painting headlight corners (inside)

my friend just got black projectors for his rex and he wants to paint his headlight corners black in the inside.

i know someone has done this (CZ-R i think). i tried to do a search but didnt come up with anything. is there a how to for this?


thanks

I've done it, but it's a pain in the ass to get the lenses off of the housings without cracking them or melting the housings. I've tried 4 different times. One time it worked perfectly, but after painting them, I used hot glue to adhere the lenses back onto the housings, but the hot sun caused them to come off, and I haven't been able to do it correctly since then.

Anyways, the method I was using was taking a hot-air gun and heating up the edges of the lenses to warm up the glue that holds them on, and then pry them off with a screwdriver or putty knife. Like I said, only worked well on 1 occasion...

CZ-R told me that he had similar problems, so what he did was use a dremel tool with a cutting disc, and from the backside of the housing, cut all around the edge of the housing to remove it from the lense, then glued them back together. I thought about doing it, but it looks alot harder than it sounds...

Anyways, once you get it done, it looks sweet, so good luck.

Are we talking about corner lenses here? If so I can sell you mine which I tinted and ended up not liking.

Before
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid43/p12b34b5bec7fa517367c7a073d387e35/fce9e5fe.jpg

After
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid43/p0f3c4153346332047b13cdb6bd3737ad/fce9e5d8.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid43/pfaf5ae140b1ee641bf47b6256aff969b/fce905af.jpg

its so easy to take them apart i did both of mine in about an hour, i had then painted a sealed back together with black silicon

all i did is work a razor blade into the part by the headlight, once the hole was made i worked in a thin little pick and just kinda forced it to break the plastic weld

or you can buy em on ebay for $40 and keep your old ones in case you change your mind...:flash:

would the oven method work? ive heard its easier to open headlights this way. so far i have helped open 3 pairs of headlights (2 acura 1.6 el's and a 2001 mazda protege) and i also helped open a bumper lense off a friends 94 golf. I used a heat gun/hair dryer for the headlights and for the bumper light i used a pick and a hair dryer.

the golf bumper lense was my worst hack job i have ever done. although i did it on the first try, i know i can do better.

so i think i'll try the ol' heat gun technique with a flathead. if i mess up, it should be fine because my friend can gets another set of corners anytime.

i'll take pics of the finished product. (whether i mess it up or not)


thanks for the replies

The oven method sucks. Tried that too... twice. Either it doesn't loosen the plastic weld enough, or it melts the housings or mounting arms and deforms them. I've found the heat-gun method to be the best, but still tricky to do without cracking the lenses...

If you've got an endless supply of lenses for cheap, then that's your best bet... good luck.

i did the oven method and it worked perfectly but by the way, i lost that little plastic piece that the corner lense kinda threads into and i was wondering if by any chance any one has a hook up on getting one of those or some type of solution. i'd appreciate it!

Originally posted by XxLuckyLisaxX
i did the oven method and it worked perfectly but by the way, i lost that little plastic piece that the corner lense kinda threads into and i was wondering if by any chance any one has a hook up on getting one of those or some type of solution. i'd appreciate it!


ill try to go to the junk yard for u tomorrow, i told u i would

I found some on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6777&item=1876315888)

Originally posted by mdnnccivicrcr
I found some on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6777&item=1876315888)

That would be sweet if ci5ic got some of those for his hatch

Originally posted by Melt


That would be sweet if ci5ic got some of those for his hatch

That would be hella tight, but unfortunately, they're for a CRX, so I'd need to mod my fenders and shit too.

Originally posted by ci5ic
That would be hella tight, but unfortunately, they're for a CRX, so I'd need to mod my fenders and shit too.

Im sure someone will make some for the HB soon .. but never for the 4dr

hey melt.....just to prove you wrong....here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33708&item=1876641090

Originally posted by slammed89civic
hey melt.....just to prove you wrong....here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33708&item=1876641090

Holy shit!

If they're out there for the sedan, they've GOTTA be out there for the hatch. If anyone sees some on e-bay, PLEASE let me know. I would much rather pay for a set than fart around with those fucking lenses and a heat gun anymore.

e-mail this guy and ask him I just got a set to match my projectors. He has them for 88-89 hb(my style) and 90-91 hb.
they are the clear outside lens and the black background.
[email protected]
they look like this so im told they will be here friday Ill let ya know and take pics.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6777&item=1876639327

i've been looking for them myself, but i've not seen one yet for the 90-91 hatch model....... i dont understand why......

matrix racing has em for like 39.99

Originally posted by slammed89civic
hey melt.....just to prove you wrong....here you go: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33708&item=1876641090

haa, those are pretty tight, I like how they call em "JDM" :rolleyes:

Originally posted by crxlvr
matrix racing has em for like 39.99

i went to check out matrix but i didnt find any for my specific vehicle year and model.... the closest one i found was for the 90-91 crx, but i think those are a little different from the hatchback corners....

Originally posted by Cjz89civic
e-mail this guy and ask him I just got a set to match my projectors. He has them for 88-89 hb(my style) and 90-91 hb.
they are the clear outside lens and the black background.
[email protected]
they look like this so im told they will be here friday Ill let ya know and take pics.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6777&item=1876639327

Yeah, please let us know how that works out... hope he's not trying to sell you CRX corners for a hatch though.

Yea, i cant wait to see them on a car, if they fit on the hatch then i am gonna get the black projectors!!!

Originally posted by MyFirst4G
Yea, i cant wait to see them on a car, if they fit on the hatch then i am gonna get the black projectors!!!

Rock on! Black projectors OWN!

I'm so damn happy that I have my car back!

those black projectors on ebay have the screw holes in the sides, so i think they'll only fit the 88 and 89 sedan rather than the 88 thru 90 like the auction says.