Different Aproach to "French" high beams...

[nickflic3]

Sorry if this has been done before, but I haven't seen anybody do this yet... Back story:

When I first got my US ellipsoid, they had poorly tinted yellow high beams that were a bit to light for my liking. That was in November. Fast forward to last Saturday, I went to a buddy's house and came away with some yellow glass stainer. Yesterday I had a short school day and was rather bored so I decided to go ahead and re-do the lights...





And they came out like crap



Can't really tell from the cell pix but basically too much yellow and they looked almost green. After going on a walk my Grandma came back and told me my lights were on -.-

So back to work. I had been toying with the idea of doing the insides yellow for quite a while and when i did my trim rings black I noticed the lenses were not cemented in. No time like the present so today I got out the paint thinner and proceeded with the new plan. Pix during the process:











Turned out better than I expected! I'll get day time pix mounted tomorrow as I promptly ran out of time when my sister called from school wondering where I was

Over all I'm very happy with the output; very yellow and bright! I think it looks a little more classy (unlike my car at the moment) than films and what not. True French beams would be the ultimate lenses though... Someday

And some bonus of various stages:

Light yellow


Light yellow left, clear on right



Possible cross hairs and black low beam housings to come. Thanks for looking and hope it helps someone out there who thought of doing the same ;)

P.S. does anybody know where to get fogs with the same treatment? Ive seen them around and I'm not so adventurous as to bake mine just yet...

[nickflic3]

Color Based on Angle

Pix I promised:

[E30Kaiser]

I did mine the same way, and I would like to clean them and go over them again but I haven't been able to find that product anywhere local again. :(

[nickflic3]

Do you guys have a Michael's? Or try Amazon.com

[NuthinFancy]

I love that yellow spray back in my "jdm" days I charged people to do their honda fogs yellow all day lol. Now I use the same spray but the red color to do my taillights and it comes out super clean after u spray some clear on them just to seal it in.

This was one set of stock tailights I sprayed with that same krylon spray but of course the red one. (Michaels is the shit )

[nickflic3]

I love that yellow spray back in my "jdm" days I charged people to do their honda fogs yellow all day lol. Now I use the same spray but the red color to do my taillights and it comes out super clean after u spray some clear on them just to seal it in.

This was one set of stock tailights I sprayed with that same krylon spray but of course the red one. (Michaels is the shit )

Haha my friend does the same thing but with night shade lol

Doing my tails next; Michale's ftw!

[E30Kaiser]

Do you guys have a Michael's? Or try Amazon.com

last time I checked at Michael's they didn't have it, but that was last year, haven't been back in awhile but it is warming up so i might redo mine soon.

[NuthinFancy]

Haha my friend does the same thing but with night shade lol

Doing my tails next; Michale's ftw!

Nite shade sux compared to the red glass stain ...besides with the red glas stain u can choose how dark u want them ,either a dark red or the more coats u give it the more black it gets but what I love about it is that it dosent impare how much light comes out unlike nite shade it makes the lights look more dim and just well....BLACK...Suggestion when u use the red glas stain start from the orange part of the tails cuz naturally that part is going to come out darker so what u do is just match the rest of the tail light to how dark the orange part came out. Im sure ull love them after just the first coat. Good luck and post how they come out after:up:

[nickflic3]

Awesome, thanks for the tips :up: I didn't like the idea of night shade either but if people are willing to pay...

last time I checked at Michael's they didn't have it, but that was last year, haven't been back in awhile but it is warming up so i might redo mine soon.

For sure, good luck man

[straight6pwr]

ive heard that the OEM frenchies are the same as regular ones except the inside of the glass has been tinted with some sort of film/transparent paint.
i wouldnt tint the reflector, personally, because you are reducing the light output.

[nickflic3]

I guess it would, but from what I saw it pt out a LOT of light, if not as much as stock. We'll see though, I'll do a comparison when my car is up and running.

[Mo Brighta]

REAL French highs from Cibie

Why not go with the real thing? If top quality is your priority, that is.

I found a few sets of Cibie CSR in French Yellow, the glass is colored, not a spray on coating.

They are direct replacement for US lights, ie. sealed beams, and fit those buckets perfectly. Not made any more, anywhere.

Very rare, very bright. Takes an H1 bulb, no sweat.

Anybody interested, I can sell you a set for the going rate, like $149 each.

Andy

[nickflic3]

lol I was looking at those... I don't have that kind of cash though so my simple 5 dolla solution will do for now ;)

You make good stuff though, maybe one day I'll rock one of your tail light kits

[Mo Brighta]

Frenchies; Tinting/light output comments (& short hijack)

... I had been toying with the idea of doing the insides yellow for quite a while ...


Over all I'm very happy with the output; very yellow and bright!

ive heard that the OEM frenchies are the same as regular ones except the inside of the glass has been tinted with some sort of film/transparent paint... I wouldn't tint the reflector, personally, because you are reducing the light output.

Good job bro, tho I would worry a bit about the condition of the reflector after coating - looks like a bit of 'orange peel', and I can't help but agree with straight6pwr, that it will distort the beam to some degree... more glare, less light on the road... But the Frenchies I have seen (and sold) are made with yellow glass, not tinted. Can't speak for all lights, just the Cibie CSR I saw.

I think it looks a little more classy (unlike my car at the moment) than films and what not.

I think film is a good option, not just because I sell it but because it protects the lenses from sand blasting and rock damage, plus is removable if you want to go another direction. Plus LOTS easier to apply.

TAIL LIGHT TINTING

Haha my friend does the same thing but with night shade

Nite shade sux compared to the red glass stain ...besides with the red glas stain u can choose how dark u want them ,either a dark red or the more coats u give it the more black it gets but what I love about it is that it dosent impare how much light comes out unlike nite shade it makes the lights look more dim and just well....BLACK...

I didn't like the idea of night shade either but if people are willing to pay...

Clearly there is a range of opinion on tinting rear lights; but any dimming could conceivably be remedied with higher output bulbs, or more bulbs, or both, eh? Gee, who thinks - honestly - that dimmer tails is safer or cooler? I mean, doesn't the styling factor take a back seat when you want the Monster Truck behind you to stop short when you stop short???

lol I was looking at those... I don't have that kind of cash though so my simple 5 dolla solution will do for now ;-)
You make good stuff though, maybe one day I'll rock one of your tail light kits.

Yeah, I can relate. Cash always has a part in the equation. I'm no Rockefeller either; just trying to make a living here !
You got the point instantly, bro. Adding more bulbs, brighter bulbs, et cetera, will put your beloved on the map so to speak, by bringing your visual profile up to snuff. MAN, some of those newer SUV/Crossover/Truck monstrosities with LEDs can blind you with their brake light 'hot spot' beaming directly in your eyes at a stop light, eh? I would want to have a fighting chance at least, so that's why I do tail light re-design - take advantage of the "missed opportunity" in the BMW Lights, and ...

Keep MORE of these classics on the ROAD, and out of the Parts Yards!
There, I said it. I love old cars, prefer them over almost anything new.

[WARNING - HI-JACK!]
Check out these examples of E30 rear lights that rock the hardware by 'boldly using bulbs where no bulb has gone before'. More bulbs, brighter bulbs, dual function bulbs, all using BMW hardware with a thin coating of Yankee Ingenuity. This is what can be done with lights to increase their output and reliability; perhaps a good idea with tinted lenses ???
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=165624 (scroll down for discussion on output and lens tinting)
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=190578(early lights w/pics)
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=191231(late lights w/pics)
[END OF HI-JACK]

Thank you for your kind attention - I look forward to all your replies!

[E30Kaiser]

It is pretty easy to get rid of if you did it like I did and sprayed the glass itself, as you just wipe some Acetone on it and it comes right off.