Lovin' the Lamin-x

[DeanP]

I recently installed the yellow Lamin-x on my headlights and I am very happy with the look.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/FrontLightsHB.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/FrontLowAngle.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/OneLight.jpg

It was way too easy. $30 bucks and 10-15 minutes to install.

[Ghery]

Why on the headlights?

[LWRNCE]

I think it only looks good on white cars... But thats still cool though.

[DeanP]

Why on the headlights?

Partly for appearance, that ALMS GT class racer look, and partly for visibility in bad weather.

[potomac]

looks more apropriate on the fogs.

[DeanP]

Can't disagree with you there. Someday when I get foglights I'll probably put it on them too.

[StealthBimmer]

Ive got blue lamin-x on my fogs, clear on headlights.

[DeanP]

Ive got blue lamin-x on my fogs, clear on headlights.

Yours is a nice look, especially with your corners. I was kinda hoping the Lamin-x would blend a little more with the amber corners, but it didn't.

[StealthBimmer]

Yours is a nice look, especially with your corners. I was kinda hoping the Lamin-x would blend a little more with the amber corners, but it didn't.
personnaly, i think it makes the lights look old. As if the lenses turned yellow over time. I would get some ellipsoids, then put them on, and clear/smoked corners

[tfab]

lets see some pics with the lights off.

[infamous]

i got yellow lamin x on my fogs too

[Ghery]

yellow lamin-x on fogs on dakar is soooo hot

[DeanP]

lets see some pics with the lights off.

I get a daytime shot with lights off.

[MJFX328]

I get a daytime shot with lights off.

Post it. I was thinkin bout doin this a while ago.. still undecided.

[infamous]

yellow lamin-x on fogs on dakar is soooo hot

thanks

[StealthBimmer]

Post it. I was thinkin bout doin this a while ago.. still undecided.
i dont think it looks right on an e36, espicaly with stock headlights. MAYBE with ellipsoids. But on e46's it looks badass

[DeanP]

But on e46's it looks badass

Case in point. You're right it's killer.

[bmw m3 s50]

Does that lower the light output if you have HIDS, I was thinking of putting on blue lamin-x on the headlights! Any pics of that? With and without lights on!

[GEN3RIC]

Now someone tell me how this helps visibility in bad weather?

My logic tells me that any film placed over the lense, is one more layer the light has to travel through, and is only going to decrease light output.

[LUCIAN]

Yellow light pierces the fog better.

[toddman35]

My logic tells me that any film placed over the lense, is one more layer the light has to travel through, and is only going to decrease light output.

Precisely. The less bright the light is, the less light there is to reflect back at you off of the water droplets in the air. Try using your high beams when it's snowing or raining, same principle.

[GEN3RIC]

That's good hearsy but where is the technical side of this idea?

I just dont get it. I want to see charts and data graphs. :)

[infamous]

Yellow light pierces the fog better.


yes sir

[GEN3RIC]

Precisely. The less bright the light is, the less light there is to reflect back at you off of the water droplets in the air. Try using your high beams when it's snowing or raining, same principle.
That makes no sense either.. The reason its harder to see in a storm with High beams on is because the projection is higher, so you're seeing "through" more droplets.

If less light is good, then why not turning the lights off? See where this makes no sense...?

[GEN3RIC]

yes sir
Your opinion doesn't count, you just like yellow! :laugh

[infamous]

Your opinion doesn't count, you just like yellow! :laugh

and..it also looks better on the road...the white light in the middle and the yellow light on the left and the right.. :embarrasm

[GEN3RIC]

Sure man. I'd just like to see some technical data not just "it looks better" ! :D

[StealthBimmer]

Sure man. I'd just like to see some technical data not just "it looks better" ! :D
yellow does cut thro fog better. It has a purpose, but in this case just isnt going to do it very well.

[toddman35]

Well, I did some research on this and found that I was partially wrong. Basically water droplets as well as smaller fog droplets are still to big to scatter light based on the wavelength, however by filtering out the blue (lowering output) and creating yellow, there is less light to reflect back to you, creating less glare and giving the mental perception of greater visibility. This is why the high beams (in combination with water droplets scattering the light more) aren't better in the fog or rain.


When air particles become very small, the situation is more complicated because not all wavelengths are affected equally. Air molecules, for example, scatter short wavelengths (blue) may more, making the sky blue. This is why some experts advocate yellow fog lights. They believe that blue scatters more and that removing blue (to produce yellow) reduces the ability of fog to scatter lights. However, this is a mistake for two reasons. First, fog droplets are still far too large to selectively scatter light of different wavelengths, so yellow scatters the same as blue. Second, filtering the fog lights to produce yellow lowers their output and actually reduces visibility.


When light strikes the raindrops, only a portion passes through while the rest scatters. The rain therefore blocks some of the light reflected by objects and less reaches the driver's eye.


Some of the headlamp light becomes "backscatter," light reflected back by rain to the driver's eyes. The backscatter acts as a veil and reduces contrast of everything in the field of view. The rain then blocks light coming back from objects in the road while simultaneous lowering their contrast by the veiling effects of backscatter. Backscatter also creates glare, which is defined as light much brighter than the driver's level of dark adaptation. Glare creates visual discomfort and lowers the ability to see contrast. Glare can impair vision for all drivers, but is especially bad for older people.


Fog lights work by capitalizing on the basic principle, "angle of incidence equals angle of reflection." They are mounted low and project light directly along the road. As a result, there is little scatter back to the eye.

Credits go to Marc Green. (http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/weather.html)

[DeanP]

That is some neat info you posted. The morning after I installed them was kinda bad, but it "seemed" like I had better visibility. I was probably just fooling myself, justifying my purchase. Like guys who put a K&N filter in their car and think it "feels" faster. Anyway, we have had nice weather since then. But I am sure more gloomy days and nights are ahead.

[J4K2onE46]

Where can you get this Lamin-x?

[DeanP]

www.lamin-x.com They sell direct.

[StealthBimmer]

or www.umnitza.com

[infamous]

buy it from lamin-x. they sell the actual cut outs for the e36 fogs, so you wouldnt have to cut the peices yourself so they would fit...i wish i knew that before i bought the regular ones where i have to cut them myself

[StealthBimmer]

buy it from lamin-x. they sell the actual cut outs for the e36 fogs, so you wouldnt have to cut the peices yourself so they would fit...i wish i knew that before i bought the regular ones where i have to cut them myself
so does umnitza

[infamous]

but which is cheaper...Laminx-X offers it around 25 shipped

[infamous]

i guess they both come out to the same price

[StealthBimmer]

i guess they both come out to the same price
umnitza sells for 10 bux clear http://www.umnitza.com/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=119&osCsid=9229dc85e6a3264b91c4c92ba03540d9
19 bux blue http://www.umnitza.com/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=127
19 yellow
http://www.umnitza.com/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=128

[infamous]

I SAAAAAAAAID "i guess they both come out to the same price"

But Lamin X sells em for 25 shipped while umnitza sells em for 28 shipped..

25>28 for a whopping $3 savings :wow :wow :wow

[E30 Racer]

http://community.webshots.com/user/forker106

A couple pics are in the 1989 325is album...

[StealthBimmer]

I SAAAAAAAAID "i guess they both come out to the same price"

But Lamin X sells em for 25 shipped while umnitza sells em for 28 shipped..

25>28 for a whopping $3 savings :wow :wow :wow
hey man... 3 bux is a lot :shifty

[infamous]

yeah..you can get a gallon and some of Gas..

[DeanP]

http://community.webshots.com/user/forker106

A couple pics are in the 1989 325is album...

Nice pictures of a nice car. The yellow looks great. Do you any input on if it helps your visibility during bad weather?

[AvusBluR]

Pics of the lights during the daytime?

[StealthBimmer]

yeah..you can get a gallon and some of Gas..
barely a gallon.

[DeanP]

I finally got around around to taking a daytime picture of the lights. I also smoked my corners and turn signal side markers on the fenders. I didn't like the contrast of the yellow Lamin-x and the amber. I used VHT Nite-Shades, now it is now all black.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/RightCornerSmoked.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/LeftCornerSmoked.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/dport135/FrontSmoked.jpg

[BMW_7]

How will it look with 6000k HID?? Will the HID be greenish??

I am seriously thinking about ordering it too, I think it will look GREAT with amber corners.

here is my car

http://we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr?i=wNjQ3NjU0NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D

[DeanP]

I don't know about the HID combo. You might get green lights. I didn't like the contrast with the amber corners, but you might. I love you airdam/spoiler.

[T///Mac325is]

actually man, with the lights off, those lights look pretty 'snazzy'. ive always been fond of having the bluish and purple shades coming out of HIDs on bmw lights, but i like your style too. sets your car apart from all the rest, props on being unique. and props for everyone being respectful in this thread, i read a lot of the others and was expecting people to be flaming about yellow lamin-x

[DeanP]

Thanks