early tails

[kdfwagen]

im having a hard time finding a good set of used early tail lights. My current ones have broken corners lens's. I was wondering if any body has bought the Altezza :roll: tails? I was thinking about buying them and than painting them with red hobby clear to get rid of the ugly clear etc... How do you guys think this would fair?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/83-87-BMW-3-SERIES-EURO-RED-CRYSTAL-TAIL-LIGHTS-E30-M3-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1e5ac25012QQitemZ130371702802QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

ps.
does anybody have a set of used early tails for sale on the cheap?:-D

[JasonC]

As much as you're going to spend on those. You can post up in the parts_wanted section and find a good OEM set.

[siazul]

hmmm I wonder how much they go for? I just pulled a good condition set from a local pick n pull and theres another clean set there waiting for somebody to take. Maybe Ill get them and contact you.

[Mo Brighta]

early tails - upgrade to double tails and brakes

I have seen them locally at the Pull'n'Pay for about $20 a set.
I recommend upgrading to add a second tail light bulb and brake light bulb inside the stock lenses, way better for visibility and far safer than running with a dark side when a bulb fails! Contact me for details if interested. Twice as large, and more than twice as bright. They look perfectly stock otherwise, and will work as stock or modified, your choice, by simply swapping bulbs.

MY Opinion on the 'Altezza' styles? They are not good, for several reasons.

1- They look wrong, and 'Euro clear lens' is marketing hype, nothing 'Euro' about them.
2- Side view of your turn signals ? Seems like only the driver directly behind you gets to see your signal.
3- Look at the wiring harness- that's a kluge if I ever saw one... perhaps that's why they state:
- No Installation Instruction Provided
- Professional Installation Suggested
4- Still has single filament bulbs, so still has single point failure weakness.
5- What kind of optics experience does the factory have?
6- How long have they been making lights?
7- Sparkly 'Crystal Lenses' usually have weak output, showy but not safe or effective.

In my experience, the old opaque bubbly lenses usually have a much more even output over a wide range of viewing angles, never the case with clear lenses. If they were tested by Consumer Reports, they would probably get high praise for sparkle, fast shipping, and low cost. Personally, I prefer a more effective light. See attached pics for my design, I can provide you with this upgrade any time you want.

Now, all that aside, I would love to hear your experience with them if you choose to go that way, especially regarding their apperance over a 180 degree viewing angle (from 90 left to 90 right), including the turn signals. And also the ease of installation.

Thanks!

Andy the tail light guy

[Mo Brighta]

Updated the post with pictures of what I am talking about.

If you are interested in buying a set of lenses, send me an email and I'll look if they are still available, we can do the deal at your convenience. I come across these fairly often, but it doesn't make sense to wait forever... What's your budget?

Love to put those pics (above) in the body of the post so they can be seen side by side, I'll try that in a separate post.

'The only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.'

Andy the tail light guy

[Mo Brighta]

Upgrading Altezza Tails ... project report

i'm having a hard time finding a good set of used early tail lights. My current ones have broken corners lenses. I was wondering if any body bought the Altezza :roll: tails?http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/83-87...Q5fAccessories

Hey y'all, here's my report on a project I just finished with this style light.

I was asked to help a forum member brighten his rear lights that are 99% similar to the above, except that the lens was smoke tinted all the way across. All lenses are smoke, with no red or amber color at all. They were quite dim, naturally with smoked lenses they would be!

Car is an '88 cabriolet, was bought with the lights installed. The back side and sockets look exactly like the lights in the ebay ad.

I did the following:
1- remove all bulbs (tail and brake were closer to purple than red!);
2- convert four sockets to take two filament bulbs (combined tail/brake);
3- convert turn signal socket to take standard amber bulb (it was for an asymmetric 7057 bulb);
4- rewire brake light lead to two sockets each side;
5- rewire tail light lead to three sockets each side;
6- tint all six High Output tail and brake light bulbs red;
7- install high output bulbs in reverse, tail, and brake lights;
8- install standard 1156NA bulbs in turn signals;
9- include a spare bulbs kit with one each of the above.

Total cost for the above, with return shipping was under $200.

I suspect there are other lights out there like these, just as dim, and just as easy to brighten up. If you have these, I will share details if you want to know more.

Will return with pics later... Thanks for your patience!