Light mods

944pilot · 08-09-2001, 01:33 PM

After reading the posts about upgrading to the H4 lights and the pros and cons, I think I am going to figure out a light mod along the lines of what is available for miatas these days (which have very similar lights to 944's)
This would take a bunch of figuring out and I was wondering if anyone else would be interested in a conversion like one of these.
Brian

PS I cant seem to upload pics into the posts, so check out the light pics here:

http://communities.msn.com/BrianDierksAlbum/porsche.msnw

lev · 08-09-2001, 01:45 PM

I would definitely consider such a mod if it wasnt to expensive

Blackfoot · Blackfoot's Garage

ribs · ribs's Garage

GT racing as well as a couple of others have the clear headlight covers/square bucket headlight mods (924 Carrera GT/GTR) for all 944 series cars. The covers are $170ish, the buckets are >$100, the lights...I don't know, but they look to be about 3" * 7" rectangles, and if you buy the whole kit (some place had the headlight conversion kit for ~$600) the new lights are H4's. Personally, I want to get that $600 universal philips HID kit and mount it under the clear covers...that would be wicked.

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ribs, 86' 951

ribs · ribs's Garage

I kinda like these headlights:

Check this link: GT racing's 924/944 parts and they should have the clear covers/buckets in there somewhere.

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ribs, 86' 951

Blackfoot · Blackfoot's Garage

problem is, those are still pop-ups, right?

ribs · ribs's Garage

The ones in that picture are, yes, but the clear covers and buckets from gt racing are fixed lights, in the lowered position.

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ribs, 86' 951

MBuck951 · MBuck951's Garage

If you have already upgraded to the H4's, you can plug the Philips HID kit right in.

About $650 to go from sealed beam to HID . . .worth it i'd say.

I've also seen 968's converted to use 993 HIDs, pretty wicked

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Mike Buck
My Gallery
'88 944 turbo
'89 944 NA

IceShark · 08-09-2001, 03:36 PM

Some places are selling the Phillips HID conversion kits for the mid $400s.

They won't work as good as a real and complete HID system. You stick the bulbs into a regular H4 lens. Problem is that the reflector on the lens wasn't designed for an arc capsule so the light beam isn't as it was designed.

Plus you won't have a high beam and of course there is no self leveling system like the good european HID so the odds of getting stopped by cops for illegal lights goes up. I would save my money and get a true total HID system.

944pilot · 08-09-2001, 03:53 PM

Well, I think I will start to figure out if it is feasible to design a good H4 type system that will be lower profile than the stock lights. I think that the "pop up" style is still my favorite, with the 2 small lamp units inside(like the miata one)
Brian

IceShark · 08-09-2001, 06:30 PM

When talking about lights the general rule is the bigger the reflector the better. Keep that in mind as you go for style changes.

Andre · Andre's Garage

I like the miata pop up with the 2 circular lights inside too, but the clear cover ones look good too.

DKillaPorsche · 09-29-2003, 03:04 AM

Ive also been considering taking out the popup lights and i saw a 944 that used a light conversion kit designed for a Pontiac Sunfire....these lights looked like those in the picture above. And wat about the headlights in the Nissan 300ZX headlights?? can they be used as a basis for a 944 headlite conversion?

Manute · 09-29-2003, 03:37 AM

I´m very ignorant with lights,please clarify me some things:

I´ve read here that H4 are european specs...so my 951 is german...i have that H4? What do you have in US,standard bulbs? H4 are halogen lamps,are´nt they?

The next step,what would be,the HID you are mentioning?What is that,the new xenon lights they are at good cars now? If they cost about $600,they need to be very good...if they are the xenon lamps I´m mentioning,sure they are difference...but $600 is $600.

Thank you in advance for providing me more knowledge!

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

"I kinda like these headlights:"

Get out of my house.

If I wanted my car to look like that, i'd buy a Pontiac Sunfire and put a 951 nose onto it.

Nabeel · 09-29-2003, 09:09 AM

Those look like 300ZX lights on the silver 944 above...

Manute, HID and Xenon are used interchangably when describing HID headlamps. The correct term is HID, since all lightbulbs have a small quantity of xenon gas.

IceShark · 09-30-2003, 11:36 AM

Manute, H4 is the replaceable halogen bulb itself which is built to a common specification. Some USA Department of Transportation (DOT) specification lenses use the H4 bulb, but not many. In Europe you are running E-Code specification lenses which have a different light beam pattern than DOT. But quite a few more of the E-Code lenses use the H4 halogen bulb.

Now with HID people are usually talking about two seperate type of lights. One is a fully designed system with a lens and HID arc bulb. That is what you see in the newer high end cars like a Benz, BMW, Audi. Those are usually going to cost over $600 for a set and you need to figure out how to fit them in your headlight area.

The other HID is just the HID arc blub and associated parts that you stick in an existing Halogen designed lens. These don't work so good because the Halogen designed lens pattern was designed for a filament bulb not an arc HID. These will never work as well as a true HID designed system because the light beam isn't going to shine where it was supposed to. You would get better lighting by rewiring your headlights to improve the voltage and then run overwatted H4 halogen bulbs like 90/100 watts.

Manute · 09-30-2003, 11:37 PM

Thank you!

I will take a look too see if i have H4,i suppose yes,i have it even in my old '78 ford fiesta 1.1

Even if the HID bulbs only doesn´t work fine...you can install it without problems? I mean,there is only to replace the arc bulbs?They look at least slightly better than the regular H4?