I'm looking at a set of the clear/white Altezza lights for the rear of El Kabong.
I am finding them in the $40-$60 range on ebay. When I search for them on auto supply sites they are in the $200 range.
I know alot of people have bought these off ebay, and it seems like the majority are happy with their purchase. Is there a valid reason for the huge price difference?
Also, what does "Altezza" mean exactly, is it a brand name or a style of light?
I'm probably going to grab a set off ebay and if they end up as a bad choice at least it's only $50, and I can always put my originals back on I guess.
Here's an example of what I'm looking at getting. This seller has a 98.8% positive rating.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/02-05...spagenameZWDVW
Annette

 

I'm gonna guess the price is less just because they use cheaper parts....but not so cheap that it would cause problems. A local friend of mine has had them for some time now without any problems.

Altezza is a style of light. Often found on cheap import cars (rice) as aftermarket upgrades, they were at first used on the Lexus Altezza (as an OEM part)which is where they got their name.

Here are a few pics of altezzas:

 

Possible cheap chinese copies... Lots of look-alike copies on Ebay....

 

Thanks for the replies, I always wondered where the "Altezza" name came from.
As much as I'd like to use one of the NAM vendors (which I have done QUITE often, believe me) in this case I think I'll try the ebay knockoffs!
Annette

 

The only real complaint I have heard is that they aren't always well sealed and get condensation in the lenses.....But then again so do the ones from NAM vendors

Im sure the only diffrence between ebay and your high priced auto parts store is overhead and profit margin.....Anytime you buy anything retail you are usually paying several hundred percent markup. The closer you can get to the source the better for you as a consumer. ebay often allows you to get very close to the manufactuer on some items

 

Some one hit my MINI and ruined the left tail light. So I looked for some new ones. Many are VERY costly, so I searched on ebay, and believe I bought those exact lights. So far they're working perfectly and I have had them for 2 months or so

 

If you're going to park your car outdoor (under the sun) most of the time, you may want to consider a better quality aftermarket one (may be more expensive) or the OEM lights because I saw the trasparent cover turn yellowish on some cars with those cheaper lights. I think that is due to the lower quality of plastic they use and stay under the sun most of the time.

BTW, to be politically correct Altezza is Toyota, not Lexus, the Lexus version is the IS model.

 

I have had cheap ebay lights on Hondas before multiple times with no complaints, nice peices.

 

Does anyone have a pic of these lights AND reflectors installed? The lights look great, but I'm not sure how the reflectors would look. It looks like you just attach them with screws. Can anyone post a pic of them installed?

 

if im not mistaken, i believe altezza's add 5-10whp, and an extra 5-10 if you have a sticker to go along with em

 

These look good, now I can out bid you on them

 

That's ok, there are plenty!

Annette

 

Aw....he's just razzin' ya, Annette!