Clear light and Angel Eye Conversion - The Project and Story

[bigcoose]

funkdude
Thanks for the compliments but it's not money and I don't really have time to do more sets, but rather I do it and other projects because I think it seems interesting and a challenge. I've done a second set for someone who 'lurks' on the board but does not post. I think my second set were even better as I managed to use US clear lenses that had an extra bulb in the corner, so now the repeaters with silver stealth bulbs illuminate the side too

Personally I'd say get a scrap light and just set about it with a dremel one Saturday, end up with a pile of bits and then see how you feel. I'd of course help, even if like now it's from an Edinburgh hotel or Wednesday from a London hotel...

Smokin. - I don't understand OEM AE. I've taken on to bits and it's nothing more than a back illuminated plastic ring. Odd way to have done it. LED's would be an easy change.

Next I actually fancy making a set of Audi style lights with a strip of LEDS in.

If someone tells me how to photograph an AE properly to show the ring and not a 'white out' I'll do it and post

cj,im sure that if you use a polarising filter on your new camera it should help towards getting a good shot.i took some of the moon using one and you can pick out all the seas etc.hope that works

 

[cj10jeeper]

funkdude
Thanks for the compliments but it's not money and I don't really have time to do more sets, but rather I do it and other projects because I think it seems interesting and a challenge. I've done a second set for someone who 'lurks' on the board but does not post. I think my second set were even better as I managed to use US clear lenses that had an extra bulb in the corner, so now the repeaters with silver stealth bulbs illuminate the side too

Personally I'd say get a scrap light and just set about it with a dremel one Saturday, end up with a pile of bits and then see how you feel. I'd of course help, even if like now it's from an Edinburgh hotel or Wednesday from a London hotel...

Smokin. - I don't understand OEM AE. I've taken on to bits and it's nothing more than a back illuminated plastic ring. Odd way to have done it. LED's would be an easy change.

Next I actually fancy making a set of Audi style lights with a strip of LEDS in.

If someone tells me how to photograph an AE properly to show the ring and not a 'white out' I'll do it and post

cj,im sure that if you use a polarising filter on your new camera it should help towards getting a good shot.i took some of the moon using one and you can pick out all the seas etc.hope that works

Cool - thanks - that's been suggested in my camera thread so sounds like the way to go

 

[peddy]

I'll be following this guide soon! I have my two clear headlights now and also two orange headlights (Thanks Dreamer ), so I don't have to work on my own current ones.

 

[czechT698]

http://www.zroadster.com/forum/bmw_z4_roadster_e85/28514-angel_eyes_visiatec_prefl_eingebaut-37_pics.html


http://www.zroadster.com/forum/bmw_z4_roadster_e85/57291-verabschiede_mich_neues_projekt_gestartet.html



Found this today... Anyone speak german????

 

[cj10jeeper]

Interesting stuff and a good find.

The first one appears to be a rather crude effort. simply taking the rear of the light out then using 12 v LED's with resistors to fit intot he ends of partial rings that illuminate. I'm not impressed by either the extensive amount of black shield at the top edge or the fastening using 3 wire rings. The advantage is no need to cannibalise spare lights to do it.

The second is an almost perfect copy of what I did. Same cutting up of the lights, drilling points in the housing, type of ccfl, ring and wiring.

You can translate web pages here, but a picture tells a thousand words:
http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/

 

[peddy]

first link

hi people!

which last long .....
after I had left me for so long time, I present to you below few pics.

thank you for the opportunity to utze who has me for a few weeks old lent his headlights.

at standlicht very good result.
However, the low beam on, we see nothing of the struggle - but that probably is because I have taken some more resistors than were delivered - even though, according to the Visiatec leds last long even with the supplied to.

but since it is a pretty tedious work, I wanted to play it safe and took the strongest.
with resistances Visiatec the result would be brighter

Total should do that only if one has a lot of time and even one or two times the cut, soldered and screwed has. it is already quite a fiddling needed to single out the reflector and back reinzubekommen

Notwithstanding visiatecs manual I have also closed down two rings fitted, so that the cable does not see implementation below - that are above the holes .....

if anyone is considering to incorporate the dinger, then you still need the following additional matters:

* Cable
* Wire (fixed to the rings)
* Washers (where I used washers)

than I have been torn from 2 leds the beinchen (the kink), I got sent from Visiatec unhesitatingly new.
even where the service was always prompt to fix.

However, I do believe that I would eventually build to the next car, as it is .... but at least draws the solder the leds

for which I now know how it goes, I would probably be able, together with both headlights off / Instalation convert the z4 in one day without any problems ".
Otherwise you should plan for 2 days for conversion, so that nothing breaks, etc.

Now see for yourself how things look:

second link

STATUS: This weekend:

Sorry for the bad quality, I think this weekend I put more purely images, he now sit at foiling and tomorrow for pickup .. is a very very horny Black man, am super happy and relieved that I like and the right color between white, was black, shiny and matt!
But now the pictures, I hope that you like it .......
Dents + Steinsläge out-plated-verfüllert-sanded. Base is created
(Winter 225-255) Monday kommts gear clean, fresh oil, brake fluid, new ESD track panels 2nd headlights. Red brake calipers, Grille in the M-Front, Mirrors, Xenon control and then he is ready erstmal .. 19 inch rims in March, the M6.

 

[czechT698]

Thanks guys! I could not sleep so i decided to flip through all the 80 pages of the german forum. White front indicators pops up a few times and lot of people have them but I could not find any decent instructions. I also see a lot of converted Z here in CZ leading me to the opinion that people dont do it the "CJ" way but butcher it with a dremmel and seal it back together once they are done. I am surprised as I thought thats nearly impossible

 

[czechT698]

I might join the german forum and ask them nicely how its all done in english or whatever :lol:

 

[peddy]

Thanks guys! I could not sleep so i decided to flip through all the 80 pages of the german forum. White front indicators pops up a few times and lot of people have them but I could not find any decent instructions. I also see a lot of converted Z here in CZ leading me to the opinion that people dont do it the "CJ" way but butcher it with a dremmel and seal it back together once they are done. I am surprised as I thought thats nearly impossible

I'll be doing this once I find the time, so i'll try go further with CJ's project write up and do a proper How-To.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Thanks guys! I could not sleep so i decided to flip through all the 80 pages of the german forum. White front indicators pops up a few times and lot of people have them but I could not find any decent instructions. I also see a lot of converted Z here in CZ leading me to the opinion that people dont do it the "CJ" way but butcher it with a dremmel and seal it back together once they are done. I am surprised as I thought thats nearly impossible

Actually I'm pretty sure it could be done that way without too much difficulty. If you run a cutting wheel along the line between the black and clear lens it will cut it off for sure. The join will always be weaker relying on a narrow butt joint, rather thand a flange and will look tacky when you open the bonnet, but it will work.

I like perfection though and when I did it was able to pick up sacrificial lights for £10 to £20 each on Ebay, so not an issue.

 

[czechT698]

Thanks guys! I could not sleep so i decided to flip through all the 80 pages of the german forum. White front indicators pops up a few times and lot of people have them but I could not find any decent instructions. I also see a lot of converted Z here in CZ leading me to the opinion that people dont do it the "CJ" way but butcher it with a dremmel and seal it back together once they are done. I am surprised as I thought thats nearly impossible

Actually I'm pretty sure it could be done that way without too much difficulty. If you run a cutting wheel along the line between the black and clear lens it will cut it off for sure. The join will always be weaker relying on a narrow butt joint, rather thand a flange and will look tacky when you open the bonnet, but it will work.

I like perfection though and when I did it was able to pick up sacrificial lights for £10 to £20 each on Ebay, so not an issue.

Thats what I was thinking of doing! It is a little crude, but could be nicely re-sealed using the "glue" which is used for laminating pieces of canvas when doing bodywork as it becomes very plactic like and tough once it dries. BTW, you are famous on the forum, people quoted this link about 4x there One thing about the indicators, can the dealer provide a new white plastic "hockey stick"? If not, can the orange one just be removed and the light refitted "naked"?

 

[czechT698]

I'll be doing this once I find the time, so i'll try go further with CJ's project write up and do a proper How-To.

I will go over it with a friend who is german speaking as these guys have allergies for keeping their cars OEM or whatever, we could learn a lot of interesting stuff. And good luck for your project! Keep us posted as this whole headlight thing is an interesting issue as a lot of people (me included) get bothered by the absence of angel eyes and those orange indicators

 

[cj10jeeper]

Pan Europe fame clearly the second link is a copy of the work I did. Even down to the size, type of ccfl tube and how/where they are fitted, holes for the wires, etc. Delighted if it helped them.

No the lens is not a separate component as the light is sold as a complete unit. You cannot rebuild without it as it would leave a big gap between the silver reflector and the lower edge of the light. I'm sure you could create a moulding to fill it but it would tke a lot of effort to get right. You could perhaps get someone to cast some??

Shame as on my X5 I improved the look simply by removing the amber and leaving a clear indicator (and of course AE ):

From this:

to This:

 

[czechT698]

cj10jeeper, ahhhh, now I see the importance of getting a second set for dissecting... What I would do then is spray the whole orange thing with a black tinting spray of cover it with a foil to prevent ageing - this would hide the orange when it does not flash and would be original. Might look reasonable, as I want to go for a matte black wrap next year BTW, good job on the X5, looks nicer but the absence of anything on the indicator does seem a little strange on a second look

 

[cj10jeeper]

It's just the angle of the photo as the whole corner is all chrome, just looks black or 'dead' in this shot.

This might show it better:

BTW - you've got to remember this is a 9 year old car with over 90k miles on the clock, so not too shabby

 

[czechT698]

cj10jeeper, yes thats a better picture... Gotta admit that it did freshen the car up quite a bit... Is it the 3.0d? So far happy with the engine? My dad wants to go for the new X5 with diesel as our Touareg V6 petrol is probably haunted, so far we paid over 2000euros for repairs but the problem is still there (crappy starts and misfires) and the dealer decided to do a "plug and play or fail" method of fixing - tomorow its going for the fuel pumps. :x

 

[cj10jeeper]

3.0i sport petrol.
Diesel is a better bet economy wise, but I've loved this from the day I had her new. Tows my Jeeps like a dream and can cruise all day long
New X5 is too big for me now and way too expensive.

 

[sandere85]

here is the dutch link again

http://www.z3forum.nl/index.php?showtopic=7866&hl=koplampen

gr sander

 

[Leon_in_uk]

Im in Tamworth, how much to fit on mine buddy? 8)

 

[ranski]

I'm not brave enought to be pulling the lights apart, but i found these on ebay if anyone is up for doing this mod

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-ANGEL-EYES-/260635841071?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3caf1b522f