To HID or not to HID..... that is the question.

[DayOh257]

I like H.I.D. lights. Problem is, $550 to $600 for a conversion is hard to swallow. The P5 having a two bulb system doesn't help either.

So, what' s my alternative? Switch to Super White or Hyper White Bulbs for the same look, but not quite as bright at the H.I.D.

This works well for a while..... but then they start to burn out.... quick..... Now, at $60 a pair, these bulbs get expensive! I've replaced them once already and burned out again. What's wrong????

In the meantime, I'm back to the OEM bulbs.....

Advice?

 

[SO GTI]

go to supremepowerparts.com

they quite nice hid set up for under $500. if you search vwvortex.com, you will find that they are doing group buy, so you can get better price. i remember it was about low $400 for 4100k.

i believe my car (VW GTI) and p5 use the same bulb (H7).

 

[joefufu]

definately go for hid, you will not regret it. Those hyperwhite bulb is no comparison to the real thing

 

[melicha8]

I've seen them for as low as 350.00 on ebay

 

[DayOh257]

So the next concern is.....


Are these kits legal? I've heard either way....

 

[cyc]

60$ a pair? I got mine 27$ CAD a pair.... and they seem to last a long time.

 

[INiTiAL33]

one more advice....

if your gonna get HIDs... dont cheap out and get the generic or cheap ones on EBAY....

if your gonna get HIDs.... you might as well spend alittle bit more money and get the big name brands like Catz,Hella,Philips...

and no generic bulbs.... get Catz,Hella,Philips bulbs...

 

[Bijou-MP5]

My friend sells phillips kit around $270~300, but requires little modification.
I have Catz HID and I love it!!! no more worries bulbs replacements~ he he

 

[DayOh257]

My friend sells phillips kit around $270~300, but requires little modification.
I have Catz HID and I love it!!! no more worries bulbs replacements~ he he

Um.... what kind of "modifications"?

 

[TheMAN]

no, they are illegal

I wrote a big post about this, search for it

So the next concern is.....


Are these kits legal? I've heard either way....

 

[orangezoom]

you really are theman

 

[twilightprotege]

speak to uhohitzmikey - i got H7 hid bulbs for the low beam for $295

 

[spankee]

You did read/hear about that Consumer Reports article that said P5's have the best stock lights of any car, didn't you? I'm pretty happy about that. Why mess with success?

 

[Padanky]

I can sell you some out of a BMW for $250+ shipping, they will work just fine! I have the same set-up but out of an Audi A8, Work fine.

 

[leungwingkei]

Are you getting HIDs for looks or better visibility at night? Or both?

The P5 headlights in combination with the foglights are very sufficient in my opinion.

Don't waste you money on PIAA bulbs, they are too expensive and burn out quickly, and don't increase light output and other blub bulbs are ok if you want the look, but expect a degradation in light output, as much as 50% sometimes.

Try www.powerbulbs.com and get some Osram Silverstars if you want more light or go with the Sylvania Silverstars if you want more light with a white light output. The Sylvania Silverstars produce as much light as the Osrams, but they look nice and are a improvement from stock.

I'm running them in the low beams for the car.

 

[TheMAN]

no they don't work fine, the beam pattern gets completely fubar when you cram HID bulbs into a halogen housing

not to mention what you are willing to do is a punishable federal offense

I can sell you some out of a BMW for $250+ shipping, they will work just fine! I have the same set-up but out of an Audi A8, Work fine.

 

[ZackyFarms]

hey man, totally go HID, its worth the money, but DONT spend $600 on em, you can get great ones for cheaper...

ive had the catz 4500k kit for a few months now and i love it. at first i was kinda pissed cuz it seemed liek it was too "white" i wanted some blue in it. But, then i had my brother drive the car down the block to see what it looked like, heh, and it totally looks like a clean clean blue from far and then bright pure as hell white up close. I got it for $450 and personally, i think you can still get a great kit for cheaper.

make sure you get a good quality kit too though, like catz, hella, the g-garage ones? i dunno, also check to see if that second group buy ever got off the ground (sorry its been a while since ive been to that section)

 

[twilightprotege]

i bought my hid's in the 2nd GB....they are just about to be shipped, or have just been shipped...waiting for mikey to let me know. i think the prob was almost no one who signed up to it paid....i think mike is quite peeved at it

personally, i'm getting the hids for visibility. i dont wanna go hitting kangaroos or anything like that

 

[banned bandit]

these ones are pricy but they replace your headlights aswell

J-SPEC (JDM) 'Sport 20' HID Headlights (2001-)

View Larger Image
Brand new listing! This kit comes with both headlights and directly place the factory units. The easy alternative to do-it-yourself universal HID conversion kits. Additional picture
Price: $1400.00

direct link...scroll near the bottom

http://www.corksport.com/main.php3?primNavIndex=0&mainURL=/store/index.php3?cat=288796

 

[twilightprotege]

they will be no good in LHD applications - the lights will be focused into drivers coming in the opposite direction