s14 Zenki clear headlight lens

[harangatang]

Originally Posted by Andres_G

No, I didn't mean how your clear covers are holding on. I was wondering about your E46 shrouds, what did you use to get them to stick to the projectors? And what mounting method did you use?
]

Haha! Oooo. On the shrounds I just put some 3M industrial double sided tape on those bitches. I messed with them for like an hour trying to figure it out then just said F it.

Your harness looks too complicated lawlzzz. I soldiered 2 wires... Done lol.

Anybody have S2 projectors?

[s14unimog]

I'm sorry but I'm a huge Zenki fan and have been working on my 96 for over 6 years, and I just cannot get on board with the projector retrofit. It doesn't look good at all, really ever. I think you guys have given it a solid attempt but I just think its not for this body style...

[Mikey444]

Whomp whomp whomp...somebody slap him lol < zenki's with hid retrofits look bomb.

Especially on this one. Looks very clean and neat. Inspires me to do them on my car when i get the money.

[s14unimog]

^ you're nuts... that looks meh.. at best. It doesn't flow with the exterior looks of the car at all.

[bshotts]

Originally Posted by s14unimog

^ you're nuts... that looks meh.. at best. It doesn't flow with the exterior looks of the car at all.

I see your point about the body lines or overall look of the Zenki with retrofits...but in my opinion it has more to do with how the projector and shroud are mounted inside the reflector housing. Traditional retrofits have you put the projector inside the reflector from the front and, at least for the Zenki reflector, that places the shroud very close to the lens producing the "bug-eyed" effect. If the shroud is first made to fit deeper into the reflector then the projector inserted from the backside, it makes for a much cleaner and OEM look. Seems like the USDM bumper and amber fluted lens don't help much either...too much going on. That's why mmm858's retro looks so simple is because of the Navan bumper and clear front turn signals.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


More to come as I wrap these up...

[JRas]

anyone have pictures of how the fitment is with plastic covers?

curious what it looks like compared to OEM

[bshotts]

Originally Posted by JRas

anyone have pictures of how the fitment is with plastic covers?

curious what it looks like compared to OEM

I don't think you'll get much of a better idea than the pictures I posted above ^^^^ unless someone wants to remove theirs from the car. You can see the outer edge follows the OEM housing edge fairly close, enough to where I didn't do any trimming. Just take your time sealing them up to the OEM housing and make notches in the edge where the OEM retaining clips snap on to help keep them in place.

[SlideWell]

yeah, make sure you zip tie them (with a barrier underneath so you dont damage the lens) when you seal them.

[mad-ass]

Here's how I delt with the sealing time. I had it sitting like so for about a day before i put it on the car.





I put it on the car in january 2009, I haven't had a single problem with it. no leak..no nothing.

[harangatang]

Originally Posted by s14unimog

I'm sorry but I'm a huge Zenki fan and have been working on my 96 for over 6 years, and I just cannot get on board with the projector retrofit. It doesn't look good at all, really ever. I think you guys have given it a solid attempt but I just think its not for this body style...

I partially agree.... Either a kouki front-end, or Euro Glass headlights look better. Kouki is just more $$. And hid's in the glass housing are just as bad as hid's in regular reflectors. Worse actually. The glass lenses are fluted more so then the disgusting oem yellow covers. Creating yet, more glare.
So I decided to retro. It does take getting used to but I like it. And your oem headlights, zenki or kouki, can't compare output wise.

Originally Posted by bshotts

I see your point about the body lines or overall look of the Zenki with retrofits...but in my opinion it has more to do with how the projector and shroud are mounted inside the reflector housing. Traditional retrofits have you put the projector inside the reflector from the front and, at least for the Zenki reflector, that places the shroud very close to the lens producing the "bug-eyed" effect. If the shroud is first made to fit deeper into the reflector then the projector inserted from the backside, it makes for a much cleaner and OEM look. Seems like the USDM bumper and amber fluted lens don't help much either...too much going on. That's why mmm858's retro looks so simple is because of the Navan bumper and clear front turn signals.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


More to come as I wrap these up...

damn!!! Yours are looking mighty nice bro! Gj. I seated my projectors as far back as I could get them. I really wanted to cover the rear of the projector somehow but I didn't bother. I'm really happy with mine as is lol. I agree with you on the "simple and clean" part. I need to get clear side markers and turn signals. And fix the gap between my hood-bumper. Stupid fender benders /
I'm putting some new shoes on this weekend. And possibly switching back to my oem white hood. I'll be posting pics of it asap ;-]]

[harangatang]

Originally Posted by bshotts

I don't think you'll get much of a better idea than the pictures I posted above ^^^^ unless someone wants to remove theirs from the car. You can see the outer edge follows the OEM housing edge fairly close, enough to where I didn't do any trimming. Just take your time sealing them up to the OEM housing and make notches in the edge where the OEM retaining clips snap on to help keep them in place.

Do you have some pics of the back of your housing?? I'm curious to see how much you cut out to seat them so far back. And how you mounted them.

Tyler

[s14unimog]

I mean I feel yeah, its not terrible. I think the ones you did ,including some of the ones listed above, look pretty decent. I will agree with the statement to keep it simple, clean, and bury those puppies as far back into the housing as possible. There is good effort here and my response is merely opinion; there are far worse things that you could have done.

When I get home, I'll post a picture of a Zenki projector retro-fit that I think doesn't look THAT bad but its behind clean OEM covers, or possibly glass ones, so I'm not sure what the light patterns would look like...

EDIT
see, that looks pretty cool; ignore the eye lids... I wonder what the output is like...

[harangatang]

Originally Posted by s14unimog

I mean I feel yeah, its not terrible. I think the ones you did ,including some of the ones listed above, look pretty decent. I will agree with the statement to keep it simple, clean, and bury those puppies as far back into the housing as possible. There is good effort here and my response is merely opinion; there are far worse things that you could have done.

When I get home, I'll post a picture of a Zenki projector retro-fit that I think doesn't look THAT bad but its behind clean OEM covers, or possibly glass ones, so I'm not sure what the light patterns would look like...

Lol. Projectors behind oem or glass lenses is so so so much worse then just regular oem headlights. I drove like that for a couple days. Couldn't see shit. The glare was so bad I couldn't adjust my headlights.... Made no difference all the way up, or down.

I'm curious to see if a 2' projector would look better? The tsx is 2.5'...
Next project lol.

[mad-ass]

Here are bit more pictures of my clear lenses I got.

[kikcaffine]

So where can I buy the lenses ready to drop into the head lights with out having to cut them all up?

[bshotts]

Originally Posted by kikcaffine

So where can I buy the lenses ready to drop into the head lights with out having to cut them all up?

You don't necessarily "drop" the lenses into the head light assemblies. The polycarbonate lens matches the shape of the OEM covers and have a flat mating surface that butt up against the outer edge of the OEM assembly. Sealing the covers to the OEM assembly can be done a variety of ways...most end up using some sort of silicone or black RTV. Like it's been said before, you need to apply pressure while the sealant cures to completely seal the assembly and prevent moisture from building up inside the covers.

Try looking at Enjuku or Touge Factory's websites...they usually have great prices on these.

[kikcaffine]

Ah I gotcha, did something very similar when I swapped E36 headlights into my 3g Maxima. We used these clear covers cut to match.

Thanks for the help bshotts

[s14unimog]

^Talk about terrible glare, hell my HID's behind OEM housings aren't that bad...

[mad-ass]

I had same HID's when I had the OEM Covers as well, They just glare light's everywhere and well, I got highbeamed all the time because of that.

With the Clear lenses, I never get flashed any more because the light doesn't extend out to the opposit traffic any more. and way more light out put for sure.

[dct223]

Originally Posted by mad-ass

Here are bit more pictures of my clear lenses I got.

wow that is some TERRIBLE glare... clear lenses without a projector retrofit is not very smart..

i got euro glass with a HID kit. The igniters I have have those shroud things on them that look like. http://i23.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/d4/cd/a2_1.JPG

def helps with the scatter, I def have a pretty decent cut off. No one high beams me, had the HIDs since like 05, got the euros last year...

can take a picture later if you wish..

[fliprayzin240sx]

Jesus christ Lee...you need to atleast adjust your headlight down. That glare is fucking horrible...shit looks like an angry monster ready to blind you.

[mad-ass]

Sadly, they are adjusted far down as possible. I'd have to get in someone else's car and look at my own lights some day to see how blinding my lights really are. haha.

fuck my 450D and it's clear details. haha.

[s14unimog]

^ I've had HID's behind my new-ish OEM plastic housings and I have NEVER been flashed in over 2 years... No lie. The glare in the pictures above reminds me of those pictures the therapist shows you... "what do you see here?"

[bshotts]

Originally Posted by s14unimog

EDIT
see, that looks pretty cool; ignore the eye lids... I wonder what the output is like...

I agree I think it looks decent but I can see the shroud he used looks like the E46 replica shroud most of us Zenki retrofitters have used and I just don't necessarilly see the point of having a shroud to hide the projector shell if you are going to put the projector behind fluted lenses anyway.

Ignoring how it looks inside the reflector housing, the light output from any projector/HID combo WILL be degraded if it has to travel through anything but air (i.e. fluted lens, glass or plastic). Even behind a polycarbonate lens like the ones in this thread, there is minor light distortion because of the wall thickness of the lens and how the light must travel through it before hitting the open environment.

The three reasons I did my retrofit was 1) to draw less amperage from the alternator (OEM bulbs were 55W each = 8.5 amps, HID bulbs after initial startup are 35W each = 5.5 amps) thereby increasing my gas mileage by minimum 50 mpg , 2) to increase light output from the OEM fluted lenses - let's face it almost anything would be better compared to the faded plastic covers - and 3) to update the Zenki with current technology. I see projectors/HID and even LED headlight technology as becoming the industry standard soon enough. Why shouldn't we have the benefit of this beautiful combo?

My full write up on my retrofit should be out here by end of week.

[s14unimog]

Originally Posted by bshotts

I agree I think it looks decent but I can see the shroud he used looks like the E46 replica shroud most of us Zenki retrofitters have used and I just don't necessarily see the point of having a shroud to hide the projector shell if you are going to put the projector behind fluted lenses anyway.

I'm sure it looks better than having no shroud since you have similar colors and surfaces. I've got no idea what the output on these are and I couldn't say that they would be terrible either. If I were to do a projector retro fit, I would have to do it behind fluted lenses; its just too bug-eyed otherwise... What would be cool is if you had a brand new pair of OEM plastic fluted covers and you machined out a flat surface right where the projector is to shine through. Then you have the benefits of the fluted look, which looks WAY better on a Zenki, and you still have a clear spot to shine through. That's what you see on a big percentage of the projector fitted cars on the road today. I have yet to see THAT retro-fit

What covers are you going to use in your retro-fit?

[harangatang]

WOW!!!
Lol. That's what mine looked like. Fucking horrible...
Would like to buy clear lenses?

[GunmetalSR]

harangatang's setup is soo sick looking
anyway i used black rtv silicone and alot of it...i also used a dremel to cut notches so the clip holds it better and covered it in silicone lol
i hav e46 projectors with e46 bezels painted black retofited into my high beams with 6 k hids
the low beams are still reflector housings but are sprayed black so they dont produce that much light but i hav black metal flakes on the low beam said which makes the light shimmer on the housing(the lows are mostly for show bc they look sooo sick) and they highs and lows are wired together

[harangatang]

Originally Posted by GunmetalSR

harangatang's setup is soo sick looking
anyway i used black rtv silicone and alot of it...i also used a dremel to cut notches so the clip holds it better and covered it in silicone lol
i hav e46 projectors with e46 bezels painted black retofited into my high beams with 6 k hids
the low beams are still reflector housings but are sprayed black so they dont produce that much light but i hav black metal flakes on the low beam said which makes the light shimmer on the housing(the lows are mostly for show bc they look sooo sick) and they highs and lows are wired together

No pics=fail!!! Lol
I wanna see that shit haha
and thanks for the compliment

[GunmetalSR]

Originally Posted by harangatang

No pics=fail!!! Lol
I wanna see that shit haha
and thanks for the compliment

i know i know
i hav a problem though
some douche bag decided to break into my 240 and steals some shit including my camera so at the moment im out of luck

[Turbo Nismo]

Nice ride, where did you bought those headlights and how much they cost? Thanks!

Originally Posted by harangatang

Same shit I used. Just not from Nissan. Picked it up from autozone for like $9.

Here's a more recent pic with E46 shrouds:






enjoy!!
;-)

Tyler