taking apart headlights and painting

[onelowxa]

ok, who here has done this? i want mine done, but i have way too much on my plate right now. is someone willing to do this for me? is yes, how much? i want the part to be painted black and the yellow turn cover removed.

[COMEDYkills]

if I lived closer I'd do it for the cost of the materials but someone up there should beable to help you out I'm sure.... only takes a day if you know what your doing

[onelowxa]

if I lived closer I'd do it for the cost of the materials but someone up there should beable to help you out I'm sure.... only takes a day if you know what your doing


ill pay for shipping to and from. how much you want to do them? nobody around here has done this yet.

[blimon63]

what part exactly do you want painted? i did it to mine but instead of removing the orange blinker cover i smoked it.

[Kahuna]

Recipie for baked headlight...

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Place headlight on towel lined cookie sheet.
Place headlight on bottom rack and cook for 12 mins.
Remove headlight and pry apart lens from the housing make sure you are watching for the tabs as you go.
Let cool.
Remove amber lens and paint your selected pieces.
Place lens back into oven for 2 mins to warm up the glue.
Now place lens back onto the housing and push them back together. I now placed the whole unit back into the oven for a couple of minutes.
Now make sure you have all the tabs locked into placed.
And now you can enjoy your backed headlights.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k219/Kahuna_01/ScionXa2-36.jpg

[Zillon]

I've done it as well, I baked mine for 12 minutes @ 250ºF.

Using Mechanix gloves and a flathead screwdriver, I pried the headlights apart, then separated the amber lens, and then removed the upper "boomerang" so I could paint it. Be very gentle when separating the boomerang from the rest of the light - just pull straight out with steady pressure. Do not twist or bend it.

To put them back together, just pop everything back together, preheat the oven for 250, bake for 5, and push everything back together, making sure all the tabs lock.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/Zillon2/xA/hldone001.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/Zillon2/xA/hlfinal001.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/Zillon2/xA/hldone003.jpg

[blimon63]

here's mine
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/blimon63/sibrivalry007.jpg

[onelowxa]

exactly like zillion's. i already know the procedure. some things id just rather pay to have done and not have to deal with myself. any takers???

[onelowxa]

come on now, cash in hand LOL

[Zillon]

exactly like zillion's. i already know the procedure. some things id just rather pay to have done and not have to deal with myself. any takers???

I'd offer to do it, but I'm short on time right now. I leave for school in less than 2 weeks.

[onelowxa]

i guess this is something ill have to put on the "winter" list

[Zillon]

i guess this is something ill have to put on the "winter" list

It's best to do in the winter anyway - Less humidity in the air. ;)

[Pengu56]

I think I'm gonna try this in a couple of weeks when my parents are out in Hawaii...

Hopefully my aunt isn't home for the weekend too :xfingers:

[Zillon]

I think I'm gonna try this in a couple of weeks when my parents are out in Hawaii...

Hopefully my aunt isn't home for the weekend too :xfingers:

I hate to discriminate... but since you are a self-declared car newb, I'd hold off on doing it until you've got some more time in with a wrench.

If you screw up, you'll be out 200-something for a new headlight assembly. :hs:

[Pengu56]

Fair enough, I've looked through some guides and it didn't seem too hard, but I'll take your word for it.

I'll look around for people who can do it for me.

[titty]

Wow, this is neat. lol, I hope all goes well for you. I usually just use the oven for cookies and cakes. :p

[transformerxa]

ive been thinking about doing this for a while, i think i might just try it here soon

[forechem]

I did mine bout a month ago and the passenger side head light condenses when it gets really wet but it drys pretty quick. Its a quick fix just have to head it back up i just have not taken the time to do it. I think I will do it when i install my HID's

[onelowxa]

I did mine bout a month ago and the passenger side head light condenses when it gets really wet but it drys pretty quick. Its a quick fix just have to head it back up i just have not taken the time to do it. I think I will do it when i install my HID's

fish tank sealer on all the seams eliminates that

[TurboEgg]

Just did this mod today. Turned out great!

I didn't do mine in black. I did them in gunmetal metallic to match the rest of the theme I have going on with my egg. Cleared the turn indicators and replaced the bulbs with amber ones.


I'll have pics up tomorrow night. :cool:

[Pengu56]

Sounds good, Uber!
I was actually thinking of maybe having just the upper part of the boomerang done in PGP or so to match my body paint, giving it an eyebrow look without having to buy the tacky (IMO) CF eyelids. I really like having eyelids the same color as the body.

[TurboEgg]

Here are my results:

I can't wait to see them in sunshine!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/NH-ZTS/S7300216.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/NH-ZTS/S7300215.jpg

[DriverXa]

That looks sick... O man I want some blacked out headlights.

[Pengu56]

Dang, that looks like it was MADE that way by Scion! :tu:

[maxivisvires]

That looks great, what brand of paint did you use? And where you get the bulbs?

[TurboEgg]

The paint I used is the same stuff I used for my wheels. Duplicolor High Performance Wheel Paint. The color is graphite metallic. For light bulbs I just used 2827 bulbs from sylvainia. These are just an amber replacement for the 7440 bulbs that come stock.

The finish came out nice and smooth with a uniform color. I have also used this same paint to do my interior trim, it's great stuff.

[maxivisvires]

Geez, this mod sounds like a major pita... with high chances of screwing up royally. But the results if successful are so worth it. Is there someone in SoCal willing to do this for meh??? :D

[math_man_tation]

Same here Larry.

If we can find someone in Socal, they can do both of ours.

[oldmanatee]

The lovely Mrs. is going out of town at Thanksgiving, this project will be done the Saturday she flies out.....Remember Tom Cruise (before he weirded out) in Risky Business when his parents left town? That's the way I am about doing mods....except I don't dance around in my grippies....

[Pengu56]

Sounds like a plan, and you don't even have to convince the wife to go shopping!

[oldmanatee]

What she doesn't know won't hurt her....

[rollingxA04]

finally found a site with xAs!!!! oh man am i glad! i live in northen cal and all i see are xbs and tcs all day. i am in the process of fixxin up my polar white xA and i am really wantin to bake my head lights and have the amber part taken out and have the boomerrang painted.... anyone close that could be brave enough to do this? i have some background with wrenches jus dont want to mess up a headlight!

[pixiedixie862]

What she doesn't know won't hurt her....


Haha... thats my moto...

[FNslow]

That's the way I am about doing mods....except I don't dance around in my grippies....

Haha, first time i've heard "grippies" used for "chonies". Good stuff. Good luck, let us know how it all goes!

[rollingxA04]

so i any one know of a dude i can send mine to? i gotta have that ugly amber taken off!!!