Better headlights for 96?

[ERIC]

Hey All,

I'm not having any luck at all trying to find some aftermarket replacement headlights for my 96 XLT. As you are probably aware, the stock lenses tend to fog or yellow over time, and frankly, the light output wasn't all that great to begin with. In addition, my wife bought a car with precision ground headlights, and now I am really unhappy having driven her car...kind of like having searchlights blasting away!

Anyhow, I tried posting on General Explorations to see if someone knew of a source for precision ground headlights for a 96 and got no responses. Now, I'm hoping this board might be able to help me find any headlight replacements that will improve my "dim outlook."

 

[Stic-o]

Hey All,

I'm not having any luck at all trying to find some aftermarket replacement headlights for my 96 XLT. As you are probably aware, the stock lenses tend to fog or yellow over time, and frankly, the light output wasn't all that great to begin with. In addition, my wife bought a car with precision ground headlights, and now I am really unhappy having driven her car...kind of like having searchlights blasting away!

Anyhow, I tried posting on General Explorations to see if someone knew of a source for precision ground headlights for a 96 and got no responses. Now, I'm hoping this board might be able to help me find any headlight replacements that will improve my "dim outlook."

There is nothing available. ...and if there was! You could sell them by the truckload here probally

 

[EMG7895]

If there are any i would like to know about them, mine are real messed up (left one is real bright because i got replaced after a rollover but the right is dim and as far as i know its original)

 

[ERIC]

There is nothing available. ...and if there was! You could sell them by the truckload here probally

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Say it ain't so!!!

Well, that explains the lack of responses on Gen-Expl.

OK, then, is it possible to replace the lenses in the stock units, or do you get the privelege of buying the whole headlight assembly?

Or maybe I need to put driving lights in the grill or something...I just can't get on with these 2 candlepower lights anymore...hell, the deer on the side of the road are laughing at me!!!!!!!! :mattmoon: Seriously, tho, I think i have entered the "danger zone" as far as poor illumination.

 

[huskyfan23]

HID projectors

 

[ERIC]

HID projectors

OK, so why Mercedes? And what kind of a mess was it stuffing them in your ride?

 

[huskyfan23]

The brand is Hella, used in most high-end luxury cars. I chose these because they're bi-xenon, so high and low-beam. They're A LOT brighter than halogen. If you just shove an HID kit in there you'll get all kinds of glare. The projectors guide the light so there's barely any glare, even with the ripples on the stock lenses. I got the projectors installed by a guy, Hawk284, on Hidforum.com.

 

[ERIC]

The brand is Hella,
snip
I got the projectors installed by a guy, Hawk284, on Hidforum.com.

Sounds great! too bad I live just 500' from the end of the world and the possibility of me finding someone to custom fit a projector housing is slim indeed. Damn...that's a nice setup you've got.

But you are saying you kept the crappy factory lenses and the retrofit was enough to burn right through them?

 

[huskyfan23]

Yes. There is a way to sand those ripples down but it's a long process. Everyone that knows about HID lightning was surprised how those fresnels (ripples) didn't affect the light much at all. You have a '96 so it might be completely different. When I sent my housings to the guy to get him to fit the projectors, they came out with diamond lenses for 1st gens, which would've been even better. Too late now, but I'm very satisfied. Now I look like an X5 from far away HIDforum has lots of retrofitters. This guy lived in MA, so pretty much as far from me as one can get. Have you tried Silverstars? They're an improvement over stock.

 

[Bill Kemp]

For less than $100. you can get new headlights here: http://motors.search.ebay.com/ford-...trefQ3DC6QQsosortpropertyZ2Q26sosortorderQ3D2 It will make a big difference.
Next you can get a headlight harness that will put a full 14 volts or so to the bulbs. http://suvlights.tripod.com/suvlightscom/ It will make some difference.
Changing to Silverstar or any "HID like" bulb will only color the light it wont increase it.
Adding aftermarket fog & driving lights will make the deer sit up and take notice. Although I would deffinetly do the headlights first.

 

[ERIC]

This guy lived in MA, so pretty much as far from me as one can get.

OK...I thought you were working with a local shop. Yeah, I can take the housings out and ship them off...the UPS guy is selling his donkey and getting a truck next week, I'm told, so I'm good to go.

Anyhow, all this sounds like a good possibility for me if I can afford it. How much did all this cost you? And how long did it take for the guy to do the retrofit?

 

[ERIC]

For less than $100. you can get new headlights here: http://motors.search.ebay.com/ford-...trefQ3DC6QQsosortpropertyZ2Q26sosortorderQ3D2

Thanks, Bill. If I can't justify the retrofit Huskyfan has outlined, this will be my next choice...gotta do something to get more light.

 

[huskyfan23]

Cost me around $600. That's with new housings, bi-xenon projectors, Hella ballsts & ignitors, Philips 4300k bulbs, shipping to and fro, and the payment for his work ($150). It took a little over a month, only because he was having trouble with UPS. He was done a couple days after he got everything in though.

 

[Bill Kemp]

You sure dont want to spend the bucks to put projectors behind your old yellowed lenses. Seems no matter how you go you need new headlights.

 

[huskyfan23]

You definitely don't wanna use old lenses.

 

[ERIC]

For less than $100. you can get new headlights here: http://motors.search.ebay.com/ford-...trefQ3DC6QQsosortpropertyZ2Q26sosortorderQ3D2 It will make a big difference.

Bill, I think I am going to go this route. I didn't want to spend more than $400 on the headlights having just put close to $2500 into other maintenance and upgrade items in the past three months. However, if the new assemblies aren't enough, I guess I'll use them for a few months, put the old ones back in and then send the newer ones off to the guy Huskyfan recommended.

Thanks to everyone who has offered ideas and guidance on this problem. I do really appreciate the help.

 

[alphabets13]

after my accidnet i bought brand new headlights and clear corners for my X and the setup looks great. so clean and new looking. just get the heads and corners too from ebay cheap and you won't be sorry. then throw some silverstar headlight and corner light bulbs in there and you'll be cruisin in style.