FAQ: Headlamp Lens Modifications (Headlights, Projectors)

Are those HIDs or projectors?

i'm not sure...thats why i ask...they look like xenon projectors

btw...the language on the sighns..i think the picture is made in poland?

Yes, that's right. See page 1 of this thread.

Looks awsome but I'll just stick to my PIAA's they work fine.

how I would love to get some of those lights!

I am afraid the bulb has a minimal effect on the shape of the cut off of the beam. Only two physical aspects of the bulb have much if any effect.

1. the size of the filiment.

2. the position of the filiment.

the actual focus and shape of the lamp unit is more to do with the lens cover, the shape of the reflector and a major part often missed is the make up of the reflector coating.

If i remember corectly our Riv lamps have a small metalic umbrella that covers the top of the lamp so the light available for the road is only reflected and none is direct illumination.

If the coating is only reflecting 45 - 60 % of the striking light your already at 40% ish of light loss. so if the coating is dulled through age or moisture ingress all those lumins are not getting out!

Now tale the modern car that has Plastek lens covers they often age and cause a loss and difraction of light thus changing its effective focus and output. (and painted!)

Bearing mind the bulb only produces a point source of light/energy that has to be directed to the road. the point source of a HID lamp is a plasma BALL of light energy, where as the filiment style is a BAR shape.

I only know about these HIDs, focus and reflectors as i use them at work in a very accurate electronic microscope. each time we fit a new bulb we have to refocus the lamp to produce measurable output.

As a side note, the electronics in these automotive HID's are not very complex but the quality of them is dependant on the components used. the "ballast" is actually a DC power supply that produces a high voltage < 3000 vdc to actually flash and start the bulb, once a current is senced by the lamp striking they turn down the voltage to between 12 and 17 Vdc at a constant current ... this is set in the electronics so that a constant light output is held.

Can we do a projector retrofit on the Riv.
Or is that not possible due to the headlight assemblies themselves.????

Yeah, there's no reason why it would be difficult to retrofit projectors in Riv housings. It's just that the Regal should be getting the better equipment these days. LOL If it goes well with that car, then I'm sure projectors will be going into the Riv as well.

Daniel Stern wrote a decent comment on HID's. Turns out "the way to do it" is to install a proper projector capsule, for instance the Hella aftermarket module or one removed from a late model Lexus or Mercedes (which gets you a Hella or a Valeo). Not sure how to do that on the Riv. Some time ago someone posted a pic of a Riv in I think Slovenia (?!!?) that had replacement headlights with projectors. It's on thi site somewhere. But no one could figure out where the headlights came from.

Albertj

I remember that photo - I believe those projectors were Photoshopped, not a real install. I've never seen any evidence otherwise.

Here's a video showing "the way to do it", from page 9 of this thread:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t2812p120-lights-galore#78440

AA wrote:

I remember that photo - I believe those projectors were Photoshopped, not a real install. I've never seen any evidence otherwise.

Here's a video showing "the way to do it", from page 9 of this thread:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t2812p120-lights-galore#78440

...well, that explains where the projectors came from.

So the "interesting" part is building a vacuum table, probably from a timber box with a (supported) pegboard platen with a plenum underneath attached to the inlet of a shopvac. The rest (except the industrial flextool) is more or less home garage stuff.

As for the Riv's lens, the highbeam and lowbeam projector units should be fitted at the same time. The tricky part to that would be to properly set the horizontal cutoff. The internal shroud then would be vacuum formed as one piece. As for the external lenses, there is enough room around the OE lenses as mounted to use the old lenses to vacuum form new clear ones. The cement used on the OE lenses in the videos (that the technician re-used by heating) is interesting. Can't use RTV (rtv stands for Room Temperature Vulcanizing) silicone for that, once it cures it is not remeltable. Looks like somebody's hot-melt adhesive, not unlike what's provided for hobbyist hot-glue guns. Most likely 3M's 3792LMQ or it's cousins (Titebond and Loctite (DAP) make similar glues) meant for product assembly. It's a family of glues meant to glue together plastics and such. The idea is they are solid at expected temperatures (roughly -40F to +160F) but melt at lower temp than the plastic (Lexan polycarbonate starts to soften at about 300F). 3792LMQ melts around 250F I think -- so you could make the lens out of Lexan and use that glue, and if you're careful and have a reasonably even oven (household oven should work if in good condition) you can heat the assembly just enough to soften that glue without melting the Lexan.

After fitting those lenses, the problem then becomes making a clear lens face. I really don't know what material is in the Riv lens - best plastic headlamp lenses I've seen, GM and their partners hit a bullseye with those suckers. I kinda wonder if Makrolon 15 would be moldable and therefor be usable for this application. Regular lexan (or its competitive cousins) would work for a while but will eventually succumb to abrasion and yellowing. It's available from Ridout Plastics (http://www.eplastics.com). Makrolon 15 is used in various auto glazing applications but I do not have details.

Anyway - I can see how this might be done now. Thanks for pointing me back at the earlier page of this thread.

Albertj

Here's a quick Photoshop I did, showing what a Riviera with projector lenses might look like.

So... since I am new here... this is my first time seeing this thread after wanting to do projectors... so I am gonna ressurect thus thread since it never should have beenburied up in the first place...

This is a really great idea and now with a lot if additions to halos and projectors this would be an even greater idea... and I'm thinking LEDs too... with xenon high and low beams. It would be quite a bit cheaper too with the additions of the past few years models in the junkyard

I haven't found a year that would best work and I would have to check the clearance and mounting bolts too... but I do have some ideas:

I think it would be FAIRLY easy to make a glass lens... and this is from having some friends in the past that blew glass... mainly for illegal purposes... but were glass blowers nonetheless. All you would really have to do is make a real good mold in this black sand that's high temp stuff.... just press it down in there... its really fine sand. Carefully remove it and have a piece of glass made to an approximate size with all the necessary mounts.. you could even add the mounting spots later and just concentrate on getting the correct size and shape ....then lay it on the mold with wood to support the sides and torch it with these huge gas torches from the inside out to make flexible... the glass should drop right into the mold... for some reason the sand doesn't stick because the glass never gets hot enough to but u can shape it.... and this glass they use is frickin heavy duty stuff.. like a chunk of it you can bounce off the ground without a scratch.... and the COOLEST PART before hand when they are shaping the glass they can tint it however dark... you COULD even have it tinted really dark... and it would be IN the lens.. not on the surface...but have a clearer spot right where the projectors shine thru... how BADASS would that be!

Viola... should be able to mount fine with a little drilling or sanding... I dunno if this is the same type if glass... but it would be pretty inexpensive... maybe 100 per lens TOPS

Then you would be able to do whatever kind of bulbs you would like... there are plenty of universal halos and projectors... I thought about doing this a week ago when I notices someone had red halos on a black 2011 Camaro.... it was F*CKING SICK!

So anyone still into this... I'm sure it can be done... I've looked everywhere online for a fit to a Riviera... but since we have that stupid blocked plastick were screwed... whatdya guys think?

Or is it possible to grind out the blocks in the lens and smooth them out and fill with some sort of epoxy or compound like a headlight restoration kit to make clear as glass and do LEDs?... I mean that would only cost $50 and retrofit some halos and projectors for a couple hundred?...

It is possible to grind out the blocks in the lense and polish them to be as clear as glass BUT it is a very time consuming process. The old owner of regalgs.org was going to do mine and i believe wanted $200 and said it would take roughly 8hrs (its been a while but i think thats how long he said)

I'm just going to take mine apart, paint the non reflecting surfaces and tint the side marker like demontes and call it a day

You could make some REALLY sinister headlamp housings if you were able to retrofit some projectors in there. Like.... paint the whole housing around the projector black which would make it look way better. I may get there someday. For now, Regal gets the $$ attention. haha

What about single or dual without halo?

I don't care if it does take 8 hours... just do it on my day off. I would tho k you could just do a dremel with a couple sanding wheels and a cutoff wheel.. the only thing is I wouldn't want to possible crack the lens. I guess you wouldn't really even need a glass lens since you can get led projectors/halos.. and you wouldn't need a ballast like hid's...

What would you use to buff the plastick clear when you are done? Would a headlight restoration kit works? I know it has a compound to fill any scratches or rough spots...

I personally think that this would not be too difficult... I'm thinking it'll be MY first mod I do to my riv. .. and then tint the lights and add an intercooler and I'd be done... but this is most def the first mod..

I was also thinking that the grand prix sse projector kit would be a nice fit... its just not quite as big height wise. But if you use the guts of this kit and maybe mold some Plexiglases or something and epoxy them together and with the stock ground out lens it would fit nice...

Maybe even just cut out each individual projector like on one link in this thread and just attach to the stock mounts... if they were LEDs it would be SO simple and would almost never have to change the bulbs..... I think the grand prix kit tho with a couple cut and reshaping would be nice... its only $125 on eBay too.... but I guess I would have to see it first and take measurements..

OK.. so I looked around and the only fits I could find were...

-acura integra... to use as the guts if you Polish out the lens to make clear...
-dodge Dakota/Durango possibly..
-early-mid 2000's suburban and Tahoe..

I even think the Tahoe one would fit if I could find dimensions... you would of course have to keep the cornering lenses... the curves and shape look correct... just not sure about the diameter...

And the acuras look very promising to make mounted in our stock lenses if it were smoothed out...

So... I am dead set on projector Headlamps with either ccfl or led halos....

So... my issue is this stock lens.... if anyone knows how to grind out the inside of the lens and smooth it out I would retrofit the grand prix kit into it and seal it up nice... but I think it would still look too weird and ricey for a Buick.. especially the rounded classic body style of the Riviera.

So.... I'm thinking of TRYING to dig up a set of lenses at the junkyard... doesn't matter how beat up... gel coat them and throw some fiberglass over them for a shell kindof thing... I know I've seen them stock on a couple cars... maybe aftermarket.. I just can't remember what cars... I think it was mainly taillights... like an impala maybe... but anyways... bondo it.. paint it my car color.. Pearl white... after I cut a few holes in it and fit some integra projectors in it with a small projector for the cornering light...

The other option would be to get the projectors seperate as fog lamps Wich have lenses on them already like the integrals and just mount them in the gutted out stock headlights... if I decide to go the integra route I'm pretty sure I would have to cut the two lights apart since the are both more forward and the Rivieras kindof curves over the front fender more.... andseal them up with some black silicone..

I wish I could Photoshop something but it would look pretty good... it would retain the factory shape but would look as if it had individual lights...

Kindof dabbling with the idea of getting clear sidemarkers and rewiring it to be little fog projectors for the cornering lights and making the cornering light the blinker but might not face forward enough and be illegal due to visibility.... or maybe throw some.little tiny fog lights wired to the brights in the corners of the grill... or in the bottom area of sqrivi bumpers if I can still get them......

I would just paint my lenses the same code as my car and cut out a couple holes and mount the integra to stick out a half inch or so but I'm planning on trying to get ahold of a couple sqrivi bumpers when I sell my Malibu and it wont look good at all since they are so sleek...

Kindof also dabbling with the idea of doing the same sort of thing with the taillight which would be super easy... maybe throw led bulbs in and do the round holes at each bulb and probably have to just paint and clearcoat itwith a little tint over where the light holes are....

Like I said... I'm dead set on halo projectors.. this would look especially good on a black Riviera... but I'd say white would be a close 2nd... I wish I could even load up some.pics of examples... but being on my phone and all.... I was also thinking since I have sequential taillights.that it would look especially good if I did smaller "holes" on the outside gradually(sequentially) getting larger toward the middle...

What do u guys think? Any thoughts... questions.. advice?

If your going to to all the trouble of "throwing fiberglass all over them" why dont you source a set of 64 shelby Daytona coupe,replican headlights and adapt them to the Riv? they would fit perfectly and look ten times more authentic than any old ricer/euro headlight crap......jus sayin

Actually... I think I'm gonna hammer some 16th inch aluminum when I can get alold of a sheet and hammer it out and have my gf s granpa cut out some circles for the taillights with his plasma cutter and see how it looks... if it looks good ill get it painted for next to nothing and throw it on there... I'm talking making the headlights a solid color... not having a thousand leds and projectors and chrome like all euro and ricey... I'm talking having it be solid and have a couple holes cut out that the projectors with lenses can kindof show through.... the integra ones and the fog lamp kits are the only ones I have found with lenses attached.. otherwise moisture will muck it up.

And how does the 64 Shelby fit perfect.... is that sarcasm... Cuz they don't...

And u think I'm gonna try hammering a sheet for the headlights too to see what it looks like.... it'd be better than fiberglass... less messy and if I F it up it wont be permanent... if it looks good ill cut a couple holes and order the projector kits and wire it up... the bulbs would stick out about a quarter inch but with all the rounded parts on the riv I think it would look OK......

ya gotta make em fit.
and dont go cuttin alu with a plasma,.

Yea... ur right.. didn't think about that with aluminum... I know u might call this BS but its not... he actually has his own cnc machine he made himself... wrote the computer program and has a computer hooked up for cad. .. the Guy is like an 80 year old genius... I could have him do it that route.... I mean.. the other weekend he was gonna come to town... he said he was busy soldering microchips... something about acid already out.... idk smartest man I've ever met... ill see what he has to say about it... I haven't really talked to him about my endeavours.. probably should ask him what he thinks is best...

Now I know what it will look more like... a Corvette...

keep us posted.