1983 SR5 HID conversion? Anyone has it?

[shogun]

i would love to have the composite one but around here they are impossible to find in decent shape, only chinese aftermarket ones that suck

[animeracing]

The composite lights from the '86+ cars use 9004 bulbs. Besides the fact that the plastic lenses get foggy and cloudy over time, the 9004 bulb, with it's 45W low beam and horizontal filaments, is a pretty poor point source. A 200m rectangular housing with 9003/H4 bulbs will blow the composite/9004 combo out of the water. The H6054NH sealed beams will as well. The composites and 9004 bulbs do give a good beam throw in terms of distance, but so far I've found this is better suited to higher vehicles such as pickups and SUVs.

As far as projectors, the junk that the Chinese-made lights have in them is a pretty poor excuse for one, more like the first-generation experimental projectors than the second-generation stuff that's in modern vehicles. Real projectors with quality optics are actually more efficient than a traditional headlamp, but junk "projectors" are actually worse, so you get less output. A projector headlamp mounted within a 200mm housing is a VERY good solution to getting the best lighting possible, but it just isn't made...yet. So far the best solution is to use a pair of the junk headlamps as a mounting point, using an OEM projector from a production vehicle to mount inside them, and fuse the two together.
It's not as elegant and probably won't be as good as a production line part, but it might exceed what you'd get from E-code headlamps, although at a possibly higher price.

[Petros]

The composite lights from the '86+ cars use 9004 bulbs. Besides the fact that the plastic lenses get foggy and cloudy over time, the 9004 bulb, with it's 45W low beam and horizontal filaments, is a pretty poor point source.

I do not know what you are talking about here, the factory composite head lamps in the '87 Tercel4wd have glass lenses, they do not get cloudy at all. I have never even seen a plastic lens headlamp on a Tercel, they are all glass. Sometimes a leaky seal, or crack in the glass will allow moisture in, but if resealed and cleaned out, there is no fog.

Many of the newer cars have plastic lenses, but not on the '87/88 Toyota Tercel4wd. I have seen many broken ones in the wrecking yard, and I have owned several pairs, all are glass. And I can also tell you they have an excellent spread and pattern. I do not know what kind of bulbs they use, but there are plenty of high powered ones that will fit, I just have not bought any because they do not seem to hold up well.

You must be confusing the Tercel with something else, or for some reason in the parallel universe you live in your Tercels only come with plastic headlight lenses.

[blade]

Besides the fact that the plastic lenses get foggy and cloudy over time, the 9004 bulb, with it's 45W low beam and horizontal filaments, is a pretty poor point source. A 200m rectangular housing with 9003/H4 bulbs will blow the composite/9004 combo out of the water. The H6054NH sealed beams will as well.

So i would have to say you are wrong about the lights. But lets not get in to a heated argument. 9004 are 200% better.
I have th 87 tercel and mine are glass and the 9004 ae the best i bought some High Blue lights and they are the best. the cut off and the spread it amzeing. i have found the older tercel light setup to be not as good as the 87/88