Sleek headlight conversion: interest?
 

Biggest benefit to this setup, is that my housing, lights, relays, and harnesses weigh in at just under 10lbs for the full set. Not sure what the stock headlight assemblies weigh, or the arms/links, or motor. There's really no other serious benefit unless you want to spend the money on HID relays and ballasts after you recieve the setup.

Basically I build these using dot approved oem replacement fuxtures for various cars (mostly acura or lexus) and mount them in a eurethan bezel fitted to the headlight well on the car in question. I then include a lexan cover (I suggest investing in that sticky protective film stuff because lexan scratches easily and I can bend and shap glass propperly).

Now, I won't lie about my products. The light these will provide, while being as good as, sometimes better than, stock, it's not amazing and will not leave you in awe. The big gain you will recieve from these is a loss in weight. I also will not guaruntee their legallity in your area, I just know that they pass inspection here without a problem.

I intend to start pushing a setup for the FC RX-7 within 45 days. If interest is here, I may offer them for the '44 first, and then the 7 when I recover from the initial investment. I will be doing everything within my power to keep the costs under $400 (shipped to 48US). Target price is $300 (shipped to 48US).

What you guys think?

ummm.... I'm not quite visualizing......

AFJuvat

http://www.rx7club.com/attachment.ph...chmentid=45841

^that one's ugly, though...but to help with the visual...

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab/pi...E_close_up.jpg

^more like it...

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab/pi...ht_bracket.jpg

http://www.conehunter.com/pics/left_front.jpg

^bad pic on a wrecked car but still...

Any more pics of the blue car at a distance? Biggest advantage I see is eliminating having the hassles of lights not popping up sometimes, but it could also look good with the lexan cover. It would be good to see the visual of the whole car from different view points.

What you are describing has already been done.

There was a kit a few years back that let you use pontiac sunfire headlights in a 944.

AFJuvat

I have seen it a few times. Not really bad.


I am really interested in tying in other pcar lights to the fenders.
Like 968 or boxster.

So you want your 944 to look like a Nissan? Why?

will that fit? I already have a set of "small round" Hella H4/H1s... was going to use them on my Studebaker...

nate

i just want to jump in here and say that red RX7 owner has got to get his priorities straight.

I think the weight saving speaks for it's self... and you lose the complex pop up headlight system. (I have not had trouble with mine)

The look goes back to race cars or the 70's and 80's and now that look has been adopted by Japanese manufactures.

If I were building a track car (or Fusco's 944RS) I would go to something like that with fiberglass nose/hood/bumpers/fenders.

lol...that car was a parts car...wrecked and mangled from multiple directions...IIRC....

I honestly do not see the resemblence to Nissans, and sunfire lights are "inadequate"...not the look I'm aiming for.

Uhmmmm I like the idea. GT racings problem is that the headlight cover is flimsy and is not a very nice finish............and they have a tendancy to fly off at speed. If someone could make a decent pair I would be interested......... but lets just say my confidence is not high. A pair of clear lenses for the turn signals is crazy expensive. Prodcution costs are high.

Not to concerned about finding lights that will fit..........Many options out there...........but how do you plan on making the covers?

IMO that is the BIG problem......... I would like a factory look. Unless you have access to some serious equipment this will be a tough project to undertake.

And you are looking at close to $1K with all hardware, wiring, lights etc...........

I wouldn't pay 400 for a half assed set.....but I may consider paying double that for a factory finished look.

I'm equipped to handle as heavy as 1/4" plexi/lexan sheeting. I would love to be able offer a glass shield but I lack the abillity to work glass to the propper shape.

I would rather charge in the $400 area for a function based product amd sacrafice a few asthetics than charge thousands for the same materials plus a heavier cover. The biggest problem I foresee is keeping the lexan shielding clear and not scratched or scarred up. I've built these before without having problems of the lenses flying off.

I don't know how many sets you need to sell but there is certainly an interest in the fixed headlight look if you can get the fit and finish down. Better post over on Rennlist too.

But you will lose much of your following if the lights are similar to stock in performance. One other thing you may want to consider is the Hella 90mm round lenses. Those will probably work a little better but would likely kill your price target. And they also come in HID which would attract some more interest. But those would totally blow your price target out of the water. By a factor of up towards 10 unless you could strike a deal with Hella corporate in Europe, which you will never be able to do as you would be such a small potato in their eyes.

iceshark, i still want your full boat package, when will you be making another run? :)

nize, I'm finishing up another run right now. I've got about 10 of them finished so you can get a package whenever you want. :)

Iceshark...I had a nice long post written up explaining where I wanted to go with this but the forum messed it up or something happened so cliff's notes...

Mostly I want to stick the my given price range with weightloss being emphasized. I wouldn't offer the lights if they were not at least as good as stock. I want to use HELLA 90's for later kits, but they'll be MUCH more expensive ($1100 ets.)

mackenzie; didn't you sell your 944? did you get another one?

No I've still got the 944. I'm gonna be keeping her for a while...I did talk about finding an adequate substitue for her that would make a better daily car, but it'll be a while before I have to swap...

cool. as for your lights, since you're pushing the weight-savings as the main reason for them, it would help if you could provide an actual comparison between the weight of the stock components vs. weight of your conversion idea, translating to the actual weight saved.

most people looking at lighting upgrades (myself included), are looking for brighter lights and might not really be interested in saving a few pounds there. i mean if the weight savings were big then yeah i might consider it, but more likely not.

also, the people who are really interested in saving weight, ie; the dedicated track cars, usually completely remove the lights and drive without them, since you don't race at night, so perhaps the market here might be a bit low.

in my book: lights? brighter = better.