Lights
If still available, I will take it,
thanks
If still available, I will take it,
thanks
Restoration of rear lights, plus upgrade options
- Thread starter Mo Brighta
- Start date
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
Last set of lights
OK, you are on the list.
I will need an email with your information to start an invoice.
Name, shipping address, telephone
Vehicle model, year, and VIN
Optional HO bulbs (set includes tail and brake only)
Preferred method of payment (Money order, check, PayPal)
Once I have all this, I will send you an invoice, we can resolve any questions on options, and I will provide shipping instructions for getting your lights out, sending here, and installing on their return.
Congratulations, you got the last set at the Spring Sale price!
Andy
OK, you are on the list.
I will need an email with your information to start an invoice.
Name, shipping address, telephone
Vehicle model, year, and VIN
Optional HO bulbs (set includes tail and brake only)
Preferred method of payment (Money order, check, PayPal)
Once I have all this, I will send you an invoice, we can resolve any questions on options, and I will provide shipping instructions for getting your lights out, sending here, and installing on their return.
Congratulations, you got the last set at the Spring Sale price!
Andy
Invoice
Just checking in, have a pretty aggressive spam filter and wanted to double check if you sent an invoice.
thanks
Just checking in, have a pretty aggressive spam filter and wanted to double check if you sent an invoice.
thanks
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
One Set of lights back on the block
OK, there was some confusion on the lights, so one pair in again available at the lower price.
For anyone who wonders- $150 the pair (plus shipping) versus standard price of $229. This is a restoration and upgrade SERVICE, not selling the lights outright. It includes cleaning and restoration of the lights, plus converting them to a dual tail light configuration (two filaments in each light) for increased size, brightness and reliability of rear running (tail) lights, plus high output tail and brake light lamps.
You would send your lights here - just the backs, not lenses - I restore and upgrade, then return to you. This was apparently the source of confusion.
OK, there was some confusion on the lights, so one pair in again available at the lower price.
For anyone who wonders- $150 the pair (plus shipping) versus standard price of $229. This is a restoration and upgrade SERVICE, not selling the lights outright. It includes cleaning and restoration of the lights, plus converting them to a dual tail light configuration (two filaments in each light) for increased size, brightness and reliability of rear running (tail) lights, plus high output tail and brake light lamps.
You would send your lights here - just the backs, not lenses - I restore and upgrade, then return to you. This was apparently the source of confusion.
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
Bump
Update - member is out of town ... car is in the UK, he's not.
After claiming the discount, he's unable to pull his lights and send them in, so he's letting it go to another member who IS able to do this.
Anyone still interested in the last one at $79 off? send me a PM or email, do not rely on posting on the thread, I may not see it.
First few sets are done, and turned out rather nicely! I'll let their owners tell you how they like them.
Update - member is out of town ... car is in the UK, he's not.
After claiming the discount, he's unable to pull his lights and send them in, so he's letting it go to another member who IS able to do this.
Anyone still interested in the last one at $79 off? send me a PM or email, do not rely on posting on the thread, I may not see it.
First few sets are done, and turned out rather nicely! I'll let their owners tell you how they like them.
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
The Other Shoe
You'll be getting these back soon, Sooner!
Very nice, and now the second side looks as good as the first!
You'll be getting these back soon, Sooner!
gte619n
Active Member
@Mo Brighta
Any chance of an LED modification? I was thinking something along the lines of a soldered in connection with an inline resistor. I imagine this would really reduce the output heat and up the reliability?
Thanks,
E
Any chance of an LED modification? I was thinking something along the lines of a soldered in connection with an inline resistor. I imagine this would really reduce the output heat and up the reliability?
Thanks,
E
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
There are two chances- slim and remote ... but not impossible.
That said, LED technology will overtake any and all lighting applications it already hasn't, so the question is, How Much Can I Afford? As I am fond of saying, "You can do ANYTHING, you just need cubic dollars."
Let me explain. I just sent a long and detailed response on this exact question to another guy, here is my response ... specifically I was thinking in terms of a restoration special I ran on E9 Coupes.
Their Question:
"I do like the 'LED glass light' look where the lighting area is uniform.. Is that possible?"
My Answer:
I have not yet designed a suitable conversion to this technology for two reasons.
.
One- BMW lights of the vintages I work with are intended to use a point source luminaire (bulb) in parabolic reflectors. This technology is not well suited to LED luminaires, which use little to none of the internal geometry. The plug-in LED devices that simply swap in for an incandescent lamp typically do not improve light output or brilliance, and almost never provide even edge-to-edge lighting across the lens. Some newer LED lamps that claim to mimic bulbs by flooding the reflector are not approved for use in 91 and older BMWs, older than an E34 fiver for example (speaking here about the WeissLicht 'Spektrum'). I spoke to the nice folks, they flat out refuse to recommend for anything older. Including my E28.
The older vehicles (e.g., E9 Coupe) typically are the ones with the dimmest lights and the most loyal, passionate owners.
.
Two- The construction of older BMW lighting equipment includes no obvious support structure for flat, densely-populated boards that would be necessary to give an even, bright, and affordable replacement luminaire that would improve output.
I feel that installing LEDs is not an improvement simply because it is LED; but must also be brighter, more reliable, and fill the lens at least as well as the original lamp to be considered. The faster response time is an added benefit, of course, but the other criteria must also be met before I will build one into a light. Cost can be quite high... a down side.
.
I hope this helps, but as I said ... 'Cubic Dollars' will speed the development process. Know anybody with that kind of budget? Have them get in touch, we'll discuss it over a Dunkel.
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Andy did his conversion on my Euro E24 tail lights including fogs. They are almost too pretty to mount!!
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Tail lights
Great job Andy
Thank you
Great job Andy
Thank you
Mo Brighta
Well-Known Member
UPDATE
Don't know why, but activity on this model quieted down the past couple of years... until last month.
I get a pair of lights from Victor, he's got two pair to restore, so the first pair arrived ... in sad condition, but specific to just one reflector - the left turn signal.
Victor decided on the basic restoration, internals only with no upgrades or dual tails or anything. I offered to try the new 'chrome-like' plastic sheeting to see if this will be superior to the 'silver paint job' I've been using to great effect, but still having trouble bringing it up to my standard of perfection. Will keep trying, but in the meanwhile, back at the lab, I am stuck with a totally corroded, pitted, and unrecoverable left turn signal reflector to deal with.
It was SO RUSTY -- (How rusty was it?) -- It looked like it was retrieved from the Titanic! Total blistering, flaking, dark reddish brown crusty rust on all surfaces. All the grinding and scraping I can do will not bring it back to anything resembling a stamped metal reflector with a surface I can restore...
So, I am appealing to the forum membership for help. With all the hundreds and hundreds of coupes out there, and all the bits and pieces in your garage or basement stash, I am confident there will be SOMEONE with parts I can use in my work restoring the rear lights in cases like this. I'm not looking to buy good condition parts that you are planning for your restoration project; rather for a busted but not totally destroyed remnant of a tail light that perhaps you can't bear to discard ... sound familiar? (It happens, and I am guilty of taking over two rooms in the basement with busted lights from the early sixties to ???)
Specifically, any broken or mangled lighting internals or lenses or what have you, maybe a victim of a previous collision, maybe froma parts car you bought to aid your project. All I need, really, is something with one or more 'good pieces' that I can harvest for use in restoration and repair for the noble purpose of keeping your coupe on the road with properly functioning lighting equipment.
I can't pay huge amounts, but will offer something in good faith and pay shipping, and maybe if the phase of the moon is right, offer a high output bulb setup for your baby. If I can start the tide of broken lighting for 'Organ Donation' that will help bring your lights back up to 100% or better (with upgrades), then I can certainly find space in between the other stacks and stacks of lights to continue this good work - sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding when I get comments back (see above).
Donations also accepted, gladly! As my wife knows, this sometimes resembles a non profit organization in all respects except the bequest or endowment part.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and will have a merry Christmas or Hanukah (or solstice festival)!
Andy
Mo Brighta Mo Betta
Don't know why, but activity on this model quieted down the past couple of years... until last month.
I get a pair of lights from Victor, he's got two pair to restore, so the first pair arrived ... in sad condition, but specific to just one reflector - the left turn signal.
Victor decided on the basic restoration, internals only with no upgrades or dual tails or anything. I offered to try the new 'chrome-like' plastic sheeting to see if this will be superior to the 'silver paint job' I've been using to great effect, but still having trouble bringing it up to my standard of perfection. Will keep trying, but in the meanwhile, back at the lab, I am stuck with a totally corroded, pitted, and unrecoverable left turn signal reflector to deal with.
It was SO RUSTY -- (How rusty was it?) -- It looked like it was retrieved from the Titanic! Total blistering, flaking, dark reddish brown crusty rust on all surfaces. All the grinding and scraping I can do will not bring it back to anything resembling a stamped metal reflector with a surface I can restore...
So, I am appealing to the forum membership for help. With all the hundreds and hundreds of coupes out there, and all the bits and pieces in your garage or basement stash, I am confident there will be SOMEONE with parts I can use in my work restoring the rear lights in cases like this. I'm not looking to buy good condition parts that you are planning for your restoration project; rather for a busted but not totally destroyed remnant of a tail light that perhaps you can't bear to discard ... sound familiar? (It happens, and I am guilty of taking over two rooms in the basement with busted lights from the early sixties to ???)
Specifically, any broken or mangled lighting internals or lenses or what have you, maybe a victim of a previous collision, maybe froma parts car you bought to aid your project. All I need, really, is something with one or more 'good pieces' that I can harvest for use in restoration and repair for the noble purpose of keeping your coupe on the road with properly functioning lighting equipment.
I can't pay huge amounts, but will offer something in good faith and pay shipping, and maybe if the phase of the moon is right, offer a high output bulb setup for your baby. If I can start the tide of broken lighting for 'Organ Donation' that will help bring your lights back up to 100% or better (with upgrades), then I can certainly find space in between the other stacks and stacks of lights to continue this good work - sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding when I get comments back (see above).
Donations also accepted, gladly! As my wife knows, this sometimes resembles a non profit organization in all respects except the bequest or endowment part.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and will have a merry Christmas or Hanukah (or solstice festival)!
Andy
Mo Brighta Mo Betta
I'll look tomorrow. Maybe. I mean maybe I have something to help you.