E32 ellipsoids, will they work?

[Stu]

A friend has some ellipsoids for me off an early 90's E32 740i. The price is right, and I'm pretty sure they're the same as E30 ellips, except for some mounting components. My question is, will they work on my sealed-beam 318is? What all would be required to make them work?

Thanks

[M-technik-3]

You'll need non seal beam frames and mounting hardware. As for the lights bolting up? ? I would say trial and error here. BMW tends to like to use as many part over as possible but they won't tell you that.

[Rigmaster]

Re: E32 ellipsoids, will they work?

A friend has some ellipsoids for me off an early 90's E32 740i. The price is right, and I'm pretty sure they're the same as E30 ellips, except for some mounting components. My question is, will they work on my sealed-beam 318is? What all would be required to make them work?

Thanks

The E32/E34 ellips use the same lenses and are basically the same as the E30 ellips EXCEPT that the mounting ears are WAY different.

Bret

[nando]

yeah, you'd need E30 mounts, but the buckets will work. I have a pair of Depo mounts, they're basically a replica of the stock ellipsoid mounts, if you're interested. you'd probably need new adjusting screws as well.

[M-technik-3]

Yeah the damn adjuster screws are $6.10 a piece. times 12, $73.20 for an added cost makes them get expensive real quick.

That is the reason I don't add new adjusters to my units. I would have to increase the cost.

[Stu]

Thanks for the offer Nando, but I'm trying to do these on a budget, and I'd prefer to get used E30 ellipsoid mounts that already have the adjusters.

Are these parts I could easily obtain from the boneyard? I guess I need: ellipsoid mounting with the adjusters; anything else?

Rig--Do you have these parts FS?

Thanks for the replies

[chrisd]

just replace the adjuster screws with stainless metric stuff, it ought to work, no? (and for something like $0.10 ea.)

[Rigmaster]

Stu,

I don't think I made my last post clear- the E32/E34 ellipsoids will NOT work, unless you want to break off the mounting tabs (from the headlight body) and then JB weld some others on there, or some other major rigjob (!!). What I meant was that the lens and the headlight body is the same- except that the mounting ears are MOLDED into the body in a different pattern.

I do have a couple of spare ellip headlights and headlight mounting panels ("buckets"), for both E30 and E32/34. Don't think I have a full set of either though.........

You might be better off just selling the E32 ellips and using that $$$ to buy the correct E30 ellips...... they have gotten ALOT cheaper on the used market recently- seems to me.......

Bret

Thanks for the offer Nando, but I'm trying to do these on a budget, and I'd prefer to get used E30 ellipsoid mounts that already have the adjusters.

Are these parts I could easily obtain from the boneyard? I guess I need: ellipsoid mounting with the adjusters; anything else?

Rig--Do you have these parts FS?

Thanks for the replies

[Stu]

Great, thanks for the clarification Bret, I've never touched E30 headlights so I'm a bit of a newbie there. 8) I think I will buy these lights, and sell them off individually (since all the lenses are uncracked).

[mgold]

Great, thanks for the clarification Bret, I've never touched E30 headlights so I'm a bit of a newbie there. 8) I think I will buy these lights, and sell them off individually (since all the lenses are uncracked).

Probably the best thing to do. Wiring them up will be enough of a headache (I recently did the conversion) and you don't want to complicate it with figuring out how to rig them to stay put. Good luck!