W126 Headlights
 

Happy Easter guys,


So, I've got the Gen II DOT headlights.

I hate them with a passion; I can literally see better with just the fogs on.

What is the best tasteful option for improving my night vision?
Are there any good looking/ not so blue HIDs out there?
Should I just invest in some Bosch Euros?



Any opinion/ help is appreciated tremendously


Thanks guys,


Carlen

There are some aftermarket adapter-type lenses that basically have the same housing as a sealed beam, but have the hole in the back for the replacement bulbs.

Something like this, only you'd have to do a search for the right beam in particular. It sure beats dishing out a few hundred bucks for true euros if all you want is better beam pattern.

http://www.racinglab.com/sealed-beam-h6054-168.html

Watch the "K" (kelvin) number on the HID bulbs. On my cycle, I used what the manufacturers generally use, 4300. If you go up to 5000K, they will be blue. 4300 (or sometimes you see 4200) will generally be white, maybe a slight blue tint. You also see numbers lower than 42-4300, which are usually a yellowish color. The very high numbers are purpleish.
Gilly

Those adapters are pretty cool; I may just end up doing that if I go through with a multitude of other 'upgrades' (Aero I's, seat rebuilds, etc).

As for those HID's, I've noticed very many of the sets just look kind of gaudy for an old car; my uncle has them on his W140, and they don't look too bad as it's a newer car, but I feel like they may look out of place on a W126...

It is pretty cool as well that they run at different temps to achieve the different colors; so the lower I go, the closer to 'stock' it'll look?



Thanks Again,



Carlen

Not "the" lowest, no. For a stock-like look, you want 4200K or 4300K, whichever you find. Some places will tell you that 5000K is pure white, but 4300 is what the factories typically choose, as it is closest to natural daylight.
If you go lower than this, down to the 3000L range, then it starts actually looking yellow. So try to stay with a company that offers K temps in the lower 4000K range.
Gilly

W126 headlight, headlight wipers, and foglight options to consider (pic's included)
 

Go with the Bosch H4 Euro lights.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/IMG_2470.jpg

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/IMG_2479.jpg


They look great and are stock, worldwide EXCEPT in the USA.


http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...c3389274_m.jpg

(I also added yellow french fog lights I got from ebay Germany you can see)

Plus the darker amber front corners too)

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...i-IMG_8402.jpg

Not only that you will love the beam pattern they throw in addition to the brightness.

This modification is the very best and single most important upgrade you can make to a W126 US spec car.

(The awful US DOT headlights were the result of US seal beam headlight makers successfully lobbying the DOT and US congress...) :mad:

Then decide if you want the Euro headlight wiper washers.


OR

to simply get rid of the US headlight wiper washer assembly entirely with the smooth look.

On the W126 cars, if you want to get rid of, or just replace with euro, your headlight wipers, you will have to have to replace the valances below the headlights, which are one piece for the sedans and two pieces for the coupes.

You can either find them cheap used at a junkyard, or new at the Mercedes Benz Classic Center in Irvine CA. Then repaint them.

If you are just getting rid of them, and going for the smooth look, you can eithe plug them up with a rubber grommet, or fill them in and have a shop repaint them (if you are on a strict budget)

Side by comparison W126 headlight pic's here:

http://www.mbcoupes.com/specialequipment/headlamps.htm

Hopefully that helps

I definitely want to go for the Bosch Euros; but being a kid who only works during the summer (full-time student), are they economical? I love the way they look, and especially because they work SO much better, but 600 for a new set is kinda steep; haven't been junkyard diving in CT but I don't think there are many W126's, let alone Euros around...

Is the only way to obtain the washers at a junkyard? Or, let me rephrase: any way to not sell my soul to Mercedes-Benz for new ones?


Thanks a million,


Carlen

P.S. Very sharp SEC's, I absolutely love the flag post; it's my dream to procure a set :D

If you get the euro headlightss and like the smooth look,
 

which is to say, without any headlight wipers and motors (the euro ones cost $700 the pair from ebay and arrived with one dead headlight motor that needed to be rebuilt)

You could take the OLD valance(s) off the car and go to a hardware store, and look for ones for 50 cents each that pops into the hole!

Paint each one before popping it in the valance hole. It would be so hard to tell from 5 feet away, it would be enough.



If you are feeling rich, have a body shop simply really plug up the holes, then sand down or respray them in matching paint, (or YOU did the prep work yourself on the valance(s) and took them to the place, remembeing that 90% of the body work on a car is the prep, and you will save a a pile of dollars if you do the prep yourself)

....and anyhow, usually in a couple of years of heavy driviing, there will be a lot of small stone chips on the paint in the valance(s) you might as well have it painted anyway...it s another way to save most of your money and still get what you want

Good luck whatever you decide to do, Carlen.

No problem if you want to avoid the Mercedes Benz dealers if you are trying to save $$$$.


Thank you for the comment about what is NOT a flgapole but is actually a W126-Japan only dealer accessory (though an official Mercedes Benz part.)

Back in the 1980's left hand drive Mercedes Benzes were a huge prestige item in right hand drive Japan and these poles, available there for the W124 and W126 cars were available to mount to make it easier to park.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/IMG_1555.jpg

They work exactly like you think they do, mine has the silver star on top but another option was the plastic star with wiring down the star, which lit up at night, and was cool until the plastic got yellow.
Here is one seen at a used car dealer of exotics in Japan called Garage Current in Yokahama: (sedan)

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...arkingpole.jpg

on a coupe:

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...arkingpole.jpg

You could ask about them at the Mercedes Benz Classic Center USA in
in Irvine, CA

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...5eeec8_b-1.jpg (here) or call them up,

which had never even heard of them, and I had to show them one on a 560SEL in their own parking lot but you could call them and ask.

I was given one of them for free from a generous member that had this one for a w124, which I cleaned up and had intstalled.


The diplomatic flag poles were another matter. Also a Mercedes Benz accessory, they came in pairs, to mount flags on each side front fender, and I don't have the parts for either.

Not sure if you want flag holders, (two, one for each side) or the parking pole.


Anyway thank you for complimenting my car, I appreciate it.



Later.


~~Jim

The correct solution is to get a set of OEM H4 powered fixtures. Don't mess with HIDs. Not needed when you have a quality lamp.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1270348491


-Jason

Thanks so much for all of your expertise guys; I've learned copious amounts of 'stuff' about headlights that I never thought I would have otherwise, really helped in making my decision.

I'm definitely going for the European headlights; they're sleek and sexy on this car, and looks like form meets function based on the input.

Lo and behold, I was able to procure a set at the junkyard (they're literally spotless), but the valences and wipers were the U.S. set :mad:

So now into the world of citylights and leveling control, right?

These pins look kinda different, do I just go to the dealership and purchase a new housing?

Also, how do I make these rad citylights work? Is it electrical work intensive? I'm good at mechanical stuff, but electrical issues give me the heebie jeebies.


Jim,

Would it be silly to say that's early Parktronic :P ?

They're actually really cool, I never would've known such a thing existed; I thought it was just a singular flagpole people were driving around with :o

I may even get one, because parallel parking a panzer in New Haven is almost impossible alone.


Thanks LOADS,



Carlen

Just wondering, what junkyard did you find them in CT?

I first went to Daddio's in Seymour, CT on the way back from my cousins house, but being 'the valley', I didn't turn up much more than old American cars...

So I stopped by Chuck and Eddies in Southington and miraculously found an 89 420 SEL that looked just like the one we had when I was a kid, Anthracite with Saddle interior. Euro fronts, DOT rears.

It kinda felt like Christmas morning.

Nice! Awesome find in that case - I've never seen a set of euro lights in the junkyards, and MBs are tough to come by in the junkyards I've been to in CT.

I'll be parting out my w126 sometime this summer, if you're interested in anything I'll shoot you a PM when I get it all apart. Its at my parents place in Rocky Hill, basically going to be taking the engine/trans out of one and sticking it in the rust-free body of the other one so I'll have tons of extra parts.

Depo makes some knock offs of the Bosch H4s, I have them on my 560 and they work fine. Just grab a set and motor on. My others have real Bosch ones I have found over the years in the yards.

Even new, the second gen lights do not emit a nice beam pattern. They do look far better than the first gen lamps!

tbo,

My luck runs in cycles; one week I'll find a $20, the next I'll be mugged.

I'll keep an eye out for more if you want em.


And thanks for the offer, I plan on doing quite a bit of R&R on this baby this summer; it's almost a perfect daily driver, and any little doo-dads I can find are great




Thanks,



Carlen