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Beginning Custom Headlights

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Old Apr 18, 2014 | 02:38 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by blnewt
Good luck Conner, if the paint matches that color on the can it should look great! BTW you are going w/ the STiR lenses right? Be sure to space them out enough.
That's my hope... I'll do a few test shots with the paint to see how the color is going to look before I start painting the housings.

The lenses will be going on as well. I just planned on using the metal spacers that the lenses came with. Alex @ ONEighty said the standard spacer will give you a nice crisp cutoff. The trick is all in how you install them. He mentioned placing the projector housing, lens towards the ceiling, and pressing the lens down evenly onto the spacer, then tightening the locking ring. I'm hoping it works out. I didn't get the tuning lit with all the spacers so I'm just going with the metal rings.
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Old Apr 18, 2014 | 03:59 PM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by connoisseurr
That's my hope... I'll do a few test shots with the paint to see how the color is going to look before I start painting the housings.

The lenses will be going on as well. I just planned on using the metal spacers that the lenses came with. Alex @ ONEighty said the standard spacer will give you a nice crisp cutoff. The trick is all in how you install them. He mentioned placing the projector housing, lens towards the ceiling, and pressing the lens down evenly onto the spacer, then tightening the locking ring. I'm hoping it works out. I didn't get the tuning lit with all the spacers so I'm just going with the metal rings.
If & when i reopen my lights I'll use that metal ring, I didn't really like the way it secured it down but I'll try that tip and just be extra sure it's nice and stable under the clamp ring. You should be really happy w/ the output when it's all done, looking forward to pics.
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Old Apr 19, 2014 | 09:20 PM
  #93  
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So I've painted some test pieces with the paint I picked up - here is the result. I think I like how it looks enough to use it on my headlight housings.

Thoughts?



Beginning Custom Headlights-image-109583720.jpg

Beginning Custom Headlights-image-2355401140.jpg

Beginning Custom Headlights-image-3603330370.jpg
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Old Apr 19, 2014 | 09:22 PM
  #94  
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Looks good to me
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Old Apr 19, 2014 | 11:22 PM
  #95  
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All was going well until one screw on the OE lens bracket just won't back out. Can't even use my hammer drill to back it out without stripping it.

Might have to use an extractor. If that doesn't work, maybe a grinder and I'll have to drill the threads out. What a HEADACHE!

Beginning Custom Headlights-image-2606252977.jpg
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Old Apr 19, 2014 | 11:53 PM
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Damn man, it's never easy
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Old Apr 19, 2014 | 11:55 PM
  #97  
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Originally Posted by connoisseurr
All was going well until one screw on the OE lens bracket just won't back out. Can't even use my hammer drill to back it out without stripping it.

Might have to use an extractor. If that doesn't work, maybe a grinder and I'll have to drill the threads out. What a HEADACHE!

Attachment 103687
Same thing happened to me, had to use a dremil to put some flats on both sides of the screw head then used a wrench to back it out.
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 09:01 AM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by vaio23
Same thing happened to me, had to use a dremil to put some flats on both sides of the screw head then used a wrench to back it out.
Glad to hear this happened to someone else. I got one screw off and I just bend the shield off. Hopefully it won't snap when I try to slip it back over the new lens.

I had to buy a new dremel because I have no clue where mine went. Just opened the box and realized it is cordless. SCORE! LOL
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 09:20 AM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by connoisseurr
Glad to hear this happened to someone else. I got one screw off and I just bend the shield off. Hopefully it won't snap when I try to slip it back over the new lens.

I had to buy a new dremel because I have no clue where mine went. Just opened the box and realized it is cordless. SCORE! LOL
Lol, I spent over an hour looking for mine yesterday. Naturally it was right next to my chair all along. Grabbed the inverter and fixed the shifter. Hopefully your project goes as smoothly today.
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 09:49 AM
  #100  
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Originally Posted by RexHavoc
Lol, I spent over an hour looking for mine yesterday. Naturally it was right next to my chair all along. Grabbed the inverter and fixed the shifter. Hopefully your project goes as smoothly today.
Let me tell you - I've been rebuilding our front porch and every time I looks for a drill, bit, box of screws, A PENCIL, ifs right under my nose. We're doing a family brunch here at the house so in about an hour I'll be switching to kitchen mode.

I have both lights apart. Waiting for the dremel to charge so I can grind those cutoffs down. Then I'll get the new lenses in and close the projectors back up. I'll start shooting paint this afternoon. That'll need about 24-48 to fully set. Looks like I'll be "working" from home Monday and Tuesday, HA.
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 11:11 AM
  #101  
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I did a few retrofits on my old car...even made curved cutoff shields and painted them to match my wheels. It's a ton of work, but if it's done correctly, the results are astonishing. I used rx-330 afs projectors for my setup w/ tsx clear lenses.
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 04:44 PM
  #102  
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Lenses are on - I've already threw 2 coats of paint on my housings - I'll be topping off with 1 more coat and then they will hang dry for at least 24 hours.


Beginning Custom Headlights-image-1893941761.jpg
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 05:46 PM
  #103  
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Originally Posted by connoisseurr
Lenses are on - I've already threw 2 coats of paint on my housings - I'll be topping off with 1 more coat and then they will hang dry for at least 24 hours.


Attachment 103705
While you have them open I recommend you modify the shield for a sharper cutoff.
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 06:10 PM
  #104  
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From: DMV
Originally Posted by vaio23
While you have them open I recommend you modify the shield for a sharper cutoff.
Forgot to mention I did that as well. I shaved down each high-beam cutoff about 1/8". Hoping I have a crisp cutoff with these new lenses
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Old Apr 20, 2014 | 06:34 PM
  #105  
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Cool, glad you got those little hellish screws off and those lenses mounted, look forward to the new look. Aren't the lenses by themselves so much cleaner than those swirled-up fresnals
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