DIY Head Light Painting

[rocket legacy gt]

DIY Head Light Painting.

 

I had some requests on LegacyGT.com to write a DIY for blacking out headlights. I took pictures as I went when I did them last summer. this was done with JDM lights. the process is similar for USDM lights So here we go. Disclaimer** you are responsible for your own headlights. Anything you do to mess them up is on you.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0444.jpg

 

Things you will need:

• Flat screwdriver & Philips head.

• Oven/cookie tray (big enough to fit 1 headlight)

• Heat gun/Hair dryer (heat gun is best)

• Clamps

• Plastic specific paint.

• 1000 or 2000 grit sand paper

• Oven mitts or gloves

• Silicone sealant

 

 

First thing you will want to do it pre heat your oven to 200 on bake.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0449.jpg

 

doing this for the first time is going to seem really sketchy. So take it really slow. I did a lot of reading and people said the lights don't spontaneously melt. Make sure you remove the light bulbs and metal clamps.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0448.jpg

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0451.jpg

 

I set the time at 25min and sat with my nose pressed against the glass window of the oven. Every ten min I would I opened the door to inspect that it wasn’t melting. When it dinged at 25min it was easy to pry the two sides apart. I found that starting on the high beam side was easier.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0454.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0453.jpg

 

Once apart you have to separate the shroud from the lens. There are 4 Philips head screws that must be removed to extract the shroud. This is also a good time to clear your corner light.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0455.jpg

 

To remove the shroud I found it easiest to pull it out from the corner light hole. Use a moderate amount of pressure till it pops out.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0456.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0457.jpg

 

Once it is out you should sand the surface of the shroud so the paint has some to stick to. I used 2000 grit. Then spray to what ever color you desire. I chose black because of the theme I has started with the black accents.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0458.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0459.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0460.jpg

 

let it set for 15min before doing another coat. When you are happy let it dry. The paint I used said wait an hour till it is dry to the touch so I played Call of Duty for an hour… putting the shroud back in is the reverse of take it out. put the high beam part in first and press it till it pops in

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0462.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0464.jpg

 

make sure when you are handling the lens you do not touch the inside. I found fingerprints on the inside when I was done and had to re bake and clean. Screw back in the 4 screws holding the shroud. Now the fun part. Putting them back together. One-way is to bake them again to re heat the sealant. Or the easier way to heat the sealant with your heat gun. I read a lot of horror stories about how people didn’t reseal their light correctly so I was determined not to have that happen to me.

 

The best place to put new sealant is on the light housing side where it looks like the female connection point. :grin: . Heat the sealant on both the housing and lens sides till the sealant is shiny. Once at this point you have to move quickly before the sealant cools. I started pressing it together on the high beam side.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0467.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0468.jpg

 

Get it close enough to pop the metal clamps that you removed on. They will help.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0469.jpg

 

Use more clamps to really get it fully sealed. Its ok if you see sealant oozing out.

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0470.jpg

 

All done

 

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0471.jpg

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/Rocketnoob/DIY/DSCN0472.jpg