Retro housing opinions

[cfox28]

As some of you know. I recently bought James' (jv6)retros (btw it's only natural to feel a little jelly, don't give yourself a tough time about it ) anyway I need to open them up to re install the led strips which had been taken out. While I do this I have a couple Spare headlights and was going to put in new housings since the current ones have a little bubbling going on.

I was considering 3 options and a couple other ideas

Housing:
1) flat black like how it was
2) glossy black
3) anodized red

\/ less likely, but still considering :
Buckets:
turn signal area
Chrome, black, or anodized red
Low beams
Chrome, black, or anodized red
Shrouds
Chrome, or anodized red not black
High beams
Chrome, black, or anodized red

I was wondering if you guys felt that glossy paint, either black or the red anodized would reflect more of the light, and therefore maybe there would be less heat/ less likeliness of the plastic bubbling.

Here is a sample on what anodized red looks like on a scrap bucket

Let me know what you guys think

 

[cfox28]

This is what the red looks like next to the chrome... To get an idea of the difference

 

[coops-sedan]

Okay I assume your car is red......Does the red in the headlights match your paint? If so roll with it.

 

[Jordan_H]

Black housing with black low beam and red shroud is what I think would look best.

 

[RedRyder]

The only things I'd paint red would be the low beam bucket and maybe shroud (or housing). Or what Jordan_H said could look cool since a red shroud with a black low beam bucket would be a nice accent. Either way, I'd keep it out of the high beam and corner but that's me.

What's the idea behind painting the high beam and corner red? Just to blend/integrate with the car more?


Kinda miss mine sometimes

 

[Jordan_H]

Maybe red housing, chrome corner and chrome shroud.

 

[Tectonickz]

I'd say keep the buckets either chrome, or paint them black. Red might be a bit much for the buckets. If your car is red then the red housing would look really nice.

 

[cfox28]

Thanks for the opinion guys. The anodized red would not be a paint match. It is a more saturated red, think of coke-can-esk red metallic. Surprisingly, as u can see in the sample pictures the chrome, the chrome maintains it's reflective ness pretty well. Maybe I'll throw a comparison of a reflected image so ppl will know the results, say if they wanted to use this on ...I don't know ... The chrome trim or something...lug nuts (prolly a PITA since it'd wear off ).

Chris- I wasn't really set on doing the buckets. I was more just throwing it out there as an option. That's why I used those in the example pix cause they were scrap. But yeah I was thinking how anodized red would look with smr

I think since the red would be too dissimilar from smr I will probably stay away from any large piece being painted that, not to mention it would not be heat resistant, only the clear coat would be. I think having the vht engine primer, enamel, and clear is the best way to have heat resistant paint.

Since my goal when replacing this trim, would be to not run into the same problem of the plastic bubbling, does anyone have opinions on how heat works with different paints. These HID projectors will be throwing a fair amount of heat on the housing directly In front of it. So in your opinion does what style of paint you use matter? When I consider black matte, it is my understanding that this would absorb the most light, I'm unsure if that means it would end up being hotter, as compared to a glossy black, which would reflect more, or how it would compare to the standard chrome (as the far opposite) in where the least light is absorbed and mostly reflected. Thoughts?

 

[Tectonickz]

So in your opinion does what style of paint you use matter? When I consider black matte, it is my understanding that this would absorb the most light, I'm unsure if that means it would end up being hotter, as compared to a glossy black, which would reflect more, or how it would compare to the standard chrome (as the far opposite) in where the least light is absorbed and mostly reflected. Thoughts?

Personally, when I did my retrofit, as far the housing Itself goes, I used Engine High Heat Gloss black paint, did not use any clear coat and such. I did sand down the housing a little bit before applying the paint. I had troubles initially with the paint spider-webbing and doing the peel effect but after some more sanding and paint stripper it ended up good.

After a bout 5 months of constant use of the headlights (car is my DD) I've noticed that it is beginning to already slightly bubble.

The gloss does slightly reflect the light to the sides of the car, if you stand just at the right angle on the side of the car it will blind you because It reflects off the housing.

Idk if there will be a huge difference in outcome of matte vs gloss ( even though I think gloss would look better as it flows with the paint better ). I would say the most important thing would just be the prepping for the paint and the quality of layers. Because even I took my time and sanded and it still bubbled.

Hope some of this info helped. Good luck

 

[cfox28]

good info. interesting to know that it started to bubble just after five months.
did your plastic start melting yet, or was it just the paint? i'm going try to search the web for other peoples remedies to this.

other thing i was playing around with is overlaying carbon fiber to the trim. This way perhaps there would be less chance on bubbling.