1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

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heryrg
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1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by heryrg »

Hey guys, i was looking around on ebay for lighting. And i found some hid conversion kits that'll fit 83 SR5, i think. Here's the link. They're 7"x6", and our lights, if im not mistaken are 200mm x 142mm. It's late and cold :) so i don't wana go measure but i'll do that tomorrow and get the exact measurement. Anybody knows of other HID kits?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8000K-HI ... 102wt_1165

Anybody has HID conversions? Any pics or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by Matt Starbuck »

I am interested in lighting upgrades as well. Any input and experiences would be appreciated. 8)
86 Tercel SR5 4X4 6spd Bone stock in restoration mode.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by ARCHINSTL »

There are some threads on this back in '05 and '06 (Search), with also some good results just from using heavier wire and relays to get juice directly from the battery.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by shogun »

ive had mine since 3 or 4 years ago, currently on 8000k hi/low hids. got the best results buying those ebay headlights that have a projector, crisp cut and better spread in light

as far as upgrading you dont need anything but a good charging electrical system, when i had troubles with the alternator the lights would flicker, fixed that and all is well
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heryrg
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by heryrg »

What size did you get shogan? 7x5? Do you have any pictures, would love to see them in action.
heryrg
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by heryrg »

I'm thinking about getting these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 103wt_1165

Any comments are welcomed!! :)
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by shogun »

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PROJECTO ... ccessories

like this ones i have on, the hid kit is from these people

http://www.ddmtuning.com/products/101/

pictures will have to wait until i get my car running again
tercel 4wd custom suspension, under drive pulley, vented brakes, cold air intake, and plenty more to come
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by animeracing »

Those "HID" kits are absolute JUNK, and also completely illegal. Besides that, they are totally unsafe for on-road driving, giving unsafe levels of glare straight into the eyes of oncoming cars. The ONLY reason to get this junk is if you really, really believe other people care what your headlights look like and somehow associate them looking like you have HID with being cool.

The ONLY street legal HID converstion kit was the Sylvania Xenarc, which isn't too badly priced now (except on the sites that are still trying to get rid of them for $400-500) but is still junk that was made by a third party for Sylvania and then discontinued when it didn't live up to the hype.


If what you're after is more light on the road and better visibility, you want something else.

Best bet is the wiring/relay upgrade as mentioned. Simply upgrading the factory wires from the headlamp relay to the lights with 10-12 awg wire will give an improvement, as will adding in seperate relays to the system. New housings will make a big difference, but what you want is the German or Canadian H4 conversion lenses, not the plastic made in China "diamond cut" junk. Use 9003/H4 bulbs from Sylvania or Philips, such as the Sylvania XtraVision or Philips Hi-Visibility/Vision Plus in them for a big improvement in light spread and distance.

If that's a little much to spend ($100+ or so), you can always just buy a pair of GE Nighthawk H6054NH sealed beams. They are generally considered the best sealed beam on the market, and while not as big an improvement as the conversion lenses with H4 bulbs, for the price and ease of installation, they are worth it.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by ARCHINSTL »

RE - Heavier wiring and Relays:
4wdchico started this one with good info:
http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... ilit=stern
Typrus started this one long ago with also some really good info from waynehoc and GasolineFumes therein:
http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... ilit=stern
I plan on doing the heavier wire and relays for headlights this Winter - doing this with the added horns in 2008 made a believer out of me.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by warbstrd »

http://www.kbcarstuff.com/6054-200mm-Re ... d-6054.htm

besides being fully street legal why are these so pricey?
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by Petros »

I converted my '84 to the '87/88 Tercel4wd composite headlight set up. IT greatly improves the visiblity, and you have a lot of different bulbs to choose from. This is the simplest conversion you can do, but those lights only came into the US and Canada for one year, so they are hard to locate. They came on all years in Japan, downunder and Europe, but i do not know the feasibility of finding used ones from overseas and having them shipped. So far I have not had any problems with the wiring overheating and melting the insulation off of it, if I do I will than switch to the relay set-up.

These lights are no longer made, but there are likely still a few in Toyota dealership inventories somewhere, but it would be very costly to get all the parts you need. Wrecking yards are your best bet.

These are an easy conversion, it pretty much bolts right up, with a few minor modifications (clearance holes need to be drilled) and you have to change the connector, or make a plug adapter. You have to change the grill and side marker lights, along wit the housing and adjuster assmebly, so you need a lot of parts.

Another option I have found that works well is to get the smaller composite lights that came on the '88-'90 (?) FX model of Corolla/Tercel (a sportier hatch FWD model, not anything like the normal Tercel or Corolla). It will fit into the same headlight location as the sealed beams, with a few minor modifications to the mounts, but it allows you to keep the side marker lights and grill. These are not real common either, but much easier to find than the '87/88 Tercel4wd headlights.

There is also the possibility to find something about the right size off any more common car or truck, and make your own mounts, and adapting them to fit. The early to mid '90s Mazda Truck headlights look like a good bet, but I have not tried it. Anything you can find in a wrecking yard, that is common, and about the right size and shape, is what you want to find. A skilled craftsman can make anything fit and look "normal".

Other than a conversion to some production composite headlight housings, your best bet is to just find some quality sealed beams and add auxiliary lights to fill in what you do not have.

Good luck.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Petros wrote: These (composite) lights are no longer made, but there are likely still a few in Toyota dealership inventories somewhere, but it would be very costly to get all the parts you need. Wrecking yards are your best bet.
Heck, they are still available.
Butler shows them for the Wagon for only $252 the pair...L & R are different somehow.
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by Petros »

And you still need the side marker lights, trim, grill, and the headlight mounting hardware. Such a deal! I would find something off a Mazda or ford or later corolla and adapt them to fit before I pay that much. Unfortunately/fortunately(?), not enough people are willing to pay enough for even really nice examples to make keeping these cars "factory stock" worth it.
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'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by shogun »

as far as glare goes that is why i said to get the ones with a projector type thin in them because they have a sharp cutoff, and wont glare oncoming traffic besides you get more focused light i dont know if thats how you would describe it but it works
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Re: 1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

Post by Petros »

the factory composite headlight has an excellent cut-off line. with a sharp cut-off below your eye level you do not light up fog or rain in the path of vision. With a wide spread beam of light all you see is a sheet of white glare in front of you. Sharp cut off line is important for good visibility in fog, rain or snow.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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