PIAA vs CATZ. I'm looking for headlights. Help!!

[eckoman_pdx]

SilverY2KCivic, you got me thinking. Now, I know I don't live in cali, but I am still curious. Since you can only have an OEM HID system, not an aftermarket one, if you pulled an audi or BMW ballist, ignitor (sp), etc..like you said, and then hooked it up to the correct bulb for your car...would than be legal, since it is techincally an OEM HID system, just not OEM to your car. Second, what if someone actually spent the money to do a custom headlight conversion, and had a pair of, say, JDM Honda Integra Type-R HID Headlamps or BMW 3 series HID headlamps installed (complete with the HID's). Now, since that is a full OEM HID system and headlamp (just not OEM for your specific car or model), is that legal? After reading your post, I got curious to this, since techincally, those are indeed OEM HID systems you would have put on the car.

[gnushit]

Originally Posted by SilverY2KCivic

The only option for CA peeps now is to harvest out the HIDs from wrecked luxory cars. Many of the people I know with HID have done this. Like they will use 3-Series BMW or Nissan Maxima ballasts and run them to Philips or H4 style HID bulbs. This one guy I know with a new Celica GT-S, swapped out his OEM fogs for a pair of the current model BMW M3 HID fogs, and they fit the Celica bumper just like stock as if they came with the car. They look tight as heck! Another guy I know who had an HID kit was constantly getting pulled over. That's what caused him to sell them, he was tired of cop harassment for having them.

...or you can take em out of saturns

someone should invent a fake ballast cover for the aftermarket ballasts. how would they tell it's not oem otherwise? how much did your friend paid for the m3 hid fogs?

[jajimo]

Damn that sucks, and I was planning on transferring to UC Berkeley too =/ Now I have to decide between school and HID...

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by jajimo

Damn that sucks, and I was planning on transferring to UC Berkeley too =/ Now I have to decide between school and HID...

Well, correct me if I am wrong here SilverY2KCivic, but I believe that as long as you register your car in your home state, where it is legal, and not in Cali, you should be fine. Your Drivers license would show your home state too. I know for the most part, a Officer in Cali, for example, couldn't ticket you for having a 35% tint on the front windows and HIDS if my the car is registered in oregon legally with oregon plates, and my Drivers license if from oregon too. Since both my car, and my license would be from here in this senerio, and not in cali, I don't beilive you would be ticketed for being in violation of Cali vehcile code, since neither you nor your car are registered, and licensed there. It's the same thing. I go visit my aunt and uncle in LA for a month, I can't be ticketed for having a CAI and Header that's not CARB exempt if both I and the Car are registered and from a another state. These laws wouldn't apply there. It's like someone is Washington can have 30% tint on all windows, and Cali 70% on the front sides and as dark as you want on the back sides and rear. If either of these ppl are in oregon, with their cars, and their drivers license (or the person the car is registered to) lives in the state on the plate, they can't be ticketed for the extra dark tint like a resident could. This is because they are not an oregon resident. This princple should follow from state to state for the most part, the only expection being federal law (which would take presidence over any state laws). I hope that clears up your situation about Cal-Berkley a bit.

[gnushit]

can't go lower than 35% on the front windows in wa. there i corrected you

[SilverY2KCivic]

Eckoman,

I wish CA cops were that understanding. Unless you really were hear for just a short stay, I don't think that would fly well with them. They would probably say "well you have to abide by CA rules when driving here, blah blah blah..."

As for scavengering HID equipment from wrecked luxory cars, that's about the only option we have left now. But they would still be illegal in a Honda by technicality since they didn't come with the Honda originally, even if they are an OEM HID system from another car. As for the ballasts... If hidden correctly, a cop will either think they are an ignition box, or just not see them. A guy I know who was pulled over often for his HID lights convinced a cop one time that they came with the car from the factory like that, LMAO! He had the wiring tapped and loomed up in black to make it look like it's OEM, and the ballasts were hidden out of sight.

I DID see a vendor in the aftermarket section at the LA Auto Show selling aftermarket HID kits just a few days ago! I was tempted to pick up an H4 kit, but I haven't seen ANY HID kit that looks right (refering to light output and dispersment) from OEM Civic headlight housings. You need projectors for them... =\

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by SilverY2KCivic

Eckoman,

I wish CA cops were that understanding. Unless you really were hear for just a short stay, I don't think that would fly well with them. They would probably say "well you have to abide by CA rules when driving here, blah blah blah..."

As for scavengering HID equipment from wrecked luxory cars, that's about the only option we have left now. But they would still be illegal in a Honda by technicality since they didn't come with the Honda originally, even if they are an OEM HID system from another car. As for the ballasts... If hidden correctly, a cop will either think they are an ignition box, or just not see them. A guy I know who was pulled over often for his HID lights convinced a cop one time that they came with the car from the factory like that, LMAO! He had the wiring tapped and loomed up in black to make it look like it's OEM, and the ballasts were hidden out of sight.

I DID see a vendor in the aftermarket section at the LA Auto Show selling aftermarket HID kits just a few days ago! I was tempted to pick up an H4 kit, but I haven't seen ANY HID kit that looks right (refering to light output and dispersment) from OEM Civic headlight housings. You need projectors for them... =\

Well, I know they can't subject my vehicle to cali vehilce code if I am not a resident. It's like that with every state I do believe. They may TRY to ticket you thinking he's an out of staters...but since I am not a cali resident and my car is not registered there, but is instead registered in my state of residence, I need to abide by my home states' vehilce code on my car, not the place I was visiting. He he tried to nail me for having "none carb approved products, 35% tint on the front windows and HID's, it would get throw out of court. I'd galdly pay the attonery fee and fly back done to win. It's princlple. My car is not reigstered in cali, and I am not a residnet. The car is registered at my home address in my state of residence, since I would be complying with my states laws in this senerio, they legelly couldn't fine me for this, since I would just be there visiting on vacation or something. Since the car doesn't go through CARB insecption....cuz it's not from cali, like you...they can't nail you for non-carb exempt parts. Now if you lived there for like 2 years but played that game, then year, it may be a differetn story in that case.

On a side note, hmm...I have projecotr headlights...that being the case with HID's and projectors, I may have to look into that I think.

Originally Posted by gnushit

can't go lower than 35% on the front windows in wa. there i corrected you

I checked it out, you are correct. I checked a list of all 50-state tint laws revised in Nov 2003. It must have been changed with-in the last 2 years, because I know that a year and a half ago, 2 years ago (last time I checked), 30% was the limit Up in WA (I tned to try and compare OR and WA laws sometimes, to see who different they are, since pdx and vancouver are only separated by a river, lol.

[tibby01]

didnt read this entire thread, so someone may have already posted this but.....

eurodesignz bulbs are pretty good. and if they ever blow out, you can send them to eurodesigz with 5 bux and they will ship a new pair back to you. go on ebay to get your first set... it will be about 10 dollars.

[PhiberOptik]

Which model is best for the silver stars?

[IntegraBoy2003]

I have PIAA Extreme white 4150 K and they look nice, deff a plus for driving back to college at night on the highway

[jajimo]

I did a 9005 conversion recently and I love it. I'm running APC super whites and they're bright as hell. Although, since I broke a bulb during installation, I've spent about $80 on the entire project. Better than spending $400 for HIDs, but that doesn't mean I don't still want them =)

IntegraBoy2003: How can people say you're racist towards retards? Don't they realize that mental retardation isn't a race? It's a syndrom!

[eckoman_pdx]

I noticed a lot of people with posts asking questions about aftermarket bulbs and lighting. Check this sticky thread out and read it. It should help a bit.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=177538

[IntegraBoy2003]

Originally Posted by jajimo

IntegraBoy2003: How can people say you're racist towards retards? Don't they realize that mental retardation isn't a race? It's a syndrom!

beats me, I get hate mail all the time, from different people, saying " I will get the internet police after you" and shit like that, fuck people like that if they cannot take a joke they should not look at the site I guess the people that say " I am a rasist towards retards", are retards cause youor right it is a syndrom tahnx for poitning that out