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Thread: Headlight sold, moving thread to follow repair...

  1. #1
    Sport Button On - DSC Off BigGar's Avatar
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    Headlight sold, moving thread to follow repair...

    Removed from a 2003 Alpina a few years ago and it's just been in a box in my garage. Left (Driver's) side. Z8 had approximately 30,000 miles on it when it was removed. Passenger side was very foggy, but this side is very nice with extremely little to no fogging. We were doing the Peformance Package and decided to just do both headlights for good measure as they had to come out for PP install anyway. Anyway, I thought I'd list it here first before putting it on Ebay. Minor "road wear" in terms of light pecks on the lens surface but very acceptable condition IMHO and I'm pretty particular. No. It's not brand new. Please check out photos closely. No cracks, broken tabs, or anything like that. Bulbs and electrical box included. Should be a plug and play deal. If you've got a foggy light and want to improve your situation, this might be a nice choice. Asking $750 with 20% going to Andrew for site support. Located in SoCal but happy to ship anywhere at actual shipping cost to buyer.


    Link to photos:

    https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...ZjMkJjNHAtclRB

    PM me if interested.

    Gar

    Please also post up and let me know if the link doesn't work!
    I'm a bit of a luddite.

  2. #2
    The link works and I might be interested as mine is a little foggy with the other one being good. I'll let you know if I decide to go for it.

    EDIT: Decided to keep my originals - pm sent to Gar.
    Skip Hammerman

    2002 BMW Z8 - Meisterschaft GT, PP installed, CDV delete. 110,000+ Mile Club
    2013 BMW X3
    2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S

  3. #3
    Sport Button On - DSC Off BigGar's Avatar
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    Happy to send it your way and if it's not what you're looking for, send it back. I'm pretty easy to deal with. Pay me if you're happy. I've looked after a lot of Z8's over the years and still have five in my care. The fogging issue seems to either happen, or not. The passenger side of this car was super foggy, and this one next to nothing. Of the ones I look after now, the black 2001 has PP and new headlights as of a few years back. She wanted to continue to drive the car after her husband passed away. It's a really clean one owner 10,000 mile example and I encouraged her to get the PP done, and the headlights were foggy on that one so when in Rome. . . The other four have literally less than 1,000 miles total between all of them. Of those eight headlights, five of them are foggy and three are perfect. I've basically told the owner to wait until he decides to sell before worrying about the headlights but I doubt if we put new ones on they'd fog. Those headlights have been sitting on the shelves at a BMW warehouse forever and if they fog up in the box, well, we don't have to buy those ones!Keep me posted. I'm in Vista, CA just a bit north of San Diego.Best regards,Gar

  4. #4
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    Are we sure when we buy new headlights they are new old stock and not freshly minted?

    If so, as you said we could reject the duds and get one of the good units that may stay clear longer.
    .
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  5. #5
    Fyi, I exchanged my fogged headlights with new units about 9 years ago. 6-12 months later the new ones fogged up.

  6. #6
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bend View Post
    Fyi, I exchanged my fogged headlights with new units about 9 years ago. 6-12 months later the new ones fogged up.
    Were they under warranty? I know if I buy parts for my Fords thru a dealer they have a 2 year warranty.

    This also adds to the question, if you can find an old one that is not fogged, is that better than a new one that may or may not fog?
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  7. #7
    Sport Button On - DSC Off BigGar's Avatar
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    I guess I'll toss this headlight up on eBay and see what happens. I may have some other items coming up soon. I'll definitely give the site a shot then before going elsewhere as well.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by 2112 View Post
    Were they under warranty? I know if I buy parts for my Fords thru a dealer they have a 2 year warranty.

    This also adds to the question, if you can find an old one that is not fogged, is that better than a new one that may or may not fog?
    BMW was nice enough to do the exchange at no charge, so I didn't have the heart to push it with a second round. I just made the assumption that the lights had an innate engineering flaw.

  9. #9
    Big Gar.......what other items are you considering putting up on ebay???????

  10. #10
    Sport Button On - DSC Off BigGar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mk31755 View Post
    Big Gar.......what other items are you considering putting up on ebay???????
    I won't know for a few months, but I spoke with the gentleman in Netherlands that I sold a few Z8's to, and he's got parts from all of the Z8's that he purchased outside of the EU and had to convert to EU standards. He asked if I would help him sell those parts. I think I'll have quite a few tail lights and whatever other items one would have to remove from a USA spec car and replace with EU spec parts. Might be some other items as well. I think he's just going to send them to me and then I'll put the online here.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigGar View Post
    I won't know for a few months, but I spoke with the gentleman in Netherlands that I sold a few Z8's to, and he's got parts from all of the Z8's that he purchased outside of the EU and had to convert to EU standards. He asked if I would help him sell those parts. I think I'll have quite a few tail lights and whatever other items one would have to remove from a USA spec car and replace with EU spec parts. Might be some other items as well. I think he's just going to send them to me and then I'll put the online here.
    BigGar—Is it possible to get a fogged headlight? I’d like to experiment with one to see if I can figure out how to clean the cover without taking it off. I’ve read of other cars where you can get a strong magnet in with cloth over it and move it with another magnet. The question with the Z8 headlight is to figure out if you could get access with a fairly small hole in the side of the headlight. Just wondering.
    David

  12. #12
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    These guys take apart OEM headlight assemblies, customize them and reassemble them;

    Custom Automotive Headlights | SW Lights (sw-lights.com)

    I plan to send them a fogged headlight assembly to see if they can fix it.
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by 2112 View Post
    These guys take apart OEM headlight assemblies, customize them and reassemble them;

    Custom Automotive Headlights | SW Lights (sw-lights.com)

    I plan to send them a fogged headlight assembly to see if they can fix it.
    Please let us know how that turns out! One of mine is slightly fogged and I would love to have a reasonable option for addressing the issue!
    Skip Hammerman

    2002 BMW Z8 - Meisterschaft GT, PP installed, CDV delete. 110,000+ Mile Club
    2013 BMW X3
    2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S

  14. #14
    Sport Button On - DSC Off BigGar's Avatar
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    I had three foggy ones and those got sold off a few years ago. This last one that I have is a nice one. If the other four Z8's I look after ever get theirs replaced I'll have a few more foggy ones but those cars will probably be sold as-is at some point. I've encouraged the owner to sell but he's not really interested in moving any of them yet.

  15. #15
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    Reread the listing, with the cut for Andrew, I can't pass it up. I will take it.

    P/M me your PayPal address and I will send you my information.
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  16. #16
    Thanks so much guys!! :-)
    Andrew Macpherson

    Expert Z8 Inspections, with full support for both Z8 sale and purchases.

  17. #17
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    I will swap out my pretty foggy driver's side assembly and send to those guys. What do we have to lose, right?
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by 2112 View Post
    I will swap out my pretty foggy driver's side assembly and send to those guys. What do we have to lose, right?
    It’s certainly worth a try, they seem to cover a variety of lights. Thing that always makes me wonder is that I am quite sure that the material condensed on the inside of the lens would wipe right off if only you could get to it.

    Could always ask them if they want to repair a neon tail light although that might be a bridge too far.

  19. #19
    Def keep us posted on the repair, I know we'd tried it before and found the lens and shell casing very hard to open without breaking it apart. By memory what fogs is actually a dense and sticky coating on the inside of the lens which I think is some kind of silicon that got sprayed on at the time of assembly and is fiendishly hard to remove.
    Andrew Macpherson

    Expert Z8 Inspections, with full support for both Z8 sale and purchases.

  20. #20
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    Andrew, that makes me even more curious. If I could just get ahold of a small piece of fogged cover, I can take it into the lab and get it analyzed. Even just a square centimeter would be enough. That would be a start on figuring it out.

  21. #21
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    Getting it open will truly be the key.

    If I am not mistaken, they carefully bake them to get them to separate.
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by 2112 View Post
    Getting it open will truly be the key.

    If I am not mistaken, they carefully bake them to get them to separate.
    that wouldn�t be great, could change the condition of the original fogging material. Need one that was going into the trash so we can just cut a piece out of it.

  23. #23
    Long story short… My 2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S headlights are $3,617 a piece. The Z8 ones don’t sound so bad anymore. Or maybe both are insane! Yes, that’s it.
    Skip Hammerman

    2002 BMW Z8 - Meisterschaft GT, PP installed, CDV delete. 110,000+ Mile Club
    2013 BMW X3
    2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S

  24. #24
    Z8 Ate My Homework! 2112's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Musta10000 View Post
    Long story short… My 2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S headlights are $3,617 a piece. The Z8 ones don’t sound so bad anymore. Or maybe both are insane! Yes, that’s it.
    Do the 911 headlamps fog up?
    2000 Red over black
    heavily modified for performance. Although, not to the level of GM's car

  25. #25
    Z8 Ate My Homework! Norcal's Avatar
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    Not that I’ve ever seen, and that’s a lot. I’ve owned/own 5 Porsches going back to 07, never once. My oldest current is a 2010… nothing.

  26. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by 2112 View Post
    Do the 911 headlamps fog up?
    No fogging that I know of. There has been reports of cracking on Rennlist and mine (2015 Targa 4S) is showing some type of a cracking/delamination on the edge of the light fixture. Very much cosmetic only and I have not decided yet if I will replace them or not. Porsche has agreed to cover 50% of the cost.
    Skip Hammerman

    2002 BMW Z8 - Meisterschaft GT, PP installed, CDV delete. 110,000+ Mile Club
    2013 BMW X3
    2015 Porsche 911 Targa 4S

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