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‘Slammed It:’ Evil Genius Creates a Chevrolet Optima Mashup Out of a Kia and GM Car. Here’s What It Does

"Didn't even know, you could mod leased cars."

Chevy Optima

Photo by: TikTok

Steve Ecker

By: Steve Ecker

Aug 9, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

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A mechanic has revealed his custom-modified car, incorporating a mashup of Kia and Chevrolet parts.

As of this writing, the TikTok has gone viral, generating over 45,300 views.

What Did This Evil Genius Create?

In the post, Parker Jones (@stangryafterdark) showcases the mashup car that he calls the “Chevy Optima Hybrid.” This car is a custom-modified Kia Optima Hybrid with a Chevrolet badge on the front. The car was originally a 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid that the mechanic bought with 150,000 miles on it from his brother-in-law.

He bought the car from his brother-in-law for 65% of the Kelley Blue Book value. Parker has created a series of posts doing fun custom modifications, from adding a Hellcat decal sticker, turbo performance badges, and a spoiler wing.

Followers noticed his headlights have been neglected, and Parker admits one of his lights has been out since the day he bought the car.

“I have to drive with the high beam lights on all the time. This is because my passenger side headlight is completely out,” Parker shares.

One of Parker's followers sent him lights to replace the old ones. When changing out the light bulbs, the mechanic ran into issues.

“I popped the hood, and I am nervous. I see duct tape holding it together, and it looks like the housing is broken,” Parker shares.

Upon further inspection, Parker finds more tape holding pieces together under the hood. What he thought would be a simple swap out will turn into a bigger job requiring him to take many parts out.

In a follow-up post, Parker found out the headlight unit was held together by electrical tape, with the cover being taped on as well. The next step is to determine if it’s just the bulb not working or if it is the whole housing unit.

“My first approach is the simple one. Swap out the bulbs, plug it back in, and see if that fixes it. If not, I looked up the price for the whole housing unit, and I’ll be riding around with my brights still. I will not be buying another one,” Parker says.

Parker struggles to replace the headlight with the bulb he received from his follower. “If anybody has any knowledge about Kia Optima Hybrid headlights, please help me out,” Parker concludes.

Commenters did chime in and revealed that Parker needs an HID light conversion kit to use the LED lights the follower sent him.

“That is a HID headlight bulb in the Kia from the factory. You will need a HID to LED conversion kit to make those work,” one TikTok commenter shared.

“The replacement you have is a LED bulb and the OEM is a HID bulb. You won't be able to put that LED in that ‘case’ as you call it. Size looks like a D1S HID,” another added.

“Simply, you have the wrong part,” a third replied.

What’s the Difference Between HID and LED Headlights?

According to CarParts, there are four common types of headlights bulbs, including halogen, LED, xenon/HID, and laser.

The viral video showcases both LED and HID headlights, so what’s the difference between them?

LED headlights are made up of multi-crystal LEDs with a projection lens. This collects the light beams and turns them into a single light beam, J.D. Power reports.

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights function similarly to the bulbs of a neon sign, Jiffy Lube states. The electricity arcs between two electrodes, which initiates the xenon gas to react, creating a very bright light.

According to AutoZone, LED headlights offer immediate illumination, have a longer life span, and are more energy-efficient. HID headlights offer a unique aesthetic with the color temperature while providing superior long-distance visibility. However, these are not the most energy-efficient headlight options.

Is It Worth Using HID to LED Conversion Kits?

According to ExnonPro, it’s strongly advised not to use conversion kits to switch from HID to LED. This swap is costly and complicated to complete, with the possibility of the lights not working well. “Almost all factory HID setups are projector and LEDs simply don't work well in projector-type assemblies,” per ExnonPro.

Conversion kits can be used for cars with halogen headlights going to either LED or HID, Underground Lighting shares. Many drivers have upgraded from halogen to LED or HID for the improved brightness, energy efficiency, and longer lifespan, ExnonPro reports.

What do you think?

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While Jones sought advice from viewers on what to do with the LED light he received, it may be best to skip out on the conversion kit and just get an HID headlight instead.

Motor1 has contacted Jones via TikTok direct message. This story will be updated if he replies.

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