kojack84 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 So I don't post here too much, but thought I should start doing it more often since I'm beginning to finally mod the legacy. After much research and digging I decided to do a HID retrofit to the subi. I have always hated halogen lights so this is one step towards making the car that much more enjoyable for myself. Parts:RX-330 Projectors w/ E30 clear lenseshttp://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0192.jpg Slim Denso Ballasthttp://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0193.jpg New Phillips 85122 Bulbs (not unwrapping until ready)http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0194.jpg Still waiting on the H7 wiring harness, should be here today/tomorrow. I was going to install them this weekend, but it's damn cold out right now(20*) so I'm going to have to put them off until another weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
churnee Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbev21 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 looks good but IMO alot of work, why not just buy a $60 HID kit install it and call it a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 While the plug-and-play H7s will result in more than "acceptable" lighting improvements on the BL/BP's factory projectors (even without worrying about the "squirrel finder" holds in the cut-off-shield) - and be noticeably brighter - a full-optics retro, using quality components, will result in again noticeably superior performance. There are some detailed side-by-side comparisons on various threads here, the difference is obvious. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 looks good but IMO alot of work, why not just buy a $60 HID kit install it and call it a day? It's not that much work haha. Remove bumper, bake lights, swap projectors, reassemble. And as stated, the huge increase in output/performance of true HID's over fake ones is worth the little effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjbev21 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Ic ic well I agree that our projectors are kinda... Eh. I'm curious to see were this is going... And I'm almost positive you can take out our projectors without baking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimbeaver Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I'm running the same setup! You should do the shield mod as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Picking this up now that there's a heatwave of nice weather in CT (42*) TRS harness soldered up to ballast wiring:http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0200.jpg Lights baked and projectors apart:http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0202.jpg New projectors installed!http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0205.jpg Closeup:http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0206.jpg Backed back together and where the ballasts will be mounted:http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0208.jpg Things left: -Mount the ballasts better. PS isn't mounted at all and DS is ghetto-rigged. Ran out of time and needed a quick solution. -Seal up the wiring area. Ran the ballast wiring through the back cap of the headlight. This area wasn't sealed up due to time, but works for 1-2 days. Will need to silicone this up tomorrow. -Aim headlights. Lights are not aimed at all. I'm sure I'll piss some people off driving home tonight but hell, it's only for 1 night. I actually ran out of time since I am working second shift this week, so I had to throw the lights back in the car and put it all together so I can drive to work. Tomorrow I'm going to take them back out and finish the above stuff. Looking forward to what they look like when I drive home tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jws3 Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Really? Bake the lights? Doesn't that ruin them, or at least run a big risk? HOw do you get them back together & ensure a good, weather tight seal? Seems easier to buy whole new lights & do you work on them-this way the car can be returned to stock rather easily. I really wonder why Subaru doesn't get smart & offer HIDs, at least in their higher line models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 "Baking" is a very common practice, for light modification. The Legacy-specific steps are shown in the Walk-Through thread: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3737&highlight=headlamp The two most popular ways of achieving the goal of opening up the factory headlamp housing are "baking" - literally popping it into a large enough oven - or using, carefully, a heat-gun. Both methods aim to temporarily melt the sealant that joins the outer aero/dust lens of the headlamp with the backing main unit, thus allowing for access. Resealing is simply a matter of re-heating and popping the halves back together - either with or without new sealant. I've had my LGT's headlamps apart now for going on a half-dozen times. No problems with weathersealing. <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Finally re-did mounting the ballasts and the bulb wiring. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0209.jpg http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0213.jpg Screwed the ballast down to the bottom of the light housings http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0210.jpg Bought new dust caps and routed the wiring through the side. Seems to be as clean as possible of a way to use denso ballasts without cutting anything(not ideal) http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0211.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Before pics: In-car (yes, they were misaligned as I had just gotten the car back from an accident) http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0197.jpg Outside drivers window http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0198.jpg Zoomed on cutoff: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0199.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 After pics: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0214.jpg Outside drivers window: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0215.jpg Zoomed on cutoff: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0216.jpg Roadside pic: http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/subi_retro/IMG_0219.jpg I love it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benders Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 DAMN MAN. Looks really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisbers Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 +1 - nice job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilclssn Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 very cool man, so noob question as far as HID's but can someone define the "squirrel spotter" please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndmx52 Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Looking great! I have my RX330/E30 lens setup sitting on my table right now just waiting for a really nice weekend day to throw in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Thanks everyone! very cool man, so noob question as far as HID's but can someone define the "squirrel spotter" please? Sure. There's a small opening in the cutoff shield, below the cutoff that allows some reflected light to pass through it and thus show up above the cutoff. FWIW, I filled in my cutoff shield which is why there is no light above the cutoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniStiGuy Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Nice Job. OEM HID's Rx330 Retro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I see the improvement but I have to wonder if it's worth the added expense and effort. Congrats on having some of the few directly-comparable comparison pictures in existence. Good location, same shots from the same angles are ideal to show the differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniStiGuy Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I have comparison shots but they just didn't come out very well and I have to drive over 30 miles to just get to the place where I take the shots and work on my car since I can't do it at my apartment. OEM HID's Rx330 Retro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 Nice Job. Thanks! Your write-up certainly helped a ton with this so thank you for that. I see the improvement but I have to wonder if it's worth the added expense and effort. Congrats on having some of the few directly-comparable comparison pictures in existence. Good location, same shots from the same angles are ideal to show the differences. Effort I could care less about, expense I can see some might say no. I should've taken an old roadside pic to illustrate the real differences between the two. The HID spread is wider and farther than the halogen ever was. Let alone much brighter in the usable area in front of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniStiGuy Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 if I ever get enough time in the near future to do my shield swap and a few other things to the lights again I'll take more comparo's for everyone. We'll just make a big photo library together for these people. OEM HID's Rx330 Retro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starbai007 Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 From a fellow retrofitter of e46's in my Mazda that cutoff is too damn sexy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kojack84 Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 Added this to my retro. Found a thermally conductive resin that helps seal out moisture/air that is meant for electronics. Poured it into both of my ballasts, let them dry for 2 days, fired them up(while standing back), and they work fine! http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/stang_retro/P1070051.jpg http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/Kojack84/stang_retro/P1070052.jpg Just some added security since they are technically mounted out in the open. p.s. I picked up my vendor account and will be offering my services to anyone who wants a retrofit of their own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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