Poll: Thinking of going clear in the indicator dept....

[Scania]

Neither is essential so I guess its whichever most improves your 'driving experience'

Looks like you have your heart set on your sound system

That crack isnt really all that bad tbh.

Its not like there isnt anything left of the light cover

GO CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmm,

The lamp is slowly starting to build up condensation on its inside due to the crack, I've been told this will fail the MOT (thats due in August) I'm not convinced.

As for what would improve my experience of driving the car, it has to be the stereo upgrade I guess.
From behind the wheel it makes no difference what the lights etc look like.

If the conversion made my car look like a later 2000> model, I'd be tempted sorely.

But, To do the conversion properly, on an e38, believe it or not, requires 2 front wings, later indicators, headlamps and an altered front panel !

I don't want to make my car look "chavved" in any respect.

The first thing I look for if I see an e38 BMW is if its got the later wing design & front lamps, I'm purist when it comes to my car.

 

[Scania]

What does a de-tangoed one look like? Was it ever an OEM option?

Note different wing & headlamp style. Subtle, but its there.

This is why theres no "OEM" upgrade, not without new wings 'n all.

This car is the earlier model,like mine, check the different panels !

 

[NickXX]

Do it, definately do it.

Adds about another 2 tonnes of class. If you don't do it, at least change your headlamp lenses. My old ones were stone chipped. Replacing them gave them a the front end a new refreshed look.

 

[Smiley Man]

totally unlreated - but where did you get your "no smoking" sign? i want one for my car

 

[[TW]Fox]

Have you changed to clear side repeators since this pic Fox?

Nope

I didn't berate him for Orange indicators, more not having the nice post-facelift front and rear lights, which REALLY makes a difference to the E38.

Saw a lovely post-facelift one today with Dechrome and 18" Style 37's. Looked much more modern than the prefacelift ones.

 

[Scania]

totally unlreated - but where did you get your "no smoking" sign? i want one for my car

Non smoking table in a truckstop !

 

[Scania]

Nope

I didn't berate him for Orange indicators, more not having the nice post-facelift front and rear lights, which REALLY makes a difference to the E38.

Saw a lovely post-facelift one today with Dechrome and 18" Style 37's. Looked much more modern than the prefacelift ones.

Ahh, but as per my post a few above this, its getting the conversion done correctly, with the new wings etc, that puts me off, the facelifted models iirc, get the new wings etc. - Or, am I wrong in this mate?

I'm looking at ,ballpark £230, for a lamp set thats still obviously on the earlier car.

What I need to do is sell and get a >2000 model I suppose.

 

[Smiley Man]

Non smoking table in a truckstop !

i will have to see if theres any at service stations etc then, i think one mounted on the dash will give people the right message

 

[Scania]

i will have to see if theres any at service stations etc then, i think one mounted on the dash will give people the right message

The sign did'nt do much with my mate, leaving him behind did the trick though!

 

[Scania]

Thanks for the Poll Dons.

 

[Freefaller]

Thanks for the Poll Dons.

You're welcome

Without knowing how bad the audio is I would say go for de-tango, however it does seem excessively expensive to do that :/ Which would you appreciate more? I'm undecided as to the vote.

 

[Scania]

You're welcome

Without knowing how bad the audio is I would say go for de-tango, however it does seem excessively expensive to do that :/ Which would you appreciate more? I'm undecided as to the vote.

Its not bad by any stretch, but, as I say in the OP, a bit more punch to the bass & mid range certainly would'nt go amiss.

I understand about the de-tango, but, would be inclined to do it correctly, which in real terms would mean selling the car and buying a later model ( hopefully one with the DSP Sound system which is very good i thought) then again, selling a car I'm perfectly happy with for cosmetic reasons is just the daft sort of thing I tend to do!

I'm away for the rest of the week in my brand new truck (Thread / Review coming once I've got some snaps of it & actually driven it more than 3 miles!)
I'll give it some consideration.

My Music tastes are Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, John Martyn etc etc I like to listen loud, but , am undecided if an amp / bass box is the way to go with that sort of music. - Pink Floyd sounds crap on my mates system in his car, which plays drum & bass superbly.

Any thoughts apprteciated.

 

[Zip]

Why is just replacing the orange with clear lenses not the "Correct" way to do it?

Its not chaving the car up unless you put lexarse lights on it

 

[Scania]

Why is just replacing the orange with clear lenses not the "Correct" way to do it?

Its not chaving the car up unless you put lexarse lights on it

To upgrade the lights on an e38 from 98Spec (like mine) to 2000 Spec (Clear Indicators) requires new front wings, headlamps ,indicators & front panel to do properly, circa £1500 @ BMW !

BMW being the people they are decided to re-design the later lights / wings etc to stop people like me upgrading an older car.

Purists will still know mine is a <2000 model. Thats why.

 

[[TW]Fox]

BMW being the people they are decided to re-design the later lights / wings etc to stop people like me upgrading an older car.

I dont think thats why they did it - when E39 was facelifted at the same time they didn't do that..

 

[Zip]

To upgrade the lights on an e38 from 98Spec (like mine) to 2000 Spec (Clear Indicators) requires new front wings, headlamps ,indicators & front panel to do properly, circa £1500 @ BMW !

BMW being the people they are decided to re-design the later lights / wings etc to stop people like me upgrading an older car.

Purists will still know mine is a <2000 model. Thats why.

Surely you can just get the clear lights for your pre-facelift car?
Some compony must make them

 

[ob1]

If you sold off the old parts is it still 240 or you can keep your old parts and swap it back when you sell it maybe

 

[lordrobs]

Just do the fronts IMO as they stand out a bit, the rest looks fine as it is.

The side repeaters don't stick out and the backs you can think about if you need to change the cracked one but they look fine in my eyes.

 

[Scania]

I dont think thats why they did it - when E39 was facelifted at the same time they didn't do that..

After starting this thread, I asked my Dad about his e39 as it has upgraded front lights, but, the indicators are different to the later e39's, he told me he'd asked BMW about upgrading his e39 to late spec, they said pretty much what I did - That they (BMW) deliberately alter cosmetic parts when designing facelifts for current models, thus instantly creating a marked (if subtle) difference between the earlier & later examples.
Effectively, make a perfectly good car "yesterdays model" and give a car a mid production cycle boost in sales by subtle (but not too expensive to tool etc) design modifications.

Hence the reason many cosmetic & lighting parts from a late e38 or e39 are not interchangeable with a pre-facelift model. Also, in a few cases, parts that can look the same, no longer fit due to changed mountings / wiring plugs etc.

They make it as hard as possible to upgrade an early car, they'd rather sell some cars to people silly enough to change for the sake of a makeover (as the e39 is the same car underneath more or less since it first appeared) rather than have a surge in headlamp / bumper / indicators from the parts dept but sales dropping off for the model itself.

My Dads e39 whilst having re-styled front lights still looks ,to me, wrong. I'm reluctant / wary of giving my e38 the same "wrong look"

 

[-westy-]

Which change would you notice more: changing the indicators, or upgrading your car audio? I know which one i'd go for, and its also the one which could make driving more pleasurable.