Being incredibly low mileage and equipped with just about everything I could want in a 430i convertible, FiFi is pretty much the perfect car for me! But one of the down sides of going with a 2017 F33 is that BMW didn’t make the LCI tail lights standard yet. It wasn’t until the 2018 models did we start seeing the LCI tail lights become a standard feature on the F33.
Pre-LCI days
That being said, FiFi’s most expensive mod so far has been upgrading her pre-LCI tail lights to the blackline LCI tail lights at European Auto Source in Anaheim, CA. I must say that this mod was worth every single penny as it totally transformed her rear end. It might not seem like a significant modification, but I seriously cannot look at pre-LCI tail lights the same way now. What can I say… I am big on aesthetics!
Blackline LCI tail lights installed at EAS
When I was shopping around and contacting several SoCal shops regarding this project, I was quoted $2000+ to get it done. If you are in the area, I have already done the homework for you – European Auto Source is definitely going to be your best bet. The guys there do a great job, and what I loved was that I was able to buy the BMW OEM parts directly from them and have them install and code properly (rather than buy from one place like eBay, pay a crazy price for shipping, and then find a shop to install). Best of all, the grand total came out to just under $1400. While this is not a small investment, it’s definitely a huge savings from the other quotes I was given.
Blackline LCI tail lights look next-level killer at night!
European Auto Source has two different kinds of LCI tail lights you can choose from for the F32/33 models: standard LCI and blackline LCI. Initially, I had trouble distinguishing the two because they looked so similar, but I ended up going with blackline because the lines are slightly more “pronounced” if that makes sense. Plus, with FiFi being an M Sport baby with black accents throughout her body already, I felt that this would be a nice touch. I would also say the blacklines appear a bit darker than the standard – almost slightly smoked. I get asked often whether I’ve tinted them! No tint, and no plans to tint 🙂
Up close & personal
The purchasing, installation, and coding process took about two hours. Since I wasn’t local, I hung out in their waiting room. European Auto Source has two of the cutest french bulldogs named Wesley and Frank. They totally made the wait time fly by and it was so fun to bond with them! Wesley reminds me so much of my older pug S’mores.
If you are not in California, you can purchase the tail lights from European Auto Source’s website and install/code on your own. The shipping cost is pretty high, which is why I decided not to DIY this. I ended up saving money on shipping and allocating that budget towards the installation instead. It worked out nicely, so I’d say it was worth driving three hours to get there and back home.
What a big difference this modification makes to the rear end!
On the fence about this mod? I seriously can’t recommend it enough! European Auto Source occasionally advertises sales on their website, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for a deal with the holidays approaching!
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