Changing R32 Exterior Lights To Leds

[Duncan]

I'm looking to swap the race car over to LEDs external lighting, this is my understanding of the bulb types for a 32 GTR:

2x Low beam headlights H3C. Note, later cars apparently run H1

2x High Beam headlights H3

2x Front Indicators BA15s

2x Rear Indicators BA15s

2x Reversing Lights BA15s

4x Stop/Parkers BA15d

2x Rear Number plate T10

2x Front/Side Indicators T10

2x Front Parkers T10

The question is, any recommendations for good quality LEDs? There are billions on ebay but I suspect their quality....

Buying List

2x H3C

2x H3

6x BA15s

4x BA15d

6x T10

[zoomzoom]

In terms of the headlights, how effective do they actually need to be at night? (ie is it a daytime vehicle and you just need headlights for regulation/show)

I decided against them as pretty much everything I read indicated a poor light pattern. When you look at a LED retrofit for a reflector housing, the problem is apparent. Much of the "bulb" has to be a solid heat sink.

A pity because I like the technology, but the best solution would seem to be a LED chip with a lens to control the light pattern.

[zoomzoom]

Ive used lots of cheap T10s . The main issue with the cheap chinese variety is that they drive the LEDs quite hard which leads to failure sooner and more often. You can also expect to have more of them flicker very early on.

I now build my own lights from components, my favourite being 10w chips.

There are now quite a few phillips branded LED replacements for bulbs, more expensive obviously.

[iruvyouskyrine]

There is a thread on here somewhere where a guy retrofitted LED's to a 32. It has the links to all the stuff he purchased as well.

[Anfanee]

I did all mine with eBay ones mate. Leds you don't really need to worry about quality due to the way they work I even found some too bright.

[Robzilla32]

I installed these headlights in my R32 GT-R:

http://www.saledlighting.com/collections/hid-head-light-kits/products/new-h4-80w-cree-led-headlight-kits?variant=5340868932

Drivers' side for comparison

After seeing them in Gh05t's 32 Gtr Daily Cleanup:

http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/452917-gh05ts-32-gtr-daily-cleanup/?view=findpost&p=7609354

[Duncan]

thanks everyone for the quick responses. I think I might go with Philips globes in the hope they are a little better made, even at their prices it is pretty cheap compared to everything else on a GTR.

The headlights don't look so simple. Robzilla the ones you linked to a H4 which are hi+lo, whereas my car has H3C lo and H3 Hi beams. Is yours the same and you modified to suit?

I use the headlights:

* on targa stages as the regs say they have to be on (so brightness doesnt matter)

* if I drive the car at night (very rare) but they have to be OK

* for racing at night, in which case I want them as bright as possible.

So I figure I will buy 2 sets of H3 lights, run 1 pair on lo beam and both pairs on high beam....total current draw for at 40w each for 4 lights is still only 13 amps.

Looks like I'll just go with a mid priced ebay set and see how they go.....I did notice that most sellers are willing to back their product for a whole 1 month warranty which fills me with confidence.

[zoomzoom]

Ill be very interested in the results. Robzilla - do you have any further testing on those lights?

One issue is the light pattern, for example and LED retrofit can appear brighter than a halogen if the light pattern concentrates the beam right in front of the vehicle, but once you're moving you'll find the light isn't projecting down the road where you need to see things.

To make matters worse, your eyes adjust to the pattern of the light, and the bright patch in front of the vehicle can reduce your sensitivity to whatever light is being projected further down the road.

[GH05T]

yeah i love my led headlights,
just get the 80wat if you do,

but they only suit N1 headlights i think

[niZmO_Man]

Shall I chime in? Lol

If you have reflector (N1) headlights, anything other than halogen will be glare-y and the light pattern would be quite poor.

Read this: https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/forum/general-discussion/leds/64081-thoughts-on-h11-led-headlight-kit?p=1382874#post1382874

Things like foreground, hotspot near the cutoff, etc. are quite important for night driving (i.e. being able to see distance, not just in front of the bumper).

But since Duncan's car is a track car, glare doesn't really matter. Still, if you want to see at night...

Obviously the Philips are very good but expensive. I usually see that the eBay ones are very blue and die quicker. Don't expect the headlights ones to last that long (ones with a little fan on the back).

Or... I can sell you a pair of HID retrofitted projector headlights .

As for the rest, eBay ones should be fine.

[GH05T]

i truly have never had an issue, i drive my car daily, like every day, i have never been flashed or blinded anyone, or anything, the original bulbs, even Phillips were horrible.

the LED placement is very deliberate to reflect of the reflector in a specific way, mounted one higher one lower, but yes its not going to be perfect, but as said i have never had an issue.

that being said, retrofitted HIDs, although pricey, win at life.

[niZmO_Man]

I've seen approximately 0 people flash someone with bad headlights. It's just an accepted thing on the road these days it seems.

Not saying your LED lamps are terrible, I've never seen them in real life, but generally running them isn't that great.

Granted the R32 projectors are shithouse (assuming reflectors are slightly better).

HID retrofit isn't that expensive, approximately $400-600 depending on how much you want to spend on bulbs and ballasts.

Got some output/wall shots GHO5T? Interested to see how they work with the R32 reflectors.

Duncan, do you want to see or be seen?

[GH05T]

this is all i have,

this is before adjusting, i did adjust them down slightly as i usually do with brighter bulbs, but this is in comparison with the phillips white.

left light only phillips


right light only led



the phone is adjusting for the light difference obviously

but here is both left and right, old v new




on the road, this is th eN1 foglights vs the main beems on LED,

you can see the on comming traffic is not flooded by light

all i can say is i have had stock, phillips and i have also had HID in projectors, and i woudlnt go back from LED, not in these lamps anyway.

Edited February 23, 2016 by GH05T

[Burger]

I have ebay spec LED's replacing almost everything on my daily. None dead so far, almost a year old.

[niZmO_Man]

Thanks for the pics. Clearly shows tons of foreground, glare and virtually no cut off (look at the trees and yellow bin + stuff behind it).

The halogens, although dimmer, does what it does (cutoff, no foreground).

But hey, as long as you're happy. City driving it would be fine (besides annoying other drivers lol), but good luck on country roads.

HID kit in standard projectors is a downgrade from halogen. All you get is two thin 'pillars' of useless glare-y pencil beams.

Here's a couple of crappy shots of Morimoto HID projectors (FX-R) behind the standard (streaky) R32 lenses.

Has too much foreground for my liking, will modify that at some stage (have to take everything apart again).

The output is diffused too much by the standard lens cover thingy. Next project is to retro another set with clear lenses from a UK company.

[GH05T]

yeah its n1 lights, the cutoff is the same, the light output is different, thats all bulbs will give you.

projectors give you the cutoff.

[Duncan]

interesting input, thanks guys. I kind of feel like I posted should go twins or single turbo in the FI section.....

anyway, for street use I understand why the cutoff and foreground of LEDs are an issue and frankly it makes it an expensive gamble to get a good one....or perhaps there are no good ones....

in my case I was looking to make a current saving rather than getting a better than average bulb so it may still be OK to run a cheap LED globe. But clearly I am not going to get what I am after from an LED high beam so I think I might look into a light bar when (if) needed for night racing.

Also, between what I've read here, and the fact both headlights are a bit borken after years of racing, I've decided to replace both headlights with the base spec /N1 reflector lights which will take a much easier H4 bulb anyway.

And for the rest of the lights I've gone Philips from ebay.

Thank y'all

[niZmO_Man]

yeah its n1 lights, the cutoff is the same, the light output is different, thats all bulbs will give you.

projectors give you the cutoff.

But your road shots shows otherwise! Anyway...

Duncan, since you're going to throw N1 headlights in, look at some higher wattage lights? Or, the Narva 'blue plus' or whatever they're called these days work well (I bought a couple of pairs for family members' cars, they impressed me). Anything else are shit, including Philips 'style' ones.

Just be careful of ebay stuff, lots of fake Philips on there.

I got mine T10 and 30mm festoon from here (when they ran sales): http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/store/category/led-car-bulbs/all

4,000K Philips FTW.

[GH05T]

Yeah i bought the philips 4000k, i beleive they were about $80