My 2003 CL500

[Ash Hussain]

back from a total respray and corrosion repair.
Washed and polished.

 

[A.J.]

Nice one Ash, welcome to the forum

 

[Craiglxviii]

Lovely, what did you do the rear lamps?

 

[Ash Hussain]

Lovely, what did you do the rear lamps?

I think the body shop guy said he lacquered them?

 

[John Laidlaw]

Welcome nice one Ash

 

[harrye500]

Looking good! The CL is a beautiful design, all the right curves where they should be!

 

[Naraic]

OK...how much for the respray etc?

 

[Ash Hussain]

OK...how much for the respray etc?

Hey. Sorry for Late response.

Total cost was £1,500. Took him about 2 weeks to do.

 

[Naraic]

Hey. Sorry for Late response.

Total cost was £1,500. Took him about 2 weeks to do.

That's a really good price. Was there much remedial work to be done?

 

[Ash Hussain]

That's a really good price. Was there much remedial work to be done?

oh hell yes! Every panel inc panel around sunroof was corroded. It looked awful, but body shop guy said it wasn't bad.

I laso had them get rid of all the chrome, smoke the rear and front lights.

 

[Craiglxviii]

oh hell yes! Every panel inc panel around sunroof was corroded. It looked awful, but body shop guy said it wasn't bad.

I laso had them get rid of all the chrome, smoke the rear and front lights.

Smoking lights is dangerous and silly... they're designed with lenses of a light transmittivity % for a reason! That's why I asked about the rear lamps, I did wonder if they were aftermarket variants which would need to meet regulation.

 

[Ash Hussain]

Smoking lights is dangerous and silly... they're designed with lenses of a light transmittivity % for a reason! That's why I asked about the rear lamps, I did wonder if they were aftermarket variants which would need to meet regulation.

MOT regulations require at least 50% of the original light to come through... had it MOTd 2 days ago and they thoroughly checked the front and rear lights after I informed them what I had done.

It passed with no issues.

 

[flowrider]

Great job on the car, its certainly eye catching. Not a fan of tinted headlights but yours look very subtle and I would think no different to headlights that have fogged over the years.

 

[LostKiwi]

Looks way too 'drug dealer' for my tastes. Sorry.
Agree with Craig about tinting lights - I'd far rather make sure I was visible than 'cool'.

 

[Ash Hussain]

Looks way too 'drug dealer' for my tastes. Sorry.
Agree with Craig about tinting lights - I'd far rather make sure I was visible than 'cool'.

hahaha.... no need to apologise. I was going for the Russian mafia look. hahaha
wonder if the glass is bullet proof? its thick enough. hahahah

Lots of vehicles come with smoked lights as factory standard nowadays... The LED bulbs at the rear and the 8k HIDs make up for any smoke

 

[Ash Hussain]

Great job on the car, its certainly eye catching. Not a fan of tinted headlights but yours look very subtle and I would think no different to headlights that have fogged over the years.

Yes they are very subtle... the rear lights now are all LED so a lot brighter. The HIDs lamps are 8k, so a lot brighter even with the smoke than they were when it left the factory.

 

[LostKiwi]

8k HIDs

I'm surprised you got an MOT with 8000K HIDs as they are not white according to Construction and Use regulations (and are certainly not ECE approved!). They are a hazard to other drivers as the blue end of the spectrum is what causes dazzle to other drivers. You really shouldn't use any higher than 6000K and ideally 4300K to 5000K for maximum usable light per watt.
I get you want to look 'cool' but please consider the effect on other drivers when doing this stuff.

 

[LostKiwi]

Yes they are very subtle... the rear lights now are all LED so a lot brighter. The HIDs lamps are 8k, so a lot brighter even with the smoke than they were when it left the factory.

I'm guessing you mean 8000K which is the colour temperature of the light and not the output - light output is measured in lumens, candela or Watts (though watts are actually input power and not a measure of output light).

As colour temperatures climb from 4300K through 5000K the human eye starts to lose sensitivity to the light output as it tends towards blue. By 8000K the eye has lost over 25% of its sensitivity effectively making the light appear dimmer than a 5000K light.
There is a reason manufacturers use lights in the 4300 - 5000K range.

Using an 8000K light source just creates a lot more dazzle, not more light.

 

[flowrider]

Yes they are very subtle... the rear lights now are all LED so a lot brighter. The HIDs lamps are 8k, so a lot brighter even with the smoke than they were when it left the factory.

8000k headlights, not for me and as said is a danger to other road users. To get through the MOT you must have a "friendly" MOT tester.

 

[flowrider]

Looks way too 'drug dealer' for my tastes. Sorry.
Agree with Craig about tinting lights - I'd far rather make sure I was visible than 'cool'.

At least he didn't go with black wheels as well.