demons rage

iTrader: (1)

So i forgot that i lent my friend my digi cam so he could take pics at anime expo... so i couldnt take any pics as i started working on it once again... sorry
Anyways here are some directions

Tools Needed :
Socket Wrench Set
Phillips Screwdriver
An Oven
Flathead Screwdriver
Meguiars Plastx or any other plastic cleaning solvent(if the inside of the headlights were dirty like mine... taken this is my 2nd time doing this)
A can of spray paint primer stuff
A can of Semi-Gloss Black Spray Paint

Required Time : ~6+ Hours

1. Pop open your hood and remove your whole intake assembly

2. Remove every single bulb in your headlight and set them aside.

3. Once headlight bulbs have been taken off, remove the turn signal lamps on the bottom and disconnect the bulbs from them also.

4. Remove the front grill by unscrewing the 3 screws with the phillips and loosening the tabs with the flathead. (2.5TL ONLY)

5. Upon removing the grill, you will notice that there are about 5 little plastic screws on the bottom beneath the grill area. Remove them using your phillips screwdriver. Loosen and then pull up. It should pop up.

6. Underneath each tirewell on the front end of the car, there should be 1 screw on each side that you can remove with the phillips screwdriver. Remove it.

7. After removing the screw from the tirewell area, underneath the car there should be anywhere from 5-7 bolts holding the bumper in place on the bottom. Using the socket wrench, remove these bolts. (Forgot what size it was..)

8. After removing all of this the bumper should just slide off. If it wont slide off, grab one side of it and pull it off. It should come off with no trouble.

9. Once the bumper is removed, you should be left with the reinforcement bar and some wierd bar thats somewhat curvy. The reinforcement bar is held on by 4 bolts. Remove these bolts and then remove the reinforcement bar. Set it aside.

10. Now you'll notice some wierd shaped bar that can be removed also. Its held on by 6 bolts, 3 on each side. Remove all the bolts and remove this bar or else you wont be able to take off the headlights.

11. The headlights are held on by 5 bolts. 3 on the bottom, and 2 on the top. Remove the bolts on the bottom first using the socket wrench, then remove the bolts on the top. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING THE BOLTS ON THE TOP. When you remove the last bolt, the headlight will literally fall off, so make sure to hold it up while removing the last bolt.

12. So you have the headlight removed and all. Now heres the fun part.

13. PREHEAT the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 5 mins if you have a gas oven, and 15 mins if you have an electrical oven. After the oven has been preheated, TURN OFF the oven. Put a wet towel on the oven rack, and set your headlight in the oven. Close the oven and let the headlight "bake" in the oven for about 8 minutes.

14. After 8 minutes, take out the headlight. Be very careful cuz its freaking hot as hell. Using a flathead screwdriver or whatever you prefer, start pulling the headlight apart. You might have to pull apart, rebake the headlight, and pull apart again a few times to get the headlight seperated.

15. Once seperated, the side of the headlight where the plastic is is the side that you want to paint. There shoudl be 2 screws holding it down, with 3 screws holding down the foglight glass. Remove all these screws, take off the foglight glass, and remove this little assembly from the headlight area.

16. Turn it around, and spray on a couple coats of primer. 2-3 coats should do fine.

17. After the coats of primer dry, spray on the black spray paint. A couple of coats of the black is recommended.

18. While letting the spraypaint dry, clean off the inside and outside of the headlight with ScratchX or whatever if its dirty. Itll help make it look cleaner and shine.

19. Once spray paint drys, put everything back together.

20. Once again, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, turn off the oven, and stick both pieces of the headlight inside the oven.

21. After 8 minutes, remove both pieces, and start sticking it back together. It will probably take you a few rebakes to finally put the headlight back together.

22. Once the headlight is put back together, take it back to the car. Reinsert the bulbs intot he headlight, but do not connect them to the electrical wires.

23. Reattach the headlights to the car, starting with the bolts on the top so that it doenst fall.

24. After putting the headlights back on, put the wierd squiggly bar back on.

25. Then put back on the reinforcement bar...

26. *OPTIONAL* If you want, before putting back the bumper on, remove the intake resonator. Its held on by i believe 4 bolts located in the front, back, left side, and WAYYY back.

27. Stick the bumper back on.

28. Add the turn signal lamps back on, replug every electrical wire.

29. Reinsert the black plastic screws, then reattach grill.

30. Close hood, Grab a cold beer(you deserved it), and admire the work you have done.

You now have a set of blacked out headlights for ~6 dollars + a days worth of work. Beats paying $350+ for a set from japan.

DISCLAIMER
I am in NO WAY responsible for any damage that happens to your car while you are blacking out your headlights. If you fuck up, you fuck up. simple as that. This is what i did to do mine, so im just sharing it with everyone cuz hey it looks hella nice on the car. If you got questions about it or are unsure of what to do, by all means pm me on the forums or msg me on aim @ dsuh86

Thats all, so enjoy and good luck if you choose to do this project

ELA.TL

now i really wanna see your car with this mod.. were so stinking close, and yet no time..LOL

take some pics at least when you get a chance.
(im just being anxious.)

Petie

Why would you want to do this? Just wondering.

Cornflake

Weight is the only reason if you already have an aftermarket intake, if you are still using the stock one then this will give you the sound of an aftermarket one and a little better airflow.

ANd MAN Petie, I have beeen staring at your avatar for MONTHS thinking I KNOW that damned dog, what is it from, but couldn't for the life of me figure it out...then...JUST now.......... DUCK HUNT IN THE HOUSE!!! JOKES!!!!!!

demons rage

iTrader: (1)

ok these pics are HELLA old... but it shows how it looks...
ill post updated pics after next tuesday... after i get some stuff back from the bodyshop... hehe






The resonator does help if you have an aftermarket intake (or a custom one like me)
plus its just a big plastic thing sitting there... so *shrug*

ELA.TL

show off....lol.. i know what your putting on.
Cant wait too see the eyelids and the grille. I need to place those on order.
Need to get some cash first..

Cornflake

Look sgood, but I still disagree about the resonator doing anhything with an aftermarket intake? How? it's no longer connected to the intake system with one. The ONLY thing it MAY help you with is with it out of the way cooler air can come in through that hole, but unless you rig up some kind of tubing into there, it's not necessarily going to get cooler air in there. Just my 0.02.

Petie

hahaaaa :dog:

demons rage

iTrader: (1)

yea thats what i meant when i said the resonator helping with the intake.. i forgot to add that the word remove