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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: aqxea2500 on February 28, 2006, 10:44:38 PM

Title: Good idea?
Post by: aqxea2500 on February 28, 2006, 10:44:38 PM
Well I just got an idea to improve my headlight, I was looking at my brothers Mazda 3 and the lights on that car are really great and they are not even HID's. So I was thinking of getting either the passenger or driver side headlight taking it apart and use the projector as my low beam and the other as my high beam as it does on the car. I am thinking of stacking the lights on top of eachother and have a switch to choose either high or low beam. Now my question is would it be possible to mount these in my gs550f's stock headlamp by simply cutting a hole in which the lights will fit and then using epoxy to glue them on? or would I need to use something else to secure the lights.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: 3imo on February 28, 2006, 10:52:44 PM
I would say that it sounds like a good Idea but I'd have to see what light you are talking bout first.

I still have this in my head  :o http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=24445.0 :o
(hhmm vile..again??)

post pics dude.

one thing. be careful what kindsa glue you use around glass or plastics. the fumes can cause damage.
especially epoxies and superglues.
my pennies.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on February 28, 2006, 10:59:38 PM
Projectors are 3-piece assemblies:  Reflector, lense, lense frame.

The reflector will be bolted to the headlight structure and the frame and lense assembly will protrude into the structure.  Once you take one apart it's easy to figure out they should be set up.

The hardest part of doing this is getting the reflectors bolted in at the perfect angles.  It's actually very hard.  I can also tell you that quality projectors are not small.  You're looking at having two 65~90mm lenses with bodies exceeding 100~120mm, with a total length on some setups up to 200mm.  I'm not sure how big the F headlight is, but you have very little chance of putting quality projectors in it...there isn't anything out that isn't worth the effort, though.

I'd suggest going with '99~'00 Cougar projectors.  They're a quality Bosche unit and I use them for a lot of things with success...they're a little more compact than most, too.  I will warn you, though:  composite housings (like the stock F's light) are far superior to ANY halogen projector unit.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: aqxea2500 on February 28, 2006, 11:54:31 PM
 So its best to stay with the stock headlamp and just put in better bulbs?? Right now I have the silverstars but they seem to burnout quick, and I had one burn out today so I put in a crappy one that looks yellow.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on February 28, 2006, 11:58:26 PM
Silverstars are brighter but not necessarilly better.  Most of them burn too hot and can actually damage the reflector's surface.  So yeah, it's best to stick with the stock fixture and quality bulbs (bosch, GE, etc).

The only real way to get a substantial improvement without any sacrafice is to install the projectors and invest a few hundred bucks in HID equipment.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Trwhouse on March 01, 2006, 09:01:36 AM
Hi there,
I replaced my whole headlamp assembly years ago with a 60/55 watt 7-inch Hella halogen light, bought at a local import car parts store.
It works great, with a much farther and wider beam of light, especially on high beam.
They cost about $40 to $50 and are well worth it. The Hella lamp fits in the stock GS500 chrome bezel and mounting hardware.
I've also used Bosch light assemblies with good results.
Good luck,
Todd
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 09:04:05 AM
^also a good idea
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Jake D on March 01, 2006, 09:06:57 AM
Mak: you totally amaze me sometimes with all the stuff you know about the strangest things.  What do you do for a living?  I get the impression your full time job is taking cars and bikes apart and building stuff out the parts.   :icon_lol:
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 09:10:12 AM
That's essentially what I do...
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Jake D on March 01, 2006, 03:38:35 PM
Do you work for yourself? 
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 03:43:17 PM
Depends on how you look at it:

I run a parts business that specializes in breaking cars and parting them out instead of repairing them.  Said business also specializes in producing the MakBox Suzuki EFI remapping tool, making single side swingarms for the TL1000S, 5.5" rear wheel kits for the NT650 Hawk GT and Marchesini/etc adaptors for the SSSA VFR.  However, considering I'm the kind of guy who likes to get paid for the amount of work involved instead of the going rates for the same services elsewhere, I make almost no money.  So on the side I work nights 60 hours a week watching cows and feedyard equipment age.

...on the other hand, the nightwatch jobs allows to me bring my work to work.  I think I sleep like 4 hours a day.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Jake D on March 01, 2006, 03:48:35 PM
That's cool. 

What is the strangest thing you've ever seen a cow do?
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 03:51:42 PM
Get struck by lightning.  He didn't really do it, though...he just stood there.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Jake D on March 01, 2006, 04:05:14 PM
 :o :laugh:

Did it survive?  Was it burned up?  Did it explode or anything? 
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: manofthefield on March 01, 2006, 04:16:59 PM
Ooooooooo Mak is about to hit 4 digits in his post count!  Congrats Mak :cheers:

Re: what you do for a living... sounds like fun(not the cow watching), wish i could get by with 4 hours of sleep sometimes
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:17:43 PM
I'm not really sure.  This yard is out in the middle of the country on a plateau and the power was out at the time.  It's crazy black out here when the power goes out and there's no sky-lighting.  I just happened to be looking out the window at the black and BAM!  This cow sitting all by himself on a mound in the pen gets nailed mid-back.  All I know is he died.

One time I got lost walking between the office and the yard truck.  20 feet, total.  Half way there the power kills and I stumbled...lost my focus and walked around for 30 minutes before I found anything.

WOOT!  Post #1000

Now can my post count be reset?
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: pandy on March 01, 2006, 04:25:39 PM
Quote from: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:17:43 PM
WOOT!  Post #1000

Now can my post count be reset?

Careful what you ask for....mine did not reach over 10k on its own!  :o :laugh:
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:28:08 PM
yeah I know...I just get so tired of the post count comments.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: pandy on March 01, 2006, 04:34:40 PM
Quote from: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:28:08 PM
yeah I know...I just get so tired of the post count comments.

Try being known as the biggest PostWhore.  :flipoff: :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:51:31 PM
You get posative flak...I do not.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Alphamazing on March 01, 2006, 04:53:12 PM
Quote from: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:51:31 PM
You get posative flak...I do not.

Only from one... distinctive... member, though!
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:56:11 PM
One consistant one...but that member occasionally has an echo or two.

What can I say, though?  Whiney people annoy me...since I can't beat them up over the internet, I seek ways to shut them up.

Back to the previous topic at hand...I just saw a cow rubbing it's ass on a steel cable.  Aside the one getting hit by lightning, that's really as odd as they get.
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: pandy on March 01, 2006, 05:49:22 PM
Quote from: makenzie71 on March 01, 2006, 04:51:31 PM
You get posative flak...

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I've never heard it called that before, but I guess I can live with it!  :cheers: :thumb:

As for those who annoy us...best to ignore them.  :dunno_white: :icon_twisted:
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: Jake D on March 02, 2006, 08:08:34 AM
Mak, I don't think I've said anything about your post count since your first day.  And I only mentioned it because I thought it was funny.  I hope you're not talking about me.  I feel bad about making fun of you your first day. 
Title: Re: Good idea?
Post by: makenzie71 on March 02, 2006, 09:46:43 AM
Don't worry about it, Jake...we're cool.