Difference between euro elips and euro smiles

[erik325i]

Is this just a cosmetic difference or is there a light pattern/output difference as well?

The Euro smilies are ellips...

In Europe, there were two different styles of ellipsoids. One had the smiley at the bottom, and the other did not. Both are ellips though.

I agree with Matt though... I've had both types of Euro ellips, and I could not tell any difference in the light output/cutoff at all.

-Erik

[diegom6]

Thanks!

[Van Westervelt]

Right. The US got a much milder form of the ellipsoids with no city light, and no smiley ever. The early European spec cars had Euro non smiley ellipsoids which included a city light. In 1988 I think it was, BMW used the "smiley" design from then on in Euro cars. In the US, we only had our tame "non-smileys" for 1988 and 1989.

[diegom6]

Look at the picture above. The right hand side is the elipsoids. I have the smileys, which is like a small smile beaneth the elip. It's somewhat hard on mine because they're smoked, but you can see the 'smile' on the bottom of the light. The only dif to the regular elips is the lack of that smile.

Yup! I noticed it, so non smileys are the "std" ellips, and smileys are the non "std" ellips lol!

Was only for USA std the non smileys ellips?

[Spec]

Look at the picture above. The right hand side is the elipsoids. I have the smileys, which is like a small smile beaneth the elip. It's somewhat hard on mine because they're smoked, but you can see the 'smile' on the bottom of the light. The only dif to the regular elips is the lack of that smile.

[diegom6]

Cool. Thanks for the explanation. Iwa sbit confused about the non smileys and smileys modle names, however the sealed beams was clear. :D

-Diego

[Spec]

Diego, there are two types of lights that came on the E30, sealed beams and ellipsoids. Sealed beams are bought as one large bulb from the store and make up the entire assembly themselves. Ellipsoids are the round ellipsoids requiring small bulbs to be placed inside them. Picture showing the difference below:


The Smileys above are easy to tell. They're both ellipsoid headlights, and the smileys are like what is pictures in the above picture and in your signature. The non-smileys simply don't have the curve beneath the elipsoid and are what came on stock US models I believe.

[diegom6]

I've owned multiple sets of smiley and non-smiley Euro ellips and really did not notice a difference in output.

I'm kinda confused about model names, could you post both models and name both to identify the by name model?

Thanks,

-Diego

[eugeman]

o.k. thanks gents

[mikeedler]

there is no way that you can cut that out without it looking like total crap.

[MR 325]

I've owned multiple sets of smiley and non-smiley Euro ellips and really did not notice a difference in output.

[eugeman]

on a final note, if I just cut the smiley out of my euro elips (w/city light) it would be virtually the same correct?

[mikeedler]

there is a cutout in the chrome surround around the ellip projector. The very small amount of light that it does let out is arguably much to really see much infront of the car. Most people buy the smileys because they are cosmetically different than reg. U.S. ellips.

In defense of the smileys, BMW only made the non smileys in 1988, (which were the first ellips)and then went on to the smileys after, and kept them that way.

[eugeman]

Is it literally cut out of the housing or is there more to it than that?

[Van Westervelt]

The cutout referred to as a "smiley" actually lets some of the scattered light from the housing illuminate directly in front of the car.