Fairlady Z Headlights Question

[izmyttz]

Other than them not having the "glass nipples" like the USA version...is there any pros or cons to them over the stock ones I have now? I'd love to drop 2 gs on the XENON ones and brag all day and night but I think I will upgrade to the JDM ones because I have a crack in the housing of passengers side right now. Any help is appreciated. Thanks guys

[mahchu07]

You need to do these. They iz tight.

[mtcookson]

I wouldn't put them on. Since they drive on the other side of the road over there, the patterns are reverse to our lights. Basically the U.S. lights would put a pattern out like this:

_/ _/

While the JDM lights would do this:

\_ \_

Basically, you'd be changing the pattern enough that it could put some light in oncoming drivers' eyes. I would just a get a US spec replacement to avoid that scenario at all costs.

[izmyttz]

Very good point! I searched the net and found what you were saying is very true.

Most low-beam headlamps are specifically designed for use on one side of the road or the other. Headlamps for use in LH-traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that "dip to the left", i.e., the light is distributed with a downward/leftward bias to show the driver the road and signs ahead without blinding oncoming traffic. Headlamps for RH-traffic countries have low beams that "dip to the right", with most of their light directed downward/rightward. Within Europe, when driving a vehicle with RH-traffic headlamps in a LH-traffic country or vice versa for a limited time (as for example on vacation or in transit), it is a legal requirement to adjust the headlamps temporarily so that the wrong-side hot spot of the beam does not dazzle oncoming drivers. This may be achieved by adhering blackout strips or plastic prismatic lenses to a designated part of the lens, but some varieties of the projector-type headlamp can be made to produce a proper LH- or RH-traffic beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly.

Because wrong-side-of-road headlamps blind oncoming drivers and do not adequately light the driver's way, and blackout strips and adhesive prismatic lenses reduce the safety performance of the headlamps, most countries require all vehicles registered or used on a permanent or semipermanent basis within the country to be equipped with headlamps designed for the correct traffic-handedness. North American vehicle owners sometimes privately import and install Japanese-market (JDM) headlamps on their car in the mistaken belief that the beam performance will be better, when in fact such misapplication is quite hazardous.

I wouldn't put them on. Since they drive on the other side of the road over there, the patterns are reverse to our lights. Basically the U.S. lights would put a pattern out like this:

_/ _/

While the JDM lights would do this:

\_ \_

Basically, you'd be changing the pattern enough that it could put some light in oncoming drivers' eyes. I would just a get a US spec replacement to avoid that scenario at all costs.

[freakonaleash1187]

So your best bet would be to get JDM nippleless glass and put it onto USDM housing's, like mine are. And while you are switching glass, you can paint-match the inside if you want.

Before:

After:

[nsrZ32]

Just pick up a pair of US headlights and toss an HID kit in them, get it properly aligned, and be done

IMO the chromed ones just look silly, there's no advantage to the nippleless ones, and the JDM housings, as stated above, are set up wrong.

[mahchu07]

Just pick up a pair of US headlights and toss an HID kit in them, get it properly aligned, and be done

IMO the chromed ones just look silly...

The chrome does look a bit ridiculous, but if ou were to get them color matched or simply painted black they would look good.

And where would be the best place to get them aligned correctly???

[izmyttz]

Any HID kit on a non specific hid headlight housing is going to "scatter" th elight doesn't have the proper shielding to have a clean "cutoff" so the light will scatter and not be a tight focus like factory HIDS on cars that come equipped with them or the $1600 version of the 300zx lights that are found on http://www.300zx.com. The look a hell of a lot better imo. I have the 1000k HID kit. Plug and Play from Ebay and they look sweet..but the projection lense really sucks for the focus of the bulbs. Well I hope this helps.!

The chrome does look a bit ridiculous, but if ou were to get them color matched or simply painted black they would look good.

And where would be the best place to get them aligned correctly???