a headlight upgrade kit that I can email my wife a link to follow.
If you're still offering the kit you created, can you send me a link to how one can order one of your kits, how much is it, and is it "plug & play", or a kit that involves some tinkering & modifications?
Lastly, of the brands mentioned in the Facebook thread below, what is your opinion and/or pros & cons of those LED/HED bulb sets?
I'm looking for the brightest & longest distance headlight beams possible.
Thank You!
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I just put Boslla B1 bullets (LED upgrade bulbs) into the stock projector lenses in my 1995 and I'm very happy with the results. A bunch of Primers did the same a few years ago and I went with their recommendation. Great illumination without blinding other drivers, and not very expensive. Those bulbs are 30 W/bulb, about 4 times as bright as stock because LED's are more efficient than incandescent. There are a bunch of MUCH brighter options now, but you run the risk of blinding oncoming traffic. Also, they run very hot (in the dust caps) and I know a couple of guys returned them & went back to the B1's. This is probably worth a read, as you will probably find your adjustors are frozen if they haven't been replaced since new:
I have older HID's in my '01 ($600 back then), which are just as good on low beam, with perhaps ever so slightly better beam pattern, but LED's have come down in price so much that I wouldn't pay the $$$ (& PITA installing ballasts) for HID's now. Also, HID's take a few seconds to warm up, so they're no good for flashing, if you need that function. I'm going to put in LED's on my high beams for flashing, probably 40-50 W. I would say LED's have passed HID's by, as can be seen on a lot of new car.
I have older HID's in my '01 ($600 back then), which are just as good on low beam, with perhaps ever so slightly better beam pattern, but LED's have come down in price so much that I wouldn't pay the $$$ (& PITA installing ballasts) for HID's now. Also, HID's take a few seconds to warm up, so they're no good for flashing, if you need that function. I'm going to put in LED's on my high beams for flashing, probably 40-50 W. I would say LED's have passed HID's by, as can be seen on a lot of new car.
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I agree with Tim. My Hikari 35W LEDs did an amazing job on the pitch black drives to and from NSPO in Texas. Amazing light beam, very bright, huge distance and no weird artifacts. Most OEMs are using LED as well these days. Technology never stops.
The light output pattern of an LED bulb is quite different than that of an incandescent bulb, with HID also not being the same but, still closer than an LED. A 35W LED will typically have more light output than a comparable 35W HID due to being more efficient which is why it might appear to work better.
Drop in LEDs are cheap and easy, require no ballasts or other invasive retrofit work, and still work better than stock which is why they are so popular these days. Anything that keeps the stock projector assembly will be pretty mediocre compared to a proper modern LED or HID setup though purely due to the geometry of the projector assembly not being very good even for incandescent bulbs, they're from 1990 so not much more you can expect for tech that old.
The bottom line is if you aren't a headlight snob/nerd then drop in LEDs with the extended dust caps are the way to go.
As far as nerd things go I think it could be a cool project to 3D print custom headlight housings to fit modern LED projectors such as the Morimoto MLED, the biggest limitation is the lack of clear lenses and lack of space inside the housings but both of these could be solved with a new housing, which could be designed to use a flat lexan lense or something like that...maybe after the other projects are closer to completion...
Drop in LEDs are cheap and easy, require no ballasts or other invasive retrofit work, and still work better than stock which is why they are so popular these days. Anything that keeps the stock projector assembly will be pretty mediocre compared to a proper modern LED or HID setup though purely due to the geometry of the projector assembly not being very good even for incandescent bulbs, they're from 1990 so not much more you can expect for tech that old.
The bottom line is if you aren't a headlight snob/nerd then drop in LEDs with the extended dust caps are the way to go.
As far as nerd things go I think it could be a cool project to 3D print custom headlight housings to fit modern LED projectors such as the Morimoto MLED, the biggest limitation is the lack of clear lenses and lack of space inside the housings but both of these could be solved with a new housing, which could be designed to use a flat lexan lense or something like that...maybe after the other projects are closer to completion...
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Piling on... But FWIW, I have the Boslla B1 bullets as well, and they're the best of all the options I've tried since I bought my car 30 years ago: Original halogens, brighter halogens done right with harnesses and relays, @whiteNSXs HID low beams with halogen highs, HID low and high.
HID low beams had the best light quality, but LED low beams are very close -- and LED high beams are way better than HID (or halogen) highs. Plus, as mentioned above, LEDs turn on instantly. And I no longer have to worry about shortening the bulb life every time I flash my high beams.
HID low beams had the best light quality, but LED low beams are very close -- and LED high beams are way better than HID (or halogen) highs. Plus, as mentioned above, LEDs turn on instantly. And I no longer have to worry about shortening the bulb life every time I flash my high beams.
Happy 2025!
This is a great thread and hoping folks can share their latest experiences.
I’m aware of the option for running Boslla + extended dust caps.
Anyone running any other plug-n-play LEDs they’d recommend for both low and high beams?
FWIW, I tried fitting a set of Fahren LEDs today (https://www.forenner-auto.com/). They’re *supposed* to be compatible with my ‘93 but I gave up because there seems to be no way to mate it with the metal retaining clip. Unlike Boslla whose positioning ring (with the 3 tabs) is removable, Fahren LEDS are 1 piece and will not fit through the retaining clip.
** UPDATE re: Fahren LEDs **
Learned from an NSX owner that the positioning ring actually is removable and the units can be used. Remove the o-ring to reveal 2 hidden set screws. Unscrew both to enable the positioning ring to come off. Remove the positioning ring, slip the metal retaining clip on, then reinstall the positioning ring and set screws.
Thanks!
This is a great thread and hoping folks can share their latest experiences.
I’m aware of the option for running Boslla + extended dust caps.
Anyone running any other plug-n-play LEDs they’d recommend for both low and high beams?
FWIW, I tried fitting a set of Fahren LEDs today (https://www.forenner-auto.com/). They’re *supposed* to be compatible with my ‘93 but I gave up because there seems to be no way to mate it with the metal retaining clip. Unlike Boslla whose positioning ring (with the 3 tabs) is removable, Fahren LEDS are 1 piece and will not fit through the retaining clip.
** UPDATE re: Fahren LEDs **
Learned from an NSX owner that the positioning ring actually is removable and the units can be used. Remove the o-ring to reveal 2 hidden set screws. Unscrew both to enable the positioning ring to come off. Remove the positioning ring, slip the metal retaining clip on, then reinstall the positioning ring and set screws.
Thanks!
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Hikari 2020 LED set. I really like them- plenty of light and drop-in.
Honestly, you're going to get the most bang for the buck with the Bosllas + extended caps. Very easy and inexpensive mod.
If you want even better lighting you'll need to do a proper retrofit:
Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks for the guidance!Honestly, you're going to get the most bang for the buck with the Bosllas + extended caps. Very easy and inexpensive mod.
If you want even better lighting you'll need to do a proper retrofit:
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