The Official Tail Light thread

Well since a lot of the new comers do not know what tails to get and upon jaloosk's request on making this thread, I decided to get some of the most common tail lights for the 3g platform.
1. TYC-sold in black, chrome, bronze, carbon fiber and titanium (as far as I know). These are the best looking tails I have seen for the 3g platform and most members recommend these. These are not sold any more and are very hard to find and rare. Most common TYCs that are sold are the chrome ones.

2. Sonars- sold in black and chrome. Not as great as the TYC tails and also not the greatest looking ones. I would not recommend these

3.No name l.e.d tails-sold in black, chrome, and red. These are getting fairly popular. Many members like to niteshade these or make custom TYC tails. Also if you are very talented then you can make the led boards yourself and fit them into it.

These are from Crimson's thread and these tails were built by him

Also these are custom tails made by soundman98. They are custom skyline led tails.

4.Stock tail lights-Not bad looking tail lights but many members prefer to go with aftermarket or niteshade these
These are my stock tails that I niteshaded

I hope this thread helps out. If you have any additions feel free to add some

 

while tyc's are the most popular name brand, there is becoming a large ebay presence of tyc knock-off's.

the major differences are:

tyc's:
smooth, clear lenses
'TYC' printed on bottom of housing.

knockoff's:
mostly-clear lenses with 3 parallel rows of 'x' shaped fluting
no printing along the bottom.

the fluting is easiest to see in this pic:

 

I only have a short period of time right now, but I'll reply now then later amend this post with more information. So far all links are provided by myself.

http://www.club3g.com/forum/show-shine/145804-6000k-hids-black-ccfl-sonars.html

Amending this post -

http://www.club3g.com/forum/show-shine/153277-why-chrome-headlights-suck-my-latest-project.html. This link is about any chrome headlight, but this is for Sonars in particular. Chrome sonars = bad.

http://www.club3g.com/forum/show-shine/151115-timsters-headlights.html. Timster's black sonars - only had aesthetic mods, added a Morimoto 35w 4.3k HID kit with a bi-xenon harness allowing high and low beam to be on simultaneously.

http://www.club3g.com/forum/show-shine/152962-jstewart92s-custom-retrofitted-headlights-pic-heavy.html. My personal retrofitted headlights and their output. Projectors are installed in stock lights, and are replica's of the infiniti FX 35/45's lights.

Go to www.facebook.com/iconicdesignz to view all of my work, please like the page and thanks for taking a look!

 

MIT. ECLIPSE GS/GTS/GT HALO BLACK PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS | eBay

these are the same ones from #2 and i messaged the seller and he told me that they are made by winjet

 

That is because the top post is wrong. They aren't actually Sonar's. I have no idea why they are labeled as Sonar's in the first post.

 

Yeah thought so..from what ive been told they are win something I forgot the rest...they also go by spec D

 

00-05 Eclipse BLK Dual Halo Projector Headlights Lamps | eBay

these are the same from #4 and they are in the description they are made by eagle eyes

Okay your missing the obvious here, but I'll spell it out for you. Depo, sonar, anzo, dual. All of those are not NAMES of the brand of headlight. It is the DESIGN of a headlight (though like stated it did used to be names, but this doesn't apply much more). Multiple companies make each headlight design. When I say "get some sonars or depos" that means get a low beam projection and high beam reflective design. Which are made by multiple brands.

 

When I had my 3G I first bough the Anzo's thinking the projector was the low beam. Even the sales guy told me the projector was the low beam and high beam and that the reflector was for an accessory like strobes. What an idiot and I knew very little then so I got them. Hated them. Always wanted depo's but couldn't afford. So I went with the Sonars and was pretty happy with them except for the adjustment, Which I rigged with my own screws to move the projectors left and right. With HID's they were nice.

IMO I wouldn't do option five since the 3G have the depo's available. As for a housing like the 8G galant, the ebay ones are kinda Cheesy IMO, and JDM's are still reflectors. So HID=Glare. So with the 8G I do feel like option 5 would be best.

 

When I had my 3G I first bough the Anzo's thinking the projector was the low beam. Even the sales guy told me the projector was the low beam and high beam and that the reflector was for an accessory like strobes. What an idiot and I knew very little then so I got them. Hated them. Always wanted depo's but couldn't afford. So I went with the Sonars and was pretty happy with them except for the adjustment, Which I rigged with my own screws to move the projectors left and right. With HID's they were nice.
IMO I wouldn't do option five since the 3G have the depo's available. As for a housing like the 8G galant, the ebay ones are kinda Cheesy IMO, and JDM's are still reflectors. So HID=Glare. So with the 8G I do feel like option 5 would be best.

Honestly option 5 would be an improvement over the depos imo even the depos have some flaws that the retrofits overcome but again what lights doesnt have flaws. If you do it right the retrofits can look very good and be the best ones available.

00-05 Eclipse BLK Dual Halo Projector Headlights Lamps | eBay

these are the same from #4 and they are in the description they are made by eagle eyes

Does it matter what company makes them, the order is listed from GOOD to BAD.

this thread helped me alot. i know what to get now.

This is why this thread was made to help you newbies and to stop from some of the n00bs from making worthless threads

 

00-05 Eclipse BLK Dual Halo Projector Headlights Lamps | eBay

these are the same from #4 and they are in the description they are made by eagle eyes

 

Wow son.. Yes they are the same and if you would read Chad already posted saying these are the worst

 

this thread helped me alot. i know what to get now.

 

Which ones are you planning on getting

 

sonars

 

^ mine are the same

My headlamps have sonar stamped at the bottom, but then I've had them for a while. I have the chrome version of the sonar single halo projectors

 

holyfuckingbitchtits. if they look like sonars, and project light like sonars, then guess what? they are fucking sonars:idea:

 

:rofl:

 

It's a STYLE and DESIGN we have used over the years to describe. It was just one of the firsts names to the design, jesus. They're fuckin' sonars. :lol:

 

here are better niteshaded tail pics chad

a-e tinting services | Facebook

 

I seen them done well as pictured, but it's just my opinion it just looks tacky too me. :dunno:

 

The one's on my car at this very minute doesn't have any type of stamp on them (yes single halo, original halo). Where is the stamp suppose to be? Which side? I'll take a picture for you if it brings you peace at mind.

 

Well, I know my drivers side has it stamped between where it says H1 and the Model number, on the lens, front of it towards the bottom (if that makes sense).

 

Let me check..

 

I stand corrected, mine are stamped as well. Never looked that close :lol:. But back onto the subject, if it has the stamp or not - as long as it's low beam projector, high beam reflector and some type of halo(s) "it's a sonar" which means the design. Stamped or not stamped.

Good job Rice.

 

i guess this brings a new question-- you said that your set don't glare as bad as my set, and you just proved that both of our sets have sonar-branded parts-- i wonder if the 'off-brands' are changing/modifying the internals, and keeping the branded lenses?

 

Possible, but lets not clog this thread with that info. Lets spread that back into your original thread. Check your lens. See if you have that stamp.

 

Can somebody please post pictures with the light output of all 4 kinds? (Or at least as many as you guys can gather?) I really want new headlights and I fell in love with the dual halos but then I read this topic and it said that they are second to worst I can buy... And I kinda don't want to spend my money for shitty products. I want mine to give me more light than stocks.

So anyway can the owners of the different types just park their in front of the garage with the garage door closed and lights on and snap a picture? Just so it can give us (noobies) a better understanding of what the light output is.

Also why some lenses are colored and why I can't find many of those? Does it matter at all?

 

Easier said than just done. If you want those pictures you gotta go search for them yourself. I already took a long while just making the first section of the thread. The duals have known crap light output. Why try and go against our advice? Want good light? Buy sonars or depos. Or retrofit your own headlights.

Some lens are tinted, which is stupid. What does tint do? Restrict light flowing through it, so it only worsens your vision. Go with clear lens and a colored housing if you want different colors.

 

By no means did I want to go against your advice. I just wanted to see how much light output I would have to give up. If you are that much opposed to it I will trust you and get the sonars. However I am still wondering why some lenses are red and others are blue while most of the ones I've seen are white (clear) does that change the color of the light or its a reflection from something else that gets magnified by the lens?

 

I only know of 2 options readily available to buy; clear or smoked. Often times the seller (if ebay) uses photoshop which changes lighting and can make the lights appear different than they do in person. There are some pictures I've seen where the chrome of the light's housing reflected the sky or other things and made the lights appear a different color. Scarr originally had the dual halos that I think you're referring to, search some of the first threads he made if you want to see his output. I've posted my own black sonar output and the horrible output of chrome sonars. The dual halo 'sonars' probably use the same projector/ overall reflector setup just with a different housing. Screw cheap halos though, they use 2 LEDs and cannot be seen during the day and can HARDLY be seen at dusk/dawn.

 

what do you consider cheap halos? Like the ones for $150 or the ones for $200-$300? I really don't want to spend my money on something shitty and I will be getting sonars with black housing just because I want the halos on my car. I believe I am talking for all new people right now as there is a great information provided here in this topic but again just as you said there could be cheap non-worth it headlights.

P.S. I have seen your topic and that helps a lot. I am not getting chromed or smoked!

 

Cheap halos are LED halos, like I said they use 2 (5mm I think) LEDs to light the ring. The other type is CCFL halos, just like a CFL light bulb and visible during midday, but probably not at distances >100ft (midday), haven't looked into it that much.

 

my sonars use some side emitting smd led's. not bad, but no amazing output..

in reference to the output shot question, the only real way to allow any comparison is to keep everything but the headlamps the same.

ie: the same user compares them using the same lighting source/brand in all units, with locked camera settings.

 

True. Well thanks for all the info guys. I ordered Sonars with single CCFL halo. I was about to order the dual halo sonars when you told me that the halo wont have that much light output so I figured I might as well get the single halo since I like the housing of that one better anyway.
Once I receive them, I will post pictures of the stock headlights compared to the ones I just got with everything else the same )

Again, thanks a lot!!!