[Doug G]

Now that my Giac'd and lowered '03 is running like a champ again thanks to cat replacement, new VCG, NGK plugs, A/C recharge, new rotors/pads all around, and replaced rear Koni yellows (under warranty) I wanted to give her a little facelift.

I was hoping to do a badge-less sport mesh grille kit (upper and lower) but I can't seem to find ANY mesh grilles (really?!) for b5.5s? Also looking for some new headlight housings since the originals are clouded and mostly held together with zip ties so looking for suggestions on decent quality aftermarket ones that don't bounce (which I hear some do) and have close to current Audi stock LED/running light look.

 

[zak99B5]

Depo are good (but not perfect) quality aftermarket headlights. I have a set on my B5 A4. They work and look fine, and for the price they are a great buy. Of course oem would be better quality, but they cost a lot more. I am very happy with them.

I have seen on fleabay sellers say Helix is Depo, but I am not sure. I have no experience with Helix, anyway.

Other off-brand headlights I would not consider.

 

[zak99B5]

And Kamei makes a mesh grille for the B5.5. But not a matching lower (though many places sell mesh you can cut to fit).

 

[SlikRik]

Picked up that mesh grille from gerwazy, and it will look a bunch better once I get my votex front on which has the mesh grille fittings.

I was thinking about fabricating a mesh grille a year or so ago, ECS had some length of mesh grille available just to cut and fit into whatever you're making.

 

[Doug G]

SlikRik - Awesome! Thanks for the pic!

I've decided to hold off on the grille for now and just do new headlights first. Mine are completely hazed and held together with office clips and zip-ties (not kidding, even the vertical adjustment on drivers side) so not worth restoring them. I was planning to pick up those same lights you have and had a few questions. Where do you get yours? I see several different version of those. I read some reporting the LEDs burned out rather quickly and frequently? Can the LEDs work as DRLs if I put my relay back in? (I pulled it but still have it.) I was thinking about doing a HID retrofit kit, are you running one or do you have halogens? Only thing to decide now is do I do the chrome like you have or go black for that "Audi R8" look (I'm reflex silver.) I'm leaning towards black for that meaner look but want to seem them on a silver B5.5 first...but now that I look more closely are yours the smoked version? Or are the lenses clear and just have black version? Sorry, hard to tell due to the lighting in the pic. Thanks!

 

[srdavis872]

Picked up that mesh grille from gerwazy, and it will look a bunch better once I get my votex front on which has the mesh grille fittings.

I was thinking about fabricating a mesh grille a year or so ago, ECS had some length of mesh grille available just to cut and fit into whatever you're making.

uke:

 

[pablitormDub]

Doug G, when you are ready & if still interested pm me, I have the same mesh grill from gerwazy, was on the car for 3 weeks, decided to go back to OEM, so it will be up for sale soon. Got it in June of this year at VAGfest. Will give you a great deal.

 

[SlikRik]

uke:

:middlefinger:

SlikRik - Awesome! Thanks for the pic!

I've decided to hold off on the grille for now and just do new headlights first. Mine are completely hazed and held together with office clips and zip-ties (not kidding, even the vertical adjustment on drivers side) so not worth restoring them. I was planning to pick up those same lights you have and had a few questions. Where do you get yours? I see several different version of those. I read some reporting the LEDs burned out rather quickly and frequently? Can the LEDs work as DRLs if I put my relay back in? (I pulled it but still have it.) I was thinking about doing a HID retrofit kit, are you running one or do you have halogens? Only thing to decide now is do I do the chrome like you have or go black for that "Audi R8" look (I'm reflex silver.) I'm leaning towards black for that meaner look but want to seem them on a silver B5.5 first...but now that I look more closely are yours the smoked version? Or are the lenses clear and just have black version? Sorry, hard to tell due to the lighting in the pic. Thanks!

I picked up those lights from ECS, they are the Audi R8 style headlights with black housing and clear lenses. When they were new they looked freakin great, but now the lenses have become a bit scratched, faded and worn. They also have the European headlight beam shape.

In terms of the lighting effects, when I first installed them, everything else was stock as well. When I turned on the car, the headlights were the DRLs, and if I switched the headlight knob on, then the LED's would come on. Didn't make much sense to me, so I pulled the DRL relay and installed a euroswitch, and the functionality improved greatly. Off, all lights were off, parking light switch would turn on the LEDs, and the headlight switch switched on the lights, as I wanted. The company that makes the lights is European as well (got an instruction paper with it written in German, real helpful) so it makes sense that there were "compatibility issues" with the North America switch and European lights.

I want to install some HID's so I can get a nice cool white color to match the LEDs, because right now I'm just using the stock bulb that came with it, which I'm pretty sure is just your typical yellowish headlight bulb.