Looking to spend some money

That seems so complicated for me! Maybe i could do the BHLM but im not too sure about retrofits

 

Been researchin...i think i want black headlights with halos and eye lids. Thoughts on how it will look/ price?

 

Dang those are sweet....just way too much

 

Be careful if you buy those cheap projector headlights, as far as I have seen, output from the 05-11 aftermarket spyder/eBay/anzo projectors is a waste. Like scottalot said, you get what you pay for. People also have issues with the fancy eBay projectors leaking or having excess moisture buildup from crappy sealant, so if you do go that route, might be wise to reseal the headlights, which in my opinion if you go through that much trouble, mineswell just do the BHLM or buy some new headlights with black trim already done as suggested before.

Ironically enough I have been eyeballing the 2012-14 Anzo u-bar headlights...I saw some output pictures on the raptor and ram versions and they look pretty good. I just get worried that performance will be less than OEM, and for the price, why take a dump on your light output quality?

 

Okay yeah i understand. Could you suggest a fixture that would suit my needs?

 

Interesting. So how do i know it the lights give out enough light? I always see people saying they "added this LED and that" and it just doesnt make sense to me haha. I figure this mod is too much for me at the moment, i see no simple way of doing it unless i took it to a shop and asked

 

I'm sure there are some people who have posted light output pictures on here. Off the top of my head user RearViewMirror posted some pictures of his projector headlight output a while back from his previous 05-11 model tacoma. Output isn't completely bad, just depends on headlights. I'd reference pictures before making a decision.

And just be aware, a good cutoff (which these types of headlight manufacturers like to tout on) does not equate to great output.

I'll see if I can find you some pictures.

For the most part I'd just stick with buying what you want and not modifying it. People like to drop HID's in non HID housings (and likewise for LEDs and crap) and there are a ton of discussions on it, but biggest consensus is that in most cases, good light is going to come from a bulb matched to the proper lens/reflector, otherwise you can get glare which is shit for oncoming drivers.

LifetimeLEDs makes a LED bulb specified for our headlights which gets good reviews, though I think they have had some hiccups, but then that would require you to deal with your current poo lenses on top of buying those new ~$150 bulbs.

 

What do you guys think about these?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/370649261142?nav=SEARCH

http://m.ebay.com/itm/05-14-TOYOTA-...ECUT-TINT-COVER-SMOKED-OVERLAYS-/370649261131

 

Pretty cheap, not much to lose. I would first check to see if they are 100% reversible. Unless someone else chimes in, I think you should search "overlay" and other related words using the search function up top. If you don't see any red flags, sure, try it out. But first I would look up the cost of BHLM, you may just end up doing that

 

I think i'll do these for the tail lights and do the BHLM too!

 

Well wait, if you're gonna do the BHLM, shouldn't there be a way to smoke your tail lights?

 

Hookers & Blow

 

how could we forget the hookers and blow mod?

 

I'm not sure, i just figure these wraps are easier for tail lights?

I have money set aside for these essentials dont worry

 

No clue, I would do a search... surely someone has done their tail lights?

 

There is a writeup in here somewhere of a black tail light mod. A bit more involved than the headlights

Here:http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/184845-true-black-tail-light-mod.html

Another writeup somewhere on using VHT nightshade to tint tails.

Personally tinting tails just slightly is fine to me, but I wouldn't tint my headlights...besides the legality of it, you'd probably be cutting down your light output/effectiveness. Not sure if that's the case but I wouldn't do it for safety reasons god forbid someone wreck into you or vice versa.

You could always buy those already blacked tail lights from Amazon or whatever and sell your stock ones to recoup costs...those look better to me than tinting.

 

Yes, tinting would most likely reduce light output but what about just painting the shroud (I think that's what it is called, maybe housing) black? That reduces reflectiveness which I suppose reduces light output? But it seems that it wouldn't be as much as an actual film.

 

From experience, lifting and bigger tires hurt your fuel mileage drastically. To the point that I would rather borrow someone else's car for road trips. If I could do it again, and what I will suggest to you, is spend your $700 on some nice black offset rims to put your stock tires on. It will give a nice new look to your ride.

 

Black head light mod is cheap, I would recommend that, it helps the look of your truck a lot.

 

You are correct, but I must chime in... (I am currently doing a MPG test that spans over a long time, here are some findings)

AVG MPG with 3" lowering kit and 265/50R20: 24 MPG
AVG MPG with 3" lift (total of 6" over previous) and 265/50R20: 23 MPG

Lifting 6" (Just 3" over stock) decreased my MPG by 1 MPG. Loss is more noticeable on highway driving due to aerodynamics. City driving depends more on weight.

AVG MPG with 3" lift kit and 265/75R16: 24.4 and counting (Constantly increasing, tank is halfway over)

My bigger tires increased my distance calibration in the UltraGauge and since they are ECO-Tires, they increased my MPG by 1.5-2. I did that because I am never off road. Now if you get mud tires... Yes it will drop a good bit. One must also know I drive as efficiently as I know how to so my results may be different.

Just my input. For nearly anybody elses case (32" eco tires and a lift is pretty much one-of-a-kind) yes, the MPG will drop.