Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Best HID Kit

Well I've finally saved up the money for an HID kit and I was wondering what the best kit was. I know Antonio recommends to shy-away from the Ebay kits. I also read that 6000k is the brightest that the light gets and any higher is just changing the color of the light. Links are encouraged along with critiques ...Help me join the HID club :P

HIDs4Less.com
autolamps-online.com

These two make the best HID kits. There's one more, I forget the URL. It's Auto-Lite, or something like that. Anyway, all three kits offer molded bases and are adjusted to compensate for 9006 filament position. Light output is measured in lumens. IIRC, the 5000k kit was the highest in output, decreasing as you increased in temp.

I almost purchased one of these kits, until I realized how much the stock reflectors suck. To do it right, you really need projectors or e-code headlamps; this results in a very sharp, well-defined beam pattern. It is especially important with HIDs, since misdirected light is a safety hazard for other drivers.

I remember some CEG'er fitting a pair of A6 projectors into the stock headlamps; that's definitely the way to go since the ecode assemblies don't fit, though it's labor and cost intensive (projector lenses + HID kit = $$$).

you know what...the stock reflectors may "suck" but with the HIDS installed...the difference doesn't present itself to me. These lights are VERY bright...on top of having that "look" they light up 3 lanes wide on the highway!! They will do the job, and offer an exponential improvement over stock headlights. Mine are the 6000k available off groupbuycenter.com, k2 is the company that makes them. I have nothing but praise.

Originally posted by TheGreatOne:

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you know what...the stock reflectors may "suck" but with the HIDS installed...the difference doesn't present itself to me. These lights are VERY bright...on top of having that "look" they light up 3 lanes wide on the highway!! They will do the job, and offer an exponential improvement over stock headlights. Mine are the 6000k available off groupbuycenter.com, k2 is the company that makes them. I have nothing but praise.

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I have my Amber Reflector removed in my headlights. I get what you are saying about the projectors. ATM, it looks like I could only afford the HID conversion themselves. I need new headlamp assemblies anyway, so I may just wait for a kit to be made for our car or until I have the money. GreatOne, what color are the 6000k and do you have any pics of them? I may have to check out those over at the groupbuycenter.com. Also one other question should I put them in my 9006 slot or my 9005 I haven't swapped my headlights as I do not fully understand the modification.

Stranger things have happened, but I doubt if a HID kit will come out for the Contour.

What we mean by reflector is not the amber piece, but the design of the headlamps themselves. 98+ headlamps are a reflector design; the front face is clear and the pattern is mostly shaped by the reflective facets within the headlamp. In contrast, pre-98s are a refractor design; the front face is a combination of lenses that bend and shape the light.

But anyway, the conversion kits are universal fit; they are not model-specific unless they replace the actual reflector housings. The kits consist of an HID capsule fitted in a standard base, a ballast to drive the capsule, and the appropriate harnesses. To install, all you do is plug the factory harness into the ballast harness and the ballast to the HID capsule and mount the ballast.

You should get the 9006 kit to replace the low-beams. 6000k is a purplish-blue hue, but the actual light is white.

Originally posted by louisw:

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You should get the 9006 kit to replace the low-beams. 6000k is a purplish-blue hue, but the actual light is white.

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So the 9006 and 9005 non-HID bulbs are interchangable? 9006 is the High Beam Bulb number is it not with 9005 being the Low Beam Bulb? I may have them backwards. Any ideas on how long to install them? Is it simply plug and play?

9006 is our low beam, 9005 is the high beam. No, they are not interchangable, the 9005 is slightly different. On a related topic, some people have modified higher-wattage 9005 bulbs to fit in the 9006 socket with good results.

I have a 9006 HID conversion kit...they are readily available. The 6000k are kinda purple, once they're warm they are mostly white. Here's a pic, I know it ain't good but the camera I had stinks

Originally posted by Wthermans:

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I also read that 6000k is the brightest that the light gets and any higher is just changing the color of the light.

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You might find this helpful. For some reason the bottom of the pic doesn't want to load up onto the server.


The approximate CRI is how well that type of light shows objects in their natural color. 100 is the best.