Side Marker Lights -Front

pickman

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I am working to re-install all the body/trim parts from rear to front and just noticed my front reflectors LH and RH have no holes in the front fenders. My parts are in good shape - is there a template to drill for the holes?

Most of my body sheet metal is brand new including the front fenders.
 

teahead

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Uggh...! Don't do it!

Looks 1000x better w/o those things!

My US-bound 2800CS had no holes on the front.

Wish there were none in the back.
 

HB Chris

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Rob, your 2800CS was built in Oct or Nov of 1969 and most certainly came to the US with front reflectors, it was a DOT requirement for 1969 although US cars and many foreign cars got them in 1968.

Side markers are a personal preference of the owners, someone here can provide the measurements.
 

teahead

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It's possible early on, importers may have thought that the turn signal provided enough side lighting??? Then later, they got blasted by DOT and started doing the fronts with more consistency???

Wouldn't be too hard to make that kind of determination:

Clipboard01.jpg


Seriously redundant IMHO.
 

autokunst

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What are your thoughts on not adding the reflectors? It was a US-only thing...
I plan on deleting all four of mine. I just think the look is so much cleaner and as the designers intended without the added reflectors. Let's hope I don't get broadsided now just to spite this post. :eek:
 

teahead

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Euro anything is so much more awesome.

No goofy side markers, no spacers for the front springs, no diving boards for 74+. This applies to all BMWs. E24s, E20s, etc., etc.

Ditto w/Mercedes 280SLs, etc. Cooler headlights, smaller bumpers on the R107s....
 

HB Chris

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It's possible early on, importers may have thought that the turn signal provided enough side lighting??? Then later, they got blasted by DOT and started doing the fronts with more consistency???

Wouldn't be too hard to make that kind of determination:

View attachment 58760

Seriously redundant IMHO.

Nope, every US coupe got them at the factory.
 

Stevehose

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I don't think a side reflector is going to prevent broadsiding even if the other driver doesn't have his/her face staring at their phone.

I plan on deleting all four of mine. I just think the look is so much cleaner and as the designers intended without the added reflectors. Let's hope I don't get broadsided now just to spite this post. :eek:
 

jmackro

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What are your thoughts on not adding the reflectors?

I deleted my front pair (reflectors only) the first time I re-painted my coupe, and deleted the rear pair (illuminated) the second go-around. So now I have none. The next time I get into the body I'm thinking of putting the rear pair back. To my eye, the back of the car just looks too plain from the side with no lights.

From a safety perspective, the front parking lights wrap around, so at the front, amber light is visible from the side even without the reflectors. However, the tail lights do not wrap around, so from the rear/side my car has no red light visible.

But sure, as Stevehose says, nothing will save you from a texting moron. Or any moron.
 

teahead

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If you absolutely must put side markers on (Stephen and I agree to ditch them), I would put these '68 Chrysler ones on there. Much more classy, small, and use the same size hole as the regular German ones on there so you can put those on there back if you want:

s-l1600.jpg
Charger-1.jpg
 

Markos

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If you absolutely must put side markers on (Stephen and I agree to ditch them), I would put these '68 Chrysler ones on there. Much more classy, small, and use the same size hole as the regular German ones on there so you can put those on there back if you want:

View attachment 58763
View attachment 58764

I agree that they look good on domestic cars. I disagree that outing mopar bits on a BMW is classy.
The factory reflectors don’t look bad or out of place IMO. A tad redudant in front. I wouldn’t pay to have them shaved if an e9 has good paint. I wouldn’t drill holes to add them either.
 

pickman

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Thanks everyone for the advice - yes it's a DOT/NITSA issue. Since the rear markers had the holes I have them installed and properly wired. I will skip the fronts as looking at your photos they are redundant and makes the front too busy.
 

mr bump

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I'm so glad us in the UK didn't have to have the USA spec reflectors and those huge bumpers.........I do feel our allies pain.
 

CSteve

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Very Nice auto! Mine is fjord blue also.
Our Kinkmeister designed our coupes W/O side markers. Period. Although when I had my coupe resprayed I forgot to have the rears deleted. Slap my head every time I look at the rear fenders.
We are so accustomed, trained, brainwashed about those ugly reflectors we think the rear fender looks lonely without them.
NOT SO!
 

CSteve

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Our Kinkmeister designed our coupes W/O side markers. Period. Although when I had my coupe resprayed I forgot to have the rears deleted. Slap my head every time I look at the rear fenders.
We are so accustomed, trained, brainwashed about those ugly reflectors we think the rear fender looks lonely without them.
NOT SO!
No comments about the blue coupe in the self-service car wash with the power wand that can strip the paint off and leave water in the most miniscule opening? I am shocked, shocked.
 

DWMBMW

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Cars can get very dirty when you drive them from Maine to Monterey. The pressure was not even strong enough to lift the “Roads to Monterey” sticker off the doors.
 
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