Fog lights to driving lights?

[g300d]

X5SND, yup, looking to do something along those lines. I'd love to do a headlight reflector upgrade like you did but I'm not ready to devote that much time and effort yet. Awesome work btw!

The ellipsoid fogs may give a bit more light than facelift fogs, but they still give a foglight beam that's wide but short.

Basically a conversion involves gutting the factory fogs, keeping the body, and installing the upgraded main beam projectors inside. I assume the fogs will be easier to take apart than the headlights!

I'd love to do a mini bi-xenon but with all the doodads our lights have, I am afraid of screwing up something!

The older pre facelift might be a better base since the lens of the face lift fogs might diffuse the beam of the retrofit projectors?

[X5SND]

A "traditional" retrofit of a projector into the factory fog light housings (facelift or non does not make a difference in this case) will not work simply because projectors simply don't come small enough. To achieve what you're after you would have to make a completely custom housing (that retains the factory mounting points) for the new projector, then bolt that back up in place.

As far as the hesitation for going bi-xenon, the whole process is really no different than those who have converted their fogs to HID's. The only exception is that you will also need to piggyback the high beam solenoid wire from your headlamp housing down to the fogs.

Personally I'd start with a set of Osram SVS or CBI bulbs before venturing to any retro on the fogs. If your lights are still operating with the original bulbs you'll notice a substantial increase in light output from your factory projectors.

Lastly, the morimoto mini (d2s or h1) projector with its 2 1/2" lens is about the smallest projector that you could consider as a functional low beam. I doubt something like the matchbox or blazer will be able to output enough light over a large enough area to be worth installing.

my $0.02

[g300d]

Here is a conversion done on E60 fog light housings (albeit installed on an Infinity Q45).

Interestingly, the E60 also came with either projector or freeform reflector foglights depending on year model.

This guy used projector fogs as the basis of his conversion.

http://http://www.hidplanet.com/foru...Fog-Projectors

[g300d]

Appreciate the additional input X5SND!

Yes, I am really researching this still, I dont want to spend on something that wont really help anything.

The fogs do give off good light even on stock halogens, it's just I want them out further, having the fogs on with lows gives me good light but too close in. Great for city and low speed driving, sucks out on the freeway at speed.

I was thinking the same with housings, but coming across a matchbox retrofit on a BMW E60 housing gives me hope. If they do fit the E53, will still have to do research on whether the output is worthwhile for the trouble.

I'd love to upgrade the headlights themselves like you did but definitely not at my current experience level LOL!

[g300d]

Originally Posted by X5SND

Personally I'd start with a set of Osram SVS or CBI bulbs before venturing to any retro on the fogs. If your lights are still operating with the original bulbs you'll notice a substantial increase in light output from your factory projectors.

I might have understood you wrong, you mean try these in the headlight low beams before trying the foglight retrofit?