Help with LHD vs RHD conversion

General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below

Moderator: martauto

User avatar
Reelizmpro
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: California, USA

Post Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:51 am

For years I've understood all that was needed to convert between LHD and RHD was to loosen the 3 screws behind the lowbeams and rotate the housing. However, some believe that the RHD spec projector is different altogether because it has a different part number. So I ask, if anyone here knows if this is true. Is the RHD reflector/projector in the UK any different from the LHD found in Germany?
Image
kam-325i
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 4851
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: TELFORD !!!! (Shropshire) Stevetigger Land !!!

Post Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:02 pm

Reflector/Projector are two completey different headlamps.
Only the Projector type can be "Turned" to either LHD or RHD. The reflector type cannot.

In all the years i have been "into" E30's i have never heard of not been able to convert a LHD projector to RHD or vice versa.......

The main difference's between projector headlamps in "Smiley" & "Non-Smiley" and either Bosch or Hella.....
Pete don't care about colour, He would shag a rainbow if he could find the end of it....
Image
mrLEE30
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 6589
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sweating buckets in Bahrain

Post Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:50 pm

three types of lights for E30.

1. bulb and reflector - not changable from LHD to RHD
2. projector light that uses a lens to direct the light, these are called smileys or bulls eyes (or euro lights for you accorss the pond), they are both the same with a slightly different back plate that gives the smiley. these can be converted LHD to RHD as you describe above
3. sealed beam - US (and old Japan) only lights, they cannot be changed.

as for there being a difference between left and right hand part numbers I am not sure.

easiest way to see what you have is for you to post a pic of the front of your car (or look at the wiki page for DIY smoked lights, this unit is a projector light and this is the only type that can be swapped from LHD to RHD
Image
User avatar
Reelizmpro
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: California, USA

Post Wed Oct 24, 2012 7:32 pm

Hi guys, I am aware of the different lights. I used the term reflector because in the ETK that's what they refer to the projector as. Removing the 3 screws to adjust the projector between LHD/RHD is well known, however, someone pointed out that there is a specific RHD (UK spec) projector since there's a different part number.
Image