MX-3.com

hey boys. why do the europeans have such clear headlights? the contours of the interior of the headlight assembly are really accentuated with the lens clear like that. reminds me of manga (japanese anime).

american\canadian spec headlights have a 'patternized' lens: ugly and extremely pathetic light emmitance. i've been on a hunt for e-spec headlights but still not sure if that's what they are. it seems that the j-spec headlights also are patternized and i've seen pictures of mx3 headlights in europe that also look like ours here in north america. so i'm confused as to what exact spec of mx3 headlight is that in this picture. i think i've seen three different types of mx3 headlights: the north american style that is heavily 'patternized', another style that is lightly patternized, and the one in the picture above which looks absolutely clear (or maybe it's not if seen closer ... ?)

i also don't know if these three (or two) headlight variants are also different on the interior of the headlight assembly, given how the contours of the clear-lens headlights are so crisp and elegant ...

i've received conflicting information regarding this topic and need it to be clarified once and for all. at first i wanted to just order a set of these headlight assemblies as a whole and replace my north american units, but the european versions use different bulbs and bracketry. so i just realized that maybe i could still find this variant of headlight, but just remove the clear lens off it and replace my existing patternized lenses with them, which means no technical alterations whatsoever ...

Europeans got glass headlights. As far as I know, everywhere else got plastic.

Gotta love those E-spec lights. I would love to have them on mine.

glass eh. you think it's possible to replace a plastic lens with a glass lens?
and why is it that some european mx3s have plastic lens? most of these ones with glass are in netherlands, norway, finland, portugal, russia, but in these same countries i've seen pictures of mx3s with plastic lenses ...

Plastic lenses are required in the US because of flying shrapnel upon impact. Also less glass to clean off the streets afterwards. The plastic ones will never look as good as the glass ones but they don't look too bad if you keep them clean.

Flying Shrapnel!!!???
Every Other New Car On The Streets Nowadays Have Glass Headlights
S2000, Nissans, Mercedes ... I Doubt They Use Plastic !!!!

And No, I Keep Mine Clean Too. It Has No Comparison Whatsoever

I dont know of any current production car in the states that has glass headlamps. Both my 6's have plastic. My friends CLK55 AMG mercedes has plastic headlamps.

Yah, I haven't noticed any glass lens US spec headlights since ~1992-93.

i guess i fumbled that one then ... it just seemed that all new cars have very classy and elaborately chromed-on-the-inside headlights that i assumed they were glass lenses ... well back to the mx3 glass headlights, how would I import one into Canada? or is it an absolute no because of the law you specified, and would anyone even care to notice whether my lenses are glass or plastic (by coming up to my car and tapping them) in a country that doesn't even perform smog inspections ... ?

Haven't been here for ages...
Hah, that's 33tus car. I've been wondering myself too how some have so clear lenses, but i don't think that all the cars in europe have clear ones.

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/2852/asdci5.jpg

I don't really know the owner of that car (33tus car, the one with the harline.com text) cause i've never met him, i just have his msn messenger-adress. He is in the army now but i'll ask him has he done something to those headlights.

But i've u have clear lenses does that mean that u coud build projector-headlights yourself by using for exsample civic-projector components? Of course it might b quite difficult but in theory is it possible?

In my car the lenses are plastic and I haven't cleaned it. My car is manufactured in Germany and every MX-3 in Finland are shipped from another country.

the plot thickens ...
so the european headlights aren't even made of glass after all ...
and up close, 33tu's headlights, although appearing clear from far away, actually have a pattern in them like I thought, just not as tacky as the north american spec ...

my canadian mx3's headlights are branded "Ichikoh" if i remember right ... Therefore they're made in Japan ... does a brand name appear on ur headlights, 33tu? ... If they're made in Germany, then they must have ...

illapino wrote:my canadian mx3's headlights are branded "Ichikoh" if i remember right ... Therefore they're made in Japan ... does a brand name appear on ur headlights, 33tu? ... If they're made in Germany, then they must have ...

My headlights are branded
ICHIKOH 1456L JAPAN

mine are ICHIKOH 1453L JAPAN (and 1453R)
so they are different

what is the other code underneath it 33tu? starts with "HB ..."
perhaps it would be the part code and i could order it without doubts