Bmw Modifications
05-28-2007, 06:09 PM
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Just thought I would start a generic thread for all my modifications to my Bimmer.. both past, present, and future.
I will start off with the one I am currently sortof working on. HID foglights.
Ever since I updated my BMW to projector lights (elipsoidal to be technical) and an HID kit.. both the highbeams and the fogs have been all but rendered useless. Especially the fogs. The highs can at least project some light upwards (and will mimic the lows once I put a bluish lamp inside them)
The fogs are totally useless.. not that they were that good to begin with.
So I spent an ass load of money to build something that would work better.
As you may or may not know, the E36 bmw uses a plastic lense over the actual headlights (the european units I have use glass). To help mimic this look I went out and bought a set of "ebay clear fogs" basically a supposedly "direct energy" style fog light that uses the reflector to project the beam down the road and all the lense is for is to protect the lamp inside it. To be honest they are crap and took terrible.. but that is not why I bought them.
The ebay clear fogs:
I have since removed the clear lenses from them and once the new real fogs come in, they will get totally gutted to fit these..
The Hella Micro DE fog light. at only a little over 2 inches in diameter, they JUST fit within the confines of the stock (and ebay) lamp housings. Once they come in (just ordered them tonight (5.28) I will be cutting the back out of the ebay fogs to fit the hella unit inside, and then before epoxying them into place, painting the reflectors on the ebay fogs black. All closed up, they should mimic my headlights exactly.
Now for the third part (already up to $180 bucks here.. $120 for the Hella units and $60 for the ebay fogs) I bought a set of HID units that use the H3 lamp. This will fit inside the Hella fogs and should make them just as bright as the HID headlights without all the glare of using them in the stock (or ebay) fogs.
now I am up to $330 for just a set of fog lights.. nobody ever said that modifying a car was cheap.
The other bad part.. with my crazy (and busy) work schedule.. I only have off monday evenings and saturday and sunday mornings.. (yes, I am working 72 hours a week now) so getting these finished might take a whole summer.. but I hope not
I will start off with the one I am currently sortof working on. HID foglights.
Ever since I updated my BMW to projector lights (elipsoidal to be technical) and an HID kit.. both the highbeams and the fogs have been all but rendered useless. Especially the fogs. The highs can at least project some light upwards (and will mimic the lows once I put a bluish lamp inside them)
The fogs are totally useless.. not that they were that good to begin with.
So I spent an ass load of money to build something that would work better.
As you may or may not know, the E36 bmw uses a plastic lense over the actual headlights (the european units I have use glass). To help mimic this look I went out and bought a set of "ebay clear fogs" basically a supposedly "direct energy" style fog light that uses the reflector to project the beam down the road and all the lense is for is to protect the lamp inside it. To be honest they are crap and took terrible.. but that is not why I bought them.
The ebay clear fogs:
I have since removed the clear lenses from them and once the new real fogs come in, they will get totally gutted to fit these..
The Hella Micro DE fog light. at only a little over 2 inches in diameter, they JUST fit within the confines of the stock (and ebay) lamp housings. Once they come in (just ordered them tonight (5.28) I will be cutting the back out of the ebay fogs to fit the hella unit inside, and then before epoxying them into place, painting the reflectors on the ebay fogs black. All closed up, they should mimic my headlights exactly.
Now for the third part (already up to $180 bucks here.. $120 for the Hella units and $60 for the ebay fogs) I bought a set of HID units that use the H3 lamp. This will fit inside the Hella fogs and should make them just as bright as the HID headlights without all the glare of using them in the stock (or ebay) fogs.
now I am up to $330 for just a set of fog lights.. nobody ever said that modifying a car was cheap.
The other bad part.. with my crazy (and busy) work schedule.. I only have off monday evenings and saturday and sunday mornings.. (yes, I am working 72 hours a week now) so getting these finished might take a whole summer.. but I hope not
05-28-2007, 09:30 PM
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not for the fogs. I have HIDs in the low beams already. To do it properly though, I needed to upgrade to the european headlights as US spec are just regular lamps, not projectors.
I just want to make my fogs actually worth something again
I just want to make my fogs actually worth something again
05-29-2007, 05:09 AM
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it's a 96 318ti. The very rare hatchback. Rather unloved when new, it has found new life among enthusiasts for it's (relative) light weight and nimble handling. It is one of the only models from the E36 range (92 to 99) that is actually holding it's value