Looking for info on 97-00 Spyder headlights

Hey everyone

I want to give the front end of my 98 some love. Does anyone have any feedback on the Spyder Auto projector headlights (5011947 on Toytec)? This seems to be the only ones that are available for my truck. I am not sold on the look of them quite yet, but I'm going to put a mesh grille on my truck so that may help. If someone has other recommendations for headlights that aren't projector please let me know.

Thanks

 

I am on my second set, and I have a GrillCraft mesh grill. Can't do pictures right now, but I like them. Just be careful with the bulb in/out. Very cheaply made thing that holds the bulb. Breaks easy then your done. Those lights hold up well in the sun. My Florida truck lives outside, and no cloudy plastic.

 

There are plenty of headlights available for our trucks from Amazon and Rock Auto... are you specifically looking for retrofit style?

 

I wouldn't recommend getting the Spyder projectors or any plug and play projector housing for that matter. They're notoriously poor quality. If you want projector headlights you'll have to open the housings and install them yourself. Here's a walkthrough:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-retrofit-walkthrough-morimoto-mini-h1.213080/

If you just need replacement housings I'd go with Anzo, they're pretty reputable.

 

Thats the brand I have Anzo..Second set. They are good

 

Agree with @Mr. Biscuits here.

Spyders and just about anything else you can buy off Amazon are very likely to be crap. Spyder especially doesn't exactly have a great reputation for fit and finish, or quality. They look cool though.

There's a user here by the name of @crashnburn80 that's pretty much the light guru. He'll more than likely tell you to go with the Hella E-codes for your year. Do a search for lights and you'll more than likely find a bunch of his posts.

 

The E-Codes are for 95-96 5-lug and 95-97 6-lug Tacomas. They won't work on the OP's '98.

Some clarification on the "97-00" mention in the title... '97 was a transition year, with '97 5-lug trucks having a refreshed front clip (usually referred to as the 98-00 design) while the 6-lug trucks still had the original clip (usually referred to as 95-97).

@Pat12two5 are you trying to improve light output or just make your truck look cool?

If light output is the main concern, start with trying to restore your existing lights--either polish them yourself or find a headlight restoration business to do it for you. The Toyota lights are the best options in terms of light quality. Most aftermarket lights (especially the cool-looking ones) aren't engineered to OEM standards, and the lenses and reflectors are of lower quality.

If you need to replace the lights, Toyota OE parts are the best choice but spendy. CAPA-certified aftermarket are the next best thing. @jbrandt is right that most Amazon lights aren't to be trusted, but there are a few CAPA-certified lights up there that should be the same as the CAPA-certified lights you'd get anywhere else.

The Anzo lights are not CAPA certified. They get mixed reviews--plenty of people are very happy with them, but others say they're low quality and have inconsistent light output. I haven't used them, so I can't say any more than that. I wish they got more consistently positive reviews, as I think they look great.

 

I figured it was something like that. I usually don't bother to memorize which lights go with which years. All I know is what fits my 2004, lol.

I would avoid the restoration kits. They are honestly just snake oil, IMO. Here's a pic of my light output after 2 rounds of "restoration". The lights LOOKED like new, but still performed like crap. (notice how my gutters are illuminated)

vs. new CAPA lights where you can't even see the sign on the door:

As you say, if you're going for better light output, CAPA is the way to go. If you just care about looks, get whatever you think looks cool, but don't expect the light to be good.

 

First I want to say sorry for not responding for a few days. I did not get the notifications. I did already do the headlight restoration and I honestly feel like it made enough of a difference to justify $10 at the parts store. I would love better light output for night driving in northern MI, but I really want something that looks good too.