Black E36 Coupe-Amber Dilemma

[m3f_roarE36M3]

I have clears and I agree they seems a bit too bright. Almost like they are white at certain angles. I plan on getting a full set of smoke once my car is driveable. Then I will have my original ambers, clears and smoke... yikes.

[m3f_M_Parallel]

The clears are so bright because the backside of these units is grey, while the surroundings on the headlights is black. If BMW made the reflector smaller and would have made the rest around it black, they would have looked much better.



I'm for OEM, but when it comes to clears, aftermarket smoked units do look much better.

[m3f_Denton]

You're crazy to get rid of amber on any color, to me it's modifying for the sake of modifying. The E36 crew wasn't always like that but there was a shift almost ten years ago from smoked and clears to realizing the ambers separated the E36 from more modern cars, the way it should be.


Amber looks best on any color, seen them all.

[m3f_M_Parallel]

Well later models did came factory with clear lenses or used the original option for clear lenses, so it's not always a mod.

[m3f_vmbray]

I prefer amber


Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[m3f_kaiv]

Love your car Kaiv. I've followed every single one of your cars, and just made the jump into an E36 myself.



IMHO, I actually really like the ambers. Provides a great contrast





FYI, I had Umnitza taillights on my E46 a few years ago and was far from impressed.

Thanks! You car looks great. The paint looks excellent!

[m3f_Tock172]

I find that the amber vs clear/smoked dilemma is almost completely dependent upon the paint color and the owner's preference. When I owned my E46, I ran the clear 'Euro' lenses all around for nearly 3 years. The car was A08 Silvergrey Metallic and I loved the way the clears looked.



With my E36, I'm the exact opposite. I love the way the amber lenses contrast with the dark Techno Violet paint. I actually have a complete unused set of amber lenses laying in wait that were removed at 0 miles from a '95 M3 during Euro delivery.



If OP does decide to go with smoked, I think the best way to do it is to source a clean set of genuine clear lenses and apply some sort of laminate to them.

[m3f_98///M3]

It's a matter of personal taste, some will like it, some won't. I like the clears better on my car, but it's also not an irreversible modification. 30 minutes and I can be back to stock (including opening the boxes I have the stocks packed in). I bought my clears from DDM, but I don't really recommend them as a vendor. Their customer service is crap. I've had no experience with anything other than DEPO lights, but they're alright. They aren't OEM quality, but they don't look bad. DEPOs come clear or smoked, that's the route I'd go if I wanted to smoke them.

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

i loved my OEM clears on my cosmos





But i love my ambers on the Estroil

[m3f_Sammyzuko]

I think the bottom line is corner lights won't make or break the car. A good looking, clean E36 will look good with any of the corner light options (amber, clear, and smoked....but not blackout).


Changing them seems like a waste of money, but to each their own.

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

I don't like smoked or blackout. I think DEPO clears are fine if you just want to get it done but the true OEM clears are far superior and look better to me.

[m3f_Purie]

I went with EBay smoke diamonds clears. Cost was cheap and fitment was not that good and one of the tabs broke but you get what you pay for so I didn't mind.


[url=https://flic.kr/p/jrg6Lw]


Then added yellow LaminX to the fogs.


[url=https://flic.kr/p/jLAoGk]


Then didn't like the cheapness of everything and went back lol.


[url=https://flic.kr/p/jPFMHd]

[m3f_ramnazeri]

I used to be a big fan of clear, but now I actually really like ambers. I agree that it adds a pop to the car, especially TV/DV or Cosmos.





Also, this is an amazing shot. Looks like it was just off the showroom

[m3f_matty.]

Ambers look the best imho. Once in awhile clear works depending on paint color.



Smoke is easy. Testors model paint window tint ratttle can on OEM ambers /thread

[m3f_Alexandre]

Smoked all around for me. Was running ambers for a while, but they make the car look extremely dated imo. Clears are a no go for me, car looks like some some riced out civic (regardless of oem or not, personally not a fan).