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Thread: Help me identify these headlights!

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    92 735iL (12/1991)

    Help me identify these headlights!

    Hi all, been forever since I posted here Used to have an E34, now looking to purchase an E32. I found a great 91 735iL for sale near here. I'm about to pull the trigger but had a question about the headlights. A lot of you know these cars inside out so I'd appreciate your help!

    What are the outer headlights? They look like NOS lights made by Hella. But where are the typical projector lights with the darker centers? I question if the car had the front end rebuilt because the lights look so different than other E32's. Does anyone know what I'm looking at? Thanks!

    BMW15.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    89'750iL,98'740iL,00'M5
    To me it looks like the outer lamp is the actual high beam lamp in the wrong place. The other lamp is different than the usual outer low beam, NOS lights look a bit different I believe. Strange look but I really think they are backwards. I could be wrong, but never seen anything like this.


    Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

    BMW 7er Website www.7er.com
    1989 BMW 735i Schwarz (sadly, sold) // 1989 BMW 750iL Cirrusblau Metallic // 1998 BMW 740iL Oxfordgrün Metallic // 2000 M5 Carbon Schwarz ///

  3. #3
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    Glad to know I am not the only perplexed one! Thank you for commenting. I will have access to the service records Thursday, I will be on the lookout for any lighting issues.

  4. #4
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    '92 BMW 735i(W/383 GM)
    My '92 735i (build 10/91) did not have projector type

  5. #5
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    Interesting, the car I'm looking at has a production date of 1991-12-10. How did the lights perform at night?

  6. #6
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    Found another 735i without projectors: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ape-SoCal-2500

    I wonder what the story is with these? Maybe someone with an original sales brochure would know.


  7. #7
    Join Date
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    1990 735I (E32) M30
    Your outside lamps should look like this. It's an Ellipsoid low beam. Your inner high beams look correct. If you want to add light without converting to Euro H1 bulbs you can buy PIAA extreme white 9005 and 9006 for both high and low beams. They put out 4000 kelvin and project much better than the factory bulbs. Was the best upgrade I ever made. Not sure what you have as far as the low beams go but they should look like this. I just realized you're in Canada. Maybe you have Euro bulbs. That would be a completely different set up.
    Last edited by CroughtonE32; 06-12-2018 at 06:51 PM.
    1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
    1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
    1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
    https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT







  8. #8
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    Are they just "free forms"? My 92 525iT has free forms, not Ellipsoids. Some model years went to the free form and then back to the Ellipsoid. My fog lights (driving lights) were free forms also, but some one wanted them so I sold them and installed some Ellipsoids I had. They use different plugs. Different bulbs too I think.

    I like them.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by m735is View Post
    Are they just "free forms"? My 92 525iT has free forms, not Ellipsoids. Some model years went to the free form and then back to the Ellipsoid. My fog lights (driving lights) were free forms also, but some one wanted them so I sold them and installed some Ellipsoids I had. They use different plugs. Different bulbs too I think.

    I like them.
    Whichever lenze you've got, if you're looking for a really nice upgrade check these out for both low and high beams. You won't believe the difference. Over the years I've tried every bulb advertised. Even spoke to Shogun about doing an H1 Euro conversion but realized I wouldn't get much of a change. These 4000 Kelvin bulbs just plug in with a 1/4 turn. All four done in less than 5 minutes. Could not wait for it to get dark and could not believe the difference in the projection. And not just because the bulbs are much whiter, they throw out a beam so much further and my low and high beams are 28 years old.


    1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
    1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
    1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
    https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT







  10. #10
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    Thanks for the tip CroughtonE32, much appreciated. I planned on improving the light output of the E32 without affecting the OEM appearance (no aftermarket headlights!) so I will most likely go with that option. Do you have a picture of your car with these bulbs installed by any chance?

    Did you install a similar bulb in the fog lights?
    Last edited by Cactuar; 06-13-2018 at 11:26 PM.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cactuar View Post
    Thanks for the tip CroughtonE32, much appreciated. I planned on improving the light output of the E32 without affecting the OEM appearance (no aftermarket headlights!) so I will most likely go with that option. Do you have a picture of your car with these bulbs installed by any chance?

    Did you install a similar bulb in the fog lights?
    This is the front end of my car. Looks the same as it did with the factory bulbs. If I took a shot at night with the lights on you'd just see a whiter light than the factory bulb. But they throw off a much longer beam. I never replaced the fog light bulbs. They've been working fine since I bought the car 28 years ago.

    Last edited by CroughtonE32; 06-14-2018 at 10:18 AM.
    1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
    1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
    1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
    https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT







  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Lincoln, NE
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    91 735iL
    I've had the free forms, ellipsoids, and now an upgraded projector setup. Ellipsoid work well over the free forms. Has a much longer and precise throw over the free forms. Plus you can get them for cheap since e30, e34s, and e32s used them. I got mine off an e34 in a yard. I would recommend as an upgrade! Went a different route for the bulbs with using a Morimoto 9006 HID system with 5500k bulbs. Worked really well with the stock Ellipsoid projectors.

    I wanted to use a more modern projector so, I took out the stock projector and modified the bucket to accept the Morimoto Mini H1 7.0 projector. Also used new glass meant for the projectors (surprisingly there is a difference) and stepped down to 4500k bulbs to have a pure white output. Obviously, I went a pretty extreme route but lighting is nothing short of incredible. I do have the OEM projector fogs and planning on doing LED high beams sometime down the line.

  13. #13
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    Looks like the free forms aren't all that great...

    Is it possible to install a Morimoto-like setup without molesting the stock wiring and connectors? I would like to keep the car as stock as possible, so plug and play would be best.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cactuar View Post
    Looks like the free forms aren't all that great...

    Is it possible to install a Morimoto-like setup without molesting the stock wiring and connectors? I would like to keep the car as stock as possible, so plug and play would be best.
    Morimoto actually makes connectors that hooks up to the stock wiring! There is even a resistor canbus so I don't have any "low beam" messages after the ballast ignites the bulb. Right now I'm running a H1 bulb through the stock 9006 wiring. I'll link to the exact system I'm running. Not cheap but very quality stuff.

    https://www.theretrofitsource.com/hi...oto-elite.html

  15. #15
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    Now you're talking Thanks for the info.

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