The problem however, is that all the aftermarket distributors in the US carry only the earlier version of the headlights. According to Tim at New Dimensions the reason for this is that Hella only sells the early style headlights to the aftermarket. Therefore the distributors would have to purchase the new style headlights directly from VW which would be more expensive. Because the headlight housing is the same for both lights, the early style will mount in all model year Corrados. However, due to the shorter lens, the front of the headlight ends up being recessed instead of flush with the leading edge of the hood and fenders when mounted on '92 and later cars.
Therefore, in order to get the proper fitting European headlights for a 1992-1995 Corrado they have to be ordered directly from Europe. The simplest way about this is to contact a parts distributor in England, thereby avoiding the language barrier. I ordered mine through "The Parts Department" which is a VW/Audi shop in Brighton, England (phone 011-44-1273-326189). There are also many other distributors/tuners that advertise in the British VW magazines that can order the lights and export them to the US. These magazines (Volkswagen Audi Car, Performance VW, VW Motoring, etc.) are available at some of the large book stores such as Borders, or Barnes and Noble. The downside is that shipping is very expensive because it goes by air freight but that is mostly made up in lower unit costs for the lights. Another thing to keep in mind is that the headlight does not come with bulbs from VW so those will have to be purchased separately and are actually cheaper here in the US. All in all expect the price to be about on par with the cost of the early style lights here in the US. It depends on who you deal with and obviously the currency exchanges. Also, US Customs imposes an import tariff on goods with a value of over $400.00 however, the fee is less than 3% on auto parts. Typically the shipping company handles all the Customs issues, pays any applicable tariffs on your behalf so as not to cause a delay, and then sends you a bill for the tariff later.
Now one nice thing about the Corrado European headlights is that they are designed so that the lens itself can be replaced if it should get damaged. Therefore, for those of you with '92-'95 cars that already have the early style European headlights you can fix your setup by simply buying replacement lenses, as well as the surrounding black trim which obviously is also deeper. Lenses cost about $40 each. Considerably cheaper than an entire new headlight. When replacing the lens it is prudent to replace the sealing gasket at the same time. They're cheap enough that it isn't worth the risk of getting condensation from a poor seal.
For those of you that are interested in ordering directly from Europe I have included a list of the VW part numbers for the complete headlights, lens only, & lens trim for both the early and late model headlights. I've also included the part number for the lens gasket and, if anyone is so inclined, for the yellow glass reflectors used in Corrados sold in France.
| 535 941 017 | left headlight | to 91 |
| 535 941 017C | left headlight | 92 on |
| 535 941 018 | right headlight | to 91 |
| 535 941 018C | right headlight | 92 on |
| 535 941 115 | left lens | to 91 |
| 535 941 115A | left lens | 92 on |
| 535 941 116 | right lens | to 91 |
| 535 941 116A | right lens | 92 on |
| 535 941 177 | left lens trim | to 91 |
| 535 941 177B | left lens trim | 92 on |
| 535 941 178 | right lens trim | to 91 |
| 535 941 178B | right lens trim | 92 on |
| French Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| 535 941 151A | Yellow Glass Reflector, Left | |
| 535 941 152A | Yellow Glass Reflector, Right | |
| 535 941 119 | Lens Gasket | |
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