Possibility of Crystal headlights for Gen2? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Skell · 06-22-2005, 07:40 PM

Is this a pipe dream.... I think the headlights look decent as it is actually.... but if they didnt have those lines on the lenses itd really make the front end rather clever looking, but my mind started to wander again... I know its a moot point trying to polish a Gen2 camry...

also, has anyone ever gotten their hands on a cheap es300 leather seat set and installed em in the GEN2???

te51levin · 12-30-2005, 01:05 AM

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm not so concerned with the way the lights look from the outside. My main problem is that I can't tell if they are on or not when I am driving the car at night! I've been toying with different solutions including quad round conversion, DIY projector conversion, etc etc...just trying to figure out what would look good (this is my wife's car and it must look OEM clean) and work like the Cibies in my MR2.

atobe · 12-30-2005, 01:08 AM

joey has taken es250 lights and put it on the gen2 camry... as for the lighting i got some foglights seems to light up the road way better than just the headlights

te51levin · 12-30-2005, 01:40 AM

I've already added big tacky Bosch fog lights with 100-watt bulbs. They help a lot, but I still really want some better headlights. The fogs just don't reach far enough up the road.

I did check out Joey's car. If that wasn't a RHD setup I'd definately be interested in copying his setup.

atobe · 12-30-2005, 12:27 PM

i guess that ultimate setup would be retrofiting it with some HID and projectors but that's gonna cost you...i'm been thinking about going that route for awhile myself but i'm poor

Fresco Bob · 12-30-2005, 12:36 PM

I haven't looked at gen 2 headlights close up, but if they have the similar textures as stock gen 3, then you can clear them out yourself, it just takes a lot of sanding, do a search to find the thread where people did it

white90dx · 12-30-2005, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fresco Bob

I haven't looked at gen 2 headlights close up, but if they have the similar textures as stock gen 3, then you can clear them out yourself, it just takes a lot of sanding, do a search to find the thread where people did it

Gen2 headlights have glass lenses, not plastic... It would be really hard to sand the glass smooth...

-Charlie

te51levin · 12-31-2005, 12:00 AM

I've been checking into a few things. Some Australian gen2 cars have very attractive headlights with inboard fog lamps (or are those high beams?). They looks almost like the lenses have no fluting, but apparently they do. If they were clear - if the pattern were determined by the reflector and not the lens - I'd definately be ready to do some work with shields and convert them to LHD pattern.

Also been trying to find a way to make some copies of the existing lenses without the fluting. Does anyone know anything about vacuum or injection molding? If that could be done relatively easily, it would make for a much cleaner, more elegant conversion. I'd rather hide four round lights (or whatever else) behing a smooth clear lens than just tuck them into a cavity in the front of the car.

Phatfantom68 · 12-31-2005, 12:15 AM

I was thinking that it is possible to get custom molded lenses, but it's gonna cost you a lot unless you do a group buy. If you do a group buy, its not going to be successful, because 99% of gen2 owners are broke-asses and only drive such an old car because we can't afford a new camry or some other car. So basically, anything is possible if you're willing to pay out of the ass for it to be custom made.

Also, you're going to have to modify the housing and reflective crap to reflect the light more evenly, or else the lights are gonna look horrible and prolly not gonna do their job very well since the fluting scatters light. So to sum this up, you're going to have to do tons of custom work and its not gonna be cheap.

atobe · 12-31-2005, 12:38 AM

yeah they do te51levin i've imported 2 sets from japan..i sold one set to joey but he's selling it to white90dx (charlie)

these are them the front ones i'm keeping for myself. but i haven't installed them yet.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t111641.html check this thread to see the lights on joey's car

i think they're a lil lighter than our stock ones they use H4 bulbs and H3 for the fog

te51levin · 12-31-2005, 03:40 AM

atobe:
Thanks for the link to Joey's sale. There's a very good pic of the JDM lights on that thread and the lenses are definately fluted, meaning it would be impossible (on a realistic budget) to make them really suitable for road use in a LHD vehicle (with traffic on the right side of the road, as in the US). That's too bad, because they look great and I'm sure they work a hell of a lot better than US lights do.

Or am I missing the point here? Are you suggesting that these lights are also available in LHD configuration?

Phatfantom68:
My goal, assuming I won't find really good LHD headlights, will be to totally replace the lights with something else: either four round lights (H4 hi/lo and H3 hi) or projector lo / H3 hi combo. These would be existing headlights that have their own reflectors and lenses. All the optics would be handled within the lights themselves. I'd just want to cover them with a clear lens, with no fluting, in the shape of the existing headlight assembly. Think modern BMW: four lights behind a clear lens. The lens would just be to preserve the OEM look of the car. I took a look at the car again today and I think if I am careful I can make a mold of the gen2 headlight lens, then make a plexiglass lens in the same shape bith the old heat-and-form technique. It just has to look good from the outside as there is no need to seal it against weather or anything. The lights behind it are already sealed and good to go.

Phatfantom68 · 12-31-2005, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by te51levin

My goal, assuming I won't find really good LHD headlights, will be to totally replace the lights with something else: either four round lights (H4 hi/lo and H3 hi) or projector lo / H3 hi combo. These would be existing headlights that have their own reflectors and lenses. All the optics would be handled within the lights themselves. I'd just want to cover them with a clear lens, with no fluting, in the shape of the existing headlight assembly. Think modern BMW: four lights behind a clear lens. The lens would just be to preserve the OEM look of the car. I took a look at the car again today and I think if I am careful I can make a mold of the gen2 headlight lens, then make a plexiglass lens in the same shape bith the old heat-and-form technique. It just has to look good from the outside as there is no need to seal it against weather or anything. The lights behind it are already sealed and good to go.

Oooh, i see what you're getting at. Then nevermind my earlier comments.

atobe- how does the vista lights/grille bolt up to a regular sv21? does it fit alright and flush with the bumper, or is the some modification involved?

atobe · 12-31-2005, 12:10 PM

well it fits in fine with the bumper.. but since the vista is the es250 you'll need the hood too because it doesn't have that lil top piece that goes on top of the lights..and fenders because the corner lights aren't the same..... i'm expecting my front bumper, hood, fenders from japan in late feb to complete my conversion. as far as LHD or RHD i'm just gonna use them anyways !

te51levin if you can make the mold and make it clear to shove in some projectors i'd love to see the project. that'll be so awesome.

TypeRex187 · 12-31-2005, 05:16 PM

Atobe: the picture you posted the set in the front is the Vista and the one in the rear is the Camrys?

atobe · 12-31-2005, 05:22 PM

yeah