Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Painting HL's stage 1

I hope to get some ½ decent pics in the morning, but it took me 2 hours, no baking, and alot of prying. Nothing major has broken, like it matter with a $20 unit. Now I'm going to paint it when I get a RH unit, so the paint will look the same, but am wondering if I have to Muratic Acid the chrome, like the Oval Ring. Is this needed?

Did you cut anything? Dremel? Prying only? I wanna try this, but I haven't found any clear examples or instructions upon extensive searching...

I don't think those who have done it want us to know

It's easy. Cut the housings along where the black and grey plasic meet, but deep enough to remove the lense. There's 3-4 hex screw that hold the bezel in place which makes is cake to remove to paint. I removed the chrome with 1000 grit 3M wet/dry, but left the turn signal it's chrome. Mask the remaining chrome off with BLUE painters tape because it will be less tacky and won't want to rip the chrome off the plastic like tan or yellow tape will. You still have to pull it off slowly and over itself after primering and painting. Clean the bezel with a dish soap that doesn't have lotions and hot water, then primer/paint safe wax and grease remover with a lint free rag. lite coat of plastic primer, sealer primer, base coat and then clear (after letting each coat fully flash of course and tack clothed in between coats of course.) Clean up the mating surface for the lense and housings, reinstall the bezels and seal the headlights back up with black silicone. Take extra care with the sealing because most have problems fully resealing these headlights.

Any other questions, post away

I used a black and a semi-gloss clear for my headlights, but you can pick your own color and sheen.

All of this can be obtained at an auto body supply shop. Tell them what you're doing, and they can point you in the right direction with the brands they carry. It's a good rule of thumb to use all of the same brand chemicals, paint, ect. mainly because they are designed to work together. Using one brand of primer and a different brand of paint can lead to failure.
With a paint code from your car, you can get the same paint. If the autobody supply shop is an upper end one, it should have an "electronic eye" that can match a sample (I take in the gas door usually) and take sun fade, ect into account...giving an exact match! They can mix some up and pop it in a rattle can along with another can of clear.


When wet sanding, I get a bucket of warm water with a fair amount of dish soap without lotions (I use a certain type of dawn ) Dunk the paper in there to soak a little. After tearing a workable piece off, just keep it wet like you're washing the chrome off.

When I say "let it flash", what I mean is as the paint releases the solvents (drys) it will become dull (gloss clear won't ) and dry to the touch. Many lite coats is much, much.....MUCH better than one or two heavy coats. You finish up faster doing lite coats too. Spray one nice even coat with good can (should be a gun ) control and distance from your substrate (item being painted) and take a few minuet break. Do this with every coat and don't rush it. When you're done, it should look oem or better quality.

For polishing out you lenses use 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit 3M wet/dry and a soft wet sanding pad. Sand evenly with each grit and finish up with Meguiars plastic cleaner and their polish. If you have access to a buffer, that'd help that much more.

Here's a theory i have. When took out the side marker on my headlights, I never actually went so far as to re seal the three holes i made, since then i have done 2 other sets using the same method. Is there a possibility that leaving the holes for the sidemarkers open would allow moisture to freely move in and out of the headlight?

I didn't sand and just painted on top of the chrome....nice and smooth.

Gotta start on my next HL project.