I really like the look of the hid headlights in the expensive cars like the escalades, lexus, etc. I would like to have those on my hhr. My question is this- What is the best way to do this to my hhr? I have seen the kits on ebay for around 160 and just the bulbs for around 10-12 dollars that claim to be just as good as the real thing. What is the best product to get that 'look'. I want to stay as cheap as I can but I dont want to sacrifice that expensive hid appearance. Thank you.

 

You can get 'blued' bulbs inexpensively. It will give you a bit of the look but not nearly the effect of HIDs. I haven't seen the HID kits on eBay but if you can get one for $160 I would say get it. The true HIDs I put on my Fiero cost me over $600.

 

I was at a local car shop here in Glen Burnie, MD. They have an HID kit with the bulbs for $130.00

 

I can't tell you the difference. After a search I see them on eBay for as little as $68. Maybe I got ripped off, or maybe you get what you pay for. Who knows?

 

You cannot get true HIDs for an HHR. You can get the ballasts, bulbs and wiring. This will make your stock REFLECTOR HALOGEN housins look like crap. Look for late model trucks that did not have them stock, and look how their lights look. The entire housing turns bluish, the light is unfocused, and people will hate you, flash you, and the cops can ticket you.
You need to buy the LENSES and the ballasts and bulbs. This will run (as far as i can tell) no less than $450 a pair. You will need to open your existing housing, and fabricate a holder for the lenses, insert them into the housing, line them up so that the don't point towards the sky/ground, and then put your housings back in. Not a minor undertaking. Anything else is a scam/crap. Bulbs, wires, ballasts wil not give you that "look" or performance. The HID in a HID system are the housing/headlamp lense....not the bulb ballast and wiring.

 

i have HIDs in my HHr. i love them.
i got the 8000k and are a nice crisp light purple upclose and a bright white in the distance.
the HIDs ARE an upgrade, but not the best upgrade. u need to get projector lights if u want the "cut-off". u can get the projector housings off ebay for around $200 for the pair and fab them in or if u search this forum u will find a guy makes some real nice projector headlights for about $600-$800. the only difference in putting hids in the stock hhr headlights and projector headlights is the cut-off line.
the stock hhr headlights do not have this line so the light is reflected everywhere thus giving u "glare".

here are stock with HIDs


projectors with HIDs


i bought the $70 8000k HIDs off of ebay. been happy ever since. better light output and since most cops don't know their cars, they won't know the lights were not stock and thus legal. i haven't had any problems with mine. i even pulled up behind a city cop and basicly turned his white cruiser purple and he just stared.

 

Cool , no prob. We are on the same page here. I just wanted for the originator and anyone else interested to know that HID's that do not have "lenses" are bootleg, sub-par, cheap. That why the price is so low, and retofits are so high. This sound like a knock, but what i am trying to say is that polished aluminum is NOT chrome. If you want chrome, do it right. If you dont mind having lights that look like $70 retrofits than that is your choice. If you want to "look" like real HID's (bmw, merc, audi, etc) then get the REAL thing. Do what you want with your hhr. I just want people to know that under $ 500 retrofits are like bootleg dvd's. Everyone knows what they are. No one is fooled.

Your stock headlamps are great, many complain of "flashing" with just the stock halogens. I beg anyone, do not put the equivalent of (as i hear it put here) a "fart can" muffler on a 90 hp engine. You will be a laughing stock. And from a scientific standpoint, you will not get anywhere near the clarity, intensity, or distance out of the stock hhr HALOGEN REFLECTOR hedlamps over a true projector. Dont take my stupid rant to heart.....take a look at the next standard HID car, and look inside the headlamp. You will NEVER EVER see a reflector halogen housing! I promise....

 

Anyone have pictures of Projector Headlights for theie HHR?

 

I think a guy named enoomai....or something close to that (avatar is a vw gti) , he had them.

 

I purchased a set of Eurodesign Bulbs that claim to have an HID look. I decided not to use them because I thought I would not like the blue-ish color....I'll be honest..I don't know if they would have the same effect as I have not installed them. They have a lifetime warranty and just replace your original bulbs...wont hurt or change anything. If your interested I have them unopened and unused if you want to give them a try....$5 plus shipping? I was going to list them on ebay since I'm not gonna use them....again I don't know that they will give you a "TRUE" HID result but it may give you the look you want.