Hey all, I don't think I've ever posted a mod...let alone even done one, so here's my first attempt.
I had a Mustang a few years back and got a full HID kit for it, then sold the Mustang but couldn't sell the HID kit, so it's sat in my back room all this time. (03 GT convertible 5spd if you're interested - yes it was awesome, yes it drank gas like an elephant)
I decided to try and sell the kit again, but after looking at it realized that the connectors were pooched, and I just couldn't let them go for next to nothing (cost me $700 or so originally). My computer happened to be open for its first dusting in a while....and suddenly...click!
I took an old Sparkle PSU I had lying around and rigged up the first ballast to it, just to see if the PSU could take it. SPARKS!!!! I nearly fried the boys with 25kv sparks, luckily my hand was next to the off switch, so I'm ok. Fried that ballast I'm pretty sure. Hooked up the second one, and this time hooked up a light to it - it worked!! Draw of 120W on warm up, then a constant draw of 62W, or at least that's what my Kill-a-watt says.
Wasn't quite sure where to place it, but it looked really cool reflecting off the Copper Ninja I have, and through the fan grille at the back, and fan blades.
As you can see here, I am using the Corsair PSU that powers the rest of the system to power the HID kit (yay modular cables), but I chickened out and ended up plopping that Sparkle PSU I mentioned right under my video card, where the ballast is sitting right now. The wiring inside at the moment is gross, so I'll leave that for another day. The ballast lives where the floppy bay is, perfect fit! The cabling isn't soldered (I don't have a half-decent soldering iron), but it's done with bullet connectors that are properly crimped and taped. I'll solder and heat shrink the final version.
After a bit of work destroying the other projector housing to get the mounting bracket out, then bashing it into the right shape, I got it mounted. It fits just behind the 5.25" blank panels. Right now it's just zip tied down, but it was 2am and my landlord upstairs has twin babies...I'm sure the hammering on the concrete wasn't appreciated at 1am. (I'm moving into our first house in a month...and I'll have a garage! Oh...how I can't wait....)
Put a switch from my spare parts pile into the spot where the P182's fan controllers used to go, fit almost perfectly!! The tension on the cabling I introduced holds it snug. Unfortunately I had to clip the black and green wires on the PSU and route them into the switch...shame.
I must say...the pattern of the twin fan blades and fan grille is mesmerizing. The ballast noise goes away after 10-15 seconds as well, and heck, it just looks cool! Thankfully HID is cool as far as light output/heat ratios are concerned, so the CPU actually doesn't heat up that much. I am curious as to how long the bearings in the 120mm fan right in front of it will last though.
Well, thanks for reading! I enjoyed this mod immensely, I hope you do, too!
I still have the HID fog light kit to do something with.......dot dot dot.
edit - oh right, finished pic: