Want "purple" or "blue" headlights for 2000 Tacoma -- any recommendations?

Hi all,

I'm looking to replace the headlights on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD
pickup with new lights. The only way I can describe what I'm looking for is that
I want those lights that appear purple or blue when you meet a vehicle with a
set of them in oncoming traffic. I don't know what specific models these have
appeared on but I think they're common to high-end Japanese or German imports.
I'm in hopes this description helps someone to assist with what I'm looking for
since I don't know what to call them other than "purple" or "blue."

Can someone tell me what this type of headlight is called, where I can buy them,
and recommend a specific brand? I got a set of headlights for Christmas after
putting them on my wish list, but unfortunately they are the old-fashioned white
kind instead of what I'm looking for.

Help and recommendations would be appreciated!

H.B. Elkins
2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD with 203K miles and still going strong!


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H.B. Elkins wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm looking to replace the headlights on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD
> pickup with new lights. The only way I can describe what I'm looking for is that
> I want those lights that appear purple or blue when you meet a vehicle with a
> set of them in oncoming traffic. I don't know what specific models these have
> appeared on but I think they're common to high-end Japanese or German imports.
> I'm in hopes this description helps someone to assist with what I'm looking for
> since I don't know what to call them other than "purple" or "blue."
>
> Can someone tell me what this type of headlight is called, where I can buy them,
> and recommend a specific brand? I got a set of headlights for Christmas after
> putting them on my wish list, but unfortunately they are the old-fashioned white
> kind instead of what I'm looking for.
>
> Help and recommendations would be appreciated!
>
> H.B. Elkins
> 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD with 203K miles and still going strong!
>
>

You're talking about HID's, but unless they were a factory option on
your vehicle I couldn't recommend them. A lot of the "retrofit kits"
are fairly crap, don't produce the correct beam pattern, etc...

nate

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On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:40:43 -0500, Nate Nagel wrote:

>You're talking about HID's, but unless they were a factory option on
>your vehicle I couldn't recommend them. A lot of the "retrofit kits"
>are fairly crap, don't produce the correct beam pattern, etc...

Retrofit kit? Once I knew to search for HID headlights, eBay turned up a zillion
"plug & play" type lights.


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H.B. Elkins wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:40:43 -0500, Nate Nagel wrote:
>
>> You're talking about HID's, but unless they were a factory option on
>> your vehicle I couldn't recommend them. A lot of the "retrofit kits"
>> are fairly crap, don't produce the correct beam pattern, etc...
>
> Retrofit kit? Once I knew to search for HID headlights, eBay turned up a zillion
> "plug & play" type lights.

A lot of them are intended to simply replace a regular halogen bulb, and
those generally don't yield ideal results, because HIDs usually have a
horizontal arc and most bulbs have axial filaments, resulting in all the
light not being where the optics of your headlight assembly expect them
to be...

nate

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On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:37:39 -0800, H.B. Elkins wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm looking to replace the headlights on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended
> cab 4WD pickup with new lights. The only way I can describe what I'm
> looking for is that I want those lights that appear purple or blue when
> you meet a vehicle with a set of them in oncoming traffic. I don't know
> what specific models these have appeared on but I think they're common
> to high-end Japanese or German imports. I'm in hopes this description
> helps someone to assist with what I'm looking for since I don't know
> what to call them other than "purple" or "blue."
>
> Can someone tell me what this type of headlight is called, where I can
> buy them, and recommend a specific brand? I got a set of headlights for
> Christmas after putting them on my wish list, but unfortunately they are
> the old-fashioned white kind instead of what I'm looking for.
>
> Help and recommendations would be appreciated!
>
> H.B. Elkins
> 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD with 203K miles and still going
> strong!

If you want to be a Class A ******, just go and get yourself some blue
tint and paint it on your existing halogen bulbs. If you are still in the
stone age, you will have to paint your sealed beams.

For Class B ******s, it is possible to purchase blue tinted bulbs from
the rice boy shops. These give a blueish output which also reduce the
amount of photons returning to your eyes (i.e you see less than with
normal 'white' halogens).

For Class C ******s, you can buy cheap Chinese made HID lamps from Ebay
and retrofit them. These devices are not very good and they will
probably work worse than your existing lamps. The Chinese HIDs are
illegal in most jurisdictions and there is a good reason for this,
largely because they cause dangerous glare to oncoming drivers.

Your best option would be to purchase some E-Code halogens. The E-Codes
are a world apart from the US specification headlamps. You will need to
purchase new reflectors not just E-Code bulbs. Because your car is
Japanese, you could purchase second hand E-Code reflectors from any E-
Code right hand drive country.

Forget about the Chinese HIDs.

On Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:02:06 +0000, GortWeasel wrote:

>Because your car is
> Japanese, you could purchase second hand E-Code reflectors from any E-
> Code right hand drive country.

By right hand drive country, I mean countries where you drive on the
right hand side of the road, not the driving position within the car.

On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:40:43 -0500, Nate Nagel >
wrote:

>
>You're talking about HID's, but unless they were a factory option on
>your vehicle I couldn't recommend them. A lot of the "retrofit kits"
>are fairly crap, don't produce the correct beam pattern, etc...

Aren't they also illegal for on road use?

--
"I... Can't drive... FIFTY-FIVE!!"
--Sammy Hagar

necromancer - ECHM wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:40:43 -0500, Nate Nagel >
> wrote:
>
>> You're talking about HID's, but unless they were a factory option on
>> your vehicle I couldn't recommend them. A lot of the "retrofit kits"
>> are fairly crap, don't produce the correct beam pattern, etc...
>
> Aren't they also illegal for on road use?

Probably, but when it comes to lighting at least in the US "legal" and
"good" don't always go hand in hand. There's lots of crap lights coming
as factory equipment on new vehicles, while the excellent 7" round Cibie
E-code is still illegal.

nate


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replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
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H.B. Elkins wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm looking to replace the headlights on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD
> pickup with new lights. The only way I can describe what I'm looking for is that
> I want those lights that appear purple or blue when you meet a vehicle with a
> set of them in oncoming traffic. I don't know what specific models these have
> appeared on but I think they're common to high-end Japanese or German imports.
> I'm in hopes this description helps someone to assist with what I'm looking for
> since I don't know what to call them other than "purple" or "blue."
>
> Can someone tell me what this type of headlight is called, where I can buy them,
> and recommend a specific brand? I got a set of headlights for Christmas after
> putting them on my wish list, but unfortunately they are the old-fashioned white
> kind instead of what I'm looking for.

You'd be better off upgrading your vehicle's wiring harness. See
<http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html>. You can
find Daniel Stern's contact information on that website and he'll have a
much better idea as to which bulbs would work best for your vehicle.

I would suggest bulbs that have no color filter (since they decrease
light output) and ones that have the highest rated lumen output. Also,
if your headlamp lenses are clouded over, you'll need to replace them so
that they don't block so much light. Again, email Daniel for more
informed recommendations.

On Jan 31, 6:37*pm, H.B. Elkins >
wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm looking to replace the headlights on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD
> pickup with new lights. The only way I can describe what I'm looking for is that
> I want those lights that appear purple or blue when you meet a vehicle with a
> set of them in oncoming traffic. I don't know what specific models these have
> appeared on but I think they're common to high-end Japanese or German imports.
> I'm in hopes this description helps someone to assist with what I'm looking for
> since I don't know what to call them other than "purple" or "blue."
>
> Can someone tell me what this type of headlight is called, where I can buy them,
> and recommend a specific brand? I got a set of headlights for Christmas after
> putting them on my wish list, but unfortunately they are the old-fashioned white
> kind instead of what I'm looking for.
>
> Help and recommendations would be appreciated!
>
> H.B. Elkins
> 2000 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4WD with 203K miles and still going strong!
>
> --
> To reply by e-mail, remove the "restrictor plate"

Just avoid resorting to attaching blue/purple plastic sheeting with
duct tape. That would be automatic qualification for the Aunt Judy
Award (tm).