DIY Head Light Painting.

[rocketlegacy]

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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0444-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0449-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0448-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0450-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0451-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0454-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0453-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0455-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0456-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0457-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0458-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0459-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0460-1.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

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0462-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0464-1.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.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0467-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0468-1.jpg

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

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0469-1.jpg

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

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0470-1.jpg

All done

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0471-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0472-1.jpg

[GTDrifter]

nice write up

[harrymaneuvers]

+1 on the write up.

[evolegacy]

saved to favorites, gonna do this next time i get the chance to do some more work to the car

[httrdd]

Thank you. Going to do mine when the weather gets better. What did you clean the inside of the lends with?

[mycargoesvroom]

Awesome write up man! Should have used gloves :P


Thank you. Going to do mine when the weather gets better. What did you clean the inside of the lends with?

When I did my Bugeye I cleaned the insides with 92% Alcohol.

[rocketlegacy]

Thank you. Going to do mine when the weather gets better. What did you clean the inside of the lends with?
i just used a window cleaner sprayed onto a microfiber cloth. rubbing alcohol would work too i guess


Should have used gloves :P

yep but i wasn't that smart a year ago. :smt017

[Kimly207]

I definitely want to do this. I wish I had the balls to do so. :/ lol.

[BG5guy]

dangit rocket, now i wanna go home from work and do this to my god awful taillights

[httrdd]

Two questions since I am going to start this tonight. Did you end up tearing off the old sealant before realpplying the new silicone? What type of silicone did you use? Certain min temp? And last question. What type of plastic paint did you use? Is there a min temp paint you need to use or does the shroud not get that hot? Thanks.

[mycargoesvroom]

I've always used high temp engine paints and it seems to hold well. As for the sealant any outdoor silicone based sealant should work, and don't worry about the old stuff just leave it on. When you're done re heat the lenses and the old sealant will help keep things together.

[evolegacy]

I definitely want to do this. I wish I had the balls to do so. :/ lol.

When i do mine we can do yours too

[rocketlegacy]

Two questions since I am going to start this tonight. Did you end up tearing off the old sealant before realpplying the new silicone? What type of silicone did you use? Certain min temp? And last question. What type of plastic paint did you use? Is there a min temp paint you need to use or does the shroud not get that hot? Thanks.

paint- i just used a plastic paint sold at home depot or lowes or anywhere for that matter. there is two crinkles in the paint because i was excited and put the shrouds in before they were fully cured. my shroud gets very hot because im running 5000k HID lows and 6000k HID highs. the only thing is those crinkles which happened to be under the both driver/pass side projectors. and ive had this mod for just under a year now. no issues what so ever

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0026-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/05/DSCN0027-1.jpg

sealant- keep all the old stuff. the more the better. you want the whole light to be completely air tight. the horror stories i mentioned are condensation and fogging on the inside of the lens.


dangit rocket, now i wanna go home from work and do this to my god awful taillights
do ittt.

[chuckthefuk]

A+

[Huffer]

best write up all year.

[HeresMyMind]

those crinkles arnt from the HIDs, all the retro'd lights i've done with black paint did the same thing. when sitting in the sun the sun reflects through the projector bulb like a prism and creates a hotspot. kind of like a magnifying glass would! so its actually from that!

-B

[rocketlegacy]

those crinkles arnt from the HIDs, all the retro'd lights i've done with black paint did the same thing. when sitting in the sun the sun reflects through the projector bulb like a prism and creates a hotspot. kind of like a magnifying glass would! so its actually from that!

-B
wow thats crazy. i wonder if plasti dip wouldnt do the same thing since its resistant up to 200 degrees.