Rise of the Phoenix, '96 Firebird Formula 6-speed Options

[njccmd2002]

You need a spoiler on your spoiler

[Box]

No, I love my low rise spoiler. What would look good though is a high rise with the factory spoiler removed and then add a lip spoiler like so:

Then add the tail lights on the previous page and you'd have a pretty good homage to the second gen.

[Box]

I was hoping my headlamps and all would arrive today, but it'll be sometime next week for them to arrive. I also finally found someone with good feedback that sells nice looking vinyl tint that isn't pitch black and/or matte, so ordered that and it should be here next week too. So tune in next week for more minor mods and what not.

[Bitter]

Well how do the new headlamps look?

[Box]

Was finishing uploading to PhotoBucket, I meant to take pictures where I adjust my lights but I forgot my phone as it was charging. Took some meh photos after getting back, vehicles are in the way but I tried to get some pictures to give an idea. I'll have to go back some other night as the light cutoff is pretty impressive for a sealed beam replacement, that and get some "down the road" pictures on the adjacent road as it's long and flat and dead ends on that side so it'd be safe to do so. Either way HUGE improvement, even with the included plain AutoPal 60/55W bulbs. First picture is low beam, second is high beam, and last is high beam right in front of it. In the first two pictures I was standing next to the passenger side fender, you can see in the high beam picture the Durango pretty much is blocking off the driver lamp while the Genesis is blocking the passenger side. Oh well.




Now I can actually see where I'm going at night, until blinded by some jerk anyway. I'm actually really pleased with them, with some Rallye bulbs I don't think I'd really feel compelled to do a HID conversion unless I could do it dirt cheap with parts sourced from Pull-A-Part.

[Bitter]

Still going to run a relay harness I hope? Throwing away almost free lumens if you don't! But yea, that looks like a pretty substantial improvement over the original sealed beam units, the high beams look great with lots of throw. Some good wide fog lights for shoulder illumination at lower speeds and you're all set. Ford Fusion fog lights are pretty bright and pretty wide and pretty cheap.
http://www.focusst.org/forum/focus-st-appe...usion-projectio

[Box]

I took the pins out of the male end of the H4 connector so I could just plug them into the factory harness as needed to make life as easy as possible and to see if the headlamps were as good as I hoped. The factory headlight wiring snakes all throughout the core support, so I'll have to take a better look at my routing options for when I make a harness. I wonder if the Fusion fog lights are small enough to fit into my factory fog light location. Also the link you put in seems to be broken.

Never mind, was able to find the post searching Google. I'll have to try and find exact dimensions, but it looks like it'll be close if they'll fit at all.

This post has been edited by Box: Jul 6, 2016 - 4:04 PM

[Box]

After going out and measuring I have an ellipse about 6" lengthwise and 2" tall, and that's being somewhat generous since I couldn't get the measuring tape exactly into the bumper.

[Box]

Might as well use the space since it double posted. Tint should be here by this weekend, hopefully it's dark enough to hide the delamination but light enough to not really impede visibility. I went with a light black since all of the dark blacks just looked way too dark. Also looking around on The Retrofit Source and came across some LED daytime running lights that'd be a near perfect fit, but obviously daytime running lights and fog lights are two different things for a reason. So I'm not sure how well it'd work, but from the picture they might:
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/led-light...ml#.V38JLNIrK1s

The other thing is the way the bumper is shaped it would channel the light some as well. I hate when the only time you'll know how well something will work is to test it in person...

This post has been edited by Box: Jul 7, 2016 - 9:04 PM

[Box]

So drove at night again earlier since brother's car is out of commission thanks to Firestone, and honestly it's better than any other vehicle with factory dual filament housings I've been in at night. On low beam I can see about 150 feet in front of me, at least 300 feet on high beam. Good road and side of the road coverage, definitely the best $40 or so spent in some time. I think I'll wait until I find some fog lights before doing all the harness work since any stuff that has to be removed to to do either harness applies to both. The only place I need improvement is directly in front of me and to the side, pulling onto roads and into driveways isn't as visible as I'd like but that's where the fog lights come in.

By the way I was thinking about it earlier, did you ever get a chance to use the CarPro Essence?

[Bitter]

I did, it does make the car look super rich glossy even on my beat to hell and back paint. Get it. Use it. You'll love it.


For fog lights, do you have a 9 inch wide by 1 inch high opening anywhere?

[Box]

I'll have to get some then once it cools down enough to get out and and do it all.

The only openings on the front are where the stock fog lights would be, the 6"x2" or so ellipse.

[Bitter]

Well that stinks. Maybe try some fogs from a Lexus ES300 or 7G Celica, they're a nice projector and are fairly cheap to get new aftermarket. Only thing would be fitting them, but the do project in a wide band instead of a useless blob like anything from the auto parts stores.

[Box]

Yep, with the radiator drawing air from the bottom they blocked off the front completely. Suppose I'll look into finding some ES300 or 7GC ones then. Also the tint arrived earlier, so hopefully the weather cooperates and can get that done. Which it seems a little lighter than it did in the listing which is ok, looks to be equivalent to 50% window tint or so.

[Bitter]

Too bad, those Accord LED fogs would have been perfect for you, nice and super wide, bright with low power draw. Might need to cut some holes!

[Box]

Would these be the lights in question: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-...ml#.V4KLO9IrK1s

The opening gets bigger as it approaches the face of the bumper, so if they're those they might work. Mounting them would probably be a pain though.

[Bitter]

No, sorry I should have been more clear, I was talking about the 2016 OEM LED fogs.

Though I wonder if their universal fogs would fit?

[Box]

Ah ok thanks. After looking at the car more I guess technically I wouldn't have to use the factory fog light location, the way the openings are done there're probably a few ways of going about it. I found a picture of a white one on Google that shows the openings pretty well:

So something like the '16 Accord fog light could be used, it really just boils down to making it look ok.

[Bitter]

Ah yes, the 90's when all cars looked like suppositories.


There is just no where good to put anything, if you recess the lights too much you end up clipping the output with the body and bumper.

[Box]

Meh, better than when all cars looked like blocks with wheels.

Yeah pretty much just screwed when it comes to fog lights unless a small projector style like you mentioned earlier. Clearly have just bought the wrong vehicle for driving with at night, then again in fairness with exception of the SC300 and 300ZX the rest of the cars I was considering were crappy dual filament housings or sealed beams also. Well almost finished the driver side tail light before it started downpouring, 15% chance of rain my ass... That's ok after unrolling the tint and in the sunlight it's more like 70%, seems to hide the delamination well enough without effecting the light output any. Will have to take comparison and final result pictures.