What Looks Better For A C124 Front End?
 

I am about to buy my new 500 E-CODE euro lights for my 300CE. I have been thinking of buying 1994 style lights so that I can do a hood and grill update also.

So I'd be going from this:
http://img28.exs.cx/img28/4422/q19.jpg

To this:
http://img40.exs.cx/img40/7752/10601.jpg

http://img40.exs.cx/img40/6139/10602.jpg
Obviously without the AMG Bumper that makes it look so much better.

Otherwise if I only upgrade the head lights and corner lights and keep the existing hood and grill, my car will look something like this:
http://img33.exs.cx/img33/2766/10251.jpg


With these lights for the original hood:
http://img29.exs.cx/img29/1298/hella2.jpg

With these lights for the 1994-1995 hood:
http://img38.exs.cx/img38/1379/e200_...nsingapore.jpg

The reason for this post is to get your opinions as to what style you prefer more....the old style or the new style.

Thank You

hey,
in my opinion, you should stick with the old and nicer design. The new hood ruined the look of the 124s in my opinion. An avanguard grill and the euro's along with clear corners are the way to go.

Now how come your grill doesnt have a spot for a hoodstar?

Good luck to ya,
Peter

I'm conflicted about which look I like better- old or new. Sometimes I look at the new style and feel it looks sleek and clean and other times I look at the old style and feel that it looks stronger, more original. I like the big chrome grill and how it blends into the hood. I need to decide on this soon, because I'm buying euro head lights and they are different for the old style than the new style.

The previous owner had the hood star shaved and rechromed the grill. Maybe he wanted to be different. I have fully intentions to get the star back, if I choose to go with the new style hood/grill and if I don't go that route, I will buy a new old style grill with brand new star ;) .

Personally, I like the Euro headlights on the original hood/grill.

I also prefer the orange turn signal lenses. I really don't understand the allure of the clear corner lights. Back in the old, olden days, the running & turn signal lights were clear, or rather white. Orange or yellow turn signal lenses were the "in", "euro" thing to have in the sixties.

Call me a holdover,

I like the newer style hood & lights, but the cost to covert is outrageous - several thousand dollar (USD) with the cost of a new hood, all the parts, grille, *required* new headlights, and paint. If you can get used parts cheap and do your own paint work it's still nearly $1k. I'd leave the hood alone and get the Euro lights, maybe even the 500E Euro lights (with extra high beams and no fog light) like I have on my cars. ;)

I prefer the 94-95 USA turn signal lenses that are half clear, half orange. All clear are my second choice. I don't like the orange markers.

:) :)

Stock hood, Euro lights. Clear turn signals (not the half-amber) with amber turnsignal bulbs, not blue or other goofy colors. Remove plastic grille insert and paint something nice, probably flat black (don't paint the chrome strips, but do reinstall them). I wonder if someone makes a grille shell without the hood ornament hole. I'd be happy with just the DaimlerBenz blue emblem, no standup, no grille star (yuck!) and I've seen the "caps" for the hole, looks bad too.

Gilly

Oh Hell! That top picture has no holes/emblems in the grille at all! KEWL! I like that! Is that your car and is the image photoshopped?
Yeah, I'd paint the insert black and put on the Euro lights and clear signals and get rid of the headlight wipers!
Gilly

Oh yeah - wipers. When (not if) you install Euro lights, either lose the wipers and install a new blank panel, or get the proper wiper motors & blades. Please don't cobble the old DOT half-wipers onto Euro lights, while semi-functional, it looks awful (IMO)...

:p

the E500 euro lights dont have a driving pencil beam, they have a fog light. Buy the 500E euro hella lights, and get the E500 euro lenses, so if you want to do the hood ugprade you have the lenses already.

BTW, this stuff is getting really hard to get now. Ive heard that hella stopped making the 500E euro headlights. Puma is going to list them for 699 a set if they can get anymore.

I still have a couple sets on order, one for me, and one to sell.

You should get the hella clear turn signals, and for the back get the black smoked hella signals for your coupe. Or just the 95 hella DOT rear tailights.

That is my car. No photoshop here. The previous owner had the hood star shaved and rechromed the grill.

One thing is for certain...When (not if).

What do you mean that the E500 euro lights don't have a driving pencil beam? (I am only going to buy HELLA brand euro/e-code 500E or E500 lights)

What is the difference between smoked hella signals for teh back and 95 hella DOT rear tail lights?

Hella E500 euro lights have a fog light
hella 500E euro lights have a pencil beam.

Gsxr can confirm this I think?

Completely smoked (all black) vs. red/black.

omegabenz:

I want to buy the highest quality product for my Mercedes and I believe it to be Hella and Bosch or OEM. Here is a list of part numbers that I found for the corner lights:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/7787/logo_mercedes.jpg
Mercedes Benz OEM part numbers:

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/9968/c4_1.jpg

124 826 11 43 Lamp Left Front Blinker White
124 826 12 43 Lamp Right Front Blinker White ***or***

124 826 09 43 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
124 826 10 43 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR

124 826 07 43 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
124 826 08 43 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR

124 820 17 21 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
124 820 18 21 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR

Which set are the correct/current OEM numbers? I'm not sure what the proper numbers are and/or if those are correct.

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/9643/hell1.jpg
HELLA part numbers:

2BA 004 693-031
Indicator Flasher lamp, Left (White), with pre-fitted 12V bulb.

2BA 004 693-041
Indicator Flasher lamp, right (White), with pre-fitted 12V bulb.

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/1405/5b_1_b.jpg

http://img46.exs.cx/img46/7412/boss.jpg
Robert Bosch GmbH part numbers:

1 305 233 936 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
Properties: Lateral Mounting, Lamp Form P21W

1 305 233 937 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
Properties: Lateral Mounting, Lamp Form P21W

http://img29.exs.cx/img29/6403/bosch1.jpg

I do like the 1/2 amber 1/2 clear, but I think I like the all clear more.
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/2525/45804068203_0_ALB.jpg

I like how this one looks. Might match up nicely with the chrome of the e500 light, but the quality of the ones I have seen like this are questionable.
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/5856/untitled588.jpg

This is the only aftermarket corner light that has caught my eye. This is the smoked version by In.Pro .
http://img46.exs.cx/img46/8553/inproblinker.jpg

Is it true that there is a difference in the color between the Hella and Bosch? I believe I read somewhere that the Hella are slightly darker. Does anyone have different part numbers?

124 826 09 43 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
124 826 10 43 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR

according to my notes from when I bought one of each when I was in germany, the above are the bosh ones, and the below are the hella ones.

124 826 07 43 LF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR
124 826 08 43 RF INDICATOR LAMP W124 CLEAR

I can confirm with my own eyes, that the hella lights are slightly darker clear, than the bosch ones. I personally think that the hella ones look the best.