These are priced less than half the price of the other set (that is now sold) due to 1 foggy lens and AL branded low beams which are genuine BMW replacement parts, but not period correct. Selling at a loss as the price to assemble these was about $1300.
These are the headlights that were originally equipped on European E30 models from 1989 to 1994. The low beams have LHD reflectors. I have 1 RHD reflector available I can sell separately if you need it.
Assembled from brand new and new 'old stock' parts. These are not refurbished used headlights. Low beams are Marelli Automotive Lighting direct from the BMW dealer, which is the current replacement for Bosch (The Bosch lighting division became Marelli Automotive Lighting in 1999). High beams are Bosch. Left side is perfect. Right side high beam is foggy. All other lenses are clear.
Please note the left side plastic mounting frame is second-hand. The right side plastic frame is brand new. I resprayed the trim rings because they didn’t match very well even though they came new from the dealer (maybe BMW has different suppliers or the supplier isn’t consistent on the paint they use).
Occasionally NOS Bosch branded low-beams come up for sale on eBay, but I haven't seen the high-beams in a long time. I've searched worldwide. When they do turn up they usually have a foggy lens which cannot be easily remedied. As far as I know the foggy residue is due to outgassing from the adhesive used to attach the lens. I have not found a solvent that will dissolve it.
No returns accepted if you expect to be able to clean the foggy lens are are unable to do so. I think you would need to remove the lens and physically scrub off the residue. I do not know the best safe way to separate the lens and I don't know what adhesive to use to put it back on. You can therefore think of the foggy lens as a placeholder. I installed it only to finish the set.
New Osram bulbs as originally equipped are included.
All of these parts are new:
-Low beam lens & housing assemblies
-Low beam reflectors with projectors
-High beam assemblies
-Low and high beam bulb caps
-Adjusters
-Mounting clips
-City light bulb bases
-Bulbs
When I received the low and high beams from Europe I swished some 99% isopropyl alcohol in them to remove any dust or light hazing. There might be some little spots or dust left. The wires in the bulb caps are in excellent condition. Sometimes the insulation on the wires deteriorates due to age.
These will fit 1988 to 1994 European E30 models only. If you intend to install them on a US model you will need to install the correct connectors on the car. E30s from some other markets such as Japan may have the correct connectors already.
I suggest to install Lamin-x covers or other protective covers over the lenses before installing them on the car to keep them in good condition.
Some parts are made in Germany, others in Czech Republic. See photos for details.
Please message for any questions.
Q&A for frequently asked questions:
Q: What bulbs do they take?
A: H1 halogen (Osram 64150) for both the low and high beams. W5W (Osram 2825) for the city lights.
Q: How are these different from other E30 smiley headlights?
A: European E30s came with either Bosch or Hella smiley headlights. Hella are good quality, but they have plastic reflector buckets. Bosch have metal reflector buckets and the overall quality is better. The common smileys most people are familiar with are made by Depo in Taiwan. Those are replicas of the Hella smileys and are rather poor quality. There are no replicas of the Bosch smileys that I know of except for the current AL branded version. Short version: Bosch (now AL) smileys are the best headlights for the E30.