Thank you very much!!!

The 'old' brakes were just perfect. Stop on a dime. Great quality.

I DID NOT need a BBK in any way. It was pure vanity on my part.

I don't track, I don't time attack and I anticipate red lights and obstructions ahead. That said: they are a definite improvement over the originals. Very, very nice to use. Firm, great feedback, solid. And they feed my ego...

Sean

 

Let me guess here... your next project is to crack and paint those headlights.

 

You're right.

I've given that some thought just like Carnac the Magnificent might.

I'll not be doing any cracking personally. That's definitely something I'd make a hash of. I'll leave that to the pros.

I've been looking at TSX lens swapping and smoking the housing while leaving the projector shrouds chrome. Beyond that, I've seen things that look cool. Demon eyes, halos, etc...

My concern is maintaining 'OEM style' integration and choosing something that will stand the test of time. Though, I could just update as needed, but that becomes a costly endeavor.

I need to look at lots more options and really delve into that question. Something to sit by the fire and work on over the winter.

Sean

 

That's exactly what I want to do, too. The two considerations that I haven't figured out yet are whether or not to paint the amber reflector, and whether or not to leave the grooved section chrome. Do you know what you want to do there?

As for process... absolutely I would be hiring that job out. If I simply send the headlights to 180Customs, that's $300 plus shipping two way. Kind of expensive for what's happening, however they would bake the lights, not me. If I went local, then I would have to bake the lights, but I could probably cut the overall cost in half, $150 tops, no shipping, and minimal delay.

Then again, 180Customs can do this in their sleep, *and* I can get that amber eyelid swoop... although that's another consideration I haven't figured out. Way too much thought, maybe.

• Amber reflector - paint, no paint?
• Amber eyelid swoop - yes or no?
• Grooved chrome in front of the projector - paint, no paint?
• If 180, decal in matching amber - yes or no?
• If 180 and decal - placement on the flat, or the reflector?

Either way I go, along with that project is the requirement that I drop my front bumper, which is something I've never done before. As a practical matter, I'm not too worried, because it's been done here on the forum a bazillion times, where each time people comment on how easy it actually was to do. But on an emotional level... well, I've just never done it before. And I don't really want to "practice" removing the bumper, I'd like to butt that up to the headlight project.

*AND* (LOL) when dropping the bumper, I'd like to butt that project up to an upgrade in my air-intake, swapping this R2C setup for the Takeda long-tube.

Figure I'd roll these thoughts around in your thread, since there's probably some similar thinking going on here.

 

Yes. The volume of options is overwhelming with these things.

I think I'm going to leave the side reflectors as-is. There's a potential issue in MD concerning their visibility. A safety hazard or compliance thing. I've already swapped my parking lights for white ones and I have switch-backs so I don't have any amber on the G except for the side reflectors...

I think any eyelid swoop is cool. Especially an amber one on yours since you have the amber fogs (still staying amber with the Mori ones?). Nice continuity.

I hadn't even considered the groove part yet...my head is going to explode.

Yes for the decal on the reflector. Nice touch there. Elegant.

Sean

 

I think you should paint the inside housing of your headlights black. Since you have a red car so you don't want to much going on in the front, and if you want halos I would go with a white or light blue color. I think it would really make the front of your car pop, but not look like to much is going on. Also would you like to be nice and tell me where you got the switchbacks from? Please lol

 

MG - How's it going?

Thanks for the suggestion about the head lamps.

This is the link for the SBs. For our application we need the 7443s. I got the resistors as well to correct the hyper blink. Easy install.

High Power 1157 3157 7443 Switchback LED Turn Signal Light Bulbs

Sean

 

Just keep doing what you're doing Sean, no missteps, way to do things right the first time!
Really looking forward to more.

 

Maybe my experience can help you and Sean out... I went to 180 and got my headlight mods done over the past week and here’s some shots of the OSRAM CBI’s, TRS LED Fogs, painted headlight housing(matte black) and painted the amber side reflector, and STI-R clear lens swap...I'm searching for the midnight black grille to tie the front together

I have a pair of stealth bulbs (7443) to install so when the lights are off, you won't see the 'yolk orange' in the turn signal housing...only when the blinker is in use...

 

Good post, CPJ LB.

It hadn't occurred to me that the 180 decal could be any color; I'd only seen it in amber. And although I like amber, and will be retaining the turn signal lens, that's still a lot of orange going on. Regardless of decal color, I believe that I prefer having that reflector painted and decal'd. Thanks.

For me, matte black is too black, and I'd want it pulled more into the gray... smoke, gunmetal, whatever. So for me personally, seeing matte black on another MW Sedan is very helpful.

And seeing this without the 180 eyelid swoop is also helpful. As first-impression cool as that eyelid may be, it most certainly screams aftermarket. Whereas without it, those lenses could very well be OEM. I like OEM-ish mods. So that was also helpful.

Did you discuss leaving the half-ring around the turn-signal chrome like the main projector?

 

Yes. +1 on the turn signal chrome, Rochester. I think I would like to have that the same as the head lamp projector. Both of them chrome.

I sure would like to have the amber reflector set up like yours, CPJ, with the decal. I'll have to look into that more deeply as to whether it's a compliance issue...or just say screw it...come what may.

The lenses are a must-have. I'm sure I don't need to go into a comparison between OEM and those.

I'm with you and Rochester on the eyelid. It looks great w/o it. Probably even better. The way you have it won't 'date' the mod. Eyelids seem to be very 'now'. I don't plan on parting with my G. Keep it in the family.

Thanks for the post!!!

Sean

 

Just to clarify Sean, before you buy the wrong part. The lens you need is the STi-R lens from The Retrofit Source. I'm looking to paint and swap my lens in my headlights this month. Pretty similar to what you are thinking. I was going back and forth if I wanted to do lighting mods but I feel on a daily driven G37 , those type of mods take away the luxury presence of the car on a relatively stock looking G37 such as mine.

I think if you're just painting and swapping the lens, this is something you could do yourself and save a pretty penny on. I'd set aside 2 days for the task.

 

thanks John, I think you'd be good with the gray/smoke/gunmetal color scheme...the good thing about our color of car is that many colors go good with MW I decided not to go with the eyelid swoop because I wasn't too sure which color to choose...I think the eyelid swoop only looks good on the BMW models. As far as the chrome piece on the turn signal housing, I wanted a different look so chose to paint it...I was thinking outside the box since I will eventually get a midnight black grille.

I want to take some close up shots if/when we get some sunshine to show how the matte black looks in the daylight - not too dark. I also think with the painted headlight housing, it really brings out the light contrast when the lights are all on.

You're welcome...glad to help out I must say that our cars (with the stock frosted lens) looks 'ok', until you get the clear lens swap done, it really brings another level of luxury/clean/crisp to the headlight area and light output. My CBI's are still relatively new and getting broken in more and more but in combo with the STI-R clear lens --- wow. I'm very pleased. BTW, our sedans do take the STR-R clear lens while the coupes have the TSX lens.

I, too, was going back and forth with the amber reflector being painted or not, but since I'm keeping the turn signals as amber (and not going with the switch backs --- for now LOL) I figure I have some amber there to avoid any issues.

I'll try and find some pix of my prior M35 sport headlights, but they were a carbon/gray look, so both you and John can get an idea of that color versus matte black.

thanks again guys,

Anthony


*****UPDATE******

I was able to locate some pix of the headlight housing on my old M35 sport…it’s kinda the carbon / gray / black scheme with the lens housing chrome. So not an entirely black housing, but enough for contrast. gunmetal will go good with MW.

 

By all means. Start a build thread.

These? In replacement for the OEM projector lens?

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/co...l#.VnRCtegrJaQ

Does 180 offer that service? No, wait, they certainly do.

Hmmm.

 

^ yes... 180 had my lenses in stock (they get them from TRS). I got my install done in about 5 hours... I drove down to Brooklyn, they took my car in and removed the front bumper and took out the headlights... A week prior, he had a set of headlight housings painted in matte black (so it could cure before I arrived). they opened up the headlights and did the lens swap/spacer tuning and inserted the "pre" painted housing. Sealed everything up... while the work was being done, I sat in their waiting area and watched TV and chatted with Alex... The time needed was to ensure that the sealing of the headlights was perfect. I know you're a lot further than I am to Brooklyn though.... We've had some heavy rain yesterday and the headlights were perfectly fine.