Stroock639

they were up until 1997, 1998 got optional HIDs and they switched to plastic housings... probably the easiest way to tell if the car was garage kept or not lol


glass ain't hazing like this

AJT123

Yeah that’s what I thought lol.

Carfan94

Honda Accord and Volvo 850 also had glass headlights until 1997. Pretty cool to see an early 90s accord with sparkling clear headlights and no yellowing. Im pretty sure the W220 S class has plastic headlights, I just looked at a few on copart with yellowed lenses. Glass headlights don’t do that.

Glass headlights weigh more than plastic, that’s the true reason why they changed. Probably cheaper to make too.

mmarshall

Back in the 70s and early 80s when the U.S. National Speed Limit was 55 (although a lot of drivers ignored it), GM and some other automakers used numbers ending in "5".

Stroock639

they're not "probably" cheaper to make lol

having available HID lights must also have something to do with it, i don't think there's ever been a car that had HID D2R or D2S bulbs with glass lens housings (talking about OEM, i'm sure there's an aftermarket one out there somewhere that does)

Toys4RJill

I would think Plastic would definitely be cheaper to make. shipping, handling them would be cheaper. But as you add new stuff, they still get pretty pricey with all the new technology so the new tech would be more costly to make

Carfan94

BMW e32 first car with HIDs, and projector HIDs no less! I think they were behind glass lenses.

AJT123

Those were THE WORST!!!!!!! If you didn't get a GM car with a decent amount of options that's what you got back then.

People vastly preferred the digital options on many cars, like Cadillacs. I could not imagine driving a Caddy with this mess.

Stroock639

oh wow that's pretty badass! with that car in the early 90s you were the only person on the block with HIDs!

Toys4RJill

‘If you don’t mind me inquiring….what is the big deal with glass vs plastic headlight housing? Is glass supposed to be superior?

link13

For context, I am 53 and the 1972 Fiat was just a year younger than I am. I drove it in high school and my dad would not sell it to me because I am not overly mechanically inclined and if you had a 70s Fiat, that was an important skill set. I don’t know why Dad bought Fiats but we had a 1974 124 sedan which was a lemon, a 1978 131 Super Brava (my brother bought this from dad and drove it for years), and a 1979 131 Brava which I drove for a year in college until the trans failed.

It was far from an illustrious European car collection. Two of the Fiats were pretty good. Two were terrible. When I bought a Toyota, it was an epiphany. So this is what it’s like to be confident you will reach your destination.

Carfan94

The plastic deteriorates in the sun after 7-10 years and turns yellow, becomes hazy. Looks like crap and reduces the light output, defuses the light. Japanese cars seem to have the weakest plastic. I’ve noticed some European oems don’t deteriorate as quickly or severely.

AJT123

It won't ever fade one bit.

Both LX and LS could use a restoration, not badly...but yeah.

Mercs are glass and won't ever get like those.

Stroock639

FIAT = fix it again tony

lol yea i can believe that... the toyota must've been other worldly! i can understand the continual fiat purchasing though, those older italian cars do somehow just have a special charm, and when they're working are a joy to operate

Carfan94

The headlights on my 2010 GS are startling to look terrible, I’m debating what kind of UV coating I’m going to put on them after I polish them.