Notes about Headlight Retrofit

[78F350]

I'm thinking of experimenting with LED headlights in the near future. A friend of mine put replacement LED lights in his Jeep and they work great.

I thought there was a recent thread, but I can't find it.

I don't want just a bulb replacement. Has anyone used a light similar to this in their 986 headlight unit yet?



Any recommendations on a good product? Anything to avoid?

Particlewave made good videos and posted instructions about opening up our headlights: https://youtu.be/pqUrWnxrAeY https://youtu.be/-sjOnfMHED0

I found that instead of putting my headlights in the oven to open them, leaving them inside a car on a HOT day with the windows rolled up works better (Check for dogs and small children in the car before walking away).

[2ata]

That poor 914.......

[PaulE]

Morimoto now has LED projectors in addition to their tried and true bi-xenon projectors. They are pricey but Morimoto is great quality and their mini projectors will mount in the 986 headlight reflector. for sure I wonder if those Jeep round lights would fit in the oval 986 reflectors or how you would mount them to the reflectors.

[JBauer]

I'm working on this set up. Waiting for a different fog projector. I think you could probably get that led to fit but how would you aim it?

[78F350]

This is not about needing good headlights for a car, but having Many sets of old halogen lights sitting around and wanting to experiment. I have have a set of Fred's lights that I installed years ago and I'm familiar with the Morimoto Bi-Xenons. For these headlights I had thought of installing projectors and guts from some Audi headlights, but the advances in LED headlights has me wanting to give them a try.

I went ahead and ordered a set of the Jeep LED lights for about $50. They have a simple harness that should be easy to splice in and they have a built-in anti-flicker capacitor.



I don't know how I'm going to mount them yet. I need to see them first to determine what challenges they present. Adapting the reflector bowl to receive them would make adjusting them easy. Worst case, I can strip out the reflector and fabricate three mounting points. If I do that I will probably aim them before I seal the lights back up.

That poor yellow 914? It shall die, that others may live.


...really, I'd guess it died a couple decades ago.

[WillH]

Curious to see how these work out.

[solo118]

Originally Posted by JBauer

I'm working on this set up. Waiting for a different fog projector. I think you could probably get that led to fit but how would you aim it?

Looks amazing.

[78F350]

The 7" headlights arrived and they are just a tiny bit too tall. They are perfect for the 914 though (The black one I'm building, not the yellow one I'm taking apart).

Next: Buy some 5.75" lights of similar design. They will fit within the reflector and be easier to mount (and i can put them in the Scirocco if they don't work out).

[Nevergrowup]

Thanks for the inspiration! Been stuck in a rut lately about what to mod next, and the concern of DOT/E compliance has stopped me from messing with the headlights until now.

But would for instance these:

https://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Harley-Davidson-Sportster-Headlamp/dp/B07SK22Z8H/ref=psdc_8323665011_t3_B018LXCV4U

Fit inside the reflector so adjustment is retained? And they approved as well.

[BRAN]

well...it always depends on what it is approved for:
5.75 Inch LED Headlight for Harley Davidson Sportster Street Bob Triple Low Rider Wide Glide Iron 883 Headlamp(Black)

:ah:

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Nevergrowup

Thanks for the inspiration! Been stuck in a rut lately about what to mod next, and the concern of DOT/E compliance has stopped me from messing with the headlights until now.

But would for instance these:

https://www.amazon.com/Headlight-Harley-Davidson-Sportster-Headlamp/dp/B07SK22Z8H/ref=psdc_8323665011_t3_B018LXCV4U

Fit inside the reflector so adjustment is retained? And they approved as well.

I just ordered a similar light with DRL/Angel Eyes, they should arrive within a week:


It would be best to check with your local vehicle inspection station to make sure that they are compliant. They are not a problem where I am located.

It will take some creativity to mount these. They will fit within the reflector, but the reflector is oval shaped, not perfectly round. With the standard installation, these are held in place with an outer ring rather than being screwed in directly. Someone with some 3D printing skills could make an adapter.

The other possible complication is going to be cooling. With these sealed inside the Boxster headlight, they may overheat without ventilation. The unit itself is sealed and waterproof, so vent holes in the outer case should not be a problem and they can vent to the wheel well.

Size:

Harness:

[Nevergrowup]

So, how did it go? Really itching to do this myself.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Nevergrowup

So, how did it go? Really itching to do this myself.

These 5.75" lights will fit and work well.


How are we going to mount them in there? I started work on modeling a metal frame to mount the light to the reflector bowl. I didn't like the way it was going and trashed it.


There are online tutorials for Autodesk Fusion 360 and in about six months, I think that I'll be ready to design and 3D print a high quality adapter...
I don't have the patience for that, so I'm probably going to use some JB Weld epoxy this week to get it done after I paint the internal surfaces of the headlight black.

[78F350]

This will be handy soon. Reference for wiring the headlight harness (uploaded by Particlewave a few years ago):

[Nevergrowup]

Ah! Great! I’ve been envisioning this myself the past few sleepless nights. Thanks for the pics!

[PaulE]

Very cool, I am following!

[78F350]

The basic assembly is done and there's nothing particularly difficult about the rest of the retrofit.

for a mounting surface, I cut a plastic speaker mount: Scosche SAVW6
I just happened to have that on hand, but any similar sized plastic arch could work.

I placed the arch visually parallel to the bulb mount on the back of the reflector and secured it with JB Weld epoxy.


I made the headlight bulb mount (hole) at the back of the reflector large enough to pass the wiring through by grinding it with a Dremel - watch out for that fine dust.

Next, cut some sheet metal (old license plate) to clamp the LED light to the mount. I folded it in such a way to have spring pressure against the light, then used a little silicone sealant just to make sure it doesn't come loose.




It looks like a good fit. My lights still need to be sanded and polished. Also the whole wire harness has cracked insulation and needs to be completely replaced. You should all be able to figure out the wire connections with what has already been posted. The 'adapter harness' was easy to de-pin and I plan to put those pins directly in the headlight connector. The original fog light and turn signal will be easy to retain, but I may still replace them with an LED strip in the bumper.

[Nevergrowup]

How did I miss this post? Great work, and thanks for sharing! I love it!

[JBauer]

Any update?

[BRAN]

Really nice...how do they perfom vs. OEM H7?