Looking for a headlight thatll give the truck a new look and get rid of the chrome!

Hey all! I wanna start doing some cosmetic stuff to my ride. One of the first things I want to do is get rid of all the chrome. I bought a trd "TOYOTA" grille off Amazon from Cali Raised. From there I'm going to colour match the grille surround to pyrite mica. The emblems will be plasti dipped and the rear bumper bed lined.

So! All that being said we get to the headlights. This is the problem. I'm looking for something bright, black, legal, and something thatll give the truck a modern look. I have an idea from what I'll hear..

Why not the black headlight mod? That's nice and all but still stock. Yes you can get brighter bulbs and what not but if I can steer away from it, neat. If not. I'll have to do some deeper considering.

Why not retrofit? Well, it's pretty sweet and would love to do it. But theres the legality. I'm sure a lot of guys get away with it but I just dont want to be hassled by some cop trying to meet his quote. The roads I drive, theres a lot of cops sitting in the ditches at night so you never know who you'll go flying by. That and does anyone know a good supplier in Alberta? Gotta recommendation for a grand all done at the end of the day. Seemed a bit steep. I'm sure a few friends and a couple of beers with few choice words we could get it done ourselves. Does anyone know If the retrofit source ships up here? Or knows a good supplier in canada so I can skip out on some duties fees?

The last and probably most frowned upon are these bad boys https://www.carid.com/2013-toyota-t...-drl-bar-projector-headlights-1889279107.html I know the output is like a bic lighter in a snow storm but they look damn cool.

So I guess the question is. Does anyone have a Canadian recommendation for a headlight that looks good, is black, and available in southern alberta? I know it's a bit of a big ask, but I thought I'd see what's out there. Thanks in advance for all the recommendations folks!

 

Do the retrofits at whatever cost. They are fantastic. Or, do @crashnburn80 s headlight mod. Id also recommend some good sae fogs like the diode dynamics ss3s. That combo alone would be tits

 

This triple combo simply does not exist for 2nd Gen, there are no exceptions. No off the shelf aftermarket housing is bright especially those that look different than stock, they all are significant down grades. And among the worst is Spyder (the brand you linked) not only are they not bright at all and a significant downgrade from stock, they are known to leak and have lens clouding from UV breakdown. Probably one of the most complained about brands for low quality and poor performance. But people like the look.

You can get smoked OEM chrome TRD assemblies that are darker than stock, but they still have the stock appearance. That or doing the BHLM (and risk leaks) are the best bets for 2nd Gen headlights if you want to remain legal and with good output. Both do not degrade performance unlike aftermarket housings.

Otherwise you have custom retrofits, which are also not legal, but if done well and in an area that doesn't have inspections should avoid any legal trouble. Many retrofits are poor quality, to do it right you'd want to use OEM grade D2S components such as Lexus RX350 projectors and avoid aftermarket china products like H1 based retros as no credible lighting manufacture makes H1 (halogen based) HIDs.

To take performance to the next level, or see the smoked chrome light comparison, check out the 2nd Gen headlight thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

If you don't care about performance, output, build quality or longevity, and instead favor cosmetics the Spyder units you link would work fine. But headlights are a critical safety item and that decision would be unwise if you drive when it is dark.

The SS3s mentioned above are outstanding fogs and the best on the market, though they shouldn't be used to replace headlight performance. You can see all the fogs compared here, with the Diode Dynamics SS3s linked at the top. (Highly recommended)
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

 

Hmm. Well after some more consideration and thinking about price and all that. I came across these.

$152 DNA Motoring HL-OH-TT12-BK-AM Black Housing Amber Corner Headlights Replacement Compatible with 12-15 Tacoma

https://www.amazon.ca/DNA-Motoring-...032&sprefix=tacoma+headlig&sr=8-12&th=1&psc=1

Thoughts? Also thanks for all the advice crash! Much appreciated!

 

EDIT: I just checked, the link is to headlights that look identical to mine but are a different brand. I have Spyder or whatever brand, this link is for AKKON brand... so I can't comment on this brands quality.

Personal preference because I have them on my Tacoma, but I like these better:

$250 AKKON - For 12-15 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pickup Truck Black Bazel Dual Led DRL Projector Headlight Lamps

https://www.amazon.com/444-TT12-LBDRL-VAR-Negro-black-Housing/dp/B0791TTLF2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2RCCUTMGT0QZR&dchild=1&keywords=spyder+headlights+toyota+tacoma&qid=1595522932&sprefix=spyder+headlights%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-5

I've been running them for about 3 years now with zero issues.

 

I’ve been thinking about getting these but haven’t seen any trucks with them on.

https://www.protuninglab.com/2lhp-t...PwOGJxC7WCsrb-6ftgf65z1eOmavsBEMaAhxuEALw_wcB

 

I have the DNA Motoring lights on my truck, was a little apprehensive of them due to the price but for $120 I figured it was worth a shot. Fitment wasn't perfect, but my truck has been hit on the front so it may be due to that. The light is sliiiightly more scattered than the OEM housing (looks like little shadows in the beam output), but is unnoticeable unless you're 5 feet from a wall. They look like a factory BHLM, but have the clear reflectors which I like more than the amber. Have had them on for 3 months, no leaks or issues yet.

 

Again, personal preference but I think the lines of these headlights fit better with front fascia of the 2nd gen. I think the other similar ones that have the white lines wrap around the outside of the headlight look better on 3rd gens. Our front fascia's are more boxy than the 3rd gen so the lines (to me) flow better. I know a lot of people on here run the other ones and they look good so no hate on them but here's a pic for reference of the ones I have:

 

Nice looking lights gkomo! Glad to hear about the quality. Are they running h1s or h4s? Mind posting some night shots? Curious to see how bright they are and to see the cutoff.

And if those dont work out I might just go for the bhlm.

 

Ya i'll try to get a night shot tonight for you.