headlight retrofit info - Page 4

AaronGTR · 03-30-2013, 07:33 AM

Why bother? There is no need to go with something as extreme as powder coating on the inside of a headlight. It's protected from the outside. It's not in an extreme environment. I've never heard of powder coating non-metallic parts before either. I don't think it would work, since you usually use an electric charge to attract the powder, and plastic is not a good electrical conductor.

Paint is all you need, and probably the best thing to use.

kzulfic · 03-30-2013, 08:03 AM

Because I get bored at work and wanted to see what happened with it

. Yeah its probly overkill, but if goes on even it wound look nice.

TruGreenGAGT · 03-30-2013, 08:30 AM

bored... i got a srtut bar you can coat black...

kzulfic · 03-30-2013, 08:43 AM

I can do that. I'll post some pics of the valve covers I did on Monday when I get back in town.

EDIT: Here's a ****y phone pic, I'll get some more Monday.

AaronGTR · 04-01-2013, 06:55 PM

Making some progress. Got the lenses off the housings. Didn't even have to heat them. They were just sealed with some gray RTV/silicone, so I just trimmed it with a hobby knife and ran it between them to break the seal and the lense popped off.

Did some preliminary fitting of the projectors and shrouds today. Not as easy as it sounds. You have to cut the neck off the back of the housing and enlarge the hole with a dremel and sanding drum. That's the easy part. The gattling gun shrouds I ordered don't fit the housing too well. They'll look sweet and really fill it out, IF I can get them to fit the way I want. Right now they are hitting the inside of the lense. The centering rings that come with them won't let the shroud sit far enough down to meet the back of the housing either, or miss the lense in front, so I can't use them. The shrouds are too large diameter as well, and wouldn't line up on the projector without me cutting some off the bottom so it has kind of a flat spot. Here is my progress so far.

I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to anchor them since I can't use the centering rings. I'm trimming the inside of them right now trying to get them to sit further down on the projector. If I can get them against the back of the housing I might just glue them in place with silicone. If I can't get them back that far, I might have to trim some off the front to make it fit behind the lense. I need about 1/8" right now. I think a smaller shroud would have worked better. I wanted to use these though because I was planning to put CCFL's behind them (they make the slots in the shroud light up). Not sure if I'll be able to do that now though. I'll post more pics as I make progress. This definitely isn't a one day mod though, between all the cutting, sanding, fitting, and painting.

TDavis · 04-01-2013, 06:59 PM

Yeah I remember when I took the lens off my stock headlights for luls, I just pry'd it open with a fork and voila.

BTW did you get the gatling gun or the mini gatling gun? That looks odd because of the size.

AaronGTR · 04-01-2013, 07:05 PM

They have a gattling gun, and a version 2.0. I got the original version.

TDavis · 04-01-2013, 07:11 PM

There is also a "Mini gatling gun (standard model)" I think that would of looked a little better. This one is too big and doesn't look proportional with the headlight.

AaronGTR · 04-01-2013, 08:29 PM

The Mini's only fit their H1 projectors. They don't fit the D2S projectors, so I couldn't use them anyway.

I actually like these better and like how they fill out the reflector. Makes it look more like it was designed that way rather than something added on later IMO. The problem is just getting them to fit since they are so big.

AaronGTR · 04-03-2013, 06:55 PM

Made some really good progress tonight. I have the shroud on one side fitting nice and tight against the back of the housing. I should be able to just glue it in place with silicone. I had to take a little off the front still to get the lens to fit, but not too much. I need to do a little more fitting on the shroud for the other side to get it to move back a little further, then it will be done too. Then I need to figure out how I'm going to mount the CCFL's inside. After that I'll finally be ready to prep and paint everything.

TruGreenGAGT · 04-03-2013, 07:11 PM

looking good

TDavis · 04-03-2013, 07:32 PM

Paint that housing black and the shroud white mother fk!

bricooper78 · 04-03-2013, 08:33 PM

I was thinking that maybe you should've painted the inside of that housing while you had it apart.. Body color projectors FTW!

AaronGTR · 04-04-2013, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDavis

Paint that housing black and the shroud white mother fk!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bricooper78

I was thinking that maybe you should've painted the inside of that housing while you had it apart.. Body color projectors FTW!

do you guys read my posts?

That is just test fitting. They are not sealed back up yet. I am planning on painting them, I already said that. I can't paint them though until I am done cutting and sanding and test fitting them.

TruGreenGAGT · 04-04-2013, 04:50 PM

who reads???
we all look at the pretty pictures

TDavis · 04-04-2013, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

do you guys read my posts?

That is just test fitting. They are not sealed back up yet. I am planning on painting them, I already said that. I can't paint them though until I am done cutting and sanding and test fitting them.

Oh I knew you where just test fitting. My post was meant to make you do it now and stop teasing.

bricooper78 · 04-04-2013, 07:00 PM

<--- this guy is totally with TruGreen

AaronGTR · 04-12-2013, 08:50 PM

Just a test fit for now. One my CCFL tubes got broke so I'm waiting for another one to get here. Then I'll be doing the final putting everything together and installing them in the car. More pics to come.

PhantomLover007 · 04-12-2013, 09:07 PM

Damn Aaron. Those are nice man. Too bad you couldn't put a clear reflector in there

TDavis · 04-12-2013, 09:08 PM

Was actually just going to ask how it was going

.

I would of kept it a little cleaner and not get halos.

03-30-2013, 07:33 AM	#61
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	Why bother? There is no need to go with something as extreme as powder coating on the inside of a headlight. It's protected from the outside. It's not in an extreme environment. I've never heard of powder coating non-metallic parts before either. I don't think it would work, since you usually use an electric charge to attract the powder, and plastic is not a good electrical conductor. Paint is all you need, and probably the best thing to use. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

03-30-2013, 08:43 AM	#64
kzulfic GAGT - Senior Member AKA: Kameron Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Genoa, IL Age: 33 Posts: 1,116 Vehicle: 2004 Grand Am SE2	I can do that. I'll post some pics of the valve covers I did on Monday when I get back in town. EDIT: Here's a ***y phone pic, I'll get some more Monday. Last edited by kzulfic; 03-30-2013 at 08:47 AM.*

04-01-2013, 06:55 PM	#65
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	Making some progress. Got the lenses off the housings. Didn't even have to heat them. They were just sealed with some gray RTV/silicone, so I just trimmed it with a hobby knife and ran it between them to break the seal and the lense popped off. Did some preliminary fitting of the projectors and shrouds today. Not as easy as it sounds. You have to cut the neck off the back of the housing and enlarge the hole with a dremel and sanding drum. That's the easy part. The gattling gun shrouds I ordered don't fit the housing too well. They'll look sweet and really fill it out, IF I can get them to fit the way I want. Right now they are hitting the inside of the lense. The centering rings that come with them won't let the shroud sit far enough down to meet the back of the housing either, or miss the lense in front, so I can't use them. The shrouds are too large diameter as well, and wouldn't line up on the projector without me cutting some off the bottom so it has kind of a flat spot. Here is my progress so far. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to anchor them since I can't use the centering rings. I'm trimming the inside of them right now trying to get them to sit further down on the projector. If I can get them against the back of the housing I might just glue them in place with silicone. If I can't get them back that far, I might have to trim some off the front to make it fit behind the lense. I need about 1/8" right now. I think a smaller shroud would have worked better. I wanted to use these though because I was planning to put CCFL's behind them (they make the slots in the shroud light up). Not sure if I'll be able to do that now though. I'll post more pics as I make progress. This definitely isn't a one day mod though, between all the cutting, sanding, fitting, and painting. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

04-01-2013, 06:59 PM	#66
TDavis GAGT - Junkie AKA: Tanner Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Columbia, MO Age: 29 Posts: 3,871 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am SC/T	Yeah I remember when I took the lens off my stock headlights for luls, I just pry'd it open with a fork and voila. BTW did you get the gatling gun or the mini gatling gun? That looks odd because of the size. __________________ Mods: Alotta sht

04-01-2013, 07:05 PM	#67
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	They have a gattling gun, and a version 2.0. I got the original version. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

03-30-2013, 08:03 AM	#62
kzulfic GAGT - Senior Member AKA: Kameron Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Genoa, IL Age: 33 Posts: 1,116 Vehicle: 2004 Grand Am SE2	Because I get bored at work and wanted to see what happened with it . Yeah its probly overkill, but if goes on even it wound look nice.

04-01-2013, 07:11 PM	#68
TDavis GAGT - Junkie AKA: Tanner Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Columbia, MO Age: 29 Posts: 3,871 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am SC/T	There is also a "Mini gatling gun (standard model)" I think that would of looked a little better. This one is too big and doesn't look proportional with the headlight. __________________ Mods: Alotta sht

04-01-2013, 08:29 PM	#69
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	The Mini's only fit their H1 projectors. They don't fit the D2S projectors, so I couldn't use them anyway. I actually like these better and like how they fill out the reflector. Makes it look more like it was designed that way rather than something added on later IMO. The problem is just getting them to fit since they are so big. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

04-03-2013, 06:55 PM	#70
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	Made some really good progress tonight. I have the shroud on one side fitting nice and tight against the back of the housing. I should be able to just glue it in place with silicone. I had to take a little off the front still to get the lens to fit, but not too much. I need to do a little more fitting on the shroud for the other side to get it to move back a little further, then it will be done too. Then I need to figure out how I'm going to mount the CCFL's inside. After that I'll finally be ready to prep and paint everything. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

04-03-2013, 07:32 PM	#72
TDavis GAGT - Junkie AKA: Tanner Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Columbia, MO Age: 29 Posts: 3,871 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am SC/T	Paint that housing black and the shroud white mother fk! __________________ Mods: Alotta sht

04-12-2013, 08:50 PM	#78
AaronGTR BlingWithBallz AKA: Aaron Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Detroit area, MI Age: 43 Posts: 12,254 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT1 2dr	Just a test fit for now. One my CCFL tubes got broke so I'm waiting for another one to get here. Then I'll be doing the final putting everything together and installing them in the car. More pics to come. __________________ The few, the proud, the boosted! 13.788 @ 103.73 mph (3/2011) 320 whp and 300 ft/lbs torque. (3/2011) See it here. the total package.

04-12-2013, 09:08 PM	#80
TDavis GAGT - Junkie AKA: Tanner Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Columbia, MO Age: 29 Posts: 3,871 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am SC/T	Was actually just going to ask how it was going . I would of kept it a little cleaner and not get halos. __________________ Mods: Alotta sht

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