Painted headlights

[jnak]

So I spent the last few days painting my headlights....what a pain in the ass! I think I broke nearly every single clip holding those POS's together.

Anyway, I put everything together and it all looks great...until an hour later. The lenses have some crazy psychadelic rainbow effect under certain light (such as direct sunlight). It looks like there's a film of oil on them. I took them off and pulled out the light bulbs to let it air out some more....but does anybody have any idea what might have caused this?

Of course, it's damn near impossible to get a picture of this, but you can sort of see it in the corner by the grille:

[wvleadfoot78]

Somebody needs to make a replacement lens that's more clear. I just keep seeing these and thinking the paint looks ugly through those lenses.

[G6Performance]

It's mostly the camera... in person they look MUCH nicer than any photo I've seen (or been able to capture for that matter)

I don't have any of the multicolored stuff going on in mine. Maybe paint fumes building up on the inside of the lenses? How long were they allowed to dry after the final coat?

[jnak]

I thought it might be fumes too. I let them dry for about 24 hours before reassembly. Should I have waited longer?

[G6Performance]

that should've been plenty

[beitodesstrafe]

did you smudge your fingers around in it alot? that may do it (just a guess)

[GTPGuy82]

I had that trouble too. Before you seal them up, you should go over the inside of the lens with a plastic cleaner.

[jnak]

I had that trouble too. Before you seal them up, you should go over the inside of the lens with a plastic cleaner.

I did clean them before I put them together. maybe it was the cleaner I used.

Anyway, it doesn't seem to be anything harmful so I guess they're staying that way. I don't really want to rip apart the headlights again.

[GTPGuy82]

it's probably just the fact that they are now painted. On the front cover of an old MotorTrend, they show a brand new red corvette, with the red headlights, and there is a rainbow effect over the entire headlight lens.

[jnak]

It looks like this:



Guess I'm not the only one after all.

[Guest]

the gp does this under certain lights and angles... they have never been messed with so i dont really know what to tell ya

[jonnycat]

It may be just easier to notice on a darker background inside vesus all chrome like before??

[jnak]

It may be just easier to notice on a darker background inside vesus all chrome like before??

You might be right. I noticed a Nissan Altima, without painted headlights, that had the problem yesterday.

[jonnycat]

In my 99 cougar(headlights were black inside) I saw the rainbow effect in them too, and I never opened them once.

[Tin_Indian_G6]

Rainbow or not...IMO your car looks great with the painted lights. I just don't have the patience to take mine apart to do this mod. Also, for some reason the chrome does not bother me as much as it used to. But I really like the way it looks. Nice job!

:smoke: