old_s13

iTrader: (1)

huh...........


so you installed 06-08 tail lights into your headlights, with white leds, of course.


and kept the OE REAR reflex reflector.. forward facing, of course.



is it april 1st already???

1 MEAN Z

Thank you!

1 MEAN Z

I have been back and forth to Cali all week, this is the first chance I have had to get back on and reply.... First off, Acree, I have seen some of your older posts and you do some nice led work. Flipper Z, the Altilon LEDs are awesome...Thank you for the advice.... Now let me explain a little more about this project and my choice in parts and LEDs for this project...


I have done research, I have read about the R8 headlights as well as the other handful of manufacturers that are dealing in LED headlight technology at the moment...I do know about the high power LEDs and optic lenses this is not something new to me....I also know there is more to working with the high power LEDs than just soldering on some wires with resistors and forward facing them on a car.

The reason I chose to go with the 10mm LED was for the look factor. I want the look of a traditional led when your average everyday person looked at them. With the 10mm you get that, whether its as you fly by them on your way to work or are parked at a show, you should be able to tell they are led. The out put of the one headlight I have done at the moment is actual very decent. I expect once I get the second one completed (hopefully this weekend) the two put together will be quite nice.... I have alot more ideas as far as headlights for the Z go. Some involving higher powered leds and optics...Like I said earlier....

I had already had it in mind to make some different headlight set ups after I complete this project...


I can understand the skepticism as was also mentioned earlier....

I do have my reasons for my choices and none of them have to do with lack of research or understanding of the concept of led lighting or headlights.

Flipper Z can't wait to see the finished product on the q45 retrofit you are doing...

Tackett

Installed pics yet?

vex008

iTrader: (4)

hows the work coming along with these headlights?

1 MEAN Z

Sorry for the lag in updates on the headlights. i have been very busy. They are still being worked on at this time and I hope to have them done soon. I will post a couple of pics from the test fitting I did today on the Z. You can also see the pics on MyLightEmittingDesigns.weebly.com I will keep you up to date.....

Acree

iTrader: (29)

Lol I just looked through your website and am appalled to be honest. Your projects are amateur at best and the LED door handles were done by myself and others back in 2005. You can see that in my thread history. I made an entire walk-through back in 2006.

So you decide to take the stock tail lights, paint them black which cuts down the light output, and then you use half of the parabolic reflectors for the turn signal or back up lights. So you have not only made the design an awkward shape, but cut the light output by more than 50%.

THEN you take the tail lights, turn them around, stick some huge underpowered LEDs in, and call them headlights. It's just laughable. If you even know what they are, do yourself a favor and use AT LEAST Luxeon Rebel LEDs with current drivers and a proper heat sink setup.

I will restate my original post when I say, you really have a lot more work in front of you if you are going to do a real set of LED headlights. To get the OEM level of fit and finish, light output, and reliability, you need to use professional materials and design a purpose built reflector housing and optical set up. Otherwise, if you like producing hack jobs, continue to use 10mm leds and painted tail light housings.

Sorry to go off, but as a person who originally designed multiple innovations for the 350z platform with fit and finish beyond the OEM level, and then to see you come on these boards, post up half @ss projects, and then link to your website where you're selling these services, it hits a nerve.

Clearcorners.com is professional. THIS is professional. Yours sir, is not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT60Ngcxgr0

-Acree

1 MEAN Z

First off let me just say thanks for visiting my web site, always nice to have a my350z member stop in.Now that that's said, second, not sure were you even get off saying that I do hack jobs or half @ss work, just so you know I do have degrees in electronics not that it makes a difference to you and I'm not in any way trying to play who has the bigger......well you know what I mean. Just saying I am not an amateur.Just because its not your work gives you know right to come on here throwing around accusations about my work. You have never seen my work in person, so to say that I do anything besides professional work is wrong. I have already explained why I used the 10mm leds in the headlights and not the high power leds to start with, so if you can't follow conversation from prior, on how I do know about the high powered leds and why I used what I used then...sorry... but Im not going to go back into all that again just for the sake of arguing. As for the tail lights...I am starting to wonder what site you did go to, because I do not use stock tails. I don't use the reflectors for reverse lights or for turn signals. Yes, my first set of tails I did have led designs in the reflectors, upper and lower. This is nothing new either, the 2006+ tails for the Z come with leds behind the bottom reflector. The upper reflector in them have been loaded with leds before also, by the same business you mentioned "clearcorners.com" so once again nothing new. If you did see a set of my tail lights in person then you would see that painting the internals even before I swap the leds out to way brighter ones does not effect the light out put enough to make them unsafe day or night, that is proven by my prior pics and videos They are still extremely bright and do the job they were intended for. As a matter of fact I have been running my first set of tail on my Z since I built them without a single problem in design, light output or manufacturing error. After I swap the leds out in the tails they are even brighter than they were when I first receive them without the painted internals and 5mm leds. If you don't like my designs then that's one thing, you don't have to run any of them that's your choice. I do have customers that happen to like the work I perform and are pleased with there products. Now let me comment on the led door handles....I don't recall once ever saying I designed or was the first to come up with the led door handles for the Z. Anyone who can use the search feature on here can see that neither you or I were the first to do this mod and deffenatly will not be the last. So not sure why you seem so defensive on that subject, but ok. I also know that you did a write up on how to do this project. So once again anyone who wants to search and do this mod at home can. I just offer the service already done so all you have to do is install the handles and wire them up. That is the same as customizing the 350z headlights with hallos and leds for demon eyes or the R8 mod. There are plenty of write ups on how to do it also, but you see there are still businesses out there that offer it as a service. I have talked with Acidjake one of the moderators here on my350z.com about my postings a while ago and he said it was ok for me to put a link to my site in my thread as long as I did not put "to buy from me follow this link" or "go to such and such site". I only tell people if they want to see more designs and pics come to......... As I have seen from past post you also sell led work (or used to), and a lot of it from my350z.com so once again not sure why you are so defensive on this matter also or why it would "touch a nerve" as you said. All of the accusations you have made about my work are false and you have no proof or a leg to stand on when making such accusations. I understand to a lot of people on here you are some kind of led god so let me just say this once again to anyone reading this post Acree is making these accusations without ever actually seeing any of my work close up or ever using any of my products. You do some nice work with leds and I'm sure it is very professional, but you my friend are the one that sound like a very unprofessional d*#@$ bag for even posting some lame **** on one of my thread with absolutely no proof to back up your accusations. Sorry for going off also, but I don't go around posting ignorant replys on yours or anyone else's threads. I'm sure this too will also hit a nerve with you and there is plenty of stuff you would like to reply back to me about. Do us both a favor and stop clicking and posting juvenile **** on my threads, as from here on out I am going to try and ignore any stupidity that manages to make its way from you brain to your finger tips and on to one of my threads again.

1 MEAN Z

Acree

iTrader: (29)

On your site you have amber and white AND red LEDs placed in the stock tail light reflector housing where the original red LEDs were. Therefore you cut the number of LEDs used for braking by 50% or more. You call it an artistic choice. I'm telling you it sacrifices light output and therefore safety. Then you take the same reflector housing, paint it which defeats the point of a reflector, and use it as a headlight with subpar LEDs. Again, if you want to create unprofessional products with poor lighting performance, have fun. :-)

And yes I did sell my products on here for a while. And I was a sponsor. :-)

-Acree

1 MEAN Z

Once again if you would read what I wrote I would not have to be back on here replying...I take a set of tails I strip them down paint them, if the customer requests them painted and then swap all the leds for leds with a much much higher MCD rating. By the time I am done with the tail lights they are 2x to 4x brighter than when I started.yes, I take away some brake leds and replace them with turn signal or reverse lights but as I said the ones that are left are upgraded to a much brighter led there for exceeding the brightness of all of the brake leds that the tail lights came with to began.
Maybe you should stick with dash ,door handle and whatever other led modifications you do and leave the tail lights to me....Just a thought.

J. Dub

iTrader: (18)

Subscribed for entertainment. (Though I believe I'll be ordering some rear turnsignals soon)

Acree

iTrader: (29)

Don't worry, I'll leave the tail lights, err headlights, wait tail lights to you.

I already finished every conversion possible on the 350z 3 years ago and have moved on to other platforms. Enjoy being behind the curve.

-Acree

cheshirecat79

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for crawling out of the woodwork to bash someone who's working on something that you've already graduated from. Everyone is definitely better off.

1 MEAN Z

CORRECTION.....You have already finished every conversion possible on the Z....besides tail lights....so I dont view it as being behind the curve at all. Also believe me when I say I am far from worried. You seem to be the worried one with all the negativity....Why worry, didn't even think you did Z conversions anymore, I could be wrong but aren't you a Subaru guy now....why aren't you over on the Subaru forums somewhere enlightening Subaru owners world wide with your astounding knowledge of everything.

Tackett

Wow.

Wall-o-text FTL.

FliPPER_Z

iTrader: (16)

theres only one way to settle this...

POST the link of the datesheet so everybody can read it, assuming you can read it...

If the datesheet claims your lumen rating...OP you win..acree, sorry buddy....but if the info on the datasheet doesnt match your current specs..oh no its gonna get bad! lol

1 MEAN Z

I will do just that when I get back , I am on the road to California right now and am trying to do all of these replys from my phone. Should be back late tonight or early tomorrow. Then I will pull up the info and post it.

vex008

iTrader: (4)

thanks for the update pic and test fit on the car

J. Dub

iTrader: (18)

Now Flip is in here. Sheet, where is my popcorn. *searches*

1 mean, I'm rootin for ya. Mostly cause Acree has gone on to other platforms and doesn't do these conversions anymore (like the built in rear view mirror V1 radar---simply sick) & flip just does turnsignals.
But at the end of the day this is entertaining. Ya guys have to admit that.

turbocad6

iTrader: (1)

not looking to get into the whole debate going on here, just a few pointers,

#1, the reflectors for the tails are all about OFF AXIS lighting, making the leds twice as bright & then killing the reflectors may make them brighter on axis, but the tail needs to be visible off axis too. not every car that needs to see you will be directly behind you, not arguing, just constructive criticism. this is much less of an issue in the front as your just looking for forward projection anyway

#2, to get LEDs to work in headlights you will HAVE to get into optic lenses & focusing the light output, period. I know you like the "look" of just the raw 10mm leds, but this is a case of form following function & not the reverse when it comes to actual headlight usage, just looking the way you want them may be fine for a strictly show car, but using them on the road I would expect that you want your end result to at least be as good as, if not ideally superior to what it is that you are replacing which is the HID projector which is pretty hard to beat as-is

#3, heat will be one of your big obstacles when you start generating enough lumens to be functional, it's one thing to just do "tests" & it's another to seal the headlights completely & have them function for hours on end many times over, excessive heat kills leds & you will have a tough time dispersing the amount of heat these will generate in a sealed headlamp without making accommodations to extract this heat away from the leds

don't attack me, I'm not looking to criticize you in any way, just give a little food for thought is all & just trying to help