[shemeld_135]

Hi - Looking to change my old looking halogens out. I am kind of set on depo v2, but heard the projector/lenses suck ass.. My plan is to buy the Depos and retrofitting new lenses and fishcake's LED AE's to them. Looking at these lenses here and fishcakes AE's here
Has anyone done this.. do the lenses fit the depos? what kind of project am i getting myself in to?

PICTURES OF PROJECT:






LOL





pulled apart everything



DIFFERENT SIZE PROJECTORS - STOCK DEPO ON LEFT FXR ON RIGHT

Painted turn signal piece - sanded with 600, wiped down, primed, painted



put the finished piece back in


sanded, primed and going to paint main part - will paint black after the retrofit of projector



hack out back on head lamp to make room for new FXR






got the idea to attach now going to paint and attach hold pretty good






attaching LED AE'S i made a notch in the ring to tuck wires so you wont see them

3m tape and 3m trim glue

used Qtip to get in the crack to max hold!

after it dried


finally attaching eveything!



18 gage steel wire to attach bottom


planning on puttin yellow bulb in as high beam light.. just for show. ill be using the bi xenon with low/high!


time to close it up


wired in AEs and closed em up!
[/IMG]


Sorry for crappy iphone pics -- will get better ones when they on and light up

testing to make sure they work - AND ERROR FREEE WOOHOO







finished

[uber]

Hi. What you can do is buy a set off lightwerkz, http://shop.lightwerkz.net/LED-Angel-Eye-Rings

The total of buying two of those are less that what you would pay from fishcakes and you'd be able to buy two different size rings instead of two of the same size.

For the projector lens, I'm not too sure. But if anything, you could always retrofit the entire fx-r projector if the lens doesnt fit the depo projectors.

[shemeld_135]

hey thanks for the heads up! they def are cheaper

[rollinstone157]

Just a heads up--while a lens is an important part of a quality projector, the DEPO projectors themselves are flawed.

You will need to replace the DEPO projector with either the FX-R or the Morimoto Mini H1 (see theretrofitsource.com for parts), and you may need to replace the shroud as well.

[shemeld_135]

ahh ok thanks for heads up! anyone local have experience with this kind of project? PA?

[uber]

Originally Posted by shemeld_135

ahh ok thanks for heads up! anyone local have experience with this kind of project? PA?

check out some youtube videos. plenty of fx-r installs. requires a dremel and a drill but it's pretty simple.

[bmw325i]

Why not start out with lci halogens if your going to retrofit. You can get them new on eBay for $560 shipped.

[shemeld_135]

heard that its nearly impossible to crack open with out issues - or cutting.

and the depos are cheaper.. with all new internals.. for under 800 seems the way i want to go i think.

Originally Posted by bmw325i

Why not start out with lci halogens if your going to retrofit. You can get them new on eBay for $560 shipped.

[bmw325i]

Originally Posted by shemeld_135

heard that its nearly impossible to crack open with out issues - or cutting.

and the depos are cheaper.. with all new internals.. for under 800 seems the way i want to go i think.

The oem headlights can be taken apart it's just difficult. Call lightmodz, lightwerkz, or one eighty.

Depo's are junk. Even if you get FXR retrofitted and new angel eyes they won't be as good. If you're planning on getting them through Umnitza you'll probably be disappointed.

I'm in a similar situation. I'm trying to figure out what the best option is to upgrade the headlights and I was originally planning on getting depo's.

[shemeld_135]

I hear ya! i plan to take on the project myself.. and do the retrofit and swap all the internals of the depos. not sure why you say they will still be junk if all the internals are swapped out? The only real issue I have been reading about depos are the projectors suck ass..reason why I am replacing them. and Ill reseal them up properly so no condensation gets in

First option $858:

- Just the headlights W/ HID kit
http://www.modmy3.com/e90-91-depo-v2...eadlights.html
-Complete FXR Bixenon Projector Retrofit Kit Stage 1
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/Morimoto-...Projectors-D2S

Second option $804:

- Depos w no LED's
http://www.ebay.com/itm/0608-BMW-E90...-/400464588602
-Complete FXR Bixenon Projector Retrofit Kit Stage 1
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/Complete-...it-Kit-Stage-1
-LED AE's
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/LED-Angel-Eye-Rings

Originally Posted by bmw325i

The oem headlights can be taken apart it's just difficult. Call lightmodz, lightwerkz, or one eighty.

Depo's are junk. Even if you get FXR retrofitted and new angel eyes they won't be as good. If you're planning on getting them through Umnitza you'll probably be disappointed.

I'm in a similar situation. I'm trying to figure out what the best option is to upgrade the headlights and I was originally planning on getting depo's.

[bmw325i]

Originally Posted by shemeld_135

I hear ya! i plan to take on the project myself.. and do the retrofit and swap all the internals of the depos. not sure why you say they will still be junk if all the internals are swapped out? The only real issue I have been reading about depos are the projectors suck ass..reason why I am replacing them. and Ill reseal them up properly so no condensation gets in

First option $858:

- Just the headlights W/ HID kit
http://www.modmy3.com/e90-91-depo-v2...eadlights.html
-Complete FXR Bixenon Projector Retrofit Kit Stage 1
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/Morimoto-...Projectors-D2S

Second option $804:

- Depos w no LED's
http://www.ebay.com/itm/0608-BMW-E90...-/400464588602
-Complete FXR Bixenon Projector Retrofit Kit Stage 1
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/Complete-...it-Kit-Stage-1
-LED AE's
http://shop.lightwerkz.net/LED-Angel-Eye-Rings

Your going to end up spending about the same as you would modifying a set of lci halogens. The housings wont look oem and the quality isn't as good.

I'm thinking about getting lci halogens and retrofitting 2 sets of projectors and Orion v4's. The other option I was considering is to get a set of lci xenons and add Orion v4's.

Both options cost about the same, but if I go with halogens I'll have quad projectors, and if I go with xenons they'd be adaptive. Other than that the only difference is the led turn signals.

[rollinstone157]

Originally Posted by bmw325i

Your going to end up spending about the same as you would modifying a set of lci halogens. The housings wont look oem and the quality isn't as good.

I'm thinking about getting lci halogens and retrofitting 2 sets of projectors and Orion v4's. The other option I was considering is to get a set of lci xenons and add Orion v4's.

Both options cost about the same, but if I go with halogens I'll have quad projectors, and if I go with xenons they'd be adaptive. Other than that the only difference is the led turn signals.

Right, but this is assuming you can open the LCI halogens without damaging them. The headlights are permasealed, which is an adhesive designed to be less susceptible to splitting under heat. There is a technique to opening them (lightwerkz, for example, does it) but I personally do not know how to do it.

[shemeld_135]

new project

[DuckySpud]

Nice, are they going in to a set of depos like you planned? If you could get plenty of photos that would be great, I plan on doing this myself when the funds appear!

Good luck

[Casca]

I put FX-R V3's in my depos. Here are the two projectors next to each other




I never did make a rear cap to seal it all and will probably be re-doing everything soon. Although I may go for smaller projectors than the FX-R's. Already have 2 pairs of Morimoto mini's just sitting around. The FXR's were a pain to make work with the Depo's. I do like their output though.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=687893

[Casca]

Originally Posted by rollinstone157

Right, but this is assuming you can open the LCI halogens without damaging them. The headlights are permasealed, which is an adhesive designed to be less susceptible to splitting under heat. There is a technique to opening them (lightwerkz, for example, does it) but I personally do not know how to do it.

I've just cut open headlights and then used my plastic welder to weld it all back together. Leaves an ugly weld seam, but if you cut it right, it's all hidden after everything goes back together anyway.

I love this thing. It is so useful for a lot of stuff
http://www.amazon.com/Urethane-Suppl...plastic+welder

I've bought wrecked headlights with broken tabs, fabricated my own tabs and then weld it on to the headlight. Very strong too, pretty much becomes one since I am melting the new stuff in to the old.

[shemeld_135]

Yeah going in the depos v2 they are still in mail! I'll take as many pics as I can.


I using your thread as reference man I was scoping out what I need to grind down! Thanks for your help!

[shemeld_135]

look what showed uptoday
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[bmw325i]

I also decided to get the depos after talking to lightwerkz. Should be here on Wednesday and then I'm sending them off to get fxr's retrofitted.

[LocDawgg]

Originally Posted by shemeld_135

look what showed uptoday




LOL

are you using the depo headlight and retrofitting the new projector in?

I did this awhile back, i got a set of Depos for cheap and got some LED angel eye rings and retrofitted some morimoto mini H1s in.

[shemeld_135]

Originally Posted by bmw325i

I also decided to get the depos after talking to lightwerkz. Should be here on Wednesday and then I'm sending them off to get fxr's retrofitted.

Nice they helped me pick what i want/need!

Originally Posted by LocDawgg

are you using the depo headlight and retrofitting the new projector in?

I did this awhile back, i got a set of Depos for cheap and got some LED angel eye rings and retrofitted some morimoto mini H1s in.

yes i am

[shemeld_135]

progression pics:

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