Potential Group Buy for Bora Owners: FK Automotive Projector headlights

[Manaz]

Hi all,

I've been able to get what I think is a pretty good price on the following headlights:

FK Automotive Tuning Shop | Angel Eye headlight suitable for VW Bora (Typ 1J) Yr. 98-04 chrome | purchase online

These are NOT HIDs (you could potentially retrofit HIDs into them if H7 retrokits are available, but that's entirely up to you), but rather projector-style headlights that use H7 incandescent bulbs for the low/high beams and H3 for foglamps (bulbs are not included). They include indicator and integrated foglamps (working natively with the euro-style headlight switches we got here in Australia), as well as angel-eye lights (requires use of an extra included wiring harness if you want to activate these).

ECS Tuning also sell these: Home Page > ES#9564 HID Look Angel Eye Headlights - Chrome - FKFS4011. As you can see, you're looking at USD$350 each before shipping to Australia, and they can't guarantee suitability for use in Australia.

The current deal I've been able to obtain is AUD$300 per set landed in Sydney for lights which are adjustable between LHD and RHD beam patterns. Prices may drop further if we get enough interest, I'll check that once we have some indicative numbers.

Keen to hear thoughts/see expressions of interest.

Indicated Interest:

1. Manaz (silver, confirmed)
2. governor22 (black, confirmed)
3. gringo_54_oval (black, confirmed)
4. dylan8 (black, confirmed)
5. Back Door Shenanigans (black, confirmed)
6. trickysimon (silver, confirmed)
7. harryboy_1 (silver)
8. Ace_Dub (black, confirmed)
9. Dyldo (black or silver?)
10. popeclement (silver, confirmed)

A. Manaz (LED tails)
B. vwsport (tails, confirmed)
C. Neroo (LED tails, out)
D. Dyldo (LED tails)
E: popeclement (LED tails, confirmed)
F: Ace_Dub (LED tails, confirmed)
G: trickysimon (LED tails, confirmed)

[governor22]

manaz, what's the advantage of these lights? I just bought a pair of Philips Xtreme vision H7s to replace my stock bulbs (low beam is awesome, but disappointed with high beam...) Would this just be a stronger halogen light ? 350 is a lot


edit: My bad, so these are HID upgrade-friendly. can see the appeal now

edit2: does this mean we could just buy any 4500k or whatever HID bulbs, and they'd fit fine in the angel eye ?

[grtuned]

Do you know if they still allow headlight aim adjustment using the switch inside the car??
I might be intrested if we can get them cheaper.
I looked into fitting the genuine HID lights for the Bora which were only available in some markets. Honestly forget that!!! you could buy a new car with the amount needed the install them....But they would look F%$# awsome..

[dylan8]

if you were going to do the GB, would you be interested in doing some of the other headlights Manaz? Say the ones you linked but in black? or the cheaper OEM looking ones in smoked?
Will keep a eye on this one! Thanks for posting!

[Manaz]

manaz, what's the advantage of these lights? I just bought a pair of Philips Xtreme vision H7s to replace my stock bulbs (low beam is awesome, but disappointed with high beam...) Would this just be a stronger halogen light ? 350 is a lot

Projector designs throw a stronger, more focused light than reflector designs (the stock headlights on our Boras is reflector-based).

Doubt you bought H7s, they'd have been H4s, which do low and high beam together from a single bulb (they use a hybrid reflector design to determine the beam pattern, and it's a compromise). H7s are a single-filament design, and thus you have separate bulbs (and reflectors/projectors) for each beam, and thus each is less compromised.

USD$350 from ECS Tuning before shipping, currently available from my contact for AUD$300 delivered in Sydney (suspect shipping to Canberra would be pretty minimal).

edit: My bad, so these are HID upgrade-friendly. can see the appeal now

edit2: does this mean we could just buy any 4500k or whatever HID bulbs, and they'd fit fine in the angel eye ?

HID retrofit works better in projector-style headlights, but is still technically illegal for on-road use. If you were only using these for display or use off public roads, then yes, you could in theory grab a HID retrofit kit suited to replacing H7 bulbs with your choice of colour temperature HID bulbs and that'd, in theory, work for you.

[Back Door Shenanigans.]

Do you know if they still allow headlight aim adjustment using the switch inside the car??
I might be intrested if we can get them cheaper.
I looked into fitting the genuine HID lights for the Bora which were only available in some markets. Honestly forget that!!! you could buy a new car with the amount needed the install them....But they would look F%$# awsome..

Haha oh cmon $2k is fine for lights. As above i'm interested as well. What do you think you would need to get them to be legal HID's? I.e the auto leveling and washers?

[Manaz]

Do you know if they still allow headlight aim adjustment using the switch inside the car??
I might be intrested if we can get them cheaper.

Yes, they work with the adjustment motors. Be aware that this is AUD$300 for a PAIR of these lights, and from all reports, their quality is pretty bloody good, near OEM in fact.

I looked into fitting the genuine HID lights for the Bora which were only available in some markets. Honestly forget that!!! you could buy a new car with the amount needed the install them....But they would look F%$# awsome..

Yeah, several thousand dollars to do a full OEM HID retrofit from a RHD (UK) Bora (and still be illegal) - thanks, but no thanks.

[Manaz]

if you were going to do the GB, would you be interested in doing some of the other headlights Manaz? Say the ones you linked but in black? or the cheaper OEM looking ones in smoked?
Will keep a eye on this one! Thanks for posting!

Maybe - will depend if they're available to suit RHD. PM me the exact model details, and I'll get it confirmed.

[Manaz]

Haha oh cmon $2k is fine for lights. As above i'm interested as well. What do you think you would need to get them to be legal HID's? I.e the auto leveling and washers?

Not possible. Even if you fit all the required parts, the car must have been released into the Australian market (and thus passed ADR checks) with an HID option factory fitted for it to be legal. And the R32 doesn't count, as it was a 2-door hatch, not a 4-door sedan (and the headlight design is different).

[governor22]

my bad (again!): they were H4s.....

yeah, projectors sound like they'd kick the donkey's rear off the reflectors in strength. good thing i only paid 40 bucks for the Philips.

I'm interested. But like Dylan said, i'd be keen to see what alternatives are around. If not, these ones look pretty decent.

so does this mean with the new projectors that we still use H4s ? Or do we need to buy a set of H7s after getting the new projector ?

i'm not really fussy about HID. I just want something that has actual bright/strength (like my dad's mk6 GTI headlights (non-xenon)).

[Manaz]

my bad (again!): they were H4s.....

yeah, projectors sound like they'd kick the donkey's rear off the reflectors in strength. good thing i only paid 40 bucks for the Philips.

I'm interested. But like Dylan said, i'd be keen to see what alternatives are around. If not, these ones look pretty decent.

so does this mean with the new projectors that we still use H4s ? Or do we need to buy a set of H7s after getting the new projector ?

i'm not really fussy about HID. I just want something that has actual bright/strength (like my dad's mk6 GTI headlights (non-xenon)).

For these headlights, you'd need to source:

* 2 pairs of H7s (one pair for low beam, one for high beam). H7s are about $70 a pair from powerbulbs.co.uk.
* 1 pair of H3s (for fogs, maybe re-use existing ones).

I have projectors on my other car (Subaru Outback), and they're several shades of awesome better than reflector-based headlights.

What alternatives are around? Not much. I've spent quite some time investigating all the options. Keen to see if someone can come up with something that's cheaper and yet still decent quality (and suited to RHD, this has been the killer detail).

Will start collecting EOIs in the top post. Please confirm if you're interested or not (I'm not at the "taking deposits" stage yet, so this is really just "interest" at this stage to determine if I should continue to put time into this.

[governor22]

count me in manaz. i'm sick to death of the reflectors; you couldn't spot a possum's arsse with them

[Manaz]

count me in manaz. i'm sick to death of the reflectors; you couldn't spot a possum's arsse with them

That may be a good thing, but OK.

[dylan8]

That may be a good thing, but OK.

haha.

Just to be clear im not talking about other companys. Just some of the other options FK is selling on the site Manaz linked. Not other brands because there isnt a whole heap out there.

also as above, good luck finding OEM ones at a price less then the value of your car. Also have fun finding something other then ebay specials that suit our RHD/aussie cars.

Ill send u a PM when im home Manaz.

[gringo_54_oval]

interesting.
for when would this happen??