Thanks for the credit for the lights idea! (that's my red NA) It's great to see this being done more and more often, I never liked the pop ups and think the miata looks awesome with headlights there.

 

I'll see if I can trace a clean version of it and I'll scan it in...give me a day or two.

I'll b damned...I was wondering if that was someone from on here....What did you use for your covers??

 

Man that car looks really pissed off,like it wants to punch me or something.Like it alot.
-Greg-

 

Got the ebay projectors today. Bixenon. Used projectors (although I can't tell) new bulbs & ballasts. It's all Ostram stuff so it's quality. That solenoid doesn't look like it add much size to me. Haven't torn the bumper off yet to see what kind of space I'm dealing with. I'm more concerned about heat than size. The outside ring around the lens is 2 3/4" so these are pretty compact. The solenoid adds about 1/2" in height and 1/4" in width. Worst case I only use the low beam.

Now to figure out the wiring to make it all work and find the time to do it!

 

Is that a sealed unit? Cspence brought up a good point to me about sealing mine up somehow. That is one of my biggest hurdles. I might start this weekend.

 

Nice !...Its been a few weeks, but if I recall, the opening for the turn signals is like 2.5" so it'll be tight. The overall height on my projectors was like 3" and they're, "Snug as a bug" in there even after my car got in a fight with the sawsall, lmao. Widthwise your good, no worries there. As for the heat, not a problem there, just make sure you mount the ballast in an area where they get some circulation since I noticed they get toasty after a while...Like 240 said, if those housings arn't sealed, definitly seal'em one way or another no if's and's or but's. Most open projector housings are designed to be within the headlight housing which is water tight. Wiring will be simple...splice into your 12v "Low beam" wire from the stock headlight harness and your ground from the harness and connect them to the ballast. Then for the shutter on the projector, splice into your 12v "High Beam" wire from the stock harness and the ground. Let me know if you have any questions or need any advice. Keep us updated!

O yea...those projectors sure look purdy!

 

I'll have to seal them up. Thanks for that and the wiring instructions. Quick question on the wiring. On the Miata, does the low beam turn off when the high beams are activated? If so the shutter will switch but the bulb will turn off. Am I wrong about that? I hope I am but I've had other cars that worked that way. Low beams shut off when highs are on.

The outside of the metal retaining ring around the lens is 2 3/4" and the inside is 2 1/2". About as small as bixenon's get which is a good thing! I'll have to try to replicate the bracket you created from your picture. Of course I don't have a $250,000 CAD driven piece of equipment to do it. I'll be using the trusty hacksaw. If it were more visible I'd make it extra ghetto by using an old license plate!

Really good to know I've gotta seal them up before I went ahead and installed them. I'm usually a measure once cut 6 times, curse, throw it away and buy another kind of guy. Appreciate not having to learn that the hard way. Thanks!

 

Yes.

 

1/16" Lexan. From the pic of my car you posted, you can see that I only used the screw point on the inside side of the parking light hole to hold them in. As you found, the outside screw hole is not on the same plane as the inside one, so if you use both holes, the cover has to flex into an S shape to fit to both holes. I found if you cut the covers just the right length and then place the outside edge in first then screw in the inside screw, it is held in perfectly, and the cover bends to the curvature of the hole. That outside corner can't come out unless you remove the inside side screw. I felt that was cleaner than warping the cover to fit both screw holes.

-Ryan

 

Your right....thought about that at like 6am on the ride in to work. I was like, "****, if he wires it that way the bulb will turn off when the shutter opens..." What you'll have to do is find the relays that control the low and high beams, then tap the 12v source that powers the high beam relay and run it to the low beam relay so that it stays pulled in even when you put the hi's on.....Since your just powering the shutter, you shouldn't have an issue with drawing too much power by having both relays on (As opposed to running a high beam bulb and a low beam bulb simultaneously), but you may want to check up on this.


Took the words right out of my mouth....I was going to try and explain that on here but figured no one would know what the **** I ment! I was going to do the same thing as you with just putting a screw on the inside, but figured the cover would rattle and buzz and just annoy me. Mine do have a slight "S" shape to them, may try what you did for a few days to see how they work.

Scanned it in, pm me your email and I'll forward it on.

 

Been working on the bumper scoop for a few days, got the brackets made / welded on, test fitted, and painted. Its not a perfect fit, but its damn close! I may look at trying to find something to put around the edges to clean up the look a little, any ideas....Anyways, I'll let the pics do all the talking...

1-4.jpg?t=1244150346
2-4.jpg?t=1244150534
3-3.jpg?t=1244150560
4-3.jpg?t=1244150602
5-3.jpg?t=1244150630
6-3.jpg?t=1244150650
7-3.jpg?t=1244150685
8-3.jpg?t=1244150711
9-3.jpg?t=1244150738
10-2.jpg?t=1244150508
Pic for ease of comparison...
5-1.jpg?t=1243547434

 

Well, for some reason I got a fire under my *** right now to finish up some of the projects I started....I'm going with it. Got the headlight scoop formed up and fitted. Just need to make a few brackets to hold it and it'll be ready to weld. Just wanted to share some progress pics. Let me know what ya'll think!

1-5.jpg?t=1244237979

2-5.jpg?t=1244238145

3-4.jpg?t=1244238182

4-4.jpg?t=1244238208

5-4.jpg?t=1244238236

6-4.jpg?t=1244238262

 

why isn't that intake sealed within the scoop?

 

I have'nt thought of a way to make it not look obnoxious...I was thinking that the cone filter in the scoop would look cool, but figured it also might look a little over the top,although the car is kinda over the top with the black stripe, giant hole in the bumper, etc... Should I put it there and make like a perforated cover that I can paint white and put over it?? Input and ideas welcome, kinda at a loss with this one!

**EDIT**
Pics for reference...
DSC04120.jpg?t=1244245395

DSC04124.jpg?t=1244245428

 

remove th filter from the equation, make the scoop dump directly into the turbo

 

Then should I just start throwing random stuff down it to see if it makes it past the impeller...

 

thats what the honda that races u might try...


looks to radical for a DD, good for a track car (like splittime).
what if u just had two diff set ups. first try one and compare to ur #s with the other.


btw, i think im gonna do the giant black stripe...

 

Well this car is only my weekend warrior....so it's not like I would be dealing with it 24/7. All I was going to do to get the cone in the scoop was to run some leftover 3" exhaust tube over that way and use a rubber coupling to connect the tube to where the filter clamps on now...which would be very easy to swap out if I wanted. I think I'ma try it!

On another note, once you go black, you don't go back. I was'nt sure about the stripe when I first got the car, but I like it now. I think it sets the car apart! Go for it..

 

screw the cone filter. Find a GIANT drop in K&N filter and build yourself an airbox. Seal it off 100% except for the inlet to the trubo and the inlet on the headlight opening... "Ram air" GM style.. Before they were taken over by Socialists....

 

I'm thinking panel filter in the scoop with either a mesh cover where the headlight cover goes, or just one with a scoop. Just enough to cover the filter. I suppose it doesn't matter what kind of filter goes under the cover, but I'd put a white cover over the scoop.