well since removing the cladding i'm really happy with the looks of the truck. i havnt fixed my damage or painted the parts i wanted yet. i need to find the time to buy the paint and clean my gun out so i can do it on a weekend soon.

i did buy some halo projector headlights which are pure JUNK i'm so pissed i wasted the money on them. there is no ajustment on the projector like there should be. the fitment is absolutly terrible and i'm upset over the whole thing.

do i however have more new lights on the way. i just ordered some black factory style headlights. plus a new bi-xeon 6000K HID kit to replace my single beam kit.

anyway enough talking. heres the pics!

the new, crappy headlights that are going on craigslist as soon as the new ones get in.



here she was clean on sunday




from today, seems to look pink in this first pic but i think that was the intense sunlight.



and one of the view, just for fun

 

I like the look of the cladding on it. Maybe I'm just use to it. FWIW, I have the bi-xenon and they work great. One thing I did notice is that if I have the fogs on and put the high beams on they will not go off till i turn off the fogs. With the fogs off they work normally. Be careful where you put the ballast for the drivers side. I first put it near some kind of sensor and lost my ABS and speedo. I moved it about 6" and everything came back.

 

For others to avoid the same issue that you have with your terrible halo lights, can you tell us the brand / where you got those so we don't make the same mistake? I'm looking at a headlight swap but don't know where to start. I want both an increase in function and a better look. Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

yeah, that was my question too - were they an ebay find? Brand/seller?

I think about them from time to time - but i'm pretty happy with my silverstar bulbs now.

 

To each their own on the likes of the cladding. I bought my truck new in 02, so upgrades and changes keep me from the desire to buy anything new. I really enjoy seeing everyone's mods and picking and choosing what my next projects will be. Thanks.

 

I am not to sure about the halo's, they aren't for me.

I do like the nice piece at the rear of the truck to cover up the holes that would have shown after the cladding was removed.

I am looking at putting some bushwacker fender flares on. I know the front will fit, but I will have to custom fab the rears to fit.

How did the paint look underneath once the cladding was removed. I am a little concerned about how the paint will look difference. You know by having it covered for the past few years (6).

I like the background pictures for sure.

 

i dont have factory fogs but i have not had any issues with my single beam HID kit/relays with where i mounted them. i added the bull bar and HID driving lights to replace the fact i lost highbeams when going with the HIDs but i figured since i was spending the money i might as well get the bi-xeon kit. i'll do some re-wiring when i get them in since i had wired in a relay to keep the lowbeams on when the highbeams came on to keep from loosing my headlights when i pushed the highbeams forword(with the single beam kit)

the headlights came from K2 motors on ebay, i sent them a email and never got a reply i found it to be a lession learned. wish i could have decided on somthing differernt the first time around though.

for the record the stock 02-04 headlights with HIDs are perfect i wish i had kept them. never got flashed. i could see GREAT! and no bad fitment issues.

the paint under the cladding looked great, i used alittle rubbing compound on the line that seperated them but not it all matches very well after a few washes.

i understand the cladding removal is a love it or hate it thing. i personaly like a clean smooth look to a truck thus why i've removed all door trim/cladding on all my trucks.

oh and thanks guys! i'm loving this truck i also installed some new "catch-all" floor mats that i scored for free! match my interior and eveything.

 

I have similar headlights, just one halo around the dims. You're right though, they fit terrible. Not very easy to adjust. have to take them completely out to adjust them so it's trial and error. Plus one of the tabs on both headlights broke so i have just one tab on the bottom holding them on. had to cut a bunch of teh truck to get them to fit so if I want to put the stock lights back in, I have to get new grill reinforcment panel ($80 from LMC). I like the headlights though, only paid $80 for them, and they are so much brighter.


Kinda off track, I do like the look withough that molding, I though about painting mine black along with the bottom of the bumper.

 

luckly the ones i got did not require any moding to the header panal. i wasnt going to put them in if it did.

here are the new ones i ordered.

 

I would like to hear about your experience with these headlights. I saw them last night on Ebay but wasn't sure if I would like the total chrome look (headlight, marker, and turn signal). I kind of like the amber marker and turn signal look.
D

 

Regular headlights don't have a good enough cut-off patern to use HIDs that are 4 times brighter than halogen lights. Just because you never got flashed, doesn't mean you weren't blinding someone.

If you are going to use HIDs, then use projector housings. Period.

Some states have passed laws prohibiting the use of HIDs in non factory applications. People using them in regular headlight housings are probably the reason for those kinds of laws.

 

Hey Alaskan,

I think it looks nice in pink. Gutsy.

 

No...

i have to agree to disagree with you on this, its been highly debated here and on other forums i'm on.

and btw the cutoff on the factory 02-04 headlights is very good.

i put my first set of HIDs in my explorers aftermarket diamond cut headlights in 2004. since then i have learned alot about HIDs and also peoples opinions on them. really it all comes down to opinions. i find projectors sharp cutoff to really be annoying, you have light then pure darkness. now this being said i now have a set in the explorer but mainly for the highbeam use and the fact they are very good projectors and i couldnt pass the deal up.

if you have HIDs in halogen designed headlights they are not going to kill everyone on the road like you and many others seem to think. if that was true i would have killed many by now.

if you take the time to aim them correctly, which if they arent you will get flashed very quickly around here. i've taken the time with all my trucks to make sure they are not blinding oncoming traffic yet i can see wonderfully. down a tad and slightly to the left works wonders.

IMO projectors are not a must have with HIDs and many factory cars/trucks with HIDs dont use projectors. the navigator, toyota sienna minivan, volvo xc90 just to name a few. yes they have headlights desigend for the HID but it goes to show you you dont have to have it.

with this said i am MUCH MUCH MUCH happier with my new headlights. they fit right, look better and most of all give off a better beam then those crappy projectors did.

also i will add there is a HUGE amount of people localy to me with HIDs in there factory headlights. i'm sure none of them have aimed them or even thought about it. but i meet them oncoming every night and i'm not blinded. sure there is allways one guy with mis-aimed lights but that same can be said with halogens.

now, for the new pictures. sorry for being long winded but its a matter that i stand firm on.

 

Lets see a picture of the cut-off pattern then. Park next to a wall/garage and snap a shot in the dark.

 

i said the stockers have a great cutoff, these aftermarkets arnt as good but still much better then what the POS projectors did. i'll get a few pics tonight.