I saw this on instructables:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Head-Light...ector-Mod-V1.2/

and thought it was a great cheap idea, and then I saw g247's plog and found that he used something similar (i think)

would it be possible to do this but get it as bright as the 400w LL Bulb?

Hi,

The guy in the link used a normal halogen headlight (needs no ballast), which is very different to the HID Xenon headlight i used.
I wouldn't recommend to use halogen lights. too dimm, too hot.

ok, thanks!

Hi!

3 yrs ago I did successfully mould a EMP 30 (Epson) with a 55W H7 Halogen (with xenonbright/white light) 12v autolamp.
I still use it as an xtra TV.
The build in fan has no problem with the heat.
I do recomend anyone who wants to do a cheap moulding to go this way.

Look at teh attached picture.
Not as original light-but not bad.

Attached pic? Perhaps you forgot to add it?

Anyway, commercial projectors are a different matter. They use small LCDs and close lamp-collimator distances to make the most from available light. Making a DIY with a 55W halogen light would not be recommended. (Cool retrofit, though.)

As another aside, the "true white" or "HID appearance" automotive lamps are a personal pet peeve of mine. These use a halogen element which actually doesn't have a very good colour, and they filter out the red-green part of the spectrum to make it appear that they are higher colour temp. This results in a distinct and measurable drop in the light output of the lamp. Plus, the blue light causes more glare to the eyes of oncoming drivers, and also scatters much more easily, making it a far less effective light to drive behind. If you want to do the HID look for your headlights, do it RIGHT and get real HID lamps, or don't bother. I've got little patience for poseurs. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

At least the H7 lamps are reasonably cheap, as opposed to the factory lamps, though they do have short lifespans.

Same fellow has since done it with a halogen work light.
Halogen Upgrade