How-To: Paint the headlight bezels

[bluegtp33]

im sure this is even worse on the lights to take off the old adhesive...but on the grills i used a grinder to get it off then smoothed it out

but for those getting it off...goodluck and be careful

[jerrodmann]

fuck! ha alright than! I guess ill just stop what i am doing! I only started removing on one headlight, haven't touched the other one yet. good thing i asked.

[LoJac963]

yeah you can leave it on-I didn't have any problems with mine

[jnak]

I didn't even use new sealant. I just heated up the existing sealant before putting it back together. No leaks or condensation so far.

Just make sure there's a lot left around the whole headlight and you'll be fine. If you've got gaps or areas where a lot of the sealant pulled off you'll have to add some.

[gyro75]

are there before and after pix?

[LoJac963]

are there before and after pix?

There are, I'll have to find my thread for ya.

[bluegtp33]

blaine, you had any problems with your lights cracking or anything since this?


i plan on doing my this weekend if possible since mine are condensing on the inside


thanks

[LZ's GTP]

Lojac


Do you want to drive to KY and do that for me..LOL That looks awesome man

[levey]

Is there an "after" picture?

[LoJac963]

blaine, you had any problems with your lights cracking or anything since this?
thanks

Actually yes and pretty dang bad. The first light I did was the passenger that way if I screwed it up I could do a better job on the driver but both are just as bad. With the passenger I just popped the bezel back into the lense and scratched it up but it took longer for the scratches to appear. The driver side I tried pulling the lense apart so the bezel would just fall into place and almost instantly the cracks appeared. It's very strange cracking that you can only see from certain angles but pretty much the entire lense on both lights are cracked to hell now.


LZ's GTP-thanks for the comment, they make the car look SOOO much better even with the cracking and condensation problems (not always a problem for me though).


levey-I posted an after picture of the car with the lights installed on the first page under the other pics.

[bluegtp33]

ok i just got finished sanded down my chrome part, my question is, do you think your paint cracked do to various paints combining and reacting?


after sanding for a while im not gonna have to prime, they are pure grey from the sanding so no point, ill post some pictures later, im gonna try a different paint scheme on both to see which i like better and then match the other

[LoJac963]

no the paint isn't what cracked it's the clear lenses with very fine hairline cracks all throughout the lense.

[jnak]

And the cracks get worse over time - or at least mine have been.

[LoJac963]

^yes, mine started in just the corners very very light and now months later the whole lense is cracked all to hell and back. I don't really think there is anyway around the cracks because it's due to stressing the plastic during disassembly and reassembly so who knows.

[bluegtp33]

maybe you two are too rough


anyway here are some pics of them primed, and start of a scheem i might shoot for, cant decide yet and starting painting tonight






or course that is just sanded and not painted, they will be blue and the letters lined up. i just wanted to make sure the letters would fit across the trim