What is the fascination with headlights?
 

It seems that about 50% of the posts on this site are about headlights or headlight modifications. I'm not trying to be negative, but what is the fascination with all of the light mods?

I just thought that was a ricer thing, not a BMW thing.

Illuminate me (pun intended) :bustingup

Not sure what you mean by "I just thought that was a ricer thing, not a BMW thing." But some X5 owners don't have what are called Bi-Xenon lamps which is newer technology and brighter. The other thing is Angel Eye's and no one has that but BMW. Once you have seen it you want it.

I'm with Scott in Cincy. I understand posts about performance mods. I understand posts about repairs like brakes, and accessories like hitches. I even understand endless speculation about the 'new 2007 X5', it is all good stuff.

But the endless light posts here aren't just angel eyes (I assume that means trying to look like a newer model?). They aren't always about bi-xenon upgrades or rear fogs (which would qualify as performance improvements IMO). There are also posts about higher temperature lights and foglights, which are a performance degradation. They include posts about LED tail lights (ricer?) and clear corners (ricer?). There are posts about changing the colour of dash lighting, installing different interior lights, and so on. Why not just add fluorescent lights under the running boards to complete the package?

I am sure there is a reason for all the light posts, there are so many of them. I just don't get it. I want to be illuminated too :)

"I am sure there is a reason for all the light posts, there are so many of them."


I guess the simple answere is with 3000 members there has to be a lot of folks that want to make a change whatever that change happens to be. In this case it's lights. I see a lot of wheel posts, and iPod posts, and I could go on. But I don't find a need to know why those subjects keep coming up. It could be that new people are asking questions others have already covered. X5World has this habit of being kind to those who ask questions that some of us have heard many times by pointing them in the right direction. I know they have extended that kindness to me many times.

if you dont like the light threads, dont go in them...its a very simple process.

JCL - Where did you get your fluorescent lights and how much did you pay for them? Do they come in different colors? How do you attach them to the running boards? Do they work with the aluminum running boards?Have any pics?

Just havin' fun with ya, bro... :bustingup :bustingup :bustingup

Well despite my sincerest efforts to the contrary, it seems that some are are incensed by my question anyway. I am a member of several boards, the Porsche Carrera boards are full of purchase questions with current owners looking to buy a newer/faster/better model. The Audi boards are full of talk about how much greater the new models are than the old ones, but this one seems to like headlights.

I guess I got my answer in the form of the fact that it's a common upgrade to go from Halogen to Xenon to Angel eyes. That's exactly what I was looking to know.

Regards,
Scott

thats what they like to do,put an angel eyes,clear the amber corners etc.i thought doing that one time but WTH just leave the headlight alone and be happy with it but we should respect what they want thats theyre car anways and theyre the one whos paying for it!:)

A fine car is like a well dressed man (or woman)... first you have to be clean and manicured (detailed). Then you need a good suit (bodywork) that matches the proportions of your frame and flatters it (that's why there is so much debate about Bangle's work). Next you need a good pair of shoes (tires) with a good shine (body matched paint or chrome). Ahhh, now you feel really good until you see someone with some really cool glasses (angel eyes)... we've tried many knock-off glasses that don't fit right, were poorly made, the wrong shape or don't come in our size. Once we find an affordable and perfect set we will move on to other accessories.

I understand what you're saying Scott, you had no bad intentions with your question but got a mix of responses, some bad and some somewhat answering your curiousity...

Sorry but no one was incensed by your question. But if your a member of several boards then it's not rocket science to figure out whats going on. For a while it's lights. after while it's iPods, then it's something else. You should have seen how many dumb questions I ask about getting my iPod connected to my X5 but the folks here never showed their irritation. I cant say that about many other sites I have had the displeasure to visit. One of the things you will get in X5World is a quick and direct
answer to your question, and sometime a bit of jesting to go along with it but no one is ever mean spirited. So join in the fun because thats exactly whats going on here at X5World.

There aren't many performance mods that can be done to the X5, what's left is lights, interiors, audio and exhaust. Also, with few exceptions, there are very few gear heads on this board as compared to other automotive sites. (probably because, as i said above, there aren't many performance mods that can be done to an X).

If you want to see a board full of "holy crap i just put an SC on my LS2 and now i'm getting 750HP at the flywheel" join www.z06vette.com. You'll be in heaven. :) :thumbup:

HAHAHAHAHA
:bustingup :bustingup :bustingup :thumbup: :thumbup: :beerchug: :lmao:

Well, I just want to know why the fascination with visors hanging from mirrors!!:bustingup

Grrrrrrrrrrr

only 750??? weeeaak... :bustingup

100% agreed. It's the public forum. We do not mean to make the X5 a ricer.

psssst, that wasn't a joke. That's my next mod on my '04 Z16 Vette... right after I pay the tax man on april 15th, I think i'm going to be paying East Coast Supercharging an equal or greater amount :)

American manufacturers understand that many of their customers buy their cars because they are "mod-able". What few people know is that the largest convention in Vegas every year is SEMA, and having been there 3 times, I can attest that it's a friggin HUGE show, HUGE. European manufacturers seem to have gone down another road (no pun) where they pack every last drop of performance into the vehicle that they sell you, and then make it close to impossible to mod it without you being best friends with a Service Tech with access to the manufacturers computer.

This is not to say that either philosophy is better than the other, it's just another example of different strokes for different folks. If I could fit a 4 post lift in my garage, I'ld have installed 1 and I'ld be wrenching on my cars as often as I could, unfortunately I can't, but a good set of ramps, jack stands and a couple of buddies who are significantly smarter than I am when it comes to automotive technology and you've got yourself one hell of a good time on a Saturday afternoon.... oh, and beer, I forgot to mention beer :)

right after the 750hp post is usually a "ok, so now i've got 750HP and i can smoke the tires in 5th, does anyone have any experience with Nitto 550's as a good street and drag tire?"

I love it. :thumbup:

Here ya go, the power adders section of z06vette:

http://www.z06vette.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=60

we got a couple of 1000+ hp streetable E39 M5's around on the m5board...Nitto 550's are ok.. :p

When you have a few minutes to kill, check out this thread, it's pretty funny from a spectator point of view:

http://www.texasracingscene.com/show...9&page=1&pp=40

With all due respect Scott, the above statement can be perceived by some to have acondescending tone and hence you have a couple of negative replies. I myself take no offense to your statement although I would've phrased it a little differently.

At the end of the day, it's all good. :thumbup:

I think this is what Scott in Cincy and JCL were implying.... and I completely agree....

STOCK BMW
Stylish, Classy, Well Tailored

http://mars.walagata.com/w/bpcalgary...tonic-suit.jpg


BMW AFTER BEING MODDED OUT
You get the picture

http://mars.walagata.com/w/bpcalgary/S_yellowsuit2.jpg

Give me European style over Ghetto Chic any day.

thats how the headlights and AE fever starts, first the resistance, then comes acceptance, then obsession....like any other mods

Thoughts like that and there would be no AMG, Hamman, Ruff, ect... you are telling me that these cars look ghetto???

http://www.rufautocentre.com/gallery/gallery%2F3%2Ejpg
http://shows.dealerrater.com/gallery...g/img_7308.jpg
http://shows.dealerrater.com/gallery...g/img_7196.jpg
http://www.strutwear.com/images/gall...0C-Detroit.jpg
http://www.hamann-motorsport.de/gale...ABC08558_1.jpg

Spot on,JCL!
AEs are a BMW thing !I am an AEs fun but I am not baking my 2003 Headlights!

I know it can seem confusing to understand the fascination with any mods; I personally dont get all the performance mods when The speed limit is 55, or whatever it is nowadays in the US... But if this comparison doesnt make it an open and shut case, then I dont know how else to explain....Having one of the very few US Spec X5's in the UK, let alone Europe, it gets really frustrating looking at what many people here take for granted...DOWN WITH AMBER!!!!

It seems to me what most folk want is clear lights and not the amber.

I agree with what everyone has said cause I'm a sit on the fence kinda girl. :rolleyes:

However :rolleyes: I reckon BMW design department will have spent many ££££ (well actually I need the Euro sign) and loads of time ( so it is a important subject) and somebody somewhere in their organisation looked at the X5 and thought you know what how much better would that motor look with clear corner lights/indicators and bingo us lucky Europeans got them and you know what they were right it does look smart.

So you guys looked saw and thought wow I want that and that is how the birth of many of a thread happens.

re the ricer thing it guys in their Saxo's or Corsa's trying to make them look BMW by fitting angel eyes.

ROFLMAO.. that's ghettofabulous. :bustingup :bustingup :bustingup

The whole point of this forum as well as others, is to share experiences and learn. Whether we like a mod or not (in my case, I would not do anything cosmetic), but that does not mean I need to question other people's likes. But I do learn a lot here and find extraordinary people willing to help. I think it is simple, if you are not interested in a particular topic you don't read it and that's it. Just my 0.2

Extremely well said!! Definitely sticky material. I love diversity and that's what makes this site so great. There are those who choose to mod and those who leave their BMWs bone stock. I respect both groups and one is not "better" than the other.

Thank you Breyton. Besides, can you imagine (at least in my case) how many times I would have been totally ripped of by the dealer on any repairs? I love to go to them well informed on the possible causes, they open their mouth like "this guy knows what he is talking about" I credit this reaction to the valuable input of many of the members of this forum who are always willing to help.

Well, I just got back on line and saw how many responses to Scott in Cincy's post, and my comment, there were. Great!

I like reading all of the posts (well, nearly all of them..). I don't need to add performance mods to my X5, or change the interior, but I still read the posts. I also read the posts about lights, though I have no intention of doing those changes. I am not criticizing people's choices, just trying to understand what makes changes to lights so popular. Personally, I wouldn't notice what colour my corner lights are, but that is just me.

Anyway, love the European suit comments (yes, I buy British suits and shoes). Also thought the post with the blue Hamann sedan illustrated the point beautifully. I wouldn't use the word ghetto, but ostentatious or OTT come to mind. Perhaps poseur.

Anyway, lots of fun in understanding where people are coming from.

JCL, I'm afraid you and our friend B&DCalgary will never understand. But why would you try to "understand" what others are doing to their cars? What's good to you might not be good to another. It's a personal thing so quite frankly I don't understand the fuss about what some people are doing to their own car.
Ok, can we end this thread, mods?

Before we do end this thread, let me make one observation that goes along with the original post. We are growing really quickly, and are starting to have a problem that is usually experienced by large forums. Yes, we do have a lot of headlight threads. Perhaps, if we used the search function more, we could cut down on the excess threads and run more efficiently.

Nicely put.On threads that are repetitive,we should just paste the appropriate link and leave it at that.To give you an example,I have just done this to Mystic on his new thread "scratches on headlights" !

/thread