Finally, my custom headlights
10-22-2002
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Finally, my custom headlights
I wanted to clear my lights, but wanted to still have an amber reflector to match my sidemarkers and pass VA inspection. so here's the result. I won a pair of 2002 civic lights off ebay (didn't specify whether they were for a sedan or coupe, but i didn't think it would matter either way) for $70, so the project began. I used 2 coats of orange glass stain paint to color the reflector. it was hard to apply it perfectly even since it wasn't a spray, but i managed. after i put the lights back on my car, i discovered that the turn signal and parking light sockets for the sedan and coupe are not interchangable [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/IMG] also the weather proof seal is different. bah. so i'll pick those up at the dealer if i can get a good price. below are the pics. comments welcome [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
now if you don't mind...
now if you don't mind...
10-22-2002
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Sometimes, I can see right through myself ...
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OMG Mex ... IT TURNED OUT A LOT BETTER THAN I THOUGHT! It's very clean and unobtrusive, but it still does the job. I really like this man. 
10-23-2002
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Rep Power: 394 Hehe, you managed to accomplish what I tried to do. When my car was in an accident (first month I owned it), one of the headlights was broken and I experimented on it. I don't remember what I did exactly, but I tried all sorts of stuff... Did yours come out perfect? What side did you paint? The bumpy side or the underside? What is "orange glass stain paint" and where did you get it? Why didn't you paint the whole reflector? You just wanted the rectangular piece? [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG]
10-23-2002
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Rep Power: 293 I went out to a Michaels craft store on a mission to find some kind of transparent orange/amber paint. so i'm looking through the aisles and I see this little bottle of "orange glass stain", obviously meant for a kid to use to color those clear plastic molds that you hang on windows. or those colorful designs you see on church windows. Immediately I knew it would do the trick. I only had to use like 1 tablespoon of paint. I only painted the side of the reflector because i didn't like how it wrapped around that parking light. IMO it wouldn't have looked as clean as just a rectangular shaped reflector, like the RSX. also, the only 'reflector' part of that piece is the part I painted. the front part isn't part of the actual reflector. I applied the paint to the front of the reflector, not the rough underside of it. you can't even see through the reflector except at certain angles, so painting the underside wouldn't do anything anyway.
10-23-2002
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Rep Power: 394 Mind if I do the same thing, but paint the whole thing orange? I really like it. I had the idea a long time ago, but I couldn't find a paint that would do the job. Now that I have a paint gun the job will be even easier. All I need now is to order some orange 7443's for the turn signals. Yep yep, looks like I'll be doing this. With your permission of course. [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG]
Hey, what color turn signals do you have? The stock ones? Just clear?
Hey, what color turn signals do you have? The stock ones? Just clear?
10-23-2002
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Rep Power: 282 Sweet, man. . . . that looks fantastic! Kinda like 6th Gen headlight housings. . . I always thought Honda had it right with those. Don't know why they had to go and change things on us for the 7th Gens.
Werd on the painting the reflector rectangular. If you're doing it for DOT purposes, why overdo it, right? I think you did just enough to get the job done, but not so much as to make it look tacky.
Werd on the painting the reflector rectangular. If you're doing it for DOT purposes, why overdo it, right? I think you did just enough to get the job done, but not so much as to make it look tacky.
10-23-2002
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Rep Power: 293 lol, nah I have no problem with others doing this. right now I have the stock clear bulbs in, I may just use amber 7443s for the state inspection. besides, with the hyperwhite headlight bulbs I have right now, my turn signals have an automatic amber look to them [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG]
I wish I could find a gunmetal chrome paint. these were the original styles I had in mind:
I wish I could find a gunmetal chrome paint. these were the original styles I had in mind:
10-24-2002
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Rep Power: 0 i soo thought of doin that before, and now i know it'll look sweet.
good job very impressed!
instead of the paint, you think its possibel to use the amber repair tape that pepboys or other parts stores sell?
i used it before to red out my ambers on my lst car looked sweet!
good job very impressed!
instead of the paint, you think its possibel to use the amber repair tape that pepboys or other parts stores sell?
i used it before to red out my ambers on my lst car looked sweet!
10-25-2002
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Rep Power: 316 so this is wat you were talkin about.. turned out really good, i like it. i just may have to re-open my headlights to do that.. how much was the glass stainer thing?
10-25-2002
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Rep Power: 394 Hey Mex! I checked Michael's and I found a couple paints for stained glass. I didn't find an orange color. I found some other colors that might work out. One was sun yellow. That looked very much like amber. Another one was a little darker. It was $4.99 for a bottle of this one stuff, but they say to bake it for it to dry. I don't think I want to bake my plastic. I found another one that says air dry and it's a two-part system. One is like an adhesion promoter and the other is the paint. Which one did you buy? Maybe you bought a different one? I'll have to check out all of the options again when I go next time.
11-02-2002
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Rep Power: 394 Damn it. I tried painting them with this other stuff that I found and it's not working as I thought it would. I washed it off (it's water soluble). I'll go and return that stuff and try to find the stuff that you bought. I applied it with a paint gun. It was just too opaque and the color was kinda bright. I'll try to finish it up tomorrow and I'll let you guys know how it goes.
11-03-2002
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Rep Power: 394 I returned the stuff that didn't work and I bought a can of spraypaint called "Stained Glass Color" by Krylon. Orange of course. I tried it out and it seemed to work allright, but the stupid bottle broke for some reason. I have no more time to do this modification this weekend. I have to put my car back together again for Monday. Kinda sucks, looks like I'll try this some other time. Before I take my car apart I'll test the paint out on something else to make sure that I have a color match. Lesson learned.
