Morimoto D2S projector retrofit

[EricCR]

I didn't realize I never posted the results of my projector retrofit. My original reflectors were borderline dangerous at night and trying LED bulbs in them only made things worse (no light on the road, glared oncoming traffic).

 

I used Morimoto Mini D2S 5.0 bi-xenon projectors with Morimoto ballasts, round chrome shrouds and standard Osram D2S bulbs. I didn't paint the reflector bowl as I prefer a more OEM look. I may upgrade to Osram Lasers at some point in the future (or M-LED projectors) but for now this is more than enough light, better than most new cars. The only downside is that flashing your high beams causes the ballasts to quickly cycle on/off which wears them down, so I try to avoid doing that.

 

This is my 4th retrofit and by far the easiest. Original headlights are super easy to take apart, they need minimal modifications to fit the projector and the only real drawback is that nothing prevents the projector from rotating, so adjusting the cutoffs is a bit of a pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low beam pattern and cutoff:

 

 

Edited November 13, 2024 by EricCR

[Slartibartfast]

Nicely done! Almost looks like it came that way.

 

11 hours ago, EricCR said:

flashing your high beams causes the ballasts to quickly cycle on/off

 

Yeah, I imagine the ballasts wouldn't appreciate that. Maybe for the best though, given how bright the low beams are!

[R50JR]

13 hours ago, EricCR said:

My original reflectors were borderline dangerous at night and trying LED bulbs in them only made things worse (no light on the road, glared oncoming traffic).

 

 

 

 

I am personally not a fan of projector headlights, but those look great. The original look is definitely better than the painted black ones. I use HID lights in my standard housings and get extremely far throw. There is some glare but the distance I can see in the desert is better than any LED bulb.

[EricCR]

8 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

Nicely done! Almost looks like it came that way.

 

 

Yeah, I imagine the ballasts wouldn't appreciate that. Maybe for the best though, given how bright the low beams are!

 

Yup. I wish the R50s had separate high beams so this wouldn't be an issue. In any case, it's not something I use that much. I found more useful my mod of being able to turn on the fog lights with the parking lights, especially when I need a bit of light, but not a gamma ray burst.

 

6 hours ago, R50JR said:

 

I am personally not a fan of projector headlights, but those look great. The original look is definitely better than the painted black ones. I use HID lights in my standard housings and get extremely far throw. There is some glare but the distance I can see in the desert is better than any LED bulb.

 

Projectors can look aesthetically weird and can be a lighting downgrade, depending on what you go for. I've had great results with Morimoto and I especially love how wide and gradual the beam pattern is. Some projectors are extremely narrow and put too much light right in front of the car, which kills your night vision.

 

The only thing that I don't like is that blue tint on the lenses but apparently it's a special coating. Pathy looks a bit surprised now, but for someone who is not that familiar with R50s it could pass up as OEM. Heck, the R51 had a version with projectors and looks, dare I say, more aftermarket?:

 

[Slartibartfast]

That does look a bit like an R/C car body with holes drilled for LEDs.