Saw some of the posts and searched on the projector mods as well, but seems the ones that refer to HID forum I can not get to. What I would like to know is just what is really needed to do this project. I was looking in one of my favorite wrecking yards and did find some projector head lights but they all seem to be projector lights with a seperate high beam(?). I guess what I am trying to determine is just what exactly I would need from a wrecked vehicle to make a projector set up work on my 4runner. How the wiring is different from the normal wiring on the OEM headlights. Things I wou ldneed to make the harness from the lights to the rest of the system (ballast, grounds hi/lo etc) I found two '99 head lights that have broken mount buckets so I got them REALLY cheap!, one will need the reflector super glued as it was cracked but the glass is prefect.

I just need to know what items I would need from the donor cars and if there is a specific model/make I need to try to get the projectors from. I found some on Hundai, VW, Celica, Mazda but they all were only a single type or am I missing something? I was reading about ballasts? I really do not understand the ins and outs of these lamps so some suggested reading or direct explainations would be appreciated. I'm sure I am not the only one with these questions. Once I get the info and can start on the mod, I will post a very easy to do write up. Pretty much like I do on my other write ups here (4runner Mods for Dummies!)
As always, thanks guys!

 

The search button is your friend

These threads should answer your questions:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/h...w-pics-133563/

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/a...l-pics-151917/

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/9...s-junk-135699/

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/m...roject-192572/

Plenty of good reading. Good luck...

 

go and register and hidplanet.com you'll learn allot and do your retro the right way and be very happy with it..compared to just throwing in an aftermarket kit

btw you want to find some bi xenon projectors, they will have a soleniod on the projector to move a shield for the highs, search on ebay for e55, fx-r, TL are some of the few

 

just search ebay for the "len" projectors and go that route. less then a hundred bucks or one twenty with the bulbs and ballasts. they fit right into your housings. cheap quick and easy.

 

Thanks, this is more of what I am looking for, information! Once I find out everything I need and how to do it I will do a write-up as well. Lots of gr8 stuff here on Yotatech, but sometimes we forget to mention to those who want to try our mods, just EXACTLY what needs to be done. I am a very much a hands on learner and need pictures, descriptions, and even the why of some of the procedures. Saves time in the long run and that saves us money! Keep the suggestions coming, recommendations are always welcome. Pitfalls, things to watch out for, tips tricks and everything else! Thanks again

 

you'll love hidplanet then..there are a ton of pics with wiring schematics for custom relay harnesses that we need for bi xenon's, tons of projector modding threads to get more color and sharper cutoff..I'm on there as well under CBRrider..start out in the University section, it will be overwhelming at first but you'll pic it up quick

 

I agree with /\ it's cheap and (crosses fingers) hopefully a lot easier just not as pretty. I was going to go with a custom retrofit and almost bought the kit from the the retrofitsource, but decided to hold off due to the holidays. Then I saw the thread with the screw on projectors and I decided on that route. My kit is coming in today and I might have time to put them in this wkd. Here is a link to the original thread.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f105...ro-kit-186175/

 

Word of advice when modding your stock headlights - Do NOT put down tape (even painter's tape) on the reflective coating of the inside of the headlight when test fitting the projectors.

I put down a few strips of blue painter's tape on the reflective coating of the headlight so as to not scratch it up w/ my repeated test fits sliding the projector in and out. Worked great until I went to remove the tape. No matter how slow I pulled it up, the reflective coating just came right off with the tape. Ended up having to trash that headlight...lesson learned. That coating is very, very thin, so just be careul working around it.

 

Gr8 safety tip, thanks Rock. Also been toying (no pun intended) with the idea of making a dual lamp headlight. Mod the Runner lamp to house both the projector and the high beam lamp that you see in most of the newer cars that do not have bi-projectors. My Celica has those type of projectors. Might make them a bit cheaper to procure parts. Do the single element projectors need a ballast as well? If I pull parts from a donor vehicle what other things will I need from it? Should I be looking for the ballast from them as well as the wiring harness so that I can adapt them to my 4runner lights?

Might have to play around a bit, maybe take one of my old '98 headlights apart to experiment on the reflector back to see it it is possible. Might end up being cheaper mod considering I am looking to scavenge parts from a wrecking yard. Depending on what I would need to get from a Yard, I could possibly get the remaining parts and have less then $100 in the whole deal. I only spent $10 on the headlights even if they did have broken buckets, I can use my old buckets. Any thoughts on this route?

I'll keep you updated along with any photos of the progress. Doing some mods with my son on his '88 Festiva, we just got a new 1.3 liter for it and will be helping him to replace his engine, along with some mods for my runner, will be a slow process but looks like this could get interesting.

Hey rockslide, when you did the Malibu hoods, was that just cosmetic? Did you use them to hide the projectors or do you need them for support of the lenses? Yours look awesome!

 

Hey rapter. post up pics of your install. Then everyone will have detailed write ups of the cheaper/ easier version as well as the expensive/ custom version. Give everyone some choices!!

 

Wish I could be of more help on the dual projector/halogen setup, but IMO it would be more difficult than just a standard HID retrofit. Good luck if do go that route.

The malibu hoods were purely cosmetic...they just hide the projector housings and help the retrofit blend in better to your stock headlight housings.

The projectors themselves hold the lenses.

 

For anyone who has opened headlights up in the past what specific glue or epoxy did you use seal up the headlights? I had read somewhere the Nissan had really good stuff, but when I call around today they had no idea of any product used to seal up lights. The response I got was " I have never heard of someone opening headlights before". I'm thinking of going to pep boys or hd and look for something to use.

 

You don't really need to get any glue for the headlights. In order to remove the glass you need to bake you headlights to heat up the glue which you can then pull apart from the housing. After you finish the retrofit it's the same thing, heat up both parts and put them back together. Once the glue cools your housing is sealed just as it was before.

 

Definitely worth the time and money.

 

Right on give me some more info on that!

 

Your lights turned out great Rapter!! I'm glad to see others are liking those projectors. I'm definitely happy with mine.