why are the hid kits so expensive?

[Mobius]

By saying 'kit', are you referring to a retrofitted proper HID projector set up using quality housings, with quality projectors aligned inside of them, with OEM or better quality bulbs and ballasts and wiring for $900.00?

Or are you talking about just a bulb and ballast that you plug into your existing wiring and headlight housings.

If it is the latter, then that is terribly expensive. If you're talking about the former.... well you usually get what you pay for. If you have two similar products and one is much cheaper that the other, usually it is because there is something wrong with it or it's just shit.

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Mobius

By saying 'kit', are you referring to a retrofitted proper HID projector set up using quality housings, with quality projectors aligned inside of them, with OEM or better quality bulbs and ballasts and wiring for $900.00?

Or are you talking about just a bulb and ballast that you plug into your existing wiring and headlight housings.

If it is the latter, then that is terribly expensive. If you're talking about the former.... well you usually get what you pay for. If you have two similar products and one is much cheaper that the other, usually it is because there is something wrong with it or it's just shit.

i am talking about retrofits i am not saying the 900 dollar kits suck they are just way overpriced. i can make my own for 1/3 the price and sometimes cheaper. yeah i know there is labor involved but is it really that much to bump up the price so much?

[Voodoo]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

i am talking about retrofits i am not saying the 900 dollar kits suck they are just way overpriced. i can make my own for 1/3 the price and sometimes cheaper. yeah i know there is labor involved but is it really that much to bump up the price so much?

From what I have read the retrofits are expensive because,

OEM parts
The way the housing has to be modified to get a clear cut line, unlike if you were to just drop in bulbs and spray light every which way.

This takes either your own headlights, someone else to donate or you buy a set to experiment with, this all cost money.

The ones I have seen use OEM lights and ballasts from BMW or similar and these lights are very expensive, usually in the 300 dollar range a piece, so double that and your at 600 add some labor and the person making them is at very little or no profit at all. You can make your own to maybe save a couple hundred dollars, but then you are back at square one where someone else has already done the trial and error. What if you screw up your housing? Then you must buy another(which is not cheap) and there goes the savings you planned. To me for a QUALITY set of functional HIDs 900 is a steal.

[turboed13b]

Originally Posted by Voodoo

From what I have read the retrofits are expensive because,

OEM parts
The way the housing has to be modified to get a clear cut line, unlike if you were to just drop in bulbs and spray light every which way.

This takes either your own headlights, someone else to donate or you buy a set to experiment with, this all cost money.

The ones I have seen use OEM lights and ballasts from BMW or similar and these lights are very expensive, usually in the 300 dollar range a piece, so double that and your at 600 add some labor and the person making them is at very little or no profit at all. You can make your own to maybe save a couple hundred dollars, but then you are back at square one where someone else has already done the trial and error. What if you screw up your housing? Then you must buy another(which is not cheap) and there goes the savings you planned. To me for a QUALITY set of functional HIDs 900 is a steal.

We have different thoughts maybe because i am know more about HID's than the normal joe schmoe. I have seen the other hid kit for like 600 and this seems like a lot better deal but i don't know the qaulity of them. What if i told you i built my HID's for 300 and they are the same qaulity or even better as the 900 dollar kit?


There is really no testing involved in a retrofit the oem projector is already made all you have to do it open up your light housing aim it kinda straight and bolt it in.

[Mobius]

Originally Posted by turboed13b

What if i told you i built my HID's for 300 and they are the same qaulity or even better as the 900 dollar kit?

I would be doubtful, but I would compliment your ingenuity and hard work.

There is really no testing involved in a retrofit the oem projector is already made all you have to do it open up your light housing aim it kinda straight and bolt it in.

For an experienced retrofitter, this may be true. For Joe Schmoe, maybe not so much. Most of the time, it is not as simple as bolting it in. There can be a lot of cutting, modification and fabrication involved to get it to work right. In our case especially, there is not a lot of room to play with for mounting etc. Also, kinda straight does not cut it for me when it comes to leveling the projectors.

I recently purchased retrofitted headlights from Sakebomb Garage, and I'm glad I did. They used all of the components I was going to use if I were to do it myself, they pay attention to little details, and the price ($750.00) was only $200.00 more than what it would have cost me to do it myself. Definitely worth it in my opinion.

They have raise the price since then, but after seeing the work they put into each light I don't blame them, and I would buy them again.