I just got some hail damage on my car, it took out a lot of stuff, i need new tail lights, what color do you guys think will look best on a 92 300 D 2.5 black #199?

I have OEM, red, clear, and smoked black, to choose from. Currently I have OEM, but I am thinking about clear ones, will clear look good in a 124 body with black paint?

BTW, I just bought some clear blinkers for the front of the car as those needed to be replaced as well.

Red/Clear tail lights look great on the W124. Later models of the W124 in the US had them, and I prefer them over the earlier style. Just make sure they're OEM, not a cheap knockoff.

Your obviously asking for opinions, so here's mine:

-OEM is old looking

-I like red but have heard they look pink where your
reverse lights are

-Clear will make your car look like Charlie's "I-Wish-It-
Were-Fast" 3 litre Honda Civic that has different colored
ground effects becasue he spent all his money on Japanese
air fresheners that will give the car 5hp a peice and cant
afford to paint the ground effects and has a rear wing
bigger than an ol' Superbird (you know the look I'm
talking about!)

-Smoked Black, ghetto looking and very expensive

Go with the tailights from a 95 124, they are red/clear and
look very nice

Peter

If I were to replace my lights I would do so with the OEM lights from 94-95. Otherwise I would stick with the stock. I agree with most of what Pbalias said.

I don't think they made tail lights for the W124 that were ENTIRELY clear.... ugh... thats just nasty. Red/Clear would be cool though.

Whatever was installed in Stuttgart!

Johnson,
Go with the 94-95 tail lights. I read on my CD repair manual that if you add clear tail lights to any MBZ, it will not run properly, unless you also change the exhaust. The new exhaust tip must not be any smaller than a large grapefruit is in diameter. To ensure that the car will not have any other problems, please install blue side-marker lights and make sute that they are not wired up to blink properly. For extra protection you must have at least 4 "Powered by Honda stickers" on your car.

Check this link out, click on "the adventures", in the left hand side. This is hysterical!!!

http://www.riceboypage.com/

Thank you for all the replies, I like the opinions so far.

I agree about the clear lens, they do look like a rice rocket, and CJ thanks for the link I saw that page before, one of my friends showed me that page, shes like OHH you have to check this out, etc.

The lens are clear with the fillament in it, I dont think they would cause electrical problems because no rewiring, bulbs, etc. need to be changed, just the lens.

I am starting to lean toward the smoked black look a little. It will look something like off a rap video, hehe. The crack isnt too big so I still have plenty of time to decide.

I like the ideas about the 94-95 lens, BUT do I have to replace the whole assembly or JUST the lens?

Why does everybody call the stock OEM 94-95 taillight lens red/clear...they are actually called red/smoked; they are not clear. :confused:

Black IS ghetto! It reminds of the large number of black 190 2,3-16 and 300CE's with black taillights.

Entirely red taillights do have pink reverse lights (like on my former 190D).

Personally I like the clear/red taillights; it is not ricy, but it is BMW ripped off... :D (always look for a more expensive reason to recall something).

You can change to the 94-95 taillights by exchanging the lenses only, but personally I would change the bulb holding back plate as well (the newer taillights have amber indicator bulbs with different pins). No rewiring needed.

greetingz,

What automatically qualifies the Black lens to the catagory
of "GHETTO"..Would someone please explain to me what is "GHETTO".. I read somewhere before that chrome rims were "GHETTO".. Someone help me here!! Remember every individual has his/her own unique preference.

Richie...

Go see the movie "Friday" starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. You will soooon learn the meaning of "Ghetto!"

Stick with OEM as the clear ones look like they've somekind of virus eating out of the colour dye. WHenever I see one of those clear lights, kinda remnds me of the time I had black goldfish with fungus-infected eyes.

The black-red ones look groovy, somewhat like what Swanee's C200 has.

Smoke Black Tail Lens
 

Here's what my '94 E320C looked like with PAD's all-black mono tail light lenses. $275/pair.

http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/jrfmbfrs1.jpg

[Edited by JimF on 05-12-2001 at 03:06 PM]

Red
 

Having worked with displays and indicators the most visability occures when their is no color change when the indicator illuminates, that is the lense is the same color as the light. The idea of tail lights is to be seen. Any deviation from the optimal should include a bigger back bumper, like a Civic. Not a Civic bumper, the whole Civic (read crumple zone, made in Japan.)

you can see the red/smoked lights on my car on my page.
Price was cheap, about $140 for the pair.

The all black is ok, but I personally don't think it looks as goood as the red/smoked 94-95 taillights.

I changed just the lenses. It required removing 6 nuts on the inside, and pulling the lenz away from the reflactor and body. Reinstallation was a snap.

Took about 20 minutes total because I went slowly to make sure I lined everything up and did it right. :)

Get the OEM 94-95 Red/Smoked lights, you will love them.

Alon