F-150 Projector Headlights

[Christian]

I have been looking to install projector type headlights with a clear lense on my Explorer but unfortunately I cant find a vendor that makes them. So thinking I may have to do some modifications I figure that the headlight of a 97 F-150 would work on the Explorer grille with some minor modifications. First I traced the headlight area and the signal/parking lamp area that is right above to see if it was shaped like the F-150's. After I traced it and cut it out (made a template sorta) I placed it over the headlight unit of the F-150. Perfect Shape!. Now I need to find out if the headlight adjusting bracket will work in the front grille area of the Explorer. I will need to replace the whole L-shaped signal and parking lamp unit with a unit from a 98-01 Mercury Mountaineer. The Mountaineer turn signal unit should fit perfect and allow the whole unit of the F-150 headlight to work. The Mountaineer turn signal is also a clear lense unit with a diamond background. The F-150 already uses the same headlight bulb (9007) and the same fog light bulb (H3) as the Explorer, so no need of rewiring the bulb connectors. Like to know if anyone has ever tried this to see if it truly works. I am going to buy a used F-150 headlight unit with adjusting bracket to start my project. If it works, my Exploere will have a unique front end look to it with clear lense projector type healights. Let me hear some comments on this guys, thanks alot

 

[mattadams]

Christian, when I was working on Heath's explorer a few weeks back we put one of my f-150's headlights in and found that it might require some fiberglass work and the bracket work you mentioned. Have you got the lights you need yet? I am taking the APC projectors out of my F-150 soon and they will be for sale. I'm replacing them on my F-150 with HID lights.

 

[jssong]

if u can make it work, im sure many members on this board will be willing to pay for u to make more of them. good luck

 

[DarkFox1]

indeed.. if you get it to work please do show us!

btw if corner lenses becomes a problem.. use a mountaineer lense. I mean, since the F-150 lense is larger in that area.

 

[DarkFox1]

a concept picture.. i dont know about yall but ths got me thinkin.

please excuse the dirty truck.. I'm no photoshop master.. but the lense practically falls into place

 

[jimbo74]

that is sweet

 

[mattadams]

Darkfox I dont think its close enough to just "fit in" there. The angle is slightly different though the height is almost exactly the same.

 

[jssong]

it was said that the side corners lights of the f150 were too big, but the ones from a mountaineer are about the right size. but they dont make the clearcorners for mountaineers.. any ideas on how we can make clears? by breaking the orange part?

 

[Stic-o]

I REMBER SOMETHING

My fiance use to have an 98' escort and you could do clear corners by pulling the lens a part and just removing the orange lens. I don't know if it's the same as the mount. but just an idea.

 

[DarkFox1]

yea, that probablly would work, if you look at the 98+ mount. lenses, they seem ot have an orange wall just kind of.. sitting there.

I know what yall are saying, the angle is obviously different, I'm saying when I copied the image and pasted it into my file on photoshop.. the thing only needed to be scaled down a bit and then it pratically set itself where I wanted it to go.

I beleive the major differences are gonna be the angle (which certain kinds of these projectors may not hav th esame angle) the curve of the inner portion of the light, and the size of the lense width wise may leave a gap between the montaineer lense and the F-150 light.

but I'm still willing to research it! hehe, I'm tempted to go get an F-150 lense from a junkyard and play around.. but I probablly wont

 

[Stic-o]

Damm-it

Now i wish my dad still had his '99 150

 

[Christian]

Hey if any of you guys are going to try this little project let me know. Like I mentioned when I started this posting is I plan on going to a junkyrard first before I buy the projector headlights. When I put my template it looked to me like there wouldnt be a gap between the Mountaineer turn signals and the F-150 headlight. But STAY TUNE!

 

[jssong]

cant wait... remember to put pics and how to write up

 

[Stic-o]

I was thinking!

What about a toyota tundra headlight?

 

[mattadams]

another thing for you guys to look into if you are looking at this mod that MIGHT make it easier (not really sure)... if you look at an early 97 (actually like the first half of the year for 97 as production date), the F-150's had the headlights and the corner lights in one unit, including aiming pins, etc. It's POSSIBLE that if you could find one of these all you would have to do is cut away your explorers grill a big and install it, and maybe do something to fill in the gap left by the angle.

 

[DarkFox1]

sounds like good advice. I dont know what model year most of the F-150s in the yard here are.. but I know they have the specific design of headlight that one would need...

 

[mattadams]

well the 97-current design of the headlights is the same (up until 2004 when its getting some KICKASS changes). The headlights all have the same shape and everything but like I said, the early 97's just mount a bit differently. From mid-97 current one headlight will be exactly the same as the other (unless you look at lightnings, harleys, etc.)

 

[DarkFox1]

matt didn't you have some sort of projector lense you tried on your truck and didn't like? those were really more of the kind I was looking for if someone was gonna do this conversion... would they fit? and do you have any remaining pics of those?

I'm really speaking omre conceptually than actually doing any labor Im not about to cut on my truck, but you never know

 

[mattadams]

I bought some projectors which I still have installed... I've since purchased some HID's, but not 100% sure I'm going ot install them... here are the projectors (have bought clear corners since pics were taken just haven't got pics online)

They should be able to be mounted in the early 97 brackets.

 

[Black Magic]

I bought some projectors which I still have installed... I've since purchased some HID's, but not 100% sure I'm

Why wouldn't you install your HID's?!?