Hiya,

First off let me say that I haven't actually looked at the headlights yet (they're buried in the garage somewhere as part of the '03 to '04 facelift for my rally car). I understand the low beams are HID's (stock STi headlight units), and the highs are halogen?

What would be the best way to get HID's in the high beams? I'm not concerned about street legal because the high beams won't be on unless I'm on a stage anyway, then they'll be on along with the other HID rally lights. I've had good luck with Hella. Can I just plop in some HID bulbs, add the ballasts, and be done with it? Anybody done this yet?

One can never have enough light on a night stage... :D

Cheers,
-Doug
#88 WRX STi

http://www.rally-america.com/Archives/2003/Ojibwe/day/data/gallery/day2/images/37.jpg

Just buy a conversion kit for whatever bulb type it is. Mister Jung or somebody like that.

9005 HID conversions are available many places.

HID-Online.com offers some nice choices with real Philips capsules built into bases that put the arc at the proper position to match optics designed for halogen. Very effective.

HTH,
Eric

what EHobron says is your best bet. Misterjung is crap. hid-online has some nice, but more expensive, quality items.

dunno if you care, but a 9011 (aka HIR1) bulb is literally almost as bright as an HID bulb and it can definitely fit into a 9005 socket. They claim like 3200 lumens for a HID bulb. They claim like 1400 lumens for a standard halogen. The HIR1 is spec'd at 2500 lumens.

Check it out on a google search for how it achieves the higher output using the same wattage as a standard halogen.

They are available from www.danielsternlighting.com

They would save you a lot of trouble, wiring, money, and complexity.

Nick, I tried to find info on those bulbs the last time you posted, but I'm not coming up with much except technical specs and one line of bulbs made by Polarg that have similar output claims to the HIR1. But Polarg??? They make those silly blue and purple headlights, right?

Who makes the HIR1 bulbs and where, specifically, can you buy them?

I swapped out the halogen high beams for an aftermarket HID kit on my STi. Install went smoothly enough, but required a relay kit for either side for proper operation....as one side would pop on without any input from me. The relay kit cleared up the problem. Good luck.

Cool. Thanks for the info guys. I don't have a problem adding an extra relay as I'll be rewiring to get my high and low beams on at the same time anyway, along with other 4 HID rally lights and the cornering lights in the bumper pods as well. That will make it a lot easier to blast down gravel stages at 115+ mph in the middle of the night in a rainstorm. :D

Cheers,
-Doug