When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I wanted to share a recent headlight project I did for a friend on his 2012 Panamera S (Non-PDLS). He wanted better headlights and left the details up to me, here is what I whipped up.
In terms of styling, for me less is more: clean>busy, subtle>flashy, function>form.
The 970 HID headlights are pretty basic in their layout, on the non PDLS headlights there is just a bi-xenon (low + high) projector and a "high beam assist" halogen reflector. PDLS headlights offer a static cornering light and a more elaborate HID projector which will swivel right and left with steering inputs.
The headlights found on the GTS/Turbo feature a black bezel but the projector shroud is left chrome and IMO it sticks out like a sore thumb so I completed the black-out look by painting the shroud, the chrome "high beam assist" bowl was left chrome as to not kill function although to be quite honest it's output wouldn't be missed with the performance of the high beam on the Morimoto D2S projector.
The projector was hand sanded and received a custom "J" -step shield design, the original shield had a very tall step which limited a some light output, the shape of the J is also very pleasant to look at, function + form! The "demon eye" is when the front portion of the projector shield is painted, the end result is when viewing the projector at certain angles, the projector lens will appear that color. In this case with it being painted black, the projector lens is less noticeable and blends in with the black bezel paint. Conversely if the projector was given a white demon eye it the projector lens would look white at some angles and the contrast would make the projector lens really "pop."
The oem HID projector is made by Hella and is commonly referred to as the "e55" projector as it was originally fitted to the W211 Mercedes E55 AMG, the same projector is found on some other European vehicles. It is a "good" projector but there is much that can be improved.
The oem projector's strengths include a good "hot-spot" (on center intensity for distance) and relatively smooth light output. The D2S 4.0 has a larger hot spot, better width, more even light distribution, a sharper and flatter cutoff, and an incredible high beam. The oem ballast has the control module integrated into the ballast so replacing it wasn't an option which is fine as it performs really well! New D2S 5,500k bulbs rounded out the upgraded components.
I ran out of daylight so there is only 1 mediocre photo with the headlights installed on the car, the media representative at Boden Autohaus will take some photos in the near future.
Enough talking here are the pics,
Evan
The Panamera in question, it was at Boden for Vorsteiner wheels, suspension work, and painted calipers.
Hey guys, really sorry for the delay, I just now got a notification for the replies. Moving forward I will be more attentive to the thread in case the notifications don't come through.
Originally Posted by Dream
Evan, that looks great!
How to open the len, any tip and trick?
Thank you!
Thank you, please see my last response below regarding the lens question...
Originally Posted by XLR82XS
Did you "frost" the LED acrylic pieces or source them? Lights look good!
There is no way to acquire OEM Panamera Turbo/GTS style shrouds for a reasonable amount of money so I utilized aftermarket shrouds from the retrofit source. These particular shrouds are the Switchback LED model but the LEDs were removed due to reliability issues. The shroud in original form is clear acrylic and to achieve the frosted looks I used hand sanding and finished with some frosting spray paint to offer a uniform look.
Originally Posted by benblack
Looks killer
Thank you
Originally Posted by amgpan
Looks brilliant. What do you charge for such a service?
Here is the breakdown on this particular build. The architecture of the Panamera headlight (along with most Porsche headlights) is pretty basic so there are not an endless amount of options for upgrades; there are only certain projectors which are a suitable upgrade over the oem Porsche (Hella) unit and some options are further limited if the car is equipped with PDLS. Some of the items like aftermarket shrouds, the shield modification, and "demon eye" could be omitted and there are some other options that could further be upgraded. For example a Morimoto HID bulb was used in this build but that could be swapped for a Osram or Philips variant.
wow !! that's amazing retrofit.. any DIY to open the headlights ? and seal them back ??
Thank you, it was a fun project.
I did not create a DIY for these headlights. I would categorize them as "challenging" relative to other headlights. I have worked on many headlights and the main hurdle with the 970s lights are initially getting them pried apart without damaging the lens or housing. The factory (Hella) permaseal is strong but not impossible like on some of the BMW headlights but it is tricky due to the relatively thin and flimsy housing plastic, it can be gouged, punctured, and broken easily. This is compounded by the large lip which goes around the perimeter of the lens, it is a great leverage point when trying to pry the lens from the housing but the lip is very fragile and damaging it, even in the slightest, means an eyesore which is easily visible.
The alternative is to rather barbarically force a screwdriver into the housing channel, around the lens, and separate the lens form the housing from the underside of the sealing channel (make sense?) but since the housing is so flimsy this makes for quite a dance. $400 labor for opening these is actually quite a deal considering the amount of work but moreso the likelihood of damaging the headlight and needing to acquire a replacement.
Once opened clearing the channel also takes a bit of patience, skill, and elbow grease. The story continues with the risks of damaging the flimsy housing while clearing the permaseal. Just as separating the lens, when clearing the channels the headlight is warmed in an oven (225F @10mins) to soften the permaseal but this also soften the housing. Once the channel is cleared resealing is easy, I use high quality oem grade butyl.
i meant is retrofit into the new model (facelift Panamera) .. but , only take the projector with DRL .. not the whole headlamps
Ok, so you are asking if this upgraded projector can be retrofitted to the 2013+ Panamera which from the factory has HID headlights but with the LED shroud?
If so, yes that should be possible, I think the headlight internals projector, ballast, etc. are the same between the pre and post facelifted cars assuming they both have the adaptive/corner light.
EDIT: I just saw the photo, that is a LED headlight and swapping components between HID and LED headlights might be possible but it would be A LOT of work, time, money, labor, etc. A very custom job.
Ok, so you are asking if this upgraded projector can be retrofitted to the 2013+ Panamera which from the factory has HID headlights but with the LED shroud?
If so, yes that should be possible, I think the headlight internals projector, ballast, etc. are the same between the pre and post facelifted cars assuming they both have the adaptive/corner light.
EDIT: I just saw the photo, that is a LED headlight and swapping components between HID and LED headlights might be possible but it would be A LOT of work, time, money, labor, etc. A very custom job.
Evan
Yes, i meant is swapping into new LED headlights... do u know where to buy the parts ?
Yes, i meant is swapping into new LED headlights... do u know where to buy the parts ?
Thanks
If you are looking for HID performance it would be much easier just to swap the headlights from LED to HID and then retrofit the HID headlights with better components. I know you said you did not want to do this but the way you are describing it of retrofitting HID components into the LED headlamps will be extremely challenging.
For parts The Retrofit Source is the go-to for aftermarket HID components. I don't think I can link the website so just google the name.
The new LED lamps have complex modules and it may be hard to get the HID components to operate properly, there will also likely be many errors which will arise due to the monitoring CANBUS system (I assume Porsche implements this). Lastly, it will be challenging to mount, properly aim, and make the headlight look clean and OEM with in terms of fitment.
Lots of challenges but if you want to tackle such a retrofit more power to you.
12-16-2016, 11:22 AM
