Alrighty, I wanted to explore lighting options for the W124. I think most of us are familar with the OE lights:

1) North America 3 piece lights with inner yellow fog
2) NA 3 piece lights with with inner driving lamp (500E)
3) NA 2 piece lights with white inner fog
4) NA 2 piece lights with white inner driving lamp (E500)
5) ECE (E-code, European Spec) 2 piece with white inner fog
6) number 5 with white inner driving
7) number 5 with yellow inner fog
8) number 5 with French lens and inner fog
9) number 5 with French lens and inner driving

Now outside of those, the only aftermarket lamps I have found are the Morette units:


These use Cibie (part of Valeo) sealed beam replacement lamps, H4 7" outer and H1 5/3/4" inner auxilary high beam. They can be ordered with or without the leveling. I really like these due to the ease of getting replacement parts, and the ability to run high wattage without risking expensive heat damage to a set of ECE OE headlamps. I was thinking of adding a set of HID headlamps inplace of the outer 7" lamp. Either the ValeoSylvania Xe7 found here or the Hella 90mm BiXenon headlamp. I think this will be the most straight forward way to add BiXenon to a W124. The looks will be unique, but the performance will be on par with a non-swivel W211 headlamp.

What do the "Morette" lights look like?

Those Morette lights create an interesting look for the W124. Wonder what those 7" lights would look like with this hood?

um, the black W124 pictured above has them. Morette is an aftermarket company based out of France that uses universal fit headlamps to give a car a different look or a lighting performance upgrade. I like this style of headlamp because sealed beam size headlamps are always being upgraded and improved. There are also dozens of headlamps that will fit these kits without any custom work other than wiring.

www.morette.com

for example, the W124 kit shown above can use 7" round replacement lamps from Bosch, Cibie, Hella, Marchal, Valeo, GE, Sylvania, etc. And you have plenty of bulb choices for each. Plus if one should be damaged, its quite simple to source one of these and replace it. Even if you are traveling far from home, you can replace one with a standard sealed beam available at any autoparts store until you get home. Also, since the lights are the same left to right, carry a 7" and a 5/3/4" inch lamp in your trunk and know that you can replace either when on the move. No "your other left" when ordering replacement parts as they are not handed!

Here are the Hella Bi-Xenon headlamps I am going to install in place of the outer 7" round H4 headlamp...



I will have to be creative on trying to fill the space around the smaller 90mm lens, but since these are sealed on their own, its only cosmetic. These Hella BiXenon lamps are the same units found OE on the W163, W211, and even the Maybach (minus the logo sticker on the projector lens) just sealed into their own aftermarket friendly housing.

man, that custom hood on the wagon looks terrible! makes the car look like a datsun soccer-mom mobile.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

chazola, please do not be so critical over someone else's taste's. I wouldnt add that hood to my car either, but I think my lighting plans for my car would turn the average owner on their ear.

fair point, though I could just see them rolling their eyes in Stuttgart

the round headlights for the 124 are interesting though. I wonder what they'd look like with a proper chrome grille? I always liked the US round headlights on the 123 cars and thought they look better than the original square ones.

__________________
1993 320TE M104
---------------------------------------------------
past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
----------------------------------------------
"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

I merely offer the the photo for consideration, whilst we're on the topic of altered states. In truth, I'm ambivalent about the hood, and I wouldn't opt for it myself, but you must admit it completely changes the character of the 124 front end, while remaining vaguely true to MB lines, a la W126 coupe.

I agree too that I'm not wild about the wagon's face lift, and the round lights are interesting too!

In a line up of 124's, with all configurations of head light designs, I would guess that I would still choose the Bosch euro lights overall!

I'm intrigued with the Morette conversion. All the advantages noted by HIDGolf are valid, IMHO. But I just hit the Morette web site. Not exactly professional and zip's worth of technical and pricing info. I shot them an inquiry anyway.

To me this seems like an excellent way to put HID in our 124 cars.

Have you priced the conversion from Morette?

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D

Looks like a VW, I think the Bosch Euro's still look the best.

Black grill is a nice touch though.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Agreed, I do like the clean looks of the flush fitting OEM euro lamps, but the functionality of the Morette headlamps attracts the engineer in me. I match these products to a set of modular brakes with a bolt on aluminum hat and a standard diameter rotor.

Yes, Morette's sight looks very home-brewed, but from I have heard, they make a good product. The kits they sell use quality light units that really do improve performance. They just take their sweet French time getting everything done.

If I was going that way I would use the lense of a euro light to cover them, or gut a euro and mount them inside.

I don't know they just don't look right to me. But if you like them then go for it.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That would disrupt the light coming out of the morette headlamps, and would require daily removal to clean the front and back of the euro lenses plus the fronts of the morette lens.

Thier is a Civic that parks next to me at school with those lights, but his have a regular lense over them. They look kind of cool. I have seen a few VW's running around with those lights.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200