How To: Headlight Mod (paint the inner housing of OEM headlight)

[titanse05]

Here’s the HOW TO:

I recommend you get an extra set of headlights so that you don’t have to rush yourself. Rushing to complete a mod is usually reflected in the end product. I bought my extra set off eBay for $125 shipped.

Purchase all of the materials that are needed for this mod: Duplicolor primer, Duplicolor black paint or colormatched paint (which I had mixed and put in a rattle can), Duplicolor clear coat, 150 grit Sandpaper and a sanding block, (2) Black high-temp gasket maker tubes (any auto parts place has this), Star bit type screwdriver (can’t remember what size), Various flat head screwdrivers, Gloves, and an extra set of hands if possible

Splitting the headlight open:

• Remove all wiring and bulbs from the housing and preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• Place the headlight on a cookie sheet that has a wet towel on it and place the headlight face down on the wet towel. Put in oven for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes pull the headlight out and start prying in between the clear cover and black housing. You will see various clips, in addition to the black gasket that holds the headlight together. Start in one corner and work your way along two sides of the lights. Once you get enough of the gasket broke loose and the clips bent back the headlight will split apart with a little convincing. It helps here if you have some helping hands to hold the black housing part while you pull the clear cover off.
• Once the headlight is split open you will want to clean out the OEM black gasket material in prep for reassembly. You don’t have to do it now, but it has to be done so why not do it while the oven is fired up? It helps to heat the black housing up in the oven for 5-7 minutes in order to pull the black gasketing out if you can’t get it out immediately after splitting the light open. Also, while the black housing is hot, bend the retaining clips back into there original place. This will help you later when you’re putting them back together.
• Next step is to get the chrome housing that it to be painted detached from the clear cover. Grab the star tip screwdriver and remove the four screws that hold the two pieces together.
• Remove the orange reflector with a flat head screwdriver. Be careful with these three clips as it is a PITA getting the reflectors out without damaging them.
• Disassembly is finished now and it is time to prep the housing. Before we get to that though you will want to put the rest of the headlights in a safe place and wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them dust and fingerprint free.

Prep and paint:

• Take the 150 grit sandpaper and sand all of the chrome off of the pieces that you can. You won’t be able to get 100% of it, but you can get most of it. I spent three hours hand sanding mine.
• After the chrome is bye-bye, wipe down the piece with a lint free cloth and grab the primer.
• Spray at least two coats of primer letting 10 minutes between coats. Be sure during all painting projects to keep the can at least 8 inches away from the object being painted and keep it moving being sure to cover all of the areas. Some areas are tricky so take your time and be sure that all surfaces are covered.
• The next two steps are the same as the previous step only with the color and clear coats letting at least an hour between the primer coat, the color coat, and clear coats.
• The reflector is done in the same manner and is open to whatever you want to do with it. I chose to put two coats of VHT nightshades on mine with no clearcoat. I think they turned out great.

Reassembly:

• After at least 24 hours of paint curing, it’s time to get to the final product. Take all of your headlight pieces out that we set aside earlier and put everything back together it the reverse order that we disassembled.
• Flame up the oven again to 275 degrees.
• If you didn’t remove the old gasket material you must do it now. If you already did it, go to the next step.
• Take the black rear part of the headlight housing and put it in the oven on a wet toweled cookie sheet for 7 minutes.
• Pull the rear housing out and put the gasket maker in the channel. Put a generous bead of gasket maker in this channel. I used one tube per headlight.
• Take the already reassembled clear cover with the painted piece and put the housing back together. You should be conscious of the clips that we had to pull back earlier.
• Once the pieces are back together as they were before you had the bright idea of splitting them open……..your done! I let the gasket maker set up over the course of two days just to be safe. It states on the tube that it completely cures in 24 hours.

[titanse05]

The payoff pictures!

[RIDER]

Great pics and write-up!!

[ArmyTitan]

Sweet, I hope I can do this mod soon.....yours look great

[Hopeful]

Awesome write up Nick! This is a really easy mod gang...just take your time and do the prep work! (take it from me, dont believe the spray can that says "no sanding or prep needed" DO IT!!! lol.)

[tlawson19]

how difficult is this mod? im not mechanically inclined and this looks like its pretty difficult according to the write up. how much labor time was put into it? and where did you get the paint mixed? ACE or home depot could do it correct?

[titanse05]

It is a somewhat difficult mod. I spent an 1.5 hours splitting/cleaning the housings...3 hours sanding...a total of 3 hours painting...and another hour in reassembly. It does take some time but well worth it.

The nice thing about buying an extra set is that you can try it and if you screw it up you still have your original headlights.

I got the paint mixed and put in a rattle can at the PPG paint dealer at my local Napa auto parts store. There are others places that do it, you just have to find out what local places do it in your area. You could also get some online.

[whome]

Wow that looks so nice.

[firecracker]

Great Write-up, Nick.

I moved it to the "Do it yourself, Tech Tips" Section.

[DOSZER]

real nice write up may try myself