Lower Priced low profile headlight Conversion?

Would really depend on the dimensions of the inside housing and whether they would fit in our buckets.
Do you have the dimensions ?

we have a miata with the small double headlights. I'll take some measurements when I get home.

Wow! How fortunate is that!! Thanks Macman. Are you happy with the light the miata puts out??? You have the Hella's low and High beam?
Thanks!

MacMan
Just went through all your websites! Wow very cool stuff. V8 in a Miata!! That's gonna be a fun ride. Like a Mini AC Cobra! I wanted to change my gauges out in the future sometime and change the radio to horizontal like your backing plate. Do you happen to have any pics on how you did that?? Looks great. The website on how to install the shift boot was also top notch!
Emery
emery@hawaii.rr.com

hahaahaha, awesome. We've got to finish the v8 conversion on that miata sooooon. It's taking up the corvette's parking space in the garage! We're just waiting on a few more ordered parts to show up and we can finish. It is going to be an absolute monster though. We bought some AFR heads, cobra intake, bbk throttle body, trick flow cam, roller rockers, etc. The combo is supposed to put out about 370 hp. The v8 conversion adds 250lbs. to the miata, some of which we are getting back by ditching the air conditioning (our choice) and going with aluminum heads. Stock miatas weight 2250 lbs, so standard v8 conversion brings it up to 2500 lbs. End result is that the miata is going to have a nasty horsepower to weight ratio: 6.75 lbs. per hp. (in comparison, my 2001 Z06 came from the factory at about 8 lbs. per hp.)

Back to the headlights, they're really close. It would probably work, but it would be a very tight fit. The miata lights are about .25 inches wider than the panteras. And it would obviously require some fabrication skills. If anyone wants detailed pics of the miata lights, let me know. It certainly wouldn't look nearly as nice as the Pantera headlight kits, but it would be as functional. The lights are definitely bright. One light works as the low beam, and then the other light joins the party for high beams. So on high, all four lights are on. Even on the low beams, when Jaime is following me at night, I can tell which car is hers because the headlights are really small diameter but brighter than the other cars headlights.

I did take pictures along the whole way of the Panteras center console. I've been meaning to post a little page about how we did it. Easy stuff, just took a lot of time. I'll try to get it posted this weekend, and I'll give you a shout when it's done.

Macman
Thanks for the info. Are your Hella the HID version or the Halogen version?
Looks like someone needs to make a mold of the buckets outta cheap fiberglass, aluminum , stainless or carbon fiber and sell it as a kit to keep cost down. Then buy the Hella Halogens or HID Hellas on your own to keep cost down.

I'm really looking forward to the pictures and info on your center console upgrade. Looks sweet!

Emery
emery@hawaii.rr.om

Here's a different approach to headlights. Fixed lights.
http://www.gonzalezcastilloengineering.com/auto.html

The Miata lights look great.It is hard to tell in the pictures but the Hella light looks to have a longer /wider bulb base behind the lamps.The lights I got from Kirk Evans are short and fit close in the tapered back of the headlamp housings. The as you said a bezel would have to be made to make them slick. There are lots of options, a friend put early 90's Camaro lights in his and spent lots of time but they look great. And the Honda sports car set look slick but carry high cost.

quote:

Originally posted by hawaii:
Here's a different approach to headlights. Fixed lights.
http://www.gonzalezcastilloengineering.com/auto.html

I like the fixed lights route. You keep your original buckets on a shelf somewhere..no need to cut or chop up your buckets the way you have to with the Hella conversions. And you can easily return to original if you wanted. Plus the weight savings would be great too!

Only problem is the fixed Pantera lights I've seen up to this point don't look too appealing. Good to hear Kirk Evans is looking into it. I'd be interested!

quote:

Originally posted by hawaii:
...I'm really looking forward to the pictures and info on your center console upgrade. Looks sweet!

Emery
emery@hawaii.rr.om

Just posted a new topic called "how I made my custom center console". Take a look.
http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/7650045562/m/5780044204

Looks pretty cool!