"Smoked" headlights

[kroberts]

I bought a set of "smoked" smileys a couple years ago. I admit I dont know much about them. I cant imagine that BMW offered this from the factory. I bought them from a guy in Germany. Anyway, I was washing my car today and noticed that the coating is peeling off the lenses. So I can guess that the seller applied some film to the lights. What product do people use for this? Is it something that anyone can do or is it some special process?

Thanks

[E30_pilot]

If its film than I think you are talking about lamin-x.

http://www.lamin-x.com/

simple process. just order the precut set and just peel and slap it on.

[CAOSyAMOR]

is it peeling like a film, or peeling like paint?

if its peeling like paint it sounds like it was coated with a spray tint, if its peeling like a film then see above.

either way IMHO i recommend cleaning all the old stuff off and if you want the tinted look again get some of that Lamin-x like e30 Pilot said!

[Sam Cogley]

I bought a set of "smoked" smileys a couple years ago. I admit I dont know much about them. I cant imagine that BMW offered this from the factory. I bought them from a guy in Germany. Anyway, I was washing my car today and noticed that the coating is peeling off the lenses. So I can guess that the seller applied some film to the lights. What product do people use for this? Is it something that anyone can do or is it some special process?

Thanks

Real smoked ellipsoids have dark crosshairs in the high beams and the surounds blacked out inside the low beams.

[kroberts]

Thanks

It appears to be peeling like a paint.

[kroberts]

Am I missing something or does that website suck?

[yoni]

hahaha ya it does, just type ' bmw e30 ' in the search tool to find the precuts

[kroberts]

Shit, thanks, found it. I'm not too tech-savy.

[zilla]

does anyone have a picture of what the lamin-x looks like on the e30, thx

[Wishno87]

Have any pics of whats going on here?

[robspeed325i]

im new so forgive me but wtf? i get removable blackout covers on 80s camaros, but why God why would you smoke your headlights?!

[cferb]

Real smoked smileys have glass lenses, and are smoked on the inside, crosshairs for the highs.

Smoking your headlights is dumb, buy them smoked or leave them clear.

[digital_cowboy]

im new so forgive me but wtf? i get removable blackout covers on 80s camaros, but why God why would you smoke your headlights?!

If you follow the hella style smoking (as written up by Stuck in the DIY section I think) you do not loose light output as you do not "smoke" any of the parts through which light passes. Some people think that smoked lights look good (myself included).