Euro Ellipsoids/ Smileys

[BMWManiac]

What is the general consensus about where and what type of these headlamps to purchase and use?

I see a bunch on ebay that are DEPO and for great prices. Not sure if I want to spend $450 on a set of headlamps when I can get them for half the cost. I just want to make sure I'm not sacrificing on the quality/fitment.

I tried a search and again, I'm looking for a consensus or is there not a site that sells genuine bmw hella/bosch headlamps with the smiley

[stumble_t]

Meh, depos suck they leak and the adjusters are bogus.
"genuine" new lights are gonna cost you around 500 clams
Used lights are usually a crapshoot everbody will tell you they look clean and then you fire them up and the cutoff is fucked BC the reflector is a little corroded.

You Want MY opinion?
Go get a brand New Hella H1/H4 setup and some osram silverstars that are PnP for the same price as some questionable "euro" ellipsoids and they will have better output.
Oh and don't put HID's in them.

[BMWManiac]

Thanks for the heads up! I just want better light output.

[harv]

I would also second a nice set of Cibie or Hella lights. However I got a nice set of OE Euro Smilies from MikeDE (I think) here on the board. He sells them from time to time with euro grills. Their light output is ... good and way better than standard US lights.

Here's a set in the for sale section.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=188819

John

[nrubenstein]

If you just want better output, US ellipsoids are actually the highest output fixtures. They also offer access to by far the best halogen bulbs, the HIR 9011/9012. (The 9011s give HID output without HID glare and without HID conspicuousness.)

...and the US ellips don't have the annoying tilted up cutoff that forces you to aim the e-code lights very low in order not to blind everyone to your right. I'm currently running Bosch smiley low beams with US highs, but I will need to do a projector retrofit to keep using them.

Smilies look great on the outside, but that is all they get you.

[Schnitzer318is]

Smilies look great on the outside, but that is all they get you.

^Seconded.

I have a set of smilies on one of my cars and US ellips on the other. The output on the US ellips is better. LOL though the smilies look better.

Both cars run the same HID brand/bulb "temp" color.