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After putting up with driving at night with dim head lights, I decided that I couldn't take it anymore. Something had to give. So I turned to the interweb and found three solutions: i) Change the bulbs to aftermarket ones which are brighter but have a shorter lifespan (RM120) ii) Replace the halogen bulbs with HID ones which are waaay brighter (RM160) iii) Retrofit projectors into the headlamps (RM480) Now, the first option is the cheapest but for a wee bit more, I can get a HID kit which is brighter than the any of the aftermarket halogen bulbs. But there is a problem. HID kits which are fitted into normal headlamps are glaring to oncoming traffic and it is a known fact that the local enforcement (JPJ) are on the lookout for this type of modification as it is illegal. So the only feasible option is to retrofit the headlamps with projectors.


CCFL in action.

After more hours of research, I decided to go with EA Autowork's retrofit due to the competitive pricing and their reputation. Similar retrofits can go as high as RM850 and although they use a higher quality projector, in my books, the price gap does not justify the difference. Plus their projectors are bi-xenon with CCFL lights and the price is inclusive of the HID kit.

The whole process was pretty simple. Dropped Howie of EA Autowork a personal message, set up an appointment and rolled in to get it retrofitted. The whole process took about 1.5 hours as the headlamps needed to be opened. No modifications was done to the stock headlamps so I can return it to normal if there is a need to.

By the time the retrofit was done, it was already nightfall. The best time to test out the new projectors then. :D The lights now are significantly brighter and with the high light on, I can see even further than before. Perfect for those dark roads and annoying pikeys with glaring headlamps breathing down my neck. I'll just let them overtake, switch on my high light and follow behind them.
Have a taste of your own medicine!

p.s. Workmanship was top notch. Everything was sealed back perfectly as there was no condensation in the lamp on cold mornings.

After driving the Iswara for a almost a year, someone pointed out to me that the tyres were over 6 years old. (!) Although the tyres still had thread on them (about 70% left), rubber hardens with age which reduces grip. Not wanting to find out the effect of driving with old tyres, I went to the a trustworthy tyre shop along Jalan Ipoh (Kean Lee Hin) to get them changed.
New tyres and rims. I had initially wanted to upsize my wheels to 14 inchers but at the spur of the moment, I went with 15". I paired the new rims with Kumho KU31 195/50/R15 tyres. At RM190 a pop, they weren't cheap but the performance isn't too shabby either. Dry grip was good although it doesn't perform as well in the wet while road noise is minimal. Overall, the performance was substantially better than my old tyres. The whole process took almost 2 hours from the time I got there to the time the car was ready to go. Overall I'm please with the car's new look as well as the service provided by Kent.
Another angle.