PAGE SUMMARY:

PAGE 1: As-is shots "in the beginning"

PAGE 2: Aftermarket cupholder installation.

PAGE 3: H/L lens replacement, and chromelining before/after shots.

PAGE 4: Upgrade to front grilles with chrome slats.

PAGE 5: FOGLAMP replacement; instructions and photos

PAGE 6: Chrome Trunk Strip Installation; instructions and photos

Page Three -- Headlight Repairs & Updates

Here's the way the front end looked before the headlamps were worked on.

RIGHT H/L closeup shot, showing the severe pitting of the lens

When I bought her, both of Baby's lenses were heavily pitted due to rocks and sand that are spread on the roads here in Colorado during winter months. The previous owners put 91,000 miles on Baby, and obviously she took more than her fair share of sandblasting from Colorado roads.

Here's a medium shot of the left H/L assembly, showing how they looked before they were worked on.

The first step was to replace my lenses, one of which also had a "B-B" sized hole clear through the lens. I quickly discovered that BMW no longer sells these lenses, due to a US government ruling barring them from selling parts for what is classified as a "sealed-beam" headlight.

Here's the BB hole in Baby's right lens.

So, what used to be a $40/side repair now required the purchase of completely new headlamp assemblies from BMW...at $400 a pop! Needless to say, I thought there must be another way. After joining several discussion boards like this one, I found other E38 owners who had experienced the same thing, and located some used lenses from a fellow E38 owner who said they were sitting collecting dust in his garage. Those lenses were quickly procured and installed, using detailed instructions I found on another member's pages at this site. If you need instructions, these are among the best available. John Carey's Instructions Note, these instructions go well beyond just what's required to change out your lenses, or even do the chromelining process. However, they are excellent, and nothing is left out (meaning you won't break anything!).

Screwdriver Tip: Here's one point I've not seen made in any instructions: When they say you need a Torx T-20 screwdriver to remove two Torx screws for each H/L assembly in order to remove it, they mean a real Torx screwdriver with it's own thin shaft. Do not try using a Torx bit inserted into a interchangable-tip screwdriver...it won't be thin enough, and thus won't have sufficient clearance...won't work. So, if you don't yet own a set, I suggest you make a quick run down to Sears and buy yourself a Torx driver set; they run about $10 or $12 for as set of 5 Craftsman Torx screwdrivers in a range of sizes, including the one you need for this particular job.

RIGHT Headlamp assembly and the LEFT, both with new "used" lenses installed.

The first time around, I didn't have a set of new seals, so I reused the old ones. Now, there are many people who will tell you NOT to do this, especially since new seals are pretty cheap at $6 each. However, I didn't have the seals, so I found a solution that allowed me to reuse the old ones. If you've not done this procedure before, let me tell you that the lenses and seals quickly become fused together inside the housing, due to the heat generated. Thus, the first challenge is to get the seals off the old lenses. I found that by carefully removing the seals from the old lenses (using an Exacto knife) I was able to keep the front edges clean and relatively smooth, saving them for reuse.

Close-up shot of LEFT side, with used lens in place. Much better!

Then, after careful application of a small amount of (3M) automotive weatherstripping sealer (essentially a glue) to both glass and rubber seal, I married the two parts and reinstalled them in the housing. Since this procedure, I made a cross-continent trip of over 2500 miles -- including through heavy thunderstorms in the midwest -- and the lenses never leaked a drop. I know because I checked them out when I took everything apart again a month later. ;-)

CHROMELINING

The next step in the process occured when my NEW lenses finally arrived from Germany....ordered through Maximillian Imports, for $37 each, plus $6 each for new seals.

Here's the way the headlamp looked prior to chromelining.

When the new lenses arrived I knew I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I'd have everything apart again, so I ran out and bought the paint to do the chromelining process at the same time I was swapping the lenses. Since I already had learned my way around the H/L assemblies two months earlier, it only took a couple of hours total to do the job, with most of that time spent waiting for the paint (two coats of primer and three of silver/aluminum) to dry.

Here's shots of RIGHT and LEFT side headlamps after being chromelined.

I set up the paint station in the driveway. As each H/L assembly was removed and disassembled, I took each internal lens holder out and dropped it into the "paint booth". So, while I was removing the right side H/L, the left side lens holder was already shot with primer and quickly drying in the hot, dry summer air at 6,800 feet. After I removed the right side, it was shot with primer and the left side started on the final series of "aluminum" top coats. I used Dupli-Color high-heat paints for both primer and top coats.

Here's a closeup of the RIGHT H/L assembly, after being chromelined.
Finally, after both parts were fully dry, I reassembled everything and popped both H/L's back into place. The results were striking.

ANTI-YELLOWING

One last thing I'll share on this topic is on reducing the "yellowing" of clear plastic lenses. Most owners of older E38s will notice that the internal plastic lenses in the H/L assemblies tend to yellow with age and strong exposure to heat and light. After reading a tip somewhere, I decided to try reducing the yellowing of my lenses while I had everything apart. I bought Maguires plastic cleaner and Maguires plastic polish (two separate products) for the project. These products can be most easily found at marine and boating supply stores, as they are commonly used on boat windshields, etc. After several applications of the cleaner followed by the polish, I saw a significant decrease in yellowing, plus the surfaces were free of small scratches and had a very high sheen, just like a new part.

I also applied the same products (and associated elbow grease) to the plastic lenses on both sidemarker lights while they were out of the fenders. Similarly, the products removed small scratches and restored the plastic surface to a new-like condition. Where the plastic had been cloudy and dull before, it now was very shiny, with high luster. Of course the sidemarker lenses are still yellow ;-)