aftermarket headlight idea! check it out! Options

[uberschall]

so, i got to thinking the other day. i'm just as disappointed as everyone else with the aftermarket headlight scene for celicas. everyone has made good points about the cost of production, design, and materials, which are the three biggest barriers to a/m availability. then it hit me. why not do an aftermarket impreza style light? they are nearly the same shape and don't have a fairing, which i think would make them pretty cheap...especially because we'd only need one projector per light, unlike the subie units.


here's an example of some aftermarket subie projectors:



and here's a crappy hand-sketched rendition of what i think they could look like on a celica:


sorry about the doodle, i'm not so handy with photoshop. anyway, one projector per capsule, and the plastic bezels coulg be left black, wrapped in cf, body-color matched, etc.

opinions, suggestions, comments?

edit: i forgot to mention that the impreza headlights shown above sell for about $150 a set on ebay. even if each set of high or low beams cost us the same (which isn't likely given the fewer components necessary for our application, see above), we'd still only be looking at $300 for all four!

This post has been edited by uberschall: Aug 28, 2006 - 9:36 PM

[OntarioCeli]

Im liking it definately, You might be onto something!!!!!

[coldbluesteel]

Looks kinda cool, you would have to fab up some brackets of course. I think the shape is off a little too much though, ours angles along the hood but aims straight. The Scoobies is round yes, but in our car they would aim out in to the trees. Like a big V, definetly blinding oncoming traffic.

[uberschall]

oh, for sure, i wasn't thinking we would actually use the subaru ones...just use them as a model for someone to make something like them for our cars.

there are lights out for 94-99 neons with more similar mounts to ours, too.

i think this design would be the most cost-effective way to make an aftermarket light for our cars.

[j0e_p3t]

can't someone just make a clear lens out of plexiglass or what-not? i don't necessarily need projectors (unless they're significantly cheaper than 500 bucks), just something other than frosted lenses. like clear highs and lows.

This post has been edited by j0e_p3t: Aug 28, 2006 - 9:58 PM

[KB-2]

thats....got potential

[coldbluesteel]

Got ya. In that case yeah that could work. Probably the best thing to do is to use our assembly and remove the glass and inners, then mount a projector inside and reseal the front around it. HMMMM... that could really work! I think i'm gonna give it a go. I've got a smashed passenger low from the drunk hitting me. I could experiment on that. I like it!

[uberschall]

yeah, coldbluesteel, i have an extra d/s hi and lo beam i was thinking of "prototyping" with, too.

j0e, i figure that if they make projectors for grand cherokees, cavaliers (!), neons, and s-10's, there's no reason we can't have them cheaply for ourselves.

i mean, come on...how many jeep grand cherokee owners are really buying aftermarket headlights?

[KB-2]

ya...hes got a point

[j0e_p3t]

hmm, mounting the projectors inside our assembly and a plexiglass lense sounds like a really good idea.

[coldbluesteel]

hmm, mounting the projectors inside our assembly and a plexiglass lense sounds like a really good idea.

Thanks. I think I can "borrow" some Carbon fiber or fiber glass from work and inclose a projector. Mounting the light inside should be easy, it's just picking the right look. Yeah, I think I could make it work.

[Ralph96gt]

wow that looks like a great idea

[coldbluesteel]

yeah I could leave the CF exposed (seal it of course) like the hoods, or do FG and you can do body color or black whatever you like. I think a enclosed driving light or fog would work best (piaa or equal)

[Shigexile]

didn't dustin15brown do something like this?
you should check out his custom projectors.

[coldbluesteel]

didn't dustin15brown do something like this?
you should check out his custom projectors.

Yeah I've seen his before, really nice. I'm not sure if he still has them on the car though? I propose a little different idea though, well really Uber did I kinda just started running with it. I'm thinking that the lens on the projector is showing and is surrounded by FG or CF, maybe a nice plastic, but I don't have access to that.

[slvr_celica_GT_8...]

those lights at the top would look sick in out celicas if someone could fabracate them.

[Chanh55]

I'd hit it.

[CelicaGT04]

I'd hit it.

x2

[hitcachi]

dude, if a member on here, fabed up some cheap ass projectors, holy snakes on a plane, they would make anus loads of money. i would buy them! Real projectors....$750-$800. Im sorry but W T F! No one else has it as bad when it comes to aftermarket as 6th gen owners do.

[uberschall]

i'm def gonna try it on my spare lights. dustin mounted a projector in the stock bucket if i'm not mistaken...but i recall him saying it wasn't nearly as cost effective as he'd hoped.

i'm probably going to try it with a halogen round first.

does anyone think we could pitch this to an a/m headlight manufacturer?