Product review: Xenon Hyperwhite headlights

[pocket-rocket]

Product: 9007 bulb style Xenon filled Hyperwhite headlight bulbs.
Price paid: $2+$8 shipping
Purchased at: Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400078758148&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

I got them for my truck because I drive that more than anything else right now, and I like to be able to see at night. I remember someone on the board that had bought them years ago (Mr.Facetious) and saw how well they lit up the road, and looked cool too. I couldn't pass up a pair on ebay for $10 shipped thinking they were the same ones he had. I fired up the headlights after switching one of them and thought my old halogen was brighter than the new "Hyperwhite" bulb. I figured maybe since the new bulb threw off whiter light maybe I wasn't able to see it as well in the daytime. Night time came and I took a drive out in the country to test them. They do look cool lit up, but I was disappointed in the light quality. The color of them is really nice and cool, but the light output isn't. If I had to give these a rating on performance, I would give them a 2 out of 5 because my stock bulbs are brighter. If you are putting together a show car that you don't plan on running at night too much, then yeah, these guys would work. Otherwise, spend your $$$ on something better, these are coming out and my stock ones are going back in.

[robertisaar]

i've got Silverstar Ultras in the MC... not cheap, but damn they light up the road.

apparently they don't have a real long life though...

[pocket-rocket]

I have the normal Silverstars in the 92. I don't have $40-50 in spare change to drop on my truck though, and figured for $10 I couldn't go wrong.

A. There is a sucker born every minute *facepalm*
B. You get what you pay for *double facepalm*

[robertisaar]

for $10, you learned something fairly important... wouldn't call that a facepalm moment.

spending about $50 to do the same thing? thats FP worthy..

so, i'd say you came out a little ahead, and we all got to learn without paying.

[pocket-rocket]

What really sucks is my housings are good too. I've used this for cleaning the lenses (that stuff really rocks btw), then went over them with clear coat spray paint to make sure I never had to worry about glaze again, and now my housings almost look brand spanking new minus small spider cracks on the inside that come with age of plastic headlights. I would have gone with higher wattage bulbs, but I don't want to chance running illegal and blinding other people, nor do I want my truck to burst into flames from overheating the wiring like a freshly stopped '98 GTP after doing a 120-0 test... I think for now it's back to the stockers until I get the $$$ for Silverstars and a pair of driving lights later down the road.

[robertisaar]

i just used some 150 grit sandpaper(chinese, so it was really more like 400-500) on my in-law's van and went over it with clear coat. total cost of less than $2 and they look damn good..... for a grand caravan anyways.

(cough) i'm running the silverstar ultras intended as high beams as low beams (cough)...

[pocket-rocket]

Mine are high and low in the same bulb. Kind of nice when it comes to getting fancy ones since you get both in one package, kinda sucks when just one side burns out but not the other...

[pocket-rocket]

I forgot to give John (ForcedFirebird) props for giving me the idea to clear them after I went over them with that cleaner, he mentioned this to me at the meet. Also I don't believe (for $10 at least) that I got genuine Hyperwhites. Besides, they were individually packaged in cheap white cardboard box, and the sellers name was Man Hon Hui or something along those lines so I'm about 99.99% sure they are cheap Chinese knockoffs...

[neo71665]

Damn I love glass lens headlights, lol.


I got PIAA bulbs I got off a bud on another forum for cheap and I like them better than the silverstars but once they burn out I highly doubt I'll replace them. IMHO silverstars are the best bang for your buck out there.

[pocket-rocket]

I like them too, but I don't think I can get glass housings for my truck. I've seen projectors for it, which would make these bulbs work much better, but personally I think projectors look really ugly on Rangers (a few guys on TRS have them...).

[neo71665]

Projectors only work well with HID. Hid scatters the light and needs something to focus it. Normal lights (like the xenon) tend to have more narrow light beams and need the reflector housing to scatter it so projecters will actually kill the light output by turning your flood lights into spot lights.

Think of taking a mag light and having it set on wide beam. Nice wide pattern that can light up the whole road. Now focus it to the smaller spot and try to think of driving like that. Sure it will shine further but all side light is cut out.

Hids without the focus lens throws light everywhere and thats why most hackjob retrofits that just put the bulb in the stock housing blinds oncoming drivers. Its like taking the reflector completely off the maglight. Now with the focus lens in it its like putting the reflector back on in widebeam.

[2.8-350TBI]

I got HID's in my blazer and dont regret it. $120 total from ebay ( I screwed up and paid some stuff twice). Never gotten flashed by other drivers (well aligned)

I recommend them for you. Should come out less for you because you dont have to buy the correct bulb housings.

[robertisaar]

isn't it illegal to retrofit HIDs into a vehicle that didn't come with them?

and what wheels are on that white blazer? they look very familiar, but i can't place them... they're not IROCs are they?

[2.8-350TBI]

Yes they are, haven't gotten pulled over yet tho... Pulled past IDK how many cops today n nothing. The wheels on the white blazer are factory material for... (let me check wiki) 1993+ blazers. The white one is a 94 4.3 rwd w/ 77k miles. Its the baby.

[2.8-350TBI]

P.S. not irocs