Retro completed: TSX projectors + denso ballasts

*PICS added*

Finished my retro last month, and I'm just now finally posting about it After retro-fitting e46 bixenons into my last car, I swore to myself that my next car would have HID's stock. But the price of the legacy and the motor won the battle, and I was left with no HID's. 3k miles of driving with halogens again, and I was about to kill myself so I dug deep into the cracks of the couch to scrounge up some money for another retrofit.

I used 04-05 matched TSX projectors and color-modded them. Result was a nice and thick blue/purple cutoff. The tradeoff was some loss of sharpness throughout the length of the beam though.

These projectors do not bolt right up like the E330/RX330 projectors do. I had to make a custom mounting plate using a sheet of metal to secure the projectors in place. The projectors mounted to the plate, and the plate mounted to the stock mounting locations. I did not add any rotational adjustment in the bracket, but I've been lucky in all my retros so far that I've always achieved a level cutoff.

Pictures will be taken and posted up soon. Haven't found a level enough location with a wall to take some pics yet, but there are a few places i do have in mind. I did not take any pictures during the install, but i can walk anyone through it since its simple enough.

*UPDATE* I took some quick pics from my driveway tonight. I'll take better ones of the beam pattern and cutoff tomorrow in my work parking lot, since no buildings around my area have unobstructed walls.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/typeshlude/hid1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/typeshlude/hid3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/typeshlude/hid2.jpg

Pics coming soon... I need to charge my camera battery and get off my lazy butt to take pics. After settling in when I get home from work, its pretty hard to get me back out the door.

The clearance is pretty good. Forward/reverse depth (in relation to the stock projector mounting point) is good. Plenty of room there. The TSX projector actually sits a little too far back from the shroud imo, but its only about 3-4mm though.

Clearance becomes an issue with the width of the projectors. The edge closest to the high beam reflector will make contact, and some grinding of the high beam reflector is needed. The grinding needs to be done on a part of the housing that is non-functional and is covered by the outer shroud, so it will never be seen. The other edge of the projectors that sit closest the the turn signal side need to be grinded as well. The projector would make contact with the shroud, so portion of the projector housing needs to be grinded away. Again, its grinding on a non-functional area so no harm is done to the optics.

you did know that you can get a lamp kit and ballasts that just pop in our current projector and take about 15min of work per side to install for about $200, right?

True, but nothing beats the actual output of OEM HID projectors. The stock projectors are decent in its stock halogen form, but imo worse with an aftermarket hid kit installed due to the slight glare and hotspot in the center of the beam pattern.

^ +1.

The LGT has decent-enough optics to make "plug-and-play" kits perform well enough and render its cut-off tight enough to prevent the worst of oncoming glare from assulting fellow drivers, but honestly, nothing beats a proper, full-optics "OEM-retro."

This is something that I would love to do as well at some point to some car.

In for pics.

X

That is possible but the output of OEM Projecters is 100X's better then any plug and play bulb ballest kit. IMO

Excuse my stupidity in retrofitting knowledge but...

What i want to know is...

Whats the difference btw me using an aftermarket H7 rebased HID kit in my OEM legacy setup vs me retrofitting the RX330 setup in there but still retaining the use of the OEM legacy shield and lense? So basically im just switcing my OEM legacy silver cone that holds H7 bulbs with the RX330 silver cone that holds the D2S bulbs? Whats the difference btw the OEM H7 silver cone and the RX330 D2S silver cone aside from the fact that it holds different sized bulbs? Is there some sort of mechinism in the silver cones thats different?

From my side by side comparison, the reflectors seem to be identical but grooves in there that help reflect the light are differnt, causing the light from the holg and HID react differntly, the cut off sheilds are also differnt, the legacy has a sharper cutoff step and forground limiter is straight and not arched down ward like the RX330's legacy lens are close to being clear but fresnaled with ripples where the lexus is dimpled and not as clear. the lens retainers are pretty much idetical except that they arent the same lenght and visually where the lens mounts is just a differnt design. hope that helped out some.

Excuse my stupidity in retrofitting knowledge but...

 

What i want to know is...

 

Whats the difference btw me using an aftermarket H7 rebased HID kit in my OEM legacy setup vs me retrofitting the RX330 setup in there but still retaining the use of the OEM legacy shield and lense? So basically im just switcing my OEM legacy silver cone that holds H7 bulbs with the RX330 silver cone that holds the D2S bulbs? Whats the difference btw the OEM H7 silver cone and the RX330 D2S silver cone aside from the fact that it holds different sized bulbs? Is there some sort of mechinism in the silver cones thats different?

From my side by side comparison, the reflectors seem to be identical but grooves in there that help reflect the light are differnt, causing the light from the holg and HID react differntly, the cut off sheilds are also differnt, the legacy has a sharper cutoff step and forground limiter is straight and not arched down ward like the RX330's legacy lens are close to being clear but fresnaled with ripples where the lexus is dimpled and not as clear. the lens retainers are pretty much idetical except that they arent the same lenght and visually where the lens mounts is just a differnt design. hope that helped out some.

So basically if i retrofit the RX330 setup in there but retain the use of the oem legacy shield/lense i am only switching out the silver cone which basically holds a genuine D2S bulb while the OEM legacy silver cone holds a H7 correct?

so in other words im switching the "holder" for the bulbs?

so wouldnt it be the same as using an aftermarket H7 rebased D2S HID kit?

im so confused right now... any more help would be appreciated..

You can use the legacy sheild and lens yes but you need to use the reflector and lens holder from the Lex ours will not bolt up properly to the lexus reflector. the best I can tell ya to really understand is visit, http://WWW.HIDPLANET.COM/FORUMS or http://www.thretrofitsource.com good people and lots of info.

So basically if i retrofit the RX330 setup in there but retain the use of the oem legacy shield/lense i am only switching out the silver cone which basically holds a genuine D2S bulb while the OEM legacy silver cone holds a H7 correct?

 

so in other words im switching the "holder" for the bulbs?

 

so wouldnt it be the same as using an aftermarket H7 rebased D2S HID kit?

 

im so confused right now... any more help would be appreciated..

so in other words.

1) i buy one of the RX330 projector/ballast/bulbs HID setup (~$400) on EBAY

2) reuse the OEM legacy shield/lense

3) take out and take apart OEM legacy headlights

4) take out OEM legacy silver cone

5) RX330 silver cone will bolt right on with no mods

6) Reseal headlights and re-install headlights

7) install HID components

Voila and i get a HID setup that has better beam projection and cutoff than if i were to get an aftermarket D2S H7 rebased HID kit?

Correct?

My BMW retrofit has a different cut-off shield, a larger/just as clear lens, a different reflector, and different bulbs...

Ted

so in other words.

 

1) i buy one of the RX330 projector/ballast/bulbs HID setup (~$400) on EBAY

dont buy from ebay cheaper on forums

2) reuse the OEM legacy shield/lense

If you want too

3) take out and take apart OEM legacy headlights

Yes

4) take out OEM legacy silver cone

whole projector

5) RX330 silver cone will bolt right on with no mods

Whole Projector

6) Reseal headlights and re-install headlights

yes

7) install HID components

Yes

 

 

Voila and i get a HID setup that has better beam projection and cutoff than if i were to get an aftermarket D2S H7 rebased HID kit?

 

 

Correct?

ok lets see if i can get it right this time mr_luv thanks for your patience lol

1) i buy one of the RX330 projector/ballast/bulbs HID setup (whats the going price for a setup like this)

2) reuse the OEM legacy shield/lense? (which provides a better result? the OEM legacy shield/lense or the full RX330 setup?)

3) take out and take apart OEM legacy headlights

4) take out OEM legacy projector

5) RX330 projector will bolt right on with NO MODS?

6) Reseal headlights and re-install headlights

7) install HID components

i really appreciate your help Mr_luv I've heard about you and your car from HKC nice ride !

Exactly give or take personal preferance for lens and sheild, also Completly clear lens work well too TSX/S2000/300ZX/base Celica. Sorry for throwing a wrench into the equasion

Im trying to do this with the lowest costs possible... so just getting the rx330 setup is ALL i need correct?

no mods needed to fit them in..... sounds too good to be true....

Mike add me to the list and I just noticed we have the same projectors hella's right?

nice. i added you to the first page of the link in my sig. welcome to the movement! im actually in the process of retroing tsx units into a 1st gen acura cl. might have an extra set of tsx projectors laying around as well...

Thats right.

Im trying to do this with the lowest costs possible... so just getting the rx330 setup is ALL i need correct?

 

no mods needed to fit them in..... sounds too good to be true....