Aftermarket headlights....?
11-07-2015, 05:34 PM
#1
Aftermarket headlights....?
So, I've been wanting to replace my dull, boring headlights with something that A) is brighter and B) looks a bit cooler without spending a fortune. But I don't know where to start, as I have never ventured into the aftermarket world. Any suggestions?
11-07-2015, 05:47 PM
#2
11-07-2015, 07:18 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Oshkosh WI
Posts: 327
Retrofit is the best way to upgrade lighting to a acceptable level. The aftermarket lights on ebay make the output worse. Besides using brighter bulbs (please no HIDs) there is not much out there for a aftermarket housing that improves the output.
I battled the lack of light on the road for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and did a quad retro using J 30 projectors and celica projectors in the fogs. The difference is amazing and I'm still using stock halogen bulbs. There are better projectors to use, but I'm very happy with the results.
I wish I could give you better news. Its retro or nothing.
I battled the lack of light on the road for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and did a quad retro using J 30 projectors and celica projectors in the fogs. The difference is amazing and I'm still using stock halogen bulbs. There are better projectors to use, but I'm very happy with the results.
I wish I could give you better news. Its retro or nothing.
11-08-2015, 07:06 AM
#6
I did, a little. I'm not very creative and I don't know what looks good with our cars. I've got the dark evergreen 97 SE and the only mod I've wanted to do is plastidip the wheels. So please forgive my ignorance in this lol
I live in CNY, in the middle of nowhere in farm country, and have a record of slaying deer with my vehicles because the stock lights on these cars don't allow me to see my surroundings as well as I can with newer vehicles (like the rental I had for 3 weeks last month).
I live in CNY, in the middle of nowhere in farm country, and have a record of slaying deer with my vehicles because the stock lights on these cars don't allow me to see my surroundings as well as I can with newer vehicles (like the rental I had for 3 weeks last month).
Last edited by maxima297; 11-08-2015 at 07:12 AM.
11-08-2015, 07:12 AM
#7
Retrofit is the best way to upgrade lighting to a acceptable level. The aftermarket lights on ebay make the output worse. Besides using brighter bulbs (please no HIDs) there is not much out there for a aftermarket housing that improves the output.
I battled the lack of light on the road for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and did a quad retro using J 30 projectors and celica projectors in the fogs. The difference is amazing and I'm still using stock halogen bulbs. There are better projectors to use, but I'm very happy with the results.
I wish I could give you better news. Its retro or nothing.
I battled the lack of light on the road for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and did a quad retro using J 30 projectors and celica projectors in the fogs. The difference is amazing and I'm still using stock halogen bulbs. There are better projectors to use, but I'm very happy with the results.
I wish I could give you better news. Its retro or nothing.
11-09-2015, 12:50 AM
#11
11-09-2015, 04:35 AM
#12
And PS, I'm a girl. All curves, feminine parts etc. And I work on my own car as well as the vehicles in my family. I've considered opening my own garage, except I live 23 miles away from everyone I know. I just have zero artistic flair, so I'm coming to you folks for advice
11-09-2015, 08:45 AM
#13
I said I was considering it, mostly only because the black looks really good on my boyfriend's Jeep Wrangler.
And PS, I'm a girl. All curves, feminine parts etc. And I work on my own car as well as the vehicles in my family. I've considered opening my own garage, except I live 23 miles away from everyone I know. I just have zero artistic flair, so I'm coming to you folks for advice
And PS, I'm a girl. All curves, feminine parts etc. And I work on my own car as well as the vehicles in my family. I've considered opening my own garage, except I live 23 miles away from everyone I know. I just have zero artistic flair, so I'm coming to you folks for advice
11-09-2015, 10:57 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 2,979
I use the headlights that Nissan gave us. I installed Sylvania Ultras. Pricey, and burn out too soon, but they put out lots of light. I have also used PIAA bulbs in an other car I used to have.
It all depends on your budget, and how much light you want. I will leave looking cool up to you. I'm too old to care about looking cool. I just want to be able see at night.
It all depends on your budget, and how much light you want. I will leave looking cool up to you. I'm too old to care about looking cool. I just want to be able see at night.
11-09-2015, 12:07 PM
#15
I use the headlights that Nissan gave us. I installed Sylvania Ultras. Pricey, and burn out too soon, but they put out lots of light. I have also used PIAA bulbs in an other car I used to have.
It all depends on your budget, and how much light you want. I will leave looking cool up to you. I'm too old to care about looking cool. I just want to be able see at night.
It all depends on your budget, and how much light you want. I will leave looking cool up to you. I'm too old to care about looking cool. I just want to be able see at night.
11-09-2015, 12:10 PM
#16
I'm pretty sure these are the stock SE wheels for 97-99.
11-09-2015, 01:42 PM
#17
Yep stock se wheels, try soaking in degreaser and pressure washing to remove buildup, that should clean them up nicely for whatever you want to do with them. Btw if you make those wheels black, they tend to look like Steelies, you may want to pick a different color, there's so much meat on the tires that they just blend in
Get yourself a set of junk yard headlights in good shape and retrofit those to buy yourself as much time as needed if you plan to do it yourself
Get yourself a set of junk yard headlights in good shape and retrofit those to buy yourself as much time as needed if you plan to do it yourself
11-09-2015, 06:01 PM
#18
Yep stock se wheels, try soaking in degreaser and pressure washing to remove buildup, that should clean them up nicely for whatever you want to do with them. Btw if you make those wheels black, they tend to look like Steelies, you may want to pick a different color, there's so much meat on the tires that they just blend in
Get yourself a set of junk yard headlights in good shape and retrofit those to buy yourself as much time as needed if you plan to do it yourself
Get yourself a set of junk yard headlights in good shape and retrofit those to buy yourself as much time as needed if you plan to do it yourself
11-09-2015, 11:45 PM
#19
dude, get some gunk wheel foam cleaner and a brush. power washing isn't necessary, a little elbow grease and they'll come up clean. maybe fix that rust while your at it.
11-10-2015, 12:30 AM
#20
11-10-2015, 04:25 AM
#21
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 249
I see all the pics of maximas with rust all over the place....you all must live in the snow belt or something...my car has zero rust... It's also been in Tennessee or kentucky its whole life
11-10-2015, 09:21 AM
#22
Yea, central NY for me. This past winter destroyed my car. When I bought it in January, only that hole at the front tire existed. 3 months later when the snow finally stopped long enough to wash it, I discovered 4 more.
11-10-2015, 10:26 AM
#23
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 249
That's rough...I'm pretty lucky with mine...small town with a pull a part...there a 5 4th gen max's in it...pretty much whatever I need I have easy and and cheap access to...there is a set of j30 projectors out there I'm picking up next week...I need more light!
11-10-2015, 02:56 PM
#24
there are more posts about cleaning wheels than headlights, the point of this thread...
11-11-2015, 01:40 PM
#27
Good luck finding a Max that's not stripped apart in the UPULL USAVE over here. Haven't tried Pick N Pull in Auburn tho and I don't feel like crossing 2 county lines for it lol
11-11-2015, 03:43 PM
#28
11-13-2015, 11:09 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Oshkosh WI
Posts: 327
Not much at all.
I got a pair of J30 complete headlights off ebay for $60 shipped. Maybe another $10 in JB weld and paint. I already had the wiring and sockets to convert from 9004 to 9005 and 9006 plugs. I bought the whole headlight units as I wasn't sure what parts I was going to use. I ended up using just the dual projector assembly and lenses. I wired up relays to ensure the bulbs got the highest voltage possible, plus I was able to keep the dims on with brights, making brights amazing.
Cool thing I found at the junkyard, the mid 90's eclipse's have a bank of 3 relays sitting by the brake booster, free the rest of the electrical box. Cut and go. Works great for a little relay pack on the cheap
I posted a guide on here a few months ago. I'm very happy with the results and have no regrets about chopping up my AE'd headlights. Baking open the lenses is very easy, much easier than other cars I've worked on. Search j30 retro, it should pop up.
If you haven't done any fabricating work before, its a little nerve racking to hack up your only set of headlights.
I kept with halogens for two reasons, one to keep attention off my ride. I do a lot of night driving home from work around bar time, and cops will use anything to pull you over at that time of night. Even though people have used HIDs in the J30 projectors with good results (no scattering or glare), I don't want to chance it. I did however put a 65w bulb in the low beam housing. Second is I've heard bad things about the ebay HID kits breaking quickly. I didn't want to spend $100 for a HID setup. After I completed the headlights, I put projectors in my fogs which improved my low beam visibility nicely.
Sorry for the bumbled mess of info. I wish I would have done a retro sooner, great results and it makes the front look so much better.
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