headlights opinion

94Singledout · 11-21-2009, 11:21 AM

heyy guys .. well my car is under the knife and im still waiting on some parts to come in to let me continue with my work ... so last night i was sitting in the garage and was just tired of looking at my ugly ass headlights so i decided to rip them out and refresh them

the previous owner of them did a horrible job sealing them so they would always get water and fog in there

now i pulled them appart and proceeded to paint my housing black like i always wanted to, my chrome rigns were shot because of the water in there , half of them were yellow and flaking ,so there is no way i could save them, right now as the housing stands it is all primered black

my question is what should i do with the chrome rings, theyr all black now and look pretty sexy, or should i paint them back to silver/chrome...
or
i was thinking about painting them REN RED, just the two rings around the fog and low beam??

what is your opinion /?

oh and Flatt black or Glossy housing?

the car is a 94 ren red, and im planning to do dark tints and all black glossy wheels

Snaps · 11-21-2009, 02:37 PM

Definetly Black all round, Red rings would just look Ricey IMO. and painting them silver never turns out as good as the orignal chrome.

jevansio · 11-21-2009, 02:45 PM

Either OEM or all flat black, as above anything else will be ricey

dreamcar88 · 11-21-2009, 03:08 PM

Not to hijack but I've noticed the hb3-hb4 on the mkiv headlights . Mine both say hb3... I've also seen mkivs with one side hb3 and the other side hb4. Can someone explain? I read up that the overseas europe etc spec headlights are made different. Assuming that car is from overseas in the pic is that why it says hb4 on the headlight?

To add my 97s someone blacked them out when I bought the car. I'm on the fence about it. I'd rather the rings chrome

94Singledout · 11-21-2009, 08:27 PM

all satin/flat black it is .. its coming out nice as hell

also putting a clear on the lenses .. ( kinda looked blurry with the clear so i also wet sanded the clear down too and buffed it out )

thanx for ur help

Snaps · 11-21-2009, 09:07 PM

^ Two posts above "I'd rather the rings chrome"... I completely agree, IF you can keep the chrome rings, do so, as it looks a million times better. If you cannot, do not try and replicate them, it will not turn out as good.

VacuumSauce · 11-21-2009, 09:20 PM

glossy black.

red rings are rice.

94tttsupra · 11-21-2009, 09:26 PM

i had the same question. i was going to paint my headlight baltic blue to match the car. its not that far off from black and it being a dark color i dont think it would be to ricey. what to u guys think. and what about the light output is it any less then what they where when they where chrome. sorry im not tring to jack you thead

Will84 · 11-22-2009, 01:48 AM

If you want to go back to the oem color (minus the chrome), that Duplicolor "Storm Grey" that a lot of guys use on the dash panels, including me, is a damn near identical match. I think it looks better than any shade of black.

Don't try to use any chrome paint. I've already been down that road... about 12 hours ago actually. It turns out looking like shit. I've got my headlights apart right now. I just finished laying down the storm grey. Tomorrow I will be taping everything off and painting the rings with an aluminum color. I was going to just leave them all grey, but I noticed the headlights on a Tiburon today... the housings were dark grey and the rings were an aluminum color... looked really nice.

94Singledout · 11-22-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will84

If you want to go back to the oem color (minus the chrome), that Duplicolor "Storm Grey" that a lot of guys use on the dash panels, including me, is a damn near identical match. I think it looks better than any shade of black.

Don't try to use any chrome paint. I've already been down that road... about 12 hours ago actually. It turns out looking like shit. I've got my headlights apart right now. I just finished laying down the storm grey. Tomorrow I will be taping everything off and painting the rings with an aluminum color. I was going to just leave them all grey, but I noticed the headlights on a Tiburon today... the housings were dark grey and the rings were an aluminum color... looked really nice.

any updates on this .. you wanna post some pictures .. i really want to see the grey lights

post any pix if you can

Will84 · 11-23-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94Singledout

any updates on this .. you wanna post some pictures .. i really want to see the grey lights

post any pix if you can

I'll get some pics tonight. I tried to paint the rings with aluminum last night, but evidently my masking skills are shit. I took the masking off this morning... it didnt come out too well. Looks good from across the room. It's a bitch to get those things taped off good. I'm going to just go with storm grey on the whole thing.

I wonder if the guys over at MVP have thought about making some rings for our headlights... kind of like they've done for the gauge bezels. I'd definitely be in for a set.

Snaps · 11-23-2009, 12:38 PM

^ I honestly don't know if I could be bothered taking the f*&^ing headlights apart again to put some chrome rings on.... If they were available when I done them the first time, then I definetly would've put them on when I was doing them.

94snglturbo · 11-23-2009, 01:02 PM

all black

94Singledout · 11-23-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will84

I'll get some pics tonight. I tried to paint the rings with aluminum last night, but evidently my masking skills are shit. I took the masking off this morning... it didnt come out too well. Looks good from across the room. It's a bitch to get those things taped off good. I'm going to just go with storm grey on the whole thing.

I wonder if the guys over at MVP have thought about making some rings for our headlights... kind of like they've done for the gauge bezels. I'd definitely be in for a set.

yeah i deff would be interested too .. like snap on rings or something

got a couple of questions for you

did you clear coat your lenses?
and what did you use or gonna use to seal them up ( and what store did u get it from)

Will84 · 11-24-2009, 08:52 AM

I didn't get pics last night guys... I didn't get home till 9pm and didn't want to fuck with it. I'll definitely get some good pics up over the next few days.

As far as my housing (the painted part) I'm just going to paint them storm grey. It looks really good. I'd rather have the rings painted aluminum, but it's a bitch to do correctly and I'm ready to get my shit back together.

My lenses aren't finished yet. I've still got some polishing to do. I hand sanded them with 500, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000. After that I used a 3000 pad that came in a 3M headlight restore kit that I bought a while ago.. it attaches to a drill. I think I'll be able to polish the rest out with a 3M scrath remover. I'm not planning on any type of clear coat.

I bought some butyl tape to reseal everything, but I ain't using that shit... it makes a fucking mess. I spent a good two hours, if not more, trying to remove that shit. It doesn't come out easily. I used an old soldering iron to slowly work my way around the perimeter of the housing... I'd melt a little bit of butyl, and scrape it out... melt and scrape, melt and scrape. It was a pain in the dick. It's still not completely cleaned out, but it's close enough. I bought a tube of black silicone to reseal them. You can buy big tubes that fit in a calk gun at a parts store (I went to Oreillys). I bought that because I figured it would be easier to make a clean bead in the channel. I'm also going to run a bead around the outside once I put everything back together.

I'm planning on getting mine done over the holidays. I'll get pics up as soon as I can. I'll also get an oem vs. storm grey comparison pic... it really is an almost perfect match.

Kurt · 11-25-2009, 01:06 AM

Hope you don't ever need to open them up again. Silicone is the wrong choice.

FYI, that butyl tape, and the stock sealant, will come out very easily with a few minutes in the oven and a flat head screwdriver.

HotSoup · 11-25-2009, 04:27 AM

yep....oven+butterknife at an angle and it will come out nicely. I ruined a good set of 98 lights by using silicone. The butyl is SO much easier to work with IMO.

Jason

Will84 · 11-25-2009, 09:23 AM

I tried the oven thing and it sure as shit didn't come out easily with a flat head screwdriver. Evidently the previous owner of my car pulled the headlights apart for a cleaning and put a few spots of silcone at a couple different areas around the housing. The silicone came out a lot easier than the butyl. I really can't see how resealing with silicone would be a problem, but I may go ahead and use butyl (since I already bought it) when I put them back together.

I do know that this whole process has been a pain in the ass and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be satisfied with the outcome. I've seriously thought about just going ahead and buying new lights. I think the painted housing are going to look ok, but nothing beats the oem look with the chrome rings IMO. Without the chrome in there it just looks like somethings missing.

dreamcar88 · 11-25-2009, 09:43 AM

agreed 100%^ I really didn't like the fact of my 900 retail headlights in the oven but they were ok.it was alot of work but I still don't have the chrome rings and it sucks because I have 97s

94Singledout · 11-25-2009, 10:55 AM

what store carrys that butyl putty ? ive looked locally but couldnt find it .. maybe im not seeing it ?

anyone got a chain store taht carrys it ? *pepboys or autozone or strouss??
or do u guys have a pic of the stuff, how it looks like ?

thanx

TheProPilot · 11-25-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will84

I'll get some pics tonight. I tried to paint the rings with aluminum last night, but evidently my masking skills are shit. I took the masking off this morning... it didnt come out too well. Looks good from across the room. It's a bitch to get those things taped off good. I'm going to just go with storm grey on the whole thing.

I wonder if the guys over at MVP have thought about making some rings for our headlights... kind of like they've done for the gauge bezels. I'd definitely be in for a set.

Take the rings off, makes it WAY easier. Also you can take them to a chrome shop which can chrome them for about $15-30 bux. Then you just epoxy them back on. TRUST me, it's worth it. That's what I had to do with the Audi HIDs...

94Singledout · 11-25-2009, 02:53 PM

the rings do not come off .. they are one piece .. they are a part of the mold on the housing

i think your talking about the actual ring that is around the projector

we are talking about the ring of the headlight assembly going around the projector

HotSoup · 11-26-2009, 03:30 AM

get your butyl tape from NAPA

TheProPilot · 11-27-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94Singledout

the rings do not come off .. they are one piece .. they are a part of the mold on the housing

i think your talking about the actual ring that is around the projector

we are talking about the ring of the headlight assembly going around the projector

Nono, they come off. It just takes a good cutting tool. Then epoxy them back on after taking them to the chrome shop. That's the only way to properly rechrome them and it actually last.

Will84 · 11-27-2009, 02:41 PM

First off, it's not chrome. It's vaccum plating. A regular "chrome shop" can't do it.

Cutting off the two small rings... maybe. The big ring... you're not going to cut it off without fucking up the whole housing.

I'm calling bull fucking shit on this recommendation.

View Poll Results: what color rings and hosings
all black rings	8	29.63%
paint back to silver/chrome	8	29.63%
paint rings REN RED	0	0%
Flat black hosing	14	51.85%
Glossy housing	4	14.81%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 27. You may not vote on this poll

11-21-2009, 11:21 AM	#1
94Singledout Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: my house Posts: 103	headlights opinion heyy guys .. well my car is under the knife and im still waiting on some parts to come in to let me continue with my work ... so last night i was sitting in the garage and was just tired of looking at my ugly ass headlights so i decided to rip them out and refresh them the previous owner of them did a horrible job sealing them so they would always get water and fog in there now i pulled them appart and proceeded to paint my housing black like i always wanted to, my chrome rigns were shot because of the water in there , half of them were yellow and flaking ,so there is no way i could save them, right now as the housing stands it is all primered black my question is what should i do with the chrome rings, theyr all black now and look pretty sexy, or should i paint them back to silver/chrome... or i was thinking about painting them REN RED, just the two rings around the fog and low beam?? what is your opinion /? oh and Flatt black or Glossy housing? the car is a 94 ren red, and im planning to do dark tints and all black glossy wheels __________________ '94 supra+ precision billet 6765+ built bottom end+ aem ems+6speed = FTW!

11-21-2009, 03:08 PM	#4
dreamcar88 Hated By Many Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: We Right Here Posts: 3,184	Not to hijack but I've noticed the hb3-hb4 on the mkiv headlights . Mine both say hb3... I've also seen mkivs with one side hb3 and the other side hb4. Can someone explain? I read up that the overseas europe etc spec headlights are made different. Assuming that car is from overseas in the pic is that why it says hb4 on the headlight? To add my 97s someone blacked them out when I bought the car. I'm on the fence about it. I'd rather the rings chrome Last edited by dreamcar88; 11-21-2009 at 03:20 PM.

11-22-2009, 01:48 AM	#9
Will84 SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 33 Posts: 757	If you want to go back to the oem color (minus the chrome), that Duplicolor "Storm Grey" that a lot of guys use on the dash panels, including me, is a damn near identical match. I think it looks better than any shade of black. Don't try to use any chrome paint. I've already been down that road... about 12 hours ago actually. It turns out looking like shit. I've got my headlights apart right now. I just finished laying down the storm grey. Tomorrow I will be taping everything off and painting the rings with an aluminum color. I was going to just leave them all grey, but I noticed the headlights on a Tiburon today... the housings were dark grey and the rings were an aluminum color... looked really nice. __________________ Will Blankenship what you got, come and show me, think I won't, you don't know me, live or die, it's all the same, life or death, is just a game

11-25-2009, 01:06 AM	#16
Kurt SupraForums Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Ft. Worth Texas Posts: 1,378	Hope you don't ever need to open them up again. Silicone is the wrong choice. FYI, that butyl tape, and the stock sealant, will come out very easily with a few minutes in the oven and a flat head screwdriver. __________________ 1995 GE-T 6spd

11-21-2009, 02:37 PM	#2
Snaps SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 455	Definetly Black all round, Red rings would just look Ricey IMO. and painting them silver never turns out as good as the orignal chrome.

11-21-2009, 02:45 PM	#3
jevansio SupraForums Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Durham, England Posts: 222	Either OEM or all flat black, as above anything else will be ricey

11-21-2009, 08:27 PM	#5
94Singledout Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: my house Posts: 103	all satin/flat black it is .. its coming out nice as hell also putting a clear on the lenses .. ( kinda looked blurry with the clear so i also wet sanded the clear down too and buffed it out ) thanx for ur help

11-21-2009, 09:07 PM	#6
Snaps SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 455	^ Two posts above "I'd rather the rings chrome"... I completely agree, IF you can keep the chrome rings, do so, as it looks a million times better. If you cannot, do not try and replicate them, it will not turn out as good.

11-21-2009, 09:20 PM	#7
VacuumSauce SupraForums Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Houston,Tx Posts: 220	glossy black. red rings are rice.

11-21-2009, 09:26 PM	#8
94tttsupra Never fast enough Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ocala Florida Age: 24 Posts: 617	i had the same question. i was going to paint my headlight baltic blue to match the car. its not that far off from black and it being a dark color i dont think it would be to ricey. what to u guys think. and what about the light output is it any less then what they where when they where chrome. sorry im not tring to jack you thead

11-23-2009, 12:38 PM	#12
Snaps SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 455	^ I honestly don't know if I could be bothered taking the f*&^ing headlights apart again to put some chrome rings on.... If they were available when I done them the first time, then I definetly would've put them on when I was doing them.

11-23-2009, 01:02 PM	#13
94snglturbo SupraForums Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: brandon Age: 28 Posts: 276	all black

11-24-2009, 08:52 AM	#15
Will84 SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 33 Posts: 757	I didn't get pics last night guys... I didn't get home till 9pm and didn't want to fuck with it. I'll definitely get some good pics up over the next few days. As far as my housing (the painted part) I'm just going to paint them storm grey. It looks really good. I'd rather have the rings painted aluminum, but it's a bitch to do correctly and I'm ready to get my shit back together. My lenses aren't finished yet. I've still got some polishing to do. I hand sanded them with 500, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000. After that I used a 3000 pad that came in a 3M headlight restore kit that I bought a while ago.. it attaches to a drill. I think I'll be able to polish the rest out with a 3M scrath remover. I'm not planning on any type of clear coat. I bought some butyl tape to reseal everything, but I ain't using that shit... it makes a fucking mess. I spent a good two hours, if not more, trying to remove that shit. It doesn't come out easily. I used an old soldering iron to slowly work my way around the perimeter of the housing... I'd melt a little bit of butyl, and scrape it out... melt and scrape, melt and scrape. It was a pain in the dick. It's still not completely cleaned out, but it's close enough. I bought a tube of black silicone to reseal them. You can buy big tubes that fit in a calk gun at a parts store (I went to Oreillys). I bought that because I figured it would be easier to make a clean bead in the channel. I'm also going to run a bead around the outside once I put everything back together. I'm planning on getting mine done over the holidays. I'll get pics up as soon as I can. I'll also get an oem vs. storm grey comparison pic... it really is an almost perfect match.

11-25-2009, 04:27 AM	#17
HotSoup SupraForums Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: North Carolina Age: 32 Posts: 5,029	yep....oven+butterknife at an angle and it will come out nicely. I ruined a good set of 98 lights by using silicone. The butyl is SO much easier to work with IMO. Jason

11-25-2009, 09:23 AM	#18
Will84 SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 33 Posts: 757	I tried the oven thing and it sure as shit didn't come out easily with a flat head screwdriver. Evidently the previous owner of my car pulled the headlights apart for a cleaning and put a few spots of silcone at a couple different areas around the housing. The silicone came out a lot easier than the butyl. I really can't see how resealing with silicone would be a problem, but I may go ahead and use butyl (since I already bought it) when I put them back together. I do know that this whole process has been a pain in the ass and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be satisfied with the outcome. I've seriously thought about just going ahead and buying new lights. I think the painted housing are going to look ok, but nothing beats the oem look with the chrome rings IMO. Without the chrome in there it just looks like somethings missing.

11-25-2009, 09:43 AM	#19
dreamcar88 Hated By Many Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: We Right Here Posts: 3,184	agreed 100%^ I really didn't like the fact of my 900 retail headlights in the oven but they were ok.it was alot of work but I still don't have the chrome rings and it sucks because I have 97s

11-25-2009, 10:55 AM	#20
94Singledout Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: my house Posts: 103	what store carrys that butyl putty ? ive looked locally but couldnt find it .. maybe im not seeing it ? anyone got a chain store taht carrys it ? *pepboys or autozone or strouss?? or do u guys have a pic of the stuff, how it looks like ? thanx __________________ '94 supra+ precision billet 6765+ built bottom end+ aem ems+6speed = FTW!

11-25-2009, 02:53 PM	#22
94Singledout Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: my house Posts: 103	the rings do not come off .. they are one piece .. they are a part of the mold on the housing i think your talking about the actual ring that is around the projector we are talking about the ring of the headlight assembly going around the projector

11-26-2009, 03:30 AM	#23
HotSoup SupraForums Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: North Carolina Age: 32 Posts: 5,029	get your butyl tape from NAPA

11-27-2009, 02:41 PM	#25
Will84 SupraForums Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 33 Posts: 757	First off, it's not chrome. It's vaccum plating. A regular "chrome shop" can't do it. Cutting off the two small rings... maybe. The big ring... you're not going to cut it off without fucking up the whole housing. I'm calling bull fucking shit on this recommendation.

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