Headlight question - Honda Prelude Forum

Emoboy2666 · 10-03-2011, 06:27 PM

Hey, just a question. I'm thinking about buying a HID kit for my lude, I've done a bit of research and i know the bulbs are H1, but I'm just wondering if HID kits provide both the bulbs (Hi and low beam), This one in particular im wondering if i need to order 2 or should they both come with. It would be great if you wouldn't mind taking a look on this site, and picking the right option.
Link is here:
NOTTO® SE - Complete HID Conversion Kit - 1997 Honda Prelude HID Kit - Notto 3-ST-NT-XXXX

Rycon · 10-03-2011, 06:50 PM

Seeing as the picture only shows 2 bulbs, I doubt it. But we know as much as you do, you need to contact the manufacturer.

Honda4Life · 10-03-2011, 06:59 PM

Pretty sure you need 2 kits but please don't buy them.

Do some more research and do a true retro fit.

Allude2Prelude9 · 10-03-2011, 09:42 PM

You would need two complete kits to have high and low beam HIDs, but as mentioned above, please don't do this. I have tried it and it is terrible. Retrofitting projectors designed to handle the light output of an HID system is a much better idea. You will have a ton more useable light output, some are Bi-Xenon which is a high and low beam setup with one bulb, and you won't be blinding everyone else on the road. Aside from all this, turning on and off an HID system as you do with high beams will severely diminish its life as they are not designed to be turned on and off rapidly. That is why Bi-Xenon systems use one bulb and and movable shield. Read up on a forum like HIDPlanet for info on retrofits and HIDs.

Emoboy2666 · 10-03-2011, 10:40 PM

i was planning to buy halo-projectors as well if that's what you mean, but i wanted to spruce up the light output e.g. HID kit. It seemed like the best way to go about it.

Allude2Prelude9 · 10-03-2011, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emoboy2666

i was planning to buy halo-projectors as well if that's what you mean, but i wanted to spruce up the light output e.g. HID kit. It seemed like the best way to go about it.

If you mean the entire headlight assembly type things you buy on EBay then no that's not what I mean. Those are projectors, but again are not designed to handle the light output of an HID system. They will work better than your regular headlights but not as well as a retrofit. By retrofit we mean taking a projector designed for HID use such as one from a TSX, S2000, TL, or FX for example and fitting them into your factory housings. This requires quite a bit of time and effort but yields the best results. Again, search around for retrofits and check out places like HIDPlanet and The Retrofit Source. More than enough info available to answer your questions.

Emoboy2666 · 10-07-2011, 06:44 AM

spec D has a great ccfl projector that will not take factory and are designed specifically for HID bulbs, and a pair of custom HID bulbs are being ordered in for me. They don't fit just plug in HID kits or stock bulbs, so im guessing its a pretty good thing

Shimee · 10-07-2011, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emoboy2666

spec D has a great ccfl projector that will not take factory and are designed specifically for HID bulbs, and a pair of custom HID bulbs are being ordered in for me. They don't fit just plug in HID kits or stock bulbs, so im guessing its a pretty good thing

Well they have obviously duped another customer.

my97lude · 12-18-2011, 04:27 PM

IMO the HID lights sorta suck on this car. Mine have the HID bulbs plugged into the OEM headlight unit for the low beams, and I can't see worth a s**t in fog, smokey conditions (common in my area from all the wood stoves), and dust. The light that is given off is too spread out and diminished. Not to mention that I have to have HID converters for each bulb sitting in the engine compartment.

If there is an entire after-market headlight unit out there (which I think has been mentioned above) that refracts the light properly I would invest in that. I'll probably be selling mine pretty soon after I get the OEM ones re-wired into it.

indylude18 · 12-18-2011, 08:16 PM

No such aftermarket headlight exists. And let's be honest here, why would any manufacturer do the R&D to start making them now? Preludes haven't been sold in 10 years.

The stock lights suck. The stock lights with HID's in them still suck, but now they also blind oncoming traffic. The only "fix" is to retrofit projectors into them, or pay someone to do it for you. Nothing on ebay is going provide better light output than the crappy stock lights. Your only options are to pay up and get the retrofits, or just live with the crappy output.

my97lude · 12-18-2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indylude18

No such aftermarket headlight exists. And let's be honest here, why would any manufacturer do the R&D to start making them now? Preludes haven't been sold in 10 years.

I agree that it is VERY unlikely that any company would do the R&D on something that they would sell so little of. Even if they did, I doubt it would be an affordable thing for us to buy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by indylude18

The stock lights suck. The stock lights with HID's in them still suck, but now they also blind oncoming traffic. The only "fix" is to retrofit projectors into them, or pay someone to do it for you. Nothing on ebay is going provide better light output than the crappy stock lights. Your only options are to pay up and get the retrofits, or just live with the crappy output.

As you said, the HID output is extremly blinding. My high beams look like 60watt incandesant bulbs comparitively.
Do you have any links you can share regarding "retro fits?"

Prelude1897 · 12-19-2011, 12:24 AM

For anyone needing a retrofit made, just PM me cause I've been building them for about 7 years now. This would probably ly be one of the best mods you do for your car, or at least that's what a lot of my customers have told me, plus I know personally that I would never go back to stock lighting again

indylude18 · 12-19-2011, 08:04 AM

^ I have TSX retrofits in Depo black housing lights made by him.

That 01 BB6 · 12-19-2011, 08:37 AM

Don't get any headlights on eBay, buy an extra set of OEM stanley headlight housings or depo housings and talk to Prelude1897.

These are my morimoto retrofits - done by him

Emoboy2666 · 12-20-2011, 03:40 AM

what about headlights that are designed for fit HID kits, as in putting in the stock bulbs, or any other bulb it was specifically built for then they wouldnt work well, if it works at all

my97lude · 12-20-2011, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emoboy2666

what about headlights that are designed for fit HID kits, as in putting in the stock bulbs, or any other bulb it was specifically built for then they wouldnt work well, if it works at all

^I don't understand your post...
Are you asking a question about, or stating that the HID conversion kits that use the stock headlight housing don't work well?

Cuz what the last 5 or so posts have said is that the HID conversion sucks because the beam is spread out too much for the driver to see well, and it blinds any on-coming traffic.

Going with the headlight housing that Prelude1897 retrofits is likely the best option for you if you want to go with the HID setup.