why are the hid kits so expensive?

[turboed13b]

well i have been into hids for a while now and all of these vendors are coming out with kits that are upward of 900 dollars! now i have seen another company out there that is considerably less but i am not sure of what internals they use. what makes them so expensive?

[Silver86]

not sure... but i know where you can get kits (with out the housings, just bulb, ballast and wiring) for $40~$50

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Silver86

not sure... but i know where you can get kits (with out the housings, just bulb, ballast and wiring) for $40~$50

Those are generic kits i've actualy used some and they work pretty well.

[Silver86]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

Those are generic kits i've actualy used some and they work pretty well.

i havent bought a kit yet... but a bunch of local car guys/friends have them installed on their cars... for the price, you cant argue...

[wanganwarrior]

I bought a set 3 years ago from chinaland and still work great today. They were $120 shipped.

[Mobius]

By saying 'kit', are you referring to a retrofitted proper HID projector set up using quality housings, with quality projectors aligned inside of them, with OEM or better quality bulbs and ballasts and wiring for $900.00?

Or are you talking about just a bulb and ballast that you plug into your existing wiring and headlight housings.

If it is the latter, then that is terribly expensive. If you're talking about the former.... well you usually get what you pay for. If you have two similar products and one is much cheaper that the other, usually it is because there is something wrong with it or it's just shit.

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Mobius

By saying 'kit', are you referring to a retrofitted proper HID projector set up using quality housings, with quality projectors aligned inside of them, with OEM or better quality bulbs and ballasts and wiring for $900.00?

Or are you talking about just a bulb and ballast that you plug into your existing wiring and headlight housings.

If it is the latter, then that is terribly expensive. If you're talking about the former.... well you usually get what you pay for. If you have two similar products and one is much cheaper that the other, usually it is because there is something wrong with it or it's just shit.

i am talking about retrofits i am not saying the 900 dollar kits suck they are just way overpriced. i can make my own for 1/3 the price and sometimes cheaper. yeah i know there is labor involved but is it really that much to bump up the price so much?

[Voodoo]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

i am talking about retrofits i am not saying the 900 dollar kits suck they are just way overpriced. i can make my own for 1/3 the price and sometimes cheaper. yeah i know there is labor involved but is it really that much to bump up the price so much?

From what I have read the retrofits are expensive because,

OEM parts
The way the housing has to be modified to get a clear cut line, unlike if you were to just drop in bulbs and spray light every which way.

This takes either your own headlights, someone else to donate or you buy a set to experiment with, this all cost money.

The ones I have seen use OEM lights and ballasts from BMW or similar and these lights are very expensive, usually in the 300 dollar range a piece, so double that and your at 600 add some labor and the person making them is at very little or no profit at all. You can make your own to maybe save a couple hundred dollars, but then you are back at square one where someone else has already done the trial and error. What if you screw up your housing? Then you must buy another(which is not cheap) and there goes the savings you planned. To me for a QUALITY set of functional HIDs 900 is a steal.

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Voodoo

From what I have read the retrofits are expensive because,

OEM parts
The way the housing has to be modified to get a clear cut line, unlike if you were to just drop in bulbs and spray light every which way.

This takes either your own headlights, someone else to donate or you buy a set to experiment with, this all cost money.

The ones I have seen use OEM lights and ballasts from BMW or similar and these lights are very expensive, usually in the 300 dollar range a piece, so double that and your at 600 add some labor and the person making them is at very little or no profit at all. You can make your own to maybe save a couple hundred dollars, but then you are back at square one where someone else has already done the trial and error. What if you screw up your housing? Then you must buy another(which is not cheap) and there goes the savings you planned. To me for a QUALITY set of functional HIDs 900 is a steal.

We have different thoughts maybe because i am know more about HID's than the normal joe schmoe. I have seen the other hid kit for like 600 and this seems like a lot better deal but i don't know the qaulity of them. What if i told you i built my HID's for 300 and they are the same qaulity or even better as the 900 dollar kit?


There is really no testing involved in a retrofit the oem projector is already made all you have to do it open up your light housing aim it kinda straight and bolt it in.

[Mobius]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

What if i told you i built my HID's for 300 and they are the same qaulity or even better as the 900 dollar kit?

I would be doubtful, but I would compliment your ingenuity and hard work.

There is really no testing involved in a retrofit the oem projector is already made all you have to do it open up your light housing aim it kinda straight and bolt it in.

For an experienced retrofitter, this may be true. For Joe Schmoe, maybe not so much. Most of the time, it is not as simple as bolting it in. There can be a lot of cutting, modification and fabrication involved to get it to work right. In our case especially, there is not a lot of room to play with for mounting etc. Also, kinda straight does not cut it for me when it comes to leveling the projectors.

I recently purchased retrofitted headlights from Sakebomb Garage, and I'm glad I did. They used all of the components I was going to use if I were to do it myself, they pay attention to little details, and the price ($750.00) was only $200.00 more than what it would have cost me to do it myself. Definitely worth it in my opinion.

They have raise the price since then, but after seeing the work they put into each light I don't blame them, and I would buy them again.

[Force13b]

Parts + hand built = $$$$

Most of the kits made for FD's are custom kits, it's not like they come out of a mold. I've priced out building my own kit yeah the parts come out cheaper but if i put a hourly amount on my time i'm sure i'd reach the 900$ mark after i was finished.

[turboed13b]

So if i sold HID's for like 600 you guys won't buy it? I think i am going to make some to sell since these things are a big hit.

[Force13b]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

So if i sold HID's for like 600 you guys won't buy it? I think i am going to make some to sell since these things are a big hit.

Depends on the quality. If you are going to do it start a build thread and keep us up to date. I was thinking about doing a set and was going to get my stuff from this site.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Force13b

Depends on the quality. If you are going to do it start a build thread and keep us up to date. I was thinking about doing a set and was going to get my stuff from this site.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com

alright i will i made one for my fd a long time ago with tsx projectors but these were just low beams i since ordered new projectors and they are coming in this week.

[Miata_mx5]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

So if i sold HID's for like 600 you guys won't buy it? I think i am going to make some to sell since these things are a big hit.

I would buy it if i was dead broke and could not afford the Sakebomb kit. IMHO the Sakebomb kit is the benchmark that all FD3S HID retrofit kits will be judged by. Their kit has received international recognition from customers in the US, and abroad. Their kit (and all their products for the matter) has also received recognition for quality and detail by even top rotary shops in Japan.