I want to tint the lenses of my E28 US spec Yellow.
Whats the best method to go about doing this?
Making The Headlights Yellow
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John in VA
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Mark 88/M5 Houston
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No, not on them -- in them.wkohler wrote:Shawn D. will suggest you urinate on them.
Some are that way, but the vast majority have a yellow lens (or maybe it's urine).wkohler wrote:I'm a fan of using the fog lamps from a W123 Mercedes. They have a clear lens and a yellow reflector...
Not too familiar with headlight basics, huh?Handz wrote:Lamin-X does not carry E28 Film Covers.
Do E30 covers fit? If not i will cut my own.
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ismellfish2
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It's cheaper if you cut your own. Check this out- I cut some for mine and put it on the better part of a year ago. It's still clear, and when I hit a deer a month or two back my headlights didn't crack, even though the bucket got folded so the lights were facing each other.Handz wrote:Lamin-X does not carry E28 Film Covers.
Do E30 covers fit? If not i will cut my own.
The thing is, I have the Hella lenses with replacable elements. If you've got the stock sealed beams, you probably have bumps on the surface of your headlights, which hold the film up off the glass and give moisture a place to get trapped. The film will not look nearly as good with sealed beams.
Besides which, if you want to spend some money on your headlights, you should put it into better equipment before you worry about how "euro" it is. I would say definitely do not go with film unless you're already running Cibies, Hellas, W123 bulbs or maybe Matt's GE aircraft bulbs. And then, only use the film if the surface of the lens is smooth.
You should check out Daniel Stern's website before you decide what you want, he's got a lot of good info on there.
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MisterFixit
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- Location: Golden, Colorado
Re: Making The Headlights Yellow
OK, this is an old saw. Have you weighed the pros and cons, or do you just 'want' them to be yellow, as in 'I want to make a unique fashion statement?'Handz wrote:I want to tint the lenses of my E28 US spec Yellow. Whats the best method to go about doing this?
Lots of research on tint versus effectiveness. Almost all indicates it hurts, not helps. I looked into this, as I wanted yellow lights too, some time ago before I became 'older and wiser.'
Yellow was used in France around WW II and after to allow easy identification of foreign (ie, German) vehicles with white lights. It was later outlawed by French gov't. for good reason.
Here is a link to an article from March 2007 Popular Mechanics regarding legality; it's not very authoritative.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automot ... 12957.html
Many folks read DOT's FMVSS code and they find something that says 'amber or white' and think it applies to headlamps when it really applies to front markers (parking lights).
Still, they are unique, and illegal in most states as headlights. As Auxilliary lights you could probably get away with it, but headlights - maybe not. But then, if you want yellow headlights, why not just buy really cheap sealed beams?
Here is a link to a vendor (NO ENDORSEMENT), one of many I am sure, that sells yellow H1, H4 bulbs, I would venture to say this is the best option for swapping back if / when you want to, or if you get cited. Search the web, you will find lots of options.
http://www.racinglab.com/lujdmye.html
PLEASE READ the 'Notice to Consumer' at the bottom, they admit the bulbs are not legal. Most of the aftermarket vendors will have similar warnings or notices. Most of this stuff is not used by manufacturers because ... well, you can guess.
XPEL sells a yellow tint film, but it is very pale yellow and I suspect not the degree of yellowness you are thinking of.
Of course, if you eat a big old vitamin B pill and then wait a few hours, I think the color of the urine you fill your lights with will give you just the tint you are looking for.
If you can find some Colorchrome (used to be made by the POR-15 people) you can paint them, and they will be the same color as the famous cadmium yellow (now illegal) lenses that Porsche and other racing teams used in the 70's. I believe the color was Sunset Yellow, if memory serves - you used to be able to get it on eBay (haven't checked in awhile).
The Lamin-X will work, but it's not a deep vivid yellow. Better than nothing, I guess.
Are you looking to do this just for eye candy, or do you really want yellow light? The question is more involved that you think. Yellow light is easier on older eyes (longer wavelength); however, you'll need a bulb with a higher lumens output to equal the same perceived light output as a conventional halogen (my experience - a 55W XY or Yellowstar is noticeably dimmer than a standard halogen). I use Hella XY's, but I actually preferred the older Yellowstars. You may want to use 110W Yellowstars, assuming you have a wiring system to handle it. Otherwise, the XY's are the latest in 'all-weather' lighting. Order them from Susquehanna Motorsports.
I personally have used yellow bulbs for years and no one has ever given me a notice - there is no state standard that differentiates between yellow and amber (white) that I am aware of, in terms of bulbs. I won't even discuss Federal lighting standards.
I have a set of the Bosch yellow lenses on the E30, and their light out put on high beams isn't very good. It's a work in progress - I'll probably upgrade the bulbs at some point, but it's not on any priority list, since the car gets driven about once a month.
The Lamin-X will work, but it's not a deep vivid yellow. Better than nothing, I guess.
Are you looking to do this just for eye candy, or do you really want yellow light? The question is more involved that you think. Yellow light is easier on older eyes (longer wavelength); however, you'll need a bulb with a higher lumens output to equal the same perceived light output as a conventional halogen (my experience - a 55W XY or Yellowstar is noticeably dimmer than a standard halogen). I use Hella XY's, but I actually preferred the older Yellowstars. You may want to use 110W Yellowstars, assuming you have a wiring system to handle it. Otherwise, the XY's are the latest in 'all-weather' lighting. Order them from Susquehanna Motorsports.
I personally have used yellow bulbs for years and no one has ever given me a notice - there is no state standard that differentiates between yellow and amber (white) that I am aware of, in terms of bulbs. I won't even discuss Federal lighting standards.
I have a set of the Bosch yellow lenses on the E30, and their light out put on high beams isn't very good. It's a work in progress - I'll probably upgrade the bulbs at some point, but it's not on any priority list, since the car gets driven about once a month.