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Cheap PIAAs on Ebay...


88pathoffroad
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They went for $36. You can't buy cheap knock-offs at local auto parts stores for that!

 

I looked at them but they were used and the guy didn't even know if they worked.

 

Rather get cheap knockoffs that I can return if there is a problem

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PIAA blue bulbs are typical japanese rice stuff. You can get them at the local "giga gifts" in the ranch chinese market where it smells like fish, along with shift knobs and air fresheners.

 

The blue tint bulbs are the worst for visibility, and i am including silverstar in this category. the PIAA clear ones are actually OK....

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Agreed, the money spent on PIAA lights is on the NAME and housing, mostly. *trying not to offend anyone* I can't see how anyone would pay those obscene price tags for PIAA bulbs. Most of the perfomance as far as the light projection goes, regardless of the bulb style, is from the housing design/style.

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PIAA blue bulbs are typical japanese rice stuff. You can get them at the local "giga gifts" in the ranch chinese market where it smells like fish, along with shift knobs and air fresheners.

 

The blue tint bulbs are the worst for visibility, and i am including silverstar in this category. the PIAA clear ones are actually OK....

 

I agree. Human eyesight is aligned to the yellow spectrum, blue is one of the least visible spectrums to humans. Full-spectrum light works best. Put a blue or purple light next to a yellow light of the exact same intensity and start backing away...you'll lose sight of the blue/purple light long before you lose the yellow one.

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Yup. Blue bulbs like sylvania silverstar may "look cool" when looking at the car from the front, but the light output is terrible. They need to make up for the reduced output by making a brighter filament inside the bulb (there are legal regulations on light output) and as a result the bulb life is also reduced, along with visibility.

 

Dont get me wrong, PIAA, Raybrig, Polarg, Sylvania, Osram all make clear bulbs too, which are great.

 

Its the colored ones that SUCK

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I have a clear set of these that were a J-yard pocket discount.

1400.gif

 

The bulbs are fused to the lens so you have to replace all but the housing. The kit retails for around $200 new and the bulb/lens is $35-$75 to get a new one. Not sure I am into spending that much on a bulb for a beat up free housing when I can get a full new set of Hellas for that much. :shrug:

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Nope, the 1400's are reflector/bulb assembly units that have to have the PIAA-specific bulbs. I always liked those but the replacement reflector/bulb assemblies were too spendy. The 1000's and 1200's used to be that way too but they went to a H3 setup on those instead.

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Is it a bulb that you can get aftermarket without the lens? If so it might be time to bust out the existing one and drill out the lens for a snug fit a of a replacement bulb :D

 

Like 88 said....

 

Though if you had a masters in redneck engineering you might be able to buy a standard 2 prong base hallogen bulb for an undercounter type kitchen light, then split the lens open (lens and reflector are "glued" together), chisel out the old bulb (it is fused into the reflector with some sort of ceramic), epoxy in the new one and reseal the lens....Sounds like too much BS work to me though.

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