Oh noes, they be stealin mah grills (bbq?)

[lorenkb]

http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/Light%20Mod/prep_1.jpg

My new blinkers showed up, so on with the light painting! What am I getting myself into!?! :shootsself:

Had to drive to Autozone without the grilles in, as I found out waaayyyyy too late that I did not in fact have a 10mm socket. Doh! Got some of the strangest looks... :shock:

There are some fairly decent writeups on NASIOC and subymods, but if any of you want particular detail shots of anything, now would be a good time to speak up!

Loren

[C89ZX7R]

looks like you need to get the washin under the hood .

[lorenkb]

But... then it wouldn't be dirty! :tongue:

The whole front end is due for a cleaning... lots of bugs, lots of silt from El Mirage in the engine bay, and some mud left over from Dirty Meet 1 that accumulated under the grilles. Simple Green, here I come (well... eventually...)

[lorenkb]

One light seperated, and the other one's cookin! Wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was. Two rounds of cooking for the light to open up. First round was to pop the clips and get about 1/4 inch of seperation on most of the edge. Second round was to loosen up the glue again and it pried apart nicely. I'll update/edit later with some pictures.

[409industries]

cleared out headlights rule.

[lorenkb]

Whats cookin?
HEADLIGHTS BISH!
http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/Light%20Mod/oven.jpg


I upped the temps a tad and the second light came apart much easier. My cheap little cooking thermometer says the optimal temp is closer to 230 - 240 for 20 minutes to get everything nice and toasty. No tools required nor advised to pry the two halves apart. Pop the clips by finger, and pull with your hands. Any metal tools are just going to start bending the soft heated plastic

Tada!
http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/Light%20Mod/seperated.jpg


The chrome piece got 3 coats of gloss black and one coat of ultra flat black (Krylon). Paint adhesion is not the best.... had to do two spots of touchup after gouging it with a fingernail, and having the black goop that seals the two halves together grab an edge while reinserting the piece onto the lens... I washed and rinsed the parts well, so I'm not sure why it was so touchy?

http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/Light%20Mod/RHlight_done.jpg


The amber side reflectors got several coats of Tamiya "Smoke" model paint. An airbrush would have made life easier (Oh WTF, another bristle imbeded in the paint :machinegunleft: ). It's a nifty effect in person, as the amber color stills shines through at ceartain angles. It still ights up a dark amber with the running lights.

All done!

http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/Light%20Mod/front_finished.jpg

[kreitz3]

More pics. I like the red on the hawkeyes.

[sebhockey]

Nice job, I like it.

[409industries]

came out great loren!

[BlueREX04]

That is very cool! I will be doing this to mine in the next few months... once I can convince my wife about using her oven for head lights :-)

[Blix666]

wow...that is cool. is this mod possible on GC8's?!

[BlueREX04]

Don't see why it wouldn't work just dont over bake them :-)

[kreitz3]

That is very cool! I will be doing this to mine in the next few months... once I can convince my wife about using her oven for head lights :-)

Just let her go shopping for a few hours with her friends. Be sneaky.

[409industries]

The procedure is pretty much the same on any car. I did this on my civic before i had a suby.

Before:
http://a121.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/15/l_7be9807f6c80bf57d1aa8b6deccfdd00.jpg

After:
http://a37.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/l_18924a77d4a3a3d66281e0403d5160ec.jpg

I got some chrome bulbs for the turn signals that are amber when they are on. To keep that headlight housing perfectly silver when the blinkers are off!

[sebhockey]

Too bad I don't have access to an oven to do this...

[lorenkb]

wow...that is cool. is this mod possible on GC8's?!

Not sure. I would do some careful research before attempting though. You would think the basic construction would be the same... as long as it's built in two halves and has the same type of adhesive it should work. Not sure what all inside could be painted once you get them open though.


Too bad I don't have access to an oven to do this...

It can be done with a heat gun. You can pick one up from your local hobby shop. Takes more "work" than just sticking 'em in the oven, but it has been done before.


Ditto on the chrome bulbs. I got them here (http://search.stores.ebay.com/Custom-Decals-and-Silver-Bulbs_7440_W0QQfciZ5QQfclZ4QQfsnZCustomQ20DecalsQ2 0andQ20SilverQ20BulbsQQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsaselZ62872 49QQsofpZ0)

[kreitz3]

Too bad I don't have access to an oven to do this...

Go the the local pizza joint. :D

[shakes]

It's such a bitch getting those lights out.

http://shakes-place.com/Gallery/albums/album08/2_small.jpg

http://shakes-place.com/Gallery/albums/album08/3_2_small.jpg

[kreitz3]

I like the silver wheels on white STI's so much more than the gold wheels.

[409industries]

Too bad I don't have access to an oven to do this...

You can borrow mine...