Wish there was an easier path to OEM painted innards as I like the look as well. I wax my headlights once or twice a year, then apply a really thin coat of WD40 2-3 times a year as it really fills in the microscopic scratches and makes the light look brand new for a month or two. I just changed my oil after 9 months, only 2200 miles. Using my old Ranger as my commuter 2 of 3 days per week, and I just changed oil on it at 1 year, 2,700 miles.

 

OneEighty Customs out of NYC used to be the go-to for that kind of work. I wonder if they're still around? Honestly, with a white car it's not so bad to have the OEM chrome in the headlights. And particularly with your silver car with all the chrome accents (wheels), the chromed headlights work well.

That's all you need to do, a few times a year. My wife's Forester has perfectly clear lenses because I do this, and that's 9 years and 100K miles later.

WD40? I never heard of that.

Little known fact: the headlights for the Sport Package have a slightly darker chrome than the non-Sport. It's really nothing you can tell unless the two are side-by-side. In the end it's so subtle as to not even matter. What a weird decision for Nissan to make.

 

Appears that OneEighty is still around: https://shop.oneightynyc.com/blogs/p...ti-g-coupe-q60

instagram is pretty active as well.

I used AI to create the blackened headlight below. Maybe too much black? Agree that chrome looks best on lighter colors.

 

That doesn't look half bad. What if the housing were darkened, but the dimpled ring was still chrome? I forgot how you've got glossy black on the chin and grille.

 

I find Cerakote is a great headlight restoration kit. Even for routine maintenance without the wet sanding, I bet you could just use their cleaning wipes and sealant wipes to get excellent results.

 

Theyre still around and very active, although the owner has kinda steered ‘up market’ so no longer markets as heavily toward the Infiniti crowd (he once owned a 6mt sedan as well). But still doing great work, including on my car.

 

Makes sense as there aren't many of us left that spend money on these cars as the demographic completely shifted. What do (or did) they charge to paint the innards of the headlights? Seems pretty labor intensive, so I'm thinking 300-400.

 

It was $400 for the basic package, last time I looked and made note of it. Don't know if that included 2-way shipping. Probably not.

 

With the headlights, there is a fine line between adding sophistication and texture, and crossing over into boy racer.

Darker gray with black accents looks good (below).

There are a ton of options shown here:

 

Called and spoke to Alex at OneEighty this morning. He said that they used to do 1-2 infinitis per week, but that has fallen off in the past couple of years.

He also said that the basic innard paint package is about $450 (aligns with what you said), and if you say add dual LEDs (he said these were popular back in the day), that would add another $400. He then said if you continue to add things like "demon eyes" and other more advanced options, that will push the cost into the 2K range. He said that they offer a 1 year warranty, but it's rarely needed as they know how to take the light apart and resell so that it does not fail. He did mention that if you lights are older, with microscopic cracking that painting the innards darker will make the wear stand out. As such, they can also replace the lenses if needed.

Is this what he's referring to as dual LEDs?

 

They refinished my brake calipers, so not sure about headlights. But the owner (Alex) should be quick to respond to inquires via email.




FWIW Alex also works as a partner in projects, if you’re open to it. Meaning he’s done A LOT of work over the years, so he’s got great intuition on converting a concept into the desired final result. Of course, he’s also fine with following a customer’s input to a T if that’s what they want. Just mentioning this because it make Alex stand out relative to other shops I’ve worked with.

 

Agreed. It’s not that hard to go over-the-top with a project like headlights. IMO less is more with lighting modifications in most cases. But I can’t shake the OEM+ mindset, which I know isn’t for everyone

 

You know me, I spend way too much time trying to adhere to the OEM+ mindset. I will likely research past headlights and try to figure out what looks right, similar to how I approached the calipers. Takes time, but worth it in the end.

R34s leverage a darker, charcoal innard right?
https://www.partsfornissans.com/oem-...amp-26060aa025


Still not sure how I feel about the stripe on the R35 headlight: https://www.nissanraceshop.com/produ...ghts-jdm-2017/
That's OEM right?

Good headlight removal thread here: https://www.myg37.com/forums/d-i-y-i...t-removal.html

 

Similar process for me, get some inspiration by taking a look at other Nissan models of roughly the same vintage. I go straight to the flagship/halo cars too. I think it’s good practice to stay pretty true to both the OEM’s design language (or however you’d call it) and the aesthetic of the time. Otherwise things start looking out of place.

I think the R34 headlights give the best guidance. Leave some trim chrome and darken the housing. How dark and what type of finish comes down to taste I guess.

This is all dangerous discussion while I'm between jobs with an equity payout sitting in my account

 

I believe those are dual LED rings, yes. BMW called them Angel Eyes.

That white 2010+ Sedan with the front chin, I swear those are Vossen CV7 wheels, even from that narrow angle.