Latest headlight conversion kits

"You've seen the light"

All cars have headlights. One of the most distinctive features of a car is usually the shape of the headlight.

Many people complain that their headlights are boring and not bright enough but seem content to put up with it and spend money elsewhere on the car.

We will obviously mention tail light conversions.

If you are changing the headlight style you might just as well follow the theme along and fit matching or complimentary tail lights.

Complete the look and change the indicator repeaters as well when you have located a suitable headlight conversion kit.

Popular current trends of headlight conversions among TorqueCars members include Lexus style lights which utilise clear lenses and coloured bulbs and angel eyes which were popularised by BMW. Most headlights utilise different lenses for main beam, dipped and fog light, often these are usually covered by a single glass cover.

Why not take the opportunity to change for a tri or quad lamp unit which change the whole look of the car providing 3 or 4 circular lenses for each beam function in a clear, silver black or even carbon fibre surround.

The classic circular headlight conversions are certainly in at the moment and look quite nice when contrasted with a black headlight surround or even a body colour coded surround. (Cue a round headlight revival from leading car manufacturers!) Conversion kits are now available allowing you to colour code your headlight surround to match the colour of your car and they are fitted with easily removable front glass for easy access.

Lexus style clear or crystal lenses look great but the coloured bulb can spoil the effect. Thankfully coloured bulbs are now available with a silvered finish so the bulb does not show through at all through the lens unless it is turned on.

Angel Eyes, Quad, HID, Bulb upgrades, coloured bulbs the list goes on with a steady supply of new innovations.

HID - Colour appears blue from some angles due to the frequency of the light. Aftermarket kits are available for most cars converting them to HID bulbs but in the UK and indeed many other countries this is not legal unless your car is fitted with automatic headlight levelling (a manual switch inside the car is not sufficient) and the lights must be approved for road use.

HID lights emit a bright clear light at a similar frequency to daylight thereby reducing eye strain and allowing you to see further up the road ahead. They require an additional ballast to power them as the light is created by an arc rather than a glowing filament.

The only effective way of converting to a HID light is to get a complete head lamp assembly from your car maker and fit this as bulbs, lamp covers and the beam pattern need to be matched up.

With some imagination and a little body styling you can create a totally unique look.

LED (Light emitting diodes) are a new form of bulb, certainly to an automotive application which has a couple of big advantages. Firstly they last for 5000 hours which is substantially more than any standard bulb fitment and secondly they use less power and emit virtually zero heat compared with conventional bulbs fitted by the manufacture.

The actual bulbs are generally made up from a number of LED bulbs arranged in a cluster and although the bulbs are clear they will glow in their designed colour so Red or Amber.

LED bulbs have not yet hit mainstream headlight applications but already there are some promising innovations and soon changing a bulb in a car will be a thing of the past and the annoyance of coming back to a car which had its lights left on overnight will not necessarily result in a flat battery.

Most headlight kits are easy to fit although with some cars you may need to remove the front bumper. As with any DIY job TorqueCars recommends that you consult a manual to get some car specific pointers. If you want some ideas then feel free to join our forum and get some suggestions from our friendly members.

When fitting any electronics to a car you should always disconnect the battery in accordance with your makers instructions taking care to note your radio code, alarm settings and any thing else that may be affected by a loss of power.

A new headlight conversion kit is fairly easy to install but you must get it properly aligned by a specialist before you use the lights. Even if you remove and refit a headlight unit you should get the alignment checked. Always ensure that if you  buy a headlight conversion kit you get one that is legal and approved for road use noting the local requirements particularly in respect of tinted or coloured bulbs.

This article was written by Waynne Smith on TorqueCars, and I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Body & Exterior, Styling. You can leave a response below or join TorqueCars forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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