Ok,

My 2005 Z Roadster (Stitch) is in dire need of replacements for her tired headlights.

I have the Xenon setup (original equipment) and was wondering if it would be worth it to convert it to LED? The lenses are in need of replacement as well (bulbs are not very bright - but then again they are 15+ years old).

So, would it be worth it to just swap everything over to LED or am I going to have to shell out a bunch of money (that could be used for go fast parts) to buy OE replacement lenses, ballasts and bulbs?

 

At this point in the cars’ lifetime the reasonable way to go is aftermarket assemblies, unless you can source some good condition used ones. As far as aftermarket goes, Depo is pretty decent, I’d stay away from Spyder personally. I’ve had them before and their light output is on the verge of acceptable, but the Depo lights should be very close to the 06 OEM units. New OEM units are best naturally but also the most expensive.

 

If the lens of your headlights are cloudy, have you tried refinishing and /or polishing them first? There are inexpensive kits on the market that will help improve output before you try the more expensive route.

 

It's both on the outside and inside.

Plus, it probably needs new bulbs and ballasts, so IF I am going to replace, I want to go with LED, more even light output, greater range, less heat, and longevity

 

Only thing about LED is finding one that beams the same as originals. There is a reason the factory bulbs have the top "painted" to control the beam

 

I would very much be curious to see if there is even such a thing as a full LED light (that is, the main lights) that outputs more light and in as precise a pattern than OE with a 35w (let alone 50w) HID. Out of curiosity, I just looked up "LED headlights for 350Z" and found that they (mfgrs of cheap headlight replacements) are still playing the word games that a lot of people will overlook. That is "LED DRL", "LED HALO" or "Sequential LED" and in small print: "Must reuse factory bulbs (D2R/S) and ballasts."

You pretty much get what you pay for when it comes to lighting for the Z. The only "truly accepted" replacements for OEM are Depo. These are truly as close to OE spec as you will find. Open them up and hot rod them if they're not enough. Best few hundred bucks well spent.

 

If you truly want to upgrade your lighting to LED, then it would be best to retrofit some LED projectors in the housings. Simply putting LED bulbs in the stock '05 reflector-type projectors isn't going to increase the output and usable light.

While LEDs have come a long way, HID is still superior especially with some 50w ballasts and bulbs at 4300K-5500K.

 

My lenses need replaced as well, looks like I will go with the DEPO lights.

450 bucks on flea bay. Not as high as the lights for my C6 Corvette from Morimoto. Those are 1600 bucks for a set.

 

Yeah, if your lenses are hazed/yellowed or have crazing that is beyond repair, some new lenses would be the way to go. When I retrofitted my headlights to dual projectors, I sourced some cheapo fleabay headlights (maybe like $120) to just separate the lenses and use the new lenses on the stock housings.

These new Morimoto Bi-LED projectors look promising. I may do another retrofit next year using them. It's probably more work than anyone wants to do nowadays.