quote:Is this noticeable?
Check page one of this thread for a picture of them... Looks to be a very solid product...
Check page one of this thread for a picture of them... Looks to be a very solid product...
Check page one of this thread for a picture of them... Looks to be a very solid product...
I have decided to make 6 sets of the AmeriSport 90mm Cat Eye Quads available for the original introductory price of 695.00 from 2006. This will be the last available production on the 90mm style. If you are interested in a set of the final 6 sets, please give my cell a call direct or send a note to amerisport@gmail.com and I will be happy to put your name on the list.
Thank you all for your support.
Kirk
Thank you all for your support.
Kirk
When a kit comes along that combines all the best attributes, I'll be buying.
I'm looking for:
-Horizontal look (like Vader II), max 4" opening
-Install w/o removing and cutting and painting
-Street legal (Europe)
-No view to inner fender
-$600 max
Some day...
I'm looking for:
-Horizontal look (like Vader II), max 4" opening
-Install w/o removing and cutting and painting
-Street legal (Europe)
-No view to inner fender
-$600 max
Some day...
quote:I have decided to make 6 sets of the AmeriSport 90mm Cat Eye Quads available for the original introductory price of 695.00
email sent
quote:Originally posted by No Quarter:
When a kit comes along that combines all the best attributes, I'll be buying.
I'm looking for:
-Horizontal look (like Vader II), max 4" opening
-Install w/o removing and cutting and painting
-Street legal (Europe)
-No view to inner fender
-$600 max
Some day...
Mikael,
Do you have a preference on bulb size?
quote:Some day...
The day may be sooner than you think!!!
quote:Do you have a preference on bulb size?
Nope, but must be Europe legal.
quote:Originally posted by Bdkity:
One of the best threads I've read! I'm in the market for a set of lights and this thread has provided me with clear pictures, lots of details and a bit of jousting too. I'd like to see more shots of Ted's kit before I decide (I have his window kit and it's a super product) but there's been talk of exposed inner fenders with the lower lights. Is this noticeable?
If you park the car with the headlights up, I guess you notice.I guess this is a matter of taste, but since you ask I try to post a couple of pics of Teds Vader II kit.
quote:Originally posted by No Quarter:
When a kit comes along that combines all the best attributes, I'll be buying.
I'm looking for:
-Horizontal look (like Vader II), max 4" opening
-Install w/o removing and cutting and painting
-Street legal (Europe)
-No view to inner fender
-$600 max
Some day...
If you want horizontal 4" opening, and at the same time no wiew of the inner fender. I guess you have to look at something smaller than 90mm lights. Maybe Kirks 60mm "cat eye"?
It may be possible to modify the Vader to cover the opening in the side, as it is just a single aluminum plate cover in the front. (Angle up on the sides)?
I got the ECE 90mm hella inserts in the Vader II lights on request, so Ted can make it ECE approved if wanted. SACC have both SAE DOT & ECE approved in their website
Cutting, I do not think you can install any of the quad lights without some cutting, but it will be covered by the new lights.
Price?? $600 well we can only hope
Tunnelport492, thanks loads for the pics - now I see what people are talking about. What finish are your Vader lights? - they look great to me!
quote:Originally posted by Bdkity:
Tunnelport492, thanks loads for the pics - now I see what people are talking about. What finish are your Vader lights? - they look great to me!
My lights is natural aluminum (Satin). blasted, not brushed. I think it is the "high tech titanium" look.
I just thought I would ad this picture of a Pantera that I ran across a long time ago with another four headlight conversion. I remember asking the what brand the headlight conversion was but they did not know. They did tell be that the sealed beamed lights were “Sylvania” - they thought.
Notice how the light closest to the hood is actually a little larger than the outward light. I kind of like this look.
I tried to search for some Sylvania sealed beam lights this small some time ago, but did not have any luck.
Notice how the light closest to the hood is actually a little larger than the outward light. I kind of like this look.
I tried to search for some Sylvania sealed beam lights this small some time ago, but did not have any luck.
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A have received a number of requests for a round opening design for the 60mm bezel so I prototyped one today. The picture is close to a production version which may be nothing more than some additional finish detail.
Another point is the mounting system for the 60mm will not change from oval bezel to round bezel so you can have several looks if desired.
One more point; the 60 and 90mm mounting assembles share a common modification of the original bucket. Also the bulb assembly plate mounting screw holes are in identical locations on every version and are transferable if you wish to change styles from the earlier 90s to the current 60s.
Thank you for looking.
Another point is the mounting system for the 60mm will not change from oval bezel to round bezel so you can have several looks if desired.
One more point; the 60 and 90mm mounting assembles share a common modification of the original bucket. Also the bulb assembly plate mounting screw holes are in identical locations on every version and are transferable if you wish to change styles from the earlier 90s to the current 60s.
Thank you for looking.
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quote:Originally posted by Kirk Evans:
Devin,
I believe Larry Wu works in the light industry and may be a real-deal engineer. The law is for conversion kits that get installed into non HID housing. The problem is the HID light wave is totally different in shape so the reflectors from non HID lights are simply not the correct shape to utilize the photons correctly. If you install HID bulbs into a non HID housing and do a side by side comparison using the correct HID bulbs and housing, the true HID lights will be noticeably better. I believe Larry Wu uses HID bulbs removed from a production car---his system is very well engineered and is quite detailed---very well built.
The car in question is my GT5. I am happy to answer any questions I can about the conversion but I do not think that Larry Wu is doing them any more. In fact, as far as I know, the only conversions of his that were ever installed in a Pantera were in his and then mine. At the time, he was playing with HID systems as a hobby. He was a student, and did a few conversions on some other makes of cars in addition to mine in order to make some cash.
Kirk is right that Larry did quality work, but at the time he was not a qualified engineer as far as I know.
He adapted the projectors and ballasts from an Acura NSX for my application. I had to send him my buckets for the procedure, which required a lot of cutting and took many months. The cost was several times that of the kits available today, but it was a custom job and at the time the only way to get a dual HID conversion. I gladly paid the price, though, because my car does get driven at night on dark roads infested with deer, and the old bug-eyes were useless to the point of being outright dangerous.
I agree with Kirk that a properly executed HID conversion is unlikely to be illegal especially if it uses parts from factory production vehicles. That said, it is still legal to beat your wife with a leather strap in California as long as it is of specified dimensions, so the law can be an ass and you might want to check your local ordinances before proceeding.
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quote:Originally posted by Z06 Pantera:
Be careful with an HID conversion as it is not legal and if, (heaven forbid), someone was killed in an accident, because they were blinded by on coming headlights, you could find yourself in hot water. It has happened...
Good HID headlights will not blind oncoming drivers. Unlike conventional headlights, they have a remarkably sharp horizontal cut-off. As far as I am concerned, HID is a huge safety improvement and certainly not some kind of menace as you imply. I'm not going to kill anyone with my xenon headlights. On the contrary, I may well save my life, the life of my passenger and perhaps others because I can now see where I am going.
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quote:quote:
Originally posted by Z06 Pantera:
Be careful with an HID conversion as it is not legal and if, (heaven forbid), someone was killed in an accident, because they were blinded by on coming headlights, you could find yourself in hot water. It has happened...
Good HID headlights will not blind oncoming drivers. Unlike conventional headlights, they have a remarkably sharp horizontal cut-off. As far as I am concerned, HID is a huge safety improvement and certainly not some kind of menace as you imply. I'm not going to kill anyone with my xenon headlights. On the contrary, I may well save my life, the life of my passenger and perhaps others because I can now see where I am going.
Do what you will. I didn't imply anything. I don't care at all what headlight you decide to run. I am only the messenger. My information was given to me by a US Hella rep. I will not debate the merits or legality of the system. Just saying to make sure it is legal before you find yourself in hot water, like what has happened to others in the past. Of, just flip a coin and take your chances...
I am glad, then, that we are agreed it might be a good idea to check your local ordinances before proceeding with a conversion.
As for who was implying what, based on your clarification I am happy to retract my statement that you wrote HID headlights can blind drivers and cause them to crash, and amend it to say that it was the Hella rep you spoke to who implied it.
I hope that clears things up and that there is no offence.
As for who was implying what, based on your clarification I am happy to retract my statement that you wrote HID headlights can blind drivers and cause them to crash, and amend it to say that it was the Hella rep you spoke to who implied it.
I hope that clears things up and that there is no offence.
Wow, this a some thread! Over 4,000 views. And such animosity. It’s something I really miss, since George started shutting down political threads.
Anyhow, it’s amazing what has come out of this. There are many choices of units one can buy or modify. And some of the available vendor choices are fantastic. If they don’t fit your needs, you can just fab your own low rise version.
But many seem to be so hung up in the details of the materials and the fit and finish minutia. The fact is, though, you only use headlights at night. At least, it only dark at night here in North America - it's different elsewhere. And aside from digging out a mess of bugs and debris from your headlights, I doubt anyone can see any of the product details at night, except the light they emit.
Anyhow, the lower they are the less air brakes you have and the less debris they collect. The brighter they are, the safer you are. Assuming, of course, you align them to light the road and not the night sky.
As for laws and regulations, any of us could be hauled off to jail for any number of things related to our Panteras – emissions, noise, pollution, side markers, bumpers, lighting, wipers, you name it.
And this doesn’t include all the laws just about every one of us breaks whenever we put our foot down.
And Peter, thanks for that tidbit. Next time I find myself with a really miserable wife, I’m moving to CA!
Anyhow, it’s amazing what has come out of this. There are many choices of units one can buy or modify. And some of the available vendor choices are fantastic. If they don’t fit your needs, you can just fab your own low rise version.
But many seem to be so hung up in the details of the materials and the fit and finish minutia. The fact is, though, you only use headlights at night. At least, it only dark at night here in North America - it's different elsewhere. And aside from digging out a mess of bugs and debris from your headlights, I doubt anyone can see any of the product details at night, except the light they emit.
Anyhow, the lower they are the less air brakes you have and the less debris they collect. The brighter they are, the safer you are. Assuming, of course, you align them to light the road and not the night sky.
As for laws and regulations, any of us could be hauled off to jail for any number of things related to our Panteras – emissions, noise, pollution, side markers, bumpers, lighting, wipers, you name it.
And this doesn’t include all the laws just about every one of us breaks whenever we put our foot down.
And Peter, thanks for that tidbit. Next time I find myself with a really miserable wife, I’m moving to CA!
quote:As for laws and regulations, any of us could be hauled off to jail for any number of things related to our Panteras – emissions, noise, pollution, side markers, bumpers, lighting, wipers, you name it.
And this doesn’t include all the laws just about every one of us breaks whenever we put our foot down
Good point David, however none of those things will put you in Jail for Manslaughter. My Hella rep told me a story about a guy that installed HID's in his car, (not a Pantera), and they blinded oncoming traffic when they were cresting a hill. There was a fatality and the dude with the HID's was charged with manslaughter. In this case the HID's were not legal. I suppose if they were legal in that particular jurisdiction then he would have been ok.
By the way, if somebody/anybody can't see the road clearly with the illumination provided by the Hella lights utlized in the kits manufactured by either Kirk or I, then they need their eyes checked or maybe they shouldn't be driving at night. In other words ... IN MY OPINION ... HID's are overkill on the street. That's just my opinion, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, to those that disagree with me, no offense is intended to anyone!!!!!!
On a related note I spent some money and have Kirk's 60mm lights on the way 
Censorship edited out the first part of this post
Julian
Censorship edited out the first part of this post
Julian
I am so happy for you that you got some of the latest lights from Kirk. I am sure there will be others that like the new looks. And for those that don't, I will continue to supply Pantera owners 90mm headlights for as long as they want me to.
Hey guys this was fun. Lets do it again. Certainly entertaining. LOL
Hello all,
As far as HID being “overkill”, illegal, or just too expensive to justify, I do not have an opinion. I was amazed after the first Cat Eye Quad night drive and do not believe HIDs are needed in most cases. That said To HID or not to HID: that is the question so it’s up to each owner/driver IMHO which is the only opinion I have. AmeriSport does not offer HID bulbs in our kits and never has. Hella does make a FACTORY DESIGNED HID 90mm high and low beam but they are quite costly. I do not know if they’re legal or illegal in what areas of the country but I would suggest if is your intention to use HID bulbs, (not the conversion bulbs installed into halogen housings which may be federally illegal) do some research. The HID illegality issue was address correctly (as I understand it from 2 Hella reps) on page 6 of this thread but I will try and clarify it better with pictures.
Let me be clear about this final paragraph. I have owned a Pantera since 1974 and have devoted a fair amount of my life to the car building or restoring several hundred through the years. All of my parts are originals built for needs to complete some in-house Pantera projects from the past, present and hopefully future. I spend a great deal of time each week helping the public by phone and email solve problems with their cars. I’ve never asked for kudos, sought namesake fame, or even solicited a pat on the back for creating many many items not including the un-calculable hours in the shop doing hands on total Pantera rebuilds to help the enthusiast/customer---just a small amount of respect when deserved would be sincerely appreciated along with a “Thank You” is all I’ve ever hoped for.
Thank you for all of your support.
Sincerest regards,
Kirk Evans --- AmeriSport ---
As far as HID being “overkill”, illegal, or just too expensive to justify, I do not have an opinion. I was amazed after the first Cat Eye Quad night drive and do not believe HIDs are needed in most cases. That said To HID or not to HID: that is the question so it’s up to each owner/driver IMHO which is the only opinion I have. AmeriSport does not offer HID bulbs in our kits and never has. Hella does make a FACTORY DESIGNED HID 90mm high and low beam but they are quite costly. I do not know if they’re legal or illegal in what areas of the country but I would suggest if is your intention to use HID bulbs, (not the conversion bulbs installed into halogen housings which may be federally illegal) do some research. The HID illegality issue was address correctly (as I understand it from 2 Hella reps) on page 6 of this thread but I will try and clarify it better with pictures.
Let me be clear about this final paragraph. I have owned a Pantera since 1974 and have devoted a fair amount of my life to the car building or restoring several hundred through the years. All of my parts are originals built for needs to complete some in-house Pantera projects from the past, present and hopefully future. I spend a great deal of time each week helping the public by phone and email solve problems with their cars. I’ve never asked for kudos, sought namesake fame, or even solicited a pat on the back for creating many many items not including the un-calculable hours in the shop doing hands on total Pantera rebuilds to help the enthusiast/customer---just a small amount of respect when deserved would be sincerely appreciated along with a “Thank You” is all I’ve ever hoped for.
Thank you for all of your support.
Sincerest regards,
Kirk Evans --- AmeriSport ---
And a Hella 90mm halogen low beam used on all 3 kits They are similar in design and size but are not the same because the HID light is different so to use it's photons correctly, the housing must be properly engineered to reflect the light correctly. This is why putting HID bulbs into a halogen housing will not get you HID results and could be dangerous and/or illegal.
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Kirk,
I would like to say that I completely respect you and the work that you have done throughout the years. We obviously both have a lot of passion around the products we sell.
To balance out the pictures of my lights posted earlier in which they were only primered, I am posting some pictures of my lights in a finished state below. People can make a more informed decision.
Here are my headlights as a finished product....
Finished Bezel - Powder Coated Satin Black
Bezel Contour vs Bucket Contour
Finished Edges
Pair of Finished Bezels
More finished bezels
Finished Product with Lights Installed
For more high resolution pictures, please visit http://www.photobucket.com/sacc_headlights
Respectfully submitted...
Scott
I would like to say that I completely respect you and the work that you have done throughout the years. We obviously both have a lot of passion around the products we sell.
To balance out the pictures of my lights posted earlier in which they were only primered, I am posting some pictures of my lights in a finished state below. People can make a more informed decision.
Here are my headlights as a finished product....
Finished Bezel - Powder Coated Satin Black
Bezel Contour vs Bucket Contour
Finished Edges
Pair of Finished Bezels
More finished bezels
Finished Product with Lights Installed
For more high resolution pictures, please visit http://www.photobucket.com/sacc_headlights
Respectfully submitted...
Scott
Hi all,
I did a bit more research on the HID issue and found out there are several reasons whey the conversions light installed into other DOT housing are illegal---not the regular HID assemblies. One of the big reasons is that cheep conversions do not have safety provision installed in case of a crash so if the light is ruptured and igniter keeps trying to start it with the 85,000 volts needed. So say your nose down in a ditch at night trapped with a full tank of fuel leaking down all over the car. The power is still on and the light switch is broken in the on position. Your headlight bucket was ripped out and your staring at the remains of a broken HID bulb trying to re-start---re-start---re-start as the gas finally gets to the front of the car. Not good! There are more reasons I just thought this one was the most dramatic.
Hella makes a lot of HID for other manufactures. Again let me assure you if you have never driven a Pantera with any one of the three 90mm conversions available, Vader, the light produced is far superior to any standard full size bulbs available.
Last I would like to apologize for my Sunday night posting. I was busy with family grandson issues all last week and was not on line. Two friends contacted me about something that was posted earlier appearing to be a direct attack on me personally but ended up being a type-O in a poor sentence. Since I may be the king of type-Os, bad spelling (thank you for spell-check) and sentence construction often appearing to be built with Legos, I understand how this can happen. Anyway, my posting was edited by George and I thanked him by PM Monday. My original posting addressed each of the issues that appeared to be personal attacks, so I was kicking the word ass of the type-O and embarrassed myself in the process. Lesson learned was if you see an issue that appears to be a personal attack, PM the poster. Not rocket science I know but somehow this simple approach got lost in my pride and for that I am very sorry to those who read the un-edited version and to Scott Bell for my typing before thinking retort.
It will not happen again!
Thank you all for your support and love a great car we all admire, the Pantera.
Kirk
I did a bit more research on the HID issue and found out there are several reasons whey the conversions light installed into other DOT housing are illegal---not the regular HID assemblies. One of the big reasons is that cheep conversions do not have safety provision installed in case of a crash so if the light is ruptured and igniter keeps trying to start it with the 85,000 volts needed. So say your nose down in a ditch at night trapped with a full tank of fuel leaking down all over the car. The power is still on and the light switch is broken in the on position. Your headlight bucket was ripped out and your staring at the remains of a broken HID bulb trying to re-start---re-start---re-start as the gas finally gets to the front of the car. Not good! There are more reasons I just thought this one was the most dramatic.
Hella makes a lot of HID for other manufactures. Again let me assure you if you have never driven a Pantera with any one of the three 90mm conversions available, Vader, the light produced is far superior to any standard full size bulbs available.
Last I would like to apologize for my Sunday night posting. I was busy with family grandson issues all last week and was not on line. Two friends contacted me about something that was posted earlier appearing to be a direct attack on me personally but ended up being a type-O in a poor sentence. Since I may be the king of type-Os, bad spelling (thank you for spell-check) and sentence construction often appearing to be built with Legos, I understand how this can happen. Anyway, my posting was edited by George and I thanked him by PM Monday. My original posting addressed each of the issues that appeared to be personal attacks, so I was kicking the word ass of the type-O and embarrassed myself in the process. Lesson learned was if you see an issue that appears to be a personal attack, PM the poster. Not rocket science I know but somehow this simple approach got lost in my pride and for that I am very sorry to those who read the un-edited version and to Scott Bell for my typing before thinking retort.
It will not happen again!
Thank you all for your support and love a great car we all admire, the Pantera.
Kirk
Hey Kirk,
Your new 60mm Hella conversion looks great.
Are either or both the bi-xenon's which I know Hella offer in their 90mm housing or are these running regular halogen bulbs?
If the former what can one do regarding the mandatory auto-levelling?
Thanks.
Dave
Longchamp GTS 3061
Your new 60mm Hella conversion looks great.
Are either or both the bi-xenon's which I know Hella offer in their 90mm housing or are these running regular halogen bulbs?
If the former what can one do regarding the mandatory auto-levelling?
Thanks.
Dave
Longchamp GTS 3061
Hi Dave,
I only off the 60s in halogen but they are very bright and are ECE and DOT approved.
What is auto leveling? They are adjustable.
Thank you for your kind support. If you need more info, ple3ase drop me a note at amerisport@gmail.com
Thanks Dave.
Kirk
I only off the 60s in halogen but they are very bright and are ECE and DOT approved.
What is auto leveling? They are adjustable.
Thank you for your kind support. If you need more info, ple3ase drop me a note at amerisport@gmail.com
Thanks Dave.
Kirk
kirk, how are my pads coming along. i have not heard back from you. thanks, mike mayberry
I asked about quad headlights in another tread, guess it's smart to go back to this one...
First, is there any new products since the last post of August 2012 from any of the vendors?
I like Vaders because they're low, and SACC's because they're cheap and he's active and helpful on this forum.
Will any of these kits or Amerisports' kit install without any cutting to the pods at all?
First, is there any new products since the last post of August 2012 from any of the vendors?
I like Vaders because they're low, and SACC's because they're cheap and he's active and helpful on this forum.
Will any of these kits or Amerisports' kit install without any cutting to the pods at all?
The Amerisport kit I have requires cutting. It is top quality and Kirk was exceptionally helpful when I did the install.