Reporting in from Japan

Non-Suzuki related topics. Anything can go here.
SamirD
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KuroNekko wrote:
SamirD wrote:I forgot ask, anything new in Japan? Have you found a nice set of LED headlights yet?
I'm now back in the US. Got back last night.

LED conversion kits for headlights are now more available in the JDM compared to my last visit 2 years ago. Big names like PIAA and Carmate are making them alongside niche brands like Bellof. However, I didn't see any for H7s.

I will create threads on various topics in due time. I visited a few automotive-related museums owned by Toyota in/near Nagoya and also a Kawasaki museum in my hometown of Kobe where Kawasaki originated.
When I visited a friend in Tokyo, he lived a few blocks from a Subaru corporate building with a showroom on the ground floor. I checked out the new Subaru Levorg up close.

I also got a bunch of LED bulbs for converting the interior to LED. I believe others have already done this with online products but I decided to go with packaged products sold in stores in Japan. I also got a shift knob and aftermarket horns. I will post on them shortly.

As one can expect, Japan is quite an exciting place for car enthusiasts.
:ugeek:
Very cool! I'm actually surprised you didn't find an H7 in LED, but there must be some technical challenges to overcome if the JDM market doesn't have it by now. :(

Can't wait to read about all your new goodies. Welcome back to the USA! 8-)
SamirD
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bootymac wrote:Ah the Toyota museum in Nagoya! The ladies working there are lovely. Some of the nicest people I met during my trip there. Uh...
Pics or it didn't happen. :mrgreen:
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Moto
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Welcome back
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KuroNekko
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OK, sorry for the delay on posting on these, but here they are.

These are the LEDs I got. The PIAA "Value Model" T10s are exactly the same as what I currently have as my position bulbs in my headlights. I put them in 2 years ago and they are still working reliably. I decided to buy more of these, but for use in the interior.
The IPF brand bulbs are for the visor lights. They were specifically designed for the visors and contain three emitters per bulb.
The PIAA bulbs with the black base are going to be my new position bulbs. They have a different reflector shape and I believe output more light so I will swap them in eventually when I get new high beam H7s.
I also got a PIAA Festoon bulb of the same series for the rear cabin light. The size is T10x31.
Lastly, the pair of the "Smartio" bulbs are for the rear license plate. They had one of these in a display case so I could test the color and light output. Interestingly, the package states on the backside that these bulbs are not to be used for license plates and only for interiors. However, these were the only T10x37 Festoon bulbs I found that were affordable so I got them regardless.
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Below is the shift knob and horn set I got. The shift knob is weighted at 240 grams and has a textured finish that mimics the look of carbon fiber, however is made of metal. It contains adapters for different thread sizes and is designed to sit low on the shifter stem. The package explicitly states it's compatible with Suzuki models.
The horn set was the cheapest one at the store. I was originally not going to buy a set due to suitcase weight concerns but snatched these when I found them 30% off. They are the cheapest and lightest of the Mitsuba product range. I had a chance to test them out in a display case in the store and they sound better than stock, I believe. Here is a sound clip of them found on the manufacturer's website.
http://www.mskw.co.jp/sound/proudhorn.wav
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Lastly, the assorted others. Most of these are actually from a 100 yen shop (Japanese dollar store). I got the foam-lined tape to silence vibrations I occasionally get with my moonroof's wind buffer. The yellow reflective stickers are for the insides of the doors for better safety when the doors are open at night.
Lastly, a black cat key cover and a keychain for personal mascots. :ugeek:
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2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Nice haul! How bright were the LEDs in person? Halogen W5W bulbs and 5W festoon bulbs are around 45-50 lumens but I see that those LEDs are only 20-30 lumens... And 15000K? Those would be purple, no?

Foam insulation tape can be found in dollar stores here too. No need to fly back to Japan if you run out ;)
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KuroNekko
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bootymac wrote:Nice haul! How bright were the LEDs in person? Halogen W5W bulbs and 5W festoon bulbs are around 45-50 lumens but I see that those LEDs are only 20-30 lumens... And 15000K? Those would be purple, no?

Foam insulation tape can be found in dollar stores here too. No need to fly back to Japan if you run out ;)
The Smartio bulbs aren't that bright and they sure weren't purple despite the 15000K rating. The color output was like a soft white with a tinge of blue, kind of like 7000K.
Despite the "15000K" labeling, the actual output was similar to the picture on the packaging. I was glad I got to test them out before I bought them.
I have not installed them yet so I'll see for certain once they are in.

I installed most of the interior LEDs and like the transformation to white LEDs. I must say those IPF triple-emitter vanity mirror LEDs are very bright and can light up the cabin by themselves.
The "Value Model" LEDs are rather soft so I only used them in the map lights. I ended up using the black-base T10s for the front center light and the trunk light as their outputs and light patterns were significantly better than the "Value Model" LEDs.
The rear cabin Festoon works nicely too.
When I have more time and when the weather is more dry, I will replace the door-mounted mud lights along with the horns and door reflectors.

I also attempted to replace my shift knob last night but saw that the Kizashi's stem was too short. I will need to get an extender due to the knob's low position design and the Kizashi's reverse collar. I recall seeing these extenders sold near the shift knobs so maybe I can get my family in Japan to pick one up for me if I can't find one online.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
SamirD
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Great haul of JDM goodness! I'd love to see pics of the interior lights brightness like in the vanity mirrors like you mentioned.

I need to remember to get Kizashi stuff on the next trip to India. I have to get my wife back on the road there. She was too scared to drive after driving here in the US. :(
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KuroNekko
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SamirD wrote:Great haul of JDM goodness! I'd love to see pics of the interior lights brightness like in the vanity mirrors like you mentioned.

I need to remember to get Kizashi stuff on the next trip to India. I have to get my wife back on the road there. She was too scared to drive after driving here in the US. :(
I'll upload photos shortly.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
SamirD
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KuroNekko wrote:
SamirD wrote:Great haul of JDM goodness! I'd love to see pics of the interior lights brightness like in the vanity mirrors like you mentioned.

I need to remember to get Kizashi stuff on the next trip to India. I have to get my wife back on the road there. She was too scared to drive after driving here in the US. :(
I'll upload photos shortly.
Cool. 8-) Can't wait to see the awesomeness. :D
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KuroNekko
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Here's the result of the LED conversion.

All cabin LEDs shown.
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The interior now has a white glow instead of the incandescent yellow.
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This is the light output of just the driverside vanity mirror bulb. It can light up the front cabin rather well all by itself.
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The rear license plate bulbs are bright but not too intense. They cast a decent flood of light on the road around the rear bumper. This is most likely because these bulbs were designed for cabin use so they spread their light wide and far compared to bulbs intended for license plate use only.
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2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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