Smoking the headlight chrome
and here I thought you cooked your headlights this morning...
03-19-2005, 02:30 PM
#129
I have no idea how they were opened. I wasnt there when they installed my HID setup. I didn;t even know they opened them until later. The bad part is... i have condensation now... its pretty bad. I think the guy sealed them wilh silicone. Good Luck...
03-19-2005, 02:46 PM
#131
sounds good. let me know how it goes. I will follow your instructions with my lenses after you finish your project. i guess you bake them to take it off and you bake them to put them back on? i feel like im in cooking class 
03-19-2005, 02:51 PM
#132
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I know it seems sorta gay, but this softens the sealant. U can use a hot air gun from what I hear. I dont wanna chance on melting anything though. Between removing the front end to get the lights out, and taking apart the lights, im gonan have my hands full. Also, its rainnig here, so if it doesnt stop, the project is no go.
03-20-2005, 08:14 AM
#133
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Weather looks good today, so Project Black Headlight Chrome will commence at about 1 pm. Any hints on taking out the headlights? Any hints or final suggestions on which parts get blackened. My plan was to leave the intereior "cave" part of the headlight and foglight chrome becuase I think the light reflects off there and it helps focus the light - just a guess there based on looking at it.
I see three options for blackening the "ring" around the preimeter of the "cave" on the headlight and foglight.
1. I can blacken that ridge completely, or
2. I can leave the "top" of the ridge chrome ring, or
3. I can leave a chrome ring around the outside of the "cave" like on the Mazda 3 headlights
My car is black, so Im going with gloss black for two reasons, 1. It may help reflect a bit, and 2. The car color is black. I have seen flat black headlight trim and it doesnt look as good, i.e. the Cadillac CTS. Im going to sand the chrome with 1000 grit, prime it, paint it, and clear coat it. ANy suggestions here?
Ill bake it at 250 for about 10 min and keep a heat gun handy to help out with cold spots on the sealant. Suggestions?
Ill check periodically for responses, but they gotta be quick, cuz 1 pm pacific time is whne i get started, although Ill be checking on here throughout the project. Of course Ill be taking pics throughout the project too.
Please guys, send me your thoughts, whatever they may be. Keep fingers crossed!!!!
I see three options for blackening the "ring" around the preimeter of the "cave" on the headlight and foglight.
1. I can blacken that ridge completely, or
2. I can leave the "top" of the ridge chrome ring, or
3. I can leave a chrome ring around the outside of the "cave" like on the Mazda 3 headlights
My car is black, so Im going with gloss black for two reasons, 1. It may help reflect a bit, and 2. The car color is black. I have seen flat black headlight trim and it doesnt look as good, i.e. the Cadillac CTS. Im going to sand the chrome with 1000 grit, prime it, paint it, and clear coat it. ANy suggestions here?
Ill bake it at 250 for about 10 min and keep a heat gun handy to help out with cold spots on the sealant. Suggestions?
Ill check periodically for responses, but they gotta be quick, cuz 1 pm pacific time is whne i get started, although Ill be checking on here throughout the project. Of course Ill be taking pics throughout the project too.
Please guys, send me your thoughts, whatever they may be. Keep fingers crossed!!!!
03-20-2005, 02:58 PM
#138
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I cant figure out what needs to be removed for baking still!!. Im working on it. I tried using a heat gun instead of oven. Not efficient enough. Ill keep checking on here for advice.
03-20-2005, 03:00 PM
#139
bakeing it is gonna be safer than a heatgun.. Just keep checking on it and once the seals sticky use a butter knife to gently pry it open. Youre exactly right on how to reseal them, dont use any other sealer, just reheat it and put back together. I read somewhere they sealed it back up, wrapped it in a towel and wrapped the towel with duct tape. That make a strong wrap to seal it in all areas. DO IT!!!
03-20-2005, 04:08 PM
#141
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Its apart. This site went down when I put it in oven. Im heating the lense so the chrome comes out, then sanding, priming painting and clearcoating. Im doing one light at a time
03-20-2005, 06:19 PM
#150
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What is deadwood. I can post preliminary pics if u want. U want me to? Im ready to clear coat the first light. Will take about an hour. Then Ill put light #1 back together and take before and after pics of each iundividual light. Ill install the first light in between coats on light #2.
03-20-2005, 06:24 PM
#151
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Clearcoat is on and its looknig pretty damn good. Ill wait for it to dry and assemble and take pics. I'll post them too!! Its dark so Il be assembling in the dark. By the way, I was not sure about painting the DRL, you know, the lense above the foglight which is only used in Canada? I decided to paint over the lense cuz Ill never use it and it has chrome behond it. This way, it willl look like 3 projector type lights. I cant wait to assemble and see how it looks. Anyway, oven is still on, house is hot and dry to help paint cure . . .. back to it. more later. Thanks guys for ur moral support!!!
03-20-2005, 07:04 PM
#153
Originally Posted by DeusExMaxima
What is deadwood. I can post preliminary pics if u want. U want me to? Im ready to clear coat the first light. Will take about an hour. Then Ill put light #1 back together and take before and after pics of each iundividual light. Ill install the first light in between coats on light #2.
..............
03-20-2005, 07:36 PM
#157
Dues, you gonna do anything with the reflector? I cant see going through all that trouble and leaving it in there. Does it look like it pops out or anything? You could probably shoot the back side of it lightly and it would look great...? Also, now would be the time to do the blinker/fog conversion. Brighter/different colors?
03-20-2005, 07:42 PM
#159
Deus I see your pics are up and they look good. Just one question. Above the driving light where the canadian DRL's are, in the chrome pics it shows the vertical lines in it. Did you sand them down? Looks smooth in the painted pics. Nice work man..you got bigger ones than I lol
<--- Dues 