Yes, 9004 is the correct bulb for the US headlights on a '87 300E. And a price that is only 20% of the Euro lights is tempting. With these bulbs, you will usually see a whiter or more blue light with these Hyperwhite/platinum white/Xenon white bulbs, but several groups have tested them and found that there is actually less light being sent to the road, in some cases less than the stock factory bulbs! The yellow component of the light has been filtered out, so some of the light went away, and the filament was redesigned to send more light out the center, where they made their measurements. These tests (example:
http://www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=102 )showed a slight increase in intensity in the center of the beam, and a disproportionate DECREASE in light for all other areas, and at distances over 50 feet. Others have noted that removing the yellow component makes the headlights noticeably less effective in the rain or fog.
The answer frequently sought is to use higher wattage bulbs. Some people have no problems with heat from these bulbs, while others have reported damaged wiring or connectors. The other complaints include short life spans for the bulbs, and the fact that 'blue light specials' seem to attract lots of police attention, as they are used a lot by the rice racer crowd.
The problem is that the US reflectors and lens focus light so poorly that adding brighter bulbs is like trying to turn a shotgun into a sniper rifle - no matter how much gunpowder or buckshot you add, you still won't have a sniper rifle, just a weapon where some of the shot may reach the target, but most will be wasted into space! Just my opinion, but there 'ain't no free lunches'!
