ZKW, or HID H1 Conversion with stock headlights

[abradic]

I have been looking into lighting upgrades for my 99 M3 and hear that ZKW is a good brand, but when you add up everything it takes to get them HID, it's pretty expensive! I saw a conversion kit for our cars to make them HID, and it seems like you could use the stock headlights and just add a nice set of angel eyes. The kit is $195, and the CCFL angel eyes are running around $65. Here is a link for the HID kit, would I be better off not investing in the ZKW if I can get the HID lighting out of the stock units?

HID's:
http://www.cqlight.ca/catalog/produc...products_id=55

Angel Eyes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ULTRA...58171322QQrdZ1

[gnarfy]

92-96 E36 (3 series) US headlights, non replaceable sealed plastic lenses must upgrade to euro projector headlights first

you can't put hid on stock us headlight, you will blind everything on the road...

buy cheap DEPO with Angel Eyes and HID...

[RedBarron]

Yeah, I would go with DEPO here is a link with angel eyes.

http://www.umnitza.com/product_info.php?products_id=145

Also the stock headlights do not come apart whereas depo and ZKW will, so if you wanted to add angled eyes to your stock headlights you would have to bake them in the oven and pull them aprt, I would just suggest saveing up and doing the better route and getting the Depo or ZKW's.

[Rick'sm3]

i hear from everyone that got depo that they would much rather have zkw's just a quality issue but its up to you, if you are going to spend te money now then just spend a little more and not worry about it, call umnitza and they can set you up with a nice package for around $800, and they offer upgrades so if you ever want to change the angel eyes or anything yu just pay like $50 and they will do it, its a sweet deal, and if anything ever messes up my freind just sends his back and they send him new ones

[abradic]

OK, I see now, the stock headlights can't open up easily and I am not ready to bake! The DEPO and ZKW look very similar, is it a fitment issue with the quality because both are claiming to have a glass lens and both claim to be D.O.T. approved. I believe these are DEPO right here with the 7000K angel eyes for $225 shipped, and $550 shipped with XTEC HID kit. http://www.emotiongarage.com/Merchan...Category_Code=

Seems like a pretty good deal

[downsbs]

ZKW makes the O.E.M. Euro ellipsoids, I would go with them. They are very high quality parts.

[corwyn]

I don't believe that either one is D.O.T. approved. Something about the non-sealed design (i.e.-the replaceable glass cover), the lack of aiming dots (those silly bumps that stick out), etc.

Mine don't have the D.O.T. approval stamped on the glass, anyway...

[95325is]

zkw all the way

[abradic]

I guess the question I have is what kind of quality issue would I notice? Illumination should technically be the same if I have the XTEC HID kit in either. Is it fitment problems where DEPO's don't fit right? They 'look' very similar, and both claim to be glass and made of quality parts. I believe when you guys say the ZKW are better, but just wondering what the differences are, and how much better are they? Yes, a very noobie question.

[gnarfy]

there is no fitment issue with the depo. the glass is cheap if you compare with the ZKW, but it's you choice. personnaly, I have buyed the DEPO, one glass has been broken by a rock, and I buyed DEPO again, for the price they are good, but never good as ZKW...

[abradic]

I have been reading a lot about the Hella brand and ZKW which seem to have a superior beam projection. I also have read that the Hella is slightly better than the ZKW, but the Hella uses an LED angel eye. Weren't there problems with that, and that the CCFL predator chromium on the ZKW is a better angel eye?

Link to the Hella headlight which looks very nice

http://www.germanstuff4you.com/