thejameshimself
Well-Known Member
Re: My retrofit project
this is gonna be sweet
this is gonna be sweet
My retrofit project *Updated: 1-18-09*
- Thread starter shavedaccord
- Start date
shavedaccord
Well-Known Member
Re: My retrofit project
Opening the headlamps
I'm not going to go into too great of detail about this step since it's almost universal for any blackhousing project and there is TONS of DIY's on it. The method I used was the Oven.
What you need:
Opening the headlamps
I'm not going to go into too great of detail about this step since it's almost universal for any blackhousing project and there is TONS of DIY's on it. The method I used was the Oven.
What you need:
- Oven
- Flat head screwdriver/small pry bar
- Razor blades (preferably new)
- Gloves/oven mit
- Cardboard
- Common sense.
1. The very first thing you should do is find yourself a piece of cardboard that will fit in your oven. All I had was a large piece so I measured and cut it down to fit my oven.
2. Pre-Heat your oven to 250 degrees.
3. While your oven is pre-heating, soak your cardboard in water. Don't just let the water run on it, I mean literally let the water soak in. This is to help prevent your headlamp from melting by touching metal parts within the oven
4. Once the oven has pre-heated to 250 degrees, place your soaking wet cardboard inside the oven.
5. Place your headlamp on the cardboard being sure that no part of the headlamp touches metal in the oven
6. Set your oven timer, or any timer for that matter for 5 minutes. Some people have had success with 3 minutes, but 5 tends to work better for me.
7. Once the timer has gone off, remove your lamp from the oven (be careful it can be hot) and IMMEDIATELY take your flat head screw driver/small pry bar and CAREFULLY start prying the lens from the housing starting from a corner. This is where the razor blade will come in handy. Instead of pulling on the lens to the point where the glue stretches and breaks, cut it. I have seen MANY people pull so hard they literally bend or crack the housing.
8. Once you have done all of that you should end up with something like this
3. While your oven is pre-heating, soak your cardboard in water. Don't just let the water run on it, I mean literally let the water soak in. This is to help prevent your headlamp from melting by touching metal parts within the oven
4. Once the oven has pre-heated to 250 degrees, place your soaking wet cardboard inside the oven.
5. Place your headlamp on the cardboard being sure that no part of the headlamp touches metal in the oven
6. Set your oven timer, or any timer for that matter for 5 minutes. Some people have had success with 3 minutes, but 5 tends to work better for me.
7. Once the timer has gone off, remove your lamp from the oven (be careful it can be hot) and IMMEDIATELY take your flat head screw driver/small pry bar and CAREFULLY start prying the lens from the housing starting from a corner. This is where the razor blade will come in handy. Instead of pulling on the lens to the point where the glue stretches and breaks, cut it. I have seen MANY people pull so hard they literally bend or crack the housing.
8. Once you have done all of that you should end up with something like this
Some helpful tips:
- User a thicker/coregated cardboard
- Use new razor blades, sharper the better
- I found it easier to use a stuby screwdriver rather than a long one
- Mechanics gloves work great for this, they help shield the heat & give you optimal grip
- Place a towel or something similar over your workspace to help protect the lens from scratches.
shavedaccord
Well-Known Member
Re: My retrofit project
After 6+ hours of work and still not finished, I have decided to can the idea of de-fluting the headlamps. In my honest opinion after spending the time I did it's really not worth it. No matter how hard you try you will have hints of lines left on the headlamps, which I did not care for I guess I'm a perfectionist? With that being in mind I attempted to completely clear the lens, which if you have seen a 6th gen headlamp that is near impossible. I was 98% done all I had left was the tight spots and the corners. I came up with an engenious method to get it done or so I thought. It worked fine for the first minute or 2 but I ended up slipping and ruining the lens.
Final thoughts on this process... It's is GREAT if you just want to remove the thin lines on the high beam & low beam areas. If you're not a perfectionist and don't care that you can still see the lines in the corners & edges, this is perfect for you. However if you want a completely clear lens such as the TYC or the eBay halos, this DIY IS NOT FOR YOU. Spend the money, take the time to find a set of clear lens.
After 6+ hours of work and still not finished, I have decided to can the idea of de-fluting the headlamps. In my honest opinion after spending the time I did it's really not worth it. No matter how hard you try you will have hints of lines left on the headlamps, which I did not care for I guess I'm a perfectionist? With that being in mind I attempted to completely clear the lens, which if you have seen a 6th gen headlamp that is near impossible. I was 98% done all I had left was the tight spots and the corners. I came up with an engenious method to get it done or so I thought. It worked fine for the first minute or 2 but I ended up slipping and ruining the lens.
Final thoughts on this process... It's is GREAT if you just want to remove the thin lines on the high beam & low beam areas. If you're not a perfectionist and don't care that you can still see the lines in the corners & edges, this is perfect for you. However if you want a completely clear lens such as the TYC or the eBay halos, this DIY IS NOT FOR YOU. Spend the money, take the time to find a set of clear lens.
nyknick1015
Well-Known Member
like i said on AT, the headlight restore kit has that clearcoat polish on it that helps really well especially with this DIY, but they are $20 a set.... i used it on one side of my headlights... i will go and take pics but they are back on my car and its snowing bad this morning.. the i dunno what kind of plastic polish it is but its like a paint like clear coat
shavedaccord
Well-Known Member
Getting the lines completely off the main part of the lens (high/low beam area) was NOT a problem. My issues was getting them off the edges of the lamps and close to the ripples in the corner lamp area. I managed to get them out of there but in the end I ended up sanding off a portion of the ripples which looked horrible afterward. Which once I done that I really had no choice but to remove the ripples themselves.
eDub
Well-Known Member
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ActNow
Well-Known Member
So Darryl, I assume your buying another lens for the headlight you were working on? Sorry to hear it was so difficult.
SykVSyx
Well-Known Member
Darryl, it's no knock against your work, but could you post a pic up of the work you did. Never know, someone may still pick that set of headlights up from you and be willing to finish what you started if they are still salvageable.
Hope you can get your hands on another mind set of OEM headlights for a good price.
Hope you can get your hands on another mind set of OEM headlights for a good price.
shavedaccord
Well-Known Member
Well in the long run that is the plan. As for right now my only other option is to pull one of the lens from the OEM's that are currently on my car. Of course I won't do that till the time comes for lens.
Well I only ruined one lens. So other than that the set of headlights are mint. As I stated above I have a set of OEM's on my car as well so if needed I will sacrifice one of those lens..
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SykVSyx
Well-Known Member
If you need I can post up some of the progress pics from when my retro was getting done, if you need anything for reference.
Derek
Derek
