Color/Washer/Cutoff Modding - Custom Lightz

[-Bionic-]

I see people inquiring about cutoff mods on this site every so often, and I am frequently asked to define it, so I figuered I would take the time out to define the terms "Color/Washer/Cutoff Modding" once and for all.

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Color modding, when done correctly does not effect the foreground, width, nor distance. Once again, it's not a trade off of lightoutput versus color. However, if over done, or poorly done it will limit the sharpness of the cutoff and may also reduce lightoutput i.e. tsx, and width i.e s2000.

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Do you remember refraction in highschool physics? Or what about a prism?
Bending light causes certain colors to become visible to the naked eye, and this is the basics of color modding. In addition, you can also bend light via focal points i.e lens spacers and thickness and shape of the lens; convex.

Common ways to angle the incomming light is by bending the cutoff shield, or spacing/or angle the cutoff shield using washers, or shift the focal point with spacers and lenses.

A good example is the FX35 projectors, and TSX projectors.

Here's the former;
OEM FX35
http://www.customlightz.com/gallery/oem_fx35.wmv

Modded FX35
http://www.customlightz.com/gallery/fx35_tsxlens.wmv

This mod was due to a shift in focal points.




When it comes to TSX projectors; the best method is the use of washers.

Don't have any pictures of a stock TSX proejctor, but imagine a straightline without any color. To demonstrate my point I will use Tim's setup.

For the first two pictures, the projector is about 1-2 car lentghts away from the wall.



For the next two pictures, the projector is about 3+ car lentghts away from the wall.




Please note that though the "rainbow" aka colors found in a prism or rainbow [red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet], which sits right above the cutoff is diminished/weakened and almost covered up by the blue colors at longer distances. This is very apparent if you compare the first with the last picture, where we are comparing the colors projected from about 1-2 car lenths vs. 3-4, and at 5-6 car lenths there won't be any traces of rainbow.

Now, the color modding for the tsx could be done differently, and if you only wanted rainbow, or only blue, purple or even light green it can be done.

Here's an example of a strong rainbow.



Here's an example of a strong and only blue cutoff


So, if you like the rainbow effect, you have two choices; TSX and FX35 projectors, which is great, since these are one of the best projectors out there both brightness and width wise, and they are also affordable.

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Here's another example of a lens swap, and this time it's on the E46 bixenon projectors.




And here's a link to a video: http://www.customlightz.com/gallery/e46_clear.avi [dvix codec needed]


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I can continue to give examples i.e valeo, TL, E55, S2000, M35, etc, but hopefully you understand the principle behind it.



Bjorn

[Izzy]

That cutoff looks familiar....

[-Bionic-]

Yup should be. Those projectors of yours are worth their weight in gold.

[ethlar]

I have some un modded TSX projector pics, 81522+ bulbs

up close


~20ft i think

[asndragonboii]

Wow... i didnt know that there was literally a rainbow when people said their projectors had rainbows. I thought it was slang for a blue cut-off line

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by asndragonboii

Wow... i didnt know that there was literally a rainbow when people said their projectors had rainbows. I thought it was slang for a blue cut-off line

Nope, when I saw a friend driving mine (I was test driving another friend's Prelude ) my flickering went from reddish (!?!?!) to green to purple. It really went the whole gamut when the friend hit this small raised section of pavement allowing the flicker to really come into effect...

[CivicBeater]

Originally Posted by Izzy

Nope, when I saw a friend driving mine (I was test driving another friend's Prelude ) my flickering went from reddish (!?!?!) to green to purple. It really went the whole gamut when the friend hit this small raised section of pavement allowing the flicker to really come into effect...

that sounds bad-ass... I'll see if bjorn can't do something with a rainbow cut-off for me...Either way those pics with just the sharp blue cut-off looks very nice as well.

[Izzy]

Hehehe. The hard part is that no projectors are made equal. I guess I was just lucky that it kept a very nice cut-off line while making a rainbow. I saw someone's VW golf that's been color-modded too much that it started bending down at the sides due to too many spacers/washers and the glass (as opposed to our plastic) lenses bending the light. Sickyute's FG2 had AP1 projectors that did the same, as they were color-modded. Personally, if you get S2k, get it for the ultra-wide beam, not the color-modding. IMHO, colormodding S2k defeates the wider beam, so you just wasted money. But, that's IMHO. A bad-ass flicker would be the Evo projectors though, but not a lot of people like the cut-off for some reason...

...I would have opted for them myself, but I had purchased the TSX projectors already before I knew about them. Ah well, 20/20 hindsight and all...I also equally want the S2k projectors since they're so wide....

[striker_1818]

ask fg2 for a pic of his cutoff...
i sold him some projectors where the rainbow is really noticable

[rcrx]

I like my TSX projectors

[CivicBeater]

Originally Posted by Izzy

Hehehe. The hard part is that no projectors are made equal. I guess I was just lucky that it kept a very nice cut-off line while making a rainbow. I saw someone's VW golf that's been color-modded too much that it started bending down at the sides due to too many spacers/washers and the glass (as opposed to our plastic) lenses bending the light. Sickyute's FG2 had AP1 projectors that did the same, as they were color-modded. Personally, if you get S2k, get it for the ultra-wide beam, not the color-modding. IMHO, colormodding S2k defeates the wider beam, so you just wasted money. But, that's IMHO. A bad-ass flicker would be the Evo projectors though, but not a lot of people like the cut-off for some reason...

...I would have opted for them myself, but I had purchased the TSX projectors already before I knew about them. Ah well, 20/20 hindsight and all...I also equally want the S2k projectors since they're so wide....

Well i'm purchasing TSX projectors from bjorn.. So we'll see if he knows of any that have some rainbow effect on top of blue.

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by CivicBeater

Well i'm purchasing TSX projectors from bjorn.. So we'll see if he knows of any that have some rainbow effect on top of blue.

Good luck man. I know you'll love them, as I love mine.

Good choice on TSX. They should be able to easily do the rainbow flicker, though how noticeable it would be different from set to set.

[CivicBeater]

Originally Posted by Izzy

Good luck man. I know you'll love them, as I love mine.

Good choice on TSX. They should be able to easily do the rainbow flicker, though how noticeable it would be different from set to set.

Cool deal man.. I'm driving up this friday to meet bjorn to "get er dun" so I'm excited. I like the idea of flickering those different colors as you posted. You just don't get that in most of the OEM setups. :) +1 rep just b/c I like you. hehehe

Side Note= A guy called me today about wanting a job and he goes by Izzy. Kinda funny.

[-Bionic-]

What's up bro. Still on for Friday? Call me.

Bjorn

[CivicBeater]

Originally Posted by -Bionic-

What's up bro. Still on for Friday? Call me.

Bjorn

yeah we're down still....I'll give you a buzz tommorow. Evenings better for you?

[-Bionic-]

That's cool.


Bjorn

[06CivicSi06]

excellent write-up

[-Bionic-]

^^^

Well thank you. It was meant for you guys to clarify a few things regarding HID retrofitting.

[SIchodelic]

I bought some retros from customlightz and opted for the blue + rainbow cutoff...After having it for a few months and seeing how vibrant that blue is in those pics...I wish I went all out blue

Best money I've spent on my car yet. Thanks Bjorn

[-Bionic-]

Originally Posted by SIchodelic

I bought some retros from customlightz and opted for the blue + rainbow cutoff...After having it for a few months and seeing how vibrant that blue is in those pics...I wish I went all out blue

Best money I've spent on my car yet. Thanks Bjorn

Hey cool.