I like the idea of replacing the large, single head light with two smaller ones and keeping the head lights as pop ups. Sleek head lights look out of place, especially on a 944.

Wouldn't it be possible to retain the stock head light moters, housing.... and simply replace the head light itself with a few HID lights? Also having the head lights pop up only a few inchs gives the car a mean appearance.

I believe they are called low profile head light conversions...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1111868809.jpg

Sure, anything is possible with enough money. The Hella 90mm HIDs would be the ones to use.

More than one person has come up with this idea but everyone gives up for one reason or another. I tossed it in the trash bin due to cost.

You would have to source the lights out of Europe as the jobber price out of Hella USA is $439, EACH! You would need to get a direct purchace contract with Hella corporate to get them down under $200 each. Too high a cost to the end user, too much development effort, for too small a market. These facts usually sink into everyone that considers doing it. Which is why no one has done it.

My plan was to make them lift up just a couple inches, and use BMW X5/Audi A6 bi-xenon lights.
It would be super easy to modify the linkage to only lift the headlights half or 1/3 of the way, while still retaining all of the stock workings.

The hardest part would be to modify the buckets to accept the lights in the way I'm thinking of.

Well, you'd cut and weld as necessary to have the buckets accept the twin-light assembly. Tougher part will be to re-create the switch-board/sensor assembly in the motor that signals the relay where to start and stop the rotation. You'd only need it to raise about 3-4" and stop. Then you'd want to make some covers to seal up the sides and around the headlights. The Pantera and Miata just looks too incomplete with just bare headlights sitting out in the open...

Don't bother working inside the headlight motor. What if yours ever burns out?
Just drill new holes in the flat arms that actuate the headlights themselves. Shorten the effective length of the rod, and they won't rotate up as high. It's a little tough to explain, but it's really easy to do.
I guess you would have to modify a couple small brackets to do it, but they're all non-wear items, so you wouldn't have to worry if some headlight component (i.e. motor, pivots, etc) fails down the road.