e30 headlight options (non smiley/ellip)

[Stanley Rockafella]

thanks for the options, but I think I'm gonna stick with some depo smoked smilies. Cheaper and cooler for a non-daily driver

[Mo Brighta]

Bulb Data

lol, awesome

what bulb do you use for the citi's?

and do the highs also have cit's?

The bulb is a mini-bayonet (b9s), typical bulb #1893 (standard output).

There are colored, high output, long life, and many other variations. My best bulb is high output (naturally) - 3886X (Xenon gas filled).

Bulb data: 1893 is 4W 3cp, 3886X is 6W 7cp (233% output), $7.50 ea.

I think I can get High Beams with a similar feature, I'll look into it.

Here are two pics of the city light on, one in day light, one in the garage.

[Stanley Rockafella]

lol, awesome

what bulb do you use for the citi's?

and do the highs also have cit's?

[Mo Brighta]

BiFocus pics

OK, here are some pics of the lights as received, I'll try to get some pics of a local installation with the city lights working. I installed a pair for a guy last year, he said he would hook them up but ... I'll ask. Maybe he'll see this and post the pics himself???

Anyway, the light includes a cap with two wires, brown and white for ground and power. They take an H1 lamp.

Face of the light



Back side with cap and 3 wires



Closeup of wiring, city light option (grey wire)



Anyway, FWIW I'll include a pic of my car later with similar lights, showing city lights turned on. I do get the occasional 'Hey, your headlights are out' when I run them, most folks do not know what they are and think my headlights are dim because the bulbs failed or were installed wrong.

[Stanley Rockafella]

any pics of the setup with citilights?

thanks

[Mo Brighta]

Hella makes some killer low beam lights that really flood the street, they're a sealed beam replacement so they bolt right up. They are called BiFocal, some say 'BiFocus' which is silly because they are LOW beams, they use an H1 and NOT an H4 bulb.

They also have a socket for city lights, but you can leave it out it you don't want that. It adds about another $12 per, so you save $24.

Paired with some decent high beams, which are pretty easy to find, you will have a killer bright set of headlights. You should be happy with high output bulbs - stock watts, but more lumens.

The BiFocal light was developed in the 80's for the E30 three series by BMW and Hella, they are good but rare.

I have sold several sets of these, they outperform most any H4 low beam, and smilies as well. And Hella, Narva, Phillips all make decent high output bulbs in the H1 form, so you will have a choice at 55W. No need for new relays, either.

They work all the time, so you have to switch the low beam realy to stay on with hights, not complicated, and I can send you a kit with instructions for that. They go on with the headlights, and the stalk switches the highs on and off. Very effective!

Send me a PM or email if you want the technical details.

[Stanley Rockafella]

Wait wait wait….you're switching from Smilies to Sealed beams?
I'd trade you a hella H4 kit for your smilies.

just wondering what else is out there for cool sealed beam upgrades

If I cant' find anything, I'll ditch the sealed beams

[15Michaeljoseph]

Wait wait wait….you're switching from Smilies to Sealed beams?
I'd trade you a hella H4 kit for your smilies.

[rcsoundn1]

Nothing that I know of. I cant give my sealed beams away either.

[Stanley Rockafella]

After having my smilies for a while with the citi lights wired into the park nights, I'm kinda getting bored of them.

Today at the wrecking yard, I scored a set of sealed beams with buckets and pigtails.

Is there any cool setups for these lights on the market today? I've checked out daniel stern lighting, but his selection is pretty limited.

Any other options anyone know of? (not interested in any tacky stuff like angel eyes, etc. Just considering something different that I can utilize these sealed beam buckets. If I find nothing, I'll just sell them and stick with smilies

thanks in advance