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View Full Version : RCR tails... Stealth Bulbs?



JupiterBMW
08-07-2012, 07:52 PM
Plain n simple... Do you guys run the stealth bulbs in the RCR tails? I think its the rear blinker in the clear portion, so should I get a second set of bulbs from Turner...?

Thanks in advance!

BimmerWill
08-08-2012, 01:00 AM
Its kind of one of those personal preference things. I don't personally have a set of r/c/r but I know with the clear corners some people like having the "egg yolk" look over the stealth all silver/clear look. Personally im a big fan of keeping the amber hidden until its needed but some colors look better or pull off amber better than others. Best advice I can give is to look at pictures of the two and choose what YOU like the best. Because in the end you have to go with what you think looks best otherwise you'll just end up changing it later lol.

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danewilson77
08-08-2012, 02:12 AM
Plain n simple... Do you guys run the stealth bulbs in the RCR tails? I think its the rear blinker in the clear portion, so should I get a second set of bulbs from Turner...?

Thanks in advance!

I have rcr with amber now. It doesn't bother me. Will go to stealthies again soon.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

JupiterBMW
08-08-2012, 04:44 AM
Will- Yeah, thanks man. I already have the corners and sides in, and I have the Stealth bulbs in the front corners. I agree with you, I wanted the amber completely gone until needed. Especially on the alpine white, I like the full clear look... I'm just curious about the rear...

Dane you have any pictures of either? both? I'd like to see my options...

Johnmadd
08-08-2012, 09:34 AM
I have them in the rear and clear bulbs in the front, I will get a pic when I get home for you.

nike001
08-08-2012, 01:10 PM
Stealth bulbs in clears are a must for rears! I ran orange bulbs in the front of my clears for the longest time and I actually quite liked it. DTMDan on e46fanatics just kept nagging me until I got stealths and they're doing alright.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7539145746_184a125922_b.jpg

JupiterBMW
08-08-2012, 02:13 PM
So that pic is with stealth bulbs out back, eh? Hmm, I feel like I can see some orange in the drivers side...

danewilson77
08-08-2012, 02:21 PM
So that pic is with stealth bulbs out back, eh? Hmm, I feel like I can see some orange in the drivers side...

Yup.....I am taking a pic of my amber clears...now.

nike001
08-08-2012, 02:42 PM
So that pic is with stealth bulbs out back, eh? Hmm, I feel like I can see some orange in the drivers side...

Yeah it does that with special angles... most of the time there's no orange

danewilson77
08-08-2012, 02:53 PM
http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMAG1687.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMAG1686.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMAG1685.jpg

Johnmadd
08-08-2012, 03:32 PM
Here's mine,

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc407/johnmadd1979/20120808_192313.jpg http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc407/johnmadd1979/20120808_192247_HDR.jpg

JupiterBMW
08-08-2012, 05:23 PM
Wow, you guys are all awesome! Thanks for all the comparison pics. I will say, the ambers are much less noticeable out back being that the lights are diamond cut on the inside as opposed to the clear/transparent lens of the front corner lights. But, after seeing the pics, I think I have to go with Stealth bulbs out back too. Heck, I'm balls deep into the bank account with the lights so far, might as well go all out, right? :biggrin

nike001
08-08-2012, 05:44 PM
Right.

Where do you fellas get your stealth bulbs? I had a hard time finding any.. but I finally found that Khoalty had ones that were able to fit.

Johnmadd
08-08-2012, 05:47 PM
Jon, try using the clear bulbs up front and the stealths in the back. The difference between those and the headlights make it look close enough to orange nobody will notice at night.

Here are my front clear corners with clear bulbs

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc407/johnmadd1979/20120727_233016.jpg

Johnmadd
08-08-2012, 05:50 PM
Right.

Where do you fellas get your stealth bulbs? I had a hard time finding any.. but I finally found that Khoalty had ones that were able to fit.

That's where mine are from. They also have good prices for led license plate lights.

JupiterBMW
08-08-2012, 05:50 PM
Jon, try using the clear bulbs up front and the stealths in the back. The difference between those and the headlights make it look close enough to orange nobody will notice at night.

Here are my front clear corners with clear bulbs



Hmm, that's a fantastic idea, but I'll notice the difference between front and back... I'm very OCD like that.

BimmerWill
08-15-2012, 06:48 AM
I believe I got mine from Ddm for the corners and sidemarkers when I purchased the corners and sidemarkers.
Held up for going on two years now. Had the bulbs out not too long ago and the chrome/silver didn't look faded or chipping off at all.
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Cadeez
08-21-2012, 02:28 PM
Honestly I run the oem clear bulbs in the back and I have LED sides and corners, they all blink bright white! I think it looks good, perhaps frowned upon by Johnny Law, but I've never had an issue

danewilson77
08-21-2012, 02:40 PM
Honestly I run the oem clear bulbs in the back and I have LED sides and corners, they all blink bright white! I think it looks good, perhaps frowned upon by Johnny Law, but I've never had an issue

This is exactly why I failed my inspection last month.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Cadeez
08-21-2012, 02:51 PM
This is exactly why I failed my inspection last month.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Haha sorry DW! I really should get some stealth bulbs, I'm just lazy...

danewilson77
08-21-2012, 02:55 PM
Haha sorry DW! I really should get some stealth bulbs, I'm just lazy...

Yeah...no worries brah. I'm rolling with ambers now. Will get stealth soon.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

JupiterBMW
08-21-2012, 05:12 PM
Well, the 2nd set of stealth bulbs is on the way, for the tails. Love them in the front, and I like how the amber blink is darker than the standard amber bulb. So I'm gonna match up the tails. As for the sides, eh, I'll get there. $29 for those two little bulbs is a bit ridic to me.

mimalmo
08-23-2012, 06:53 PM
Stealth bulbs all day long!

Rovert
08-23-2012, 10:05 PM
I have them in my car too. My friend used to be a BMW tech in the E46 days so he took the stealth X5 oem turn signal bulbs which are a blueish/purple hue with a subtle hint of amber at the right angles. But this is what I see normally:

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6710/img6937r.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4168/img7061r.jpg

I have stealth bulbs in the front which are very similar too:
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/682/img6934r.jpg

JupiterBMW
08-24-2012, 03:43 AM
Wow Trevor, looks awesome. How about the side markers? Do you have stealth bulbs in there too?

Pip
08-24-2012, 06:57 AM
That car is looking good :drool


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johnrando
08-24-2012, 10:30 AM
Looks great Trevor. BTW, was talking to Hugh (sillieidiot on e46) and he said he knows you. He installed my AE's. Good guy.

spoonerDee
09-27-2012, 05:13 AM
I started with stealth bulbs when I first got my clears. I wasn't happy with them, in bright sunlight they didn't light up that well and I had people honk at me from behind for not using my turns (even though I did). Plus I had read horrible stories about the metal coating on the stealth bulbs melting (in the front housings) and melting the lenses with it.

So I did some shopping around and swapped in some tower style LED bulbs. Very very bright even in bright sunlight like mid day. If I am headed right into the sun not that great but nothings perfect.. I had to disable the hot and cold checks on the cars OBC so I didn't get bulb out warnings but other than that, love em.

Pics:
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/4926/20120927091436.jpg
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9908/20120927091642.jpg
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3607/20120927091454.jpg

terraphantm
11-21-2012, 08:53 PM
I personally used the Philips Silvervision bulbs for this. I initially had the "generic" stealth bulbs, but I did not like how they were so much dimmer than stock. I couldn't see them on a sunny day. The Silvervisions are just as bright (if not slightly brighter) than OEM amber bulbs and are sold OE on many cars. In frosted housings like the tails, they show pretty much no yellow (unless you shine a freaking bright light into them).

http://i.imgur.com/1GFMG.jpg

This is how they look on my front corners. You can see a tiny hint of amber on the bulb itself... but that's because I took that photo with flash. In 95% of scenarios, the housing just looks nice and silver.

az3579
11-22-2012, 12:44 PM
My issue with the amber bulbs is that they blink more of a pale-yellowish/white light instead of actual full-blown amber.
Do any of you guys with stealth bulbs have a video on the color of how they blink? I want to switch to stealth but don't want to bother spending the money on them if they don't blink more amber than my current completely-amber colored bulbs.

Any videos would be really appreciated!

Currently my tails look like this:

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Automotive/BMW%20E46%20330i%20ZHP/Exterior/7f50fba9.jpg

Can't really see the amber from this angle, but head on you can see it even with the Lamin-X film over the turn signal portions (custom cut courtesy of Charlie). Looks like that egg-yolk look but with the tint it actually looks pretty decent. Would like the stealth look though so it looks like the above pic even when viewed from head on.