Undying Dreams' Progress Thread (Updated Pictures, Page 98)
08-15-2012, 05:14 PM
#1642
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
Austin it will help to have an extra set of hands but it's doable solo. Just take your time and don't lose any nuts/bolts/etc.
The following 2 users liked this post by rockstar143:
civicdrivr (08-15-2012),
Undying Dreams (08-15-2012)
08-15-2012, 09:14 PM
#1644
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
And for clearing/painting otherwise OEM headlights, its one of the easiest projects IMO. Taking the bumper and lights off the car without damaging anything is more time consuming for me.
08-15-2012, 10:06 PM
#1646
Team Owner
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO (Overland Park, KS)
Posts: 36,545
Received 6,470 Likes
on
5,162 Posts
I actually got my first scrape on my Aspec front lip (I haven't told you guys yet). I visited my dealership and pulled into the Service Entrance. I was there longer than expected, so they had to pull my car around to get other cars that wanted to be service in. While they turned my car around, they scraped two black marks on the new front spoiler. Luckily, touchup paint worked fine...
Smart man! Matt, there is hope for you...LOL!
08-16-2012, 09:23 AM
#1648
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Idk it's pretty nerve racking just thinking about it. 
I want it done though!
I want it done though!
08-16-2012, 09:34 AM
#1649
BANNED
iTrader: (33)
^you can do it man. just make sure you have all your supplies ready and good to go. dedicate your entire day to it, and take your time.
you got this.
you got this.
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 09:41 AM
#1650
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Austin...take it a step at a time....
its not like you are a guinea pig....this mod has been done by a lot of members....all you need is time....take it nice and slow and your headlights shall be blacked out....
just remember, before you start, visualize how you would like to your headlights to look.....
its not like you are a guinea pig....this mod has been done by a lot of members....all you need is time....take it nice and slow and your headlights shall be blacked out....
just remember, before you start, visualize how you would like to your headlights to look.....
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 09:41 AM
#1651
Suzuka Master
iTrader: (1)
Austin you will swap the lenses right? ZKW
08-16-2012, 09:45 AM
#1652
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
yesNew lenses, and bulbs.
08-16-2012, 09:47 AM
#1653
BANNED
iTrader: (33)
^wear gloves!
08-16-2012, 09:52 AM
#1654
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
always do
08-16-2012, 09:53 AM
#1655
BANNED
iTrader: (33)
08-16-2012, 09:55 AM
#1656
Might as well...now is as good as any time:
Here are my lessons learned. Easier to type it here than to try and text you later:
1) don't rush and envision exactly what you're going to do
2) don't talk about fight club
3) Saturday night, remove bumper and headlights from car.
4) If you have time, I'd recommend you also open and paint your bezels Saturday night to give ample time for paint to dry.
5) to open 190 degrees at 9 minutes with no preheat...leave open to cool off between lights. now, this is the minimum time I was able to do it for...but it worked for me the first time (first is hardest). You also don't want the oem butyl stuff to get TOO soft cause when you pull apart it'll make little strings and once it sticks, it ain't coming off easily.
6) wear clothes you don't care about, the black butyl sucks. if possible, have someone ready with a screwdriver and papertowels to kinda cut the lines as you pull it apart to ensure it doesn't all on anything inside the lense.
7) Put the lense face down on something...do not wipe it down, do not touch it, do not sand it, do not jizz on it, do not let dust settle in it
8) Do not work in an environment with a lot of dust/dog hair etc...it will find a way in.
9) Paint your bezel...don't paint the reflector area of the turn signal/parking light, it KILLS reflectivity, especially with an LED bulb. The first time I did it, I taped off and used a razor to leave the back part of the reflector alone, but it still didn't shine well from the side. If you're going to put carbon fiber vinyl on the chrome corner area, make sure you have no bubbles, cut to fit and don't try and lift off and put back on repeatedly if possible.
10) Be patient (just a reminder). Paint your bezels and let dry overnight...DO follow the recommended drying time. 1 light tacky coat...then 1 coat every 15 minutes. Until it's good. Don't do too many coats to ensure it's nice and dry the next day.
11) Change out the projectors..this is easy enough...decide now if you want to paint the projector rings a darker gunmetal or anything.
12) Wait till Sunday morning to finish, new and fresh perspective, and everything will be dry. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to kinda snap off the back part of where they melted the little tabs that the chrome strip use to hold onto the amber diffuser. You'll see what I'm talking about...don't get frustrated and take your time, from the back, and push through once you've removed the melted material. This is where people break their chrome strip.
13) put it all back together...use a can of compressed air for any dust etc, and look in the light for any inadvertent fingerprints or hairs. heat up same as before...190, no preheat...at 8 or 9 minutes it should be soft enough to press back together...wear gloves you don't care about...the black stuff will get on it. Or no gloves so you can see where the butyl is on your hand to keep from smudging it. You can always clean it off the FRONT of the lens after but it's better to avoid that as much as possible.
START PRESSING BACK TOGETHER FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE IN...it kinda clips into the end and pivots from that point and then you press the edges back together and work your way back toward part of light that's closer to center of car. (get it?) If the butyl starts getting too hard, back in oven for 5 minutes...this is not an exact process...so do it, press together, do it press together until you're able to bend all the tabs back into place (you'll see).
13) DO NOT put too much bytul. You want one small and single strand to run along the entire channel of the light. If you put too much, it will smoke up inside the lens when in the oven and make a fog that takes a while to go away. Use as little as possible to ensure there are no breaks in the butyl (only one seam, where you start and finish with it, and face it DOWN on the channel of the headlight, meaning start pulling and rolling thinner and putting into the channel from the bottom center...less chance of water ever getting in where you put them together)
14) Last thing I recommend is to run a blowdryer's hot air through the light assembly once you have it all put back together...I run a piece of garden hose, duct taped to a shop vac reducer...i lay it on the ground running for 10 minutes...hot air in the OEM fog bulb hole and coming out of the parking light hole...This helps a LOT with getting all the damp and humid air that's trapped in there OUT.
15) Put a little teflon tape around the base of all your bulbs to ensure a nice snug fit. Especially our fog bulbs are pretty loose to begin with and we don't want ANY new humidity in there.
you do NOT need to remove ballast/bulb etc...to put it in the oven.
expect some condensation in the coming months on cool mornings and when you wash the car...it takes quite some time for the lights to get acclimated and all the humidity to leave the light.
expect to find a hair or mosquito dead inside the light and don't focus on it. No matter how careful, you will have some imperfection but we still love you.
Good luck Austin...hope this helps.
Here are my lessons learned. Easier to type it here than to try and text you later:
1) don't rush and envision exactly what you're going to do
2) don't talk about fight club
3) Saturday night, remove bumper and headlights from car.
4) If you have time, I'd recommend you also open and paint your bezels Saturday night to give ample time for paint to dry.
5) to open 190 degrees at 9 minutes with no preheat...leave open to cool off between lights. now, this is the minimum time I was able to do it for...but it worked for me the first time (first is hardest). You also don't want the oem butyl stuff to get TOO soft cause when you pull apart it'll make little strings and once it sticks, it ain't coming off easily.
6) wear clothes you don't care about, the black butyl sucks. if possible, have someone ready with a screwdriver and papertowels to kinda cut the lines as you pull it apart to ensure it doesn't all on anything inside the lense.
7) Put the lense face down on something...do not wipe it down, do not touch it, do not sand it, do not jizz on it, do not let dust settle in it
8) Do not work in an environment with a lot of dust/dog hair etc...it will find a way in.
9) Paint your bezel...don't paint the reflector area of the turn signal/parking light, it KILLS reflectivity, especially with an LED bulb. The first time I did it, I taped off and used a razor to leave the back part of the reflector alone, but it still didn't shine well from the side. If you're going to put carbon fiber vinyl on the chrome corner area, make sure you have no bubbles, cut to fit and don't try and lift off and put back on repeatedly if possible.
10) Be patient (just a reminder). Paint your bezels and let dry overnight...DO follow the recommended drying time. 1 light tacky coat...then 1 coat every 15 minutes. Until it's good. Don't do too many coats to ensure it's nice and dry the next day.
11) Change out the projectors..this is easy enough...decide now if you want to paint the projector rings a darker gunmetal or anything.
12) Wait till Sunday morning to finish, new and fresh perspective, and everything will be dry. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to kinda snap off the back part of where they melted the little tabs that the chrome strip use to hold onto the amber diffuser. You'll see what I'm talking about...don't get frustrated and take your time, from the back, and push through once you've removed the melted material. This is where people break their chrome strip.
13) put it all back together...use a can of compressed air for any dust etc, and look in the light for any inadvertent fingerprints or hairs. heat up same as before...190, no preheat...at 8 or 9 minutes it should be soft enough to press back together...wear gloves you don't care about...the black stuff will get on it. Or no gloves so you can see where the butyl is on your hand to keep from smudging it. You can always clean it off the FRONT of the lens after but it's better to avoid that as much as possible.
START PRESSING BACK TOGETHER FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE IN...it kinda clips into the end and pivots from that point and then you press the edges back together and work your way back toward part of light that's closer to center of car. (get it?) If the butyl starts getting too hard, back in oven for 5 minutes...this is not an exact process...so do it, press together, do it press together until you're able to bend all the tabs back into place (you'll see).
13) DO NOT put too much bytul. You want one small and single strand to run along the entire channel of the light. If you put too much, it will smoke up inside the lens when in the oven and make a fog that takes a while to go away. Use as little as possible to ensure there are no breaks in the butyl (only one seam, where you start and finish with it, and face it DOWN on the channel of the headlight, meaning start pulling and rolling thinner and putting into the channel from the bottom center...less chance of water ever getting in where you put them together)
14) Last thing I recommend is to run a blowdryer's hot air through the light assembly once you have it all put back together...I run a piece of garden hose, duct taped to a shop vac reducer...i lay it on the ground running for 10 minutes...hot air in the OEM fog bulb hole and coming out of the parking light hole...This helps a LOT with getting all the damp and humid air that's trapped in there OUT.
15) Put a little teflon tape around the base of all your bulbs to ensure a nice snug fit. Especially our fog bulbs are pretty loose to begin with and we don't want ANY new humidity in there.
you do NOT need to remove ballast/bulb etc...to put it in the oven.
expect some condensation in the coming months on cool mornings and when you wash the car...it takes quite some time for the lights to get acclimated and all the humidity to leave the light.
expect to find a hair or mosquito dead inside the light and don't focus on it. No matter how careful, you will have some imperfection but we still love you.
Good luck Austin...hope this helps.
The following 4 users liked this post by rockstar143:
08-16-2012, 10:15 AM
#1657
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
great post...
mind = blasted
mind = blasted
The following 3 users liked this post by swoosh:
08-16-2012, 10:42 AM
#1658
Thanks Anil. 
And Aaron. I should post that in the DIY section for others...
I was going through the steps and thinking of all the stuff I wish someone would have warned me about for the first...oh wait...2nd, or even 3RD time I had to redo my lights!
At least I never make the same mistake twice.
And Aaron. I should post that in the DIY section for others...I was going through the steps and thinking of all the stuff I wish someone would have warned me about for the first...oh wait...2nd, or even 3RD time I had to redo my lights!
At least I never make the same mistake twice.
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 10:43 AM
#1659
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Yeah I'd post it there, dew it!
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 10:57 AM
#1661
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
They're still paying you! 
08-16-2012, 11:14 AM
#1662
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
Make sure you have isopropyl alcohol to clean the bulbs with before install.
And what ever you do, DO NOT attempt to clean the inside of the headlight lens. You will scratch it and you wont be able to polish it out. If there is dust on it, blow it out with compressor air.
And what ever you do, DO NOT attempt to clean the inside of the headlight lens. You will scratch it and you wont be able to polish it out. If there is dust on it, blow it out with compressor air.
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 11:16 AM
#1663
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
And don't touch bulbs with your finger, only touch the base. The oil and such on your fingers will mess up the bulbs.
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-16-2012)
The following 3 users liked this post by TheLowLife:
08-16-2012, 11:20 AM
#1665
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Make sure you have isopropyl alcohol to clean the bulbs with before install.
And what ever you do, DO NOT attempt to clean the inside of the headlight lens. You will scratch it and you wont be able to polish it out. If there is dust on it, blow it out with compressor air.
And what ever you do, DO NOT attempt to clean the inside of the headlight lens. You will scratch it and you wont be able to polish it out. If there is dust on it, blow it out with compressor air.
08-16-2012, 11:22 AM
#1666
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
08-16-2012, 11:26 AM
#1668
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
U mad?
lol, just saying, it's a given to not touch headlight bulbs.
lol, just saying, it's a given to not touch headlight bulbs.
The following users liked this post:
civicdrivr (08-16-2012)
08-16-2012, 11:32 AM
#1670
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
^^^ I agree....some people dont....
a friend of mine forgot to remove the Styrofoam that came around the bulb....he was too eager to try it out and turned the lights on...instant melting was the final result LOL....
a friend of mine forgot to remove the Styrofoam that came around the bulb....he was too eager to try it out and turned the lights on...instant melting was the final result LOL....
08-16-2012, 11:43 AM
#1672
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
wow man...
08-16-2012, 12:21 PM
#1673
..."obviously" says the guy that's pretty openly admitting he's afraid to tackle something that we've all put together step by step instructions on how to tackle.
Austin, do you know why the bulbs will be fuxored after being touched? The oil residue on your hand...when you heat oil...it gets very hot...hot enough to melt/crack the glass casing of the gases that make up your bulb.
on 2nd thought, let's make a joint DIY thread that we can have garaged...use my tips, and put pictures of the step you're on.
Austin, do you know why the bulbs will be fuxored after being touched? The oil residue on your hand...when you heat oil...it gets very hot...hot enough to melt/crack the glass casing of the gases that make up your bulb.
on 2nd thought, let's make a joint DIY thread that we can have garaged...use my tips, and put pictures of the step you're on.
08-16-2012, 12:24 PM
#1674
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
lol I know why. Knowing why a bulb can be damaged is different from ripping your headlights apart. You said it yourself, it's intimidating.
Sounds good, I'll have my camera and computer at the ready
Sounds good, I'll have my camera and computer at the ready
08-16-2012, 12:25 PM
#1675
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
Clearly Austin is all knowing 
08-16-2012, 12:33 PM
#1676
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Yes, bow to me, minions!! 
08-18-2012, 10:54 AM
#1678
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Alignment specs!
Guy thinks I need a camber kit, which I would agree, I want these tires to last a while.
Thank God he fixed my Toe, look at that shit
Before:
After:
I cropped them so it's easier to read but it's still fucked up.
Thank God he fixed my Toe, look at that shit
Before:
After:
I cropped them so it's easier to read but it's still fucked up.
Last edited by Undying Dreams; 08-18-2012 at 10:56 AM.
08-18-2012, 11:03 AM
#1679
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
How can you have -2* of camber at stock height??
The following users liked this post:
SharksBreath (08-20-2012)
08-18-2012, 11:06 AM
#1680
Race Director
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Cause I'm not at stock height hurrr derrrr