E34 touring tail light Question

[milenium99]

Can anyone tell me the difference between the sedan and touring taillights. Other than the obvious 4-bolt housing for the touring and 3-bolt for the sedan. Everything else looks about the same size. I really want led tails and don't feel like making them it's a pita. So I'm wondering if I can just swap the back pieces that bolt in to the car? Or if anyone knows any other way feel free to chime in.

[LouieD]

Nope. They are different. It is the torment of all Touring owners. About the only thing that I know of is that their are clear turn lenses available in Europe that require cutting out the existing amber lens and bonding the clear back in... oh and they will cost you a left testicle.

[milenium99]

but how are they different? the size and bulb location appears identical but idk if I'm missing anything else. Looking for led e34 tails and stock touring tails :)

[free740il]

3: what kind of taillights can i get for my Touring?

None. Seriously. It is DIY paint mods like, red-ed turns (http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/Tail_light.htm) or DIY smoked tails (http://www.350z-tech.com/zwiki/Tutorial:Smoking_Taillights) or leave em OEM.
The rumours are not true, there were never OEM clears in Europe or South Africa, or OZ, or Japan, or anywhere else.
Hella never made any clears or smoked lenses for Tourings, and there are so few Tourings that the Ebay guys don't make them either. And no, sedan lights don't fit the Touring, outer or inner... sorry!
---"But I have seen pictures!" you say?---
Radicast in Sweden once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, made clear rear turn signal lenses you could glue in after carefully cutting out the oem amber turns, but those were the only 'aftermarket' lenses ever made for them... They WERE NLA and never came up for sale anywhere.

-UPDATE- Looks like as of today 9/14/08 that radicast is offering them again on their website. (http://www.radicast.se/cgi-bin/ibutik/AIR_ibutik.pl?funk=visa_artikel&artgrp=428&artnr=E34T&visa=1-30&Sort=Varumarke&Visn=Std)
Elekta notes the price in dollars is about $180+ shipping from sweden.

[LouieD]

but how are they different? the size and bulb location appears identical but idk if I'm missing anything else. Looking for led e34 tails and stock touring tails :)
size and shape...they are ever so slightly different that it fools the eye... cruel joke by those boys in BMW land.

[ShapeShifter]

Nothing wrong with the stockers. They are perfect.

I feel bad for guys who need to do these things.
IMHO, clears, LEDs, and in most cases smoked do nothing
for the car. Other than say "I wanna be a race car, but this is as
close as I can get".

Don't do it!

[milenium99]

Nothing wrong with the stockers. They are perfect.

I feel bad for guys who need to do these things.
IMHO, clears, LEDs, and in most cases smoked do nothing
for the car. Other than say "I wanna be a race car, but this is as
close as I can get".

Don't do it!

Yeah but led's came stock on my bro's m3 and they look great so much better than none leds IMO.

[ShapeShifter]

Install LEDs behind the stock lenses.
They do emit light much quicker than incadecnt bulbs.

[LouieD]

Install LEDs behind the stock lenses.
They do emit light much quicker than incadecnt bulbs.
I believe that was part of the original reasoning in the first post. Not wanting to have to take apart the OE lamps to install LED's, he asked if there was an aftermarket alternative. I have considered the same thing. Take apart the original lamps to do some LED's but not until I get a full set of lenses as back up.

[milenium99]

Install LEDs behind the stock lenses.
They do emit light much quicker than incadecnt bulbs.

That's what I want.

[adriver]

just keep in mind if you do a LED setup, there are many here who would like a DIY writeup.

[milenium99]

just keep in mind if you do a LED setup, there are many here who would like a DIY writeup.


Gone the diy route on my eclipse not worth the trouble most likely gonna transplant the sedan LEDs to the touring housing definitely do a writeup once I get the parts