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How to: Paint your Headlights 2005

180K views 366 replies 183 participants last post by  Copper 
#1 ·
Ok well as I said I would I'm making this write up for painting the inside of your 2005 Focus headlights black.

Materials needed:

Black paint (recommend gloss finish)
Silicone Sealant
Scour pad
Beer [;)]
Masking tape
Tools needed:

10mm wrench
8mm wrench
Phillips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
torx bits (allens will work but torx will be better)
Car jack
Your hands
Razor Blade

Time require:
Total - 12-48hrs
Headlight removal - 30min - 1hr
Headlight opening - 2-3hrs
painting - 2-3 hrs
paint dry time - at least 1hr
Headlight reassembly - 30min - 1hr
Sealant cure time - at least 8hrs
headlight reinstall 30min - 1hr

Step 1

Using a Phillips screwdriver Remove the Black plastic radiator shroud.



Step 2

With a 10mm wrench loosen the two bold hold the upper grill to the radiator frame. Then while pulling forward lift the two clips on either side of the hood latch to remove the upper grill.



Step 3

Using a 10mm wrench loosen the top two bold on the headlight assembly.



Step 4

Using a car jack lift the side of the car to lower the wheel to gain access to wheel well shroud.



Step 5

Loosen and pull wheel well shroud back using a 8mm wrench and torx bit or allen wrench.

Step 6

Using a 10mm wrench loosen and remove the third and final bolt holding the headlamp assembly on the vehicle.



Step 7

Turn on oven to 200 degrees.



Step 8

While oven is warming remove the rubber trim from the headlamp assembly.



Step 9

After oven as fully warmed place one headlamp on a baking/cookie sheet in the oven for about 15minutes.



Step 10

Pull out the headlamp. CAREFUL ITS GOING TO BE HOT! I'd wear some sort of oven mitt or work glove to handle the headlamp.

While the head lamp is still hot using a thin flathead work around the edge of the headlamp seal to break the seal.

**NOTE**

You may have to repeat steps 9 & 10 several times over in order to fully break the seal.

Step 11

Once the clear plastic cover is removed from the black plastic housing you will have to next remove the chrome trim that is going to be painted from the clear plastic housing. TO do use remove the 2 bolts with either a torx bits or allen drive to do so.

Step 12

Mask off the area not to be painted. I'd suggest masking of at least the turn signal reflector to keep the fuzz from giving you grief. Using a razor blade to cut the outside edge of the reflector seemed to work well for me.



Step 13

This step is important. Rough up all the surfaces to be painted with the scouring pad so the paint will stick to the plastic. Not doing so will result in poor adhesion of the paint.

I personally forgot this step so I didn't get as good as results as I should have.

Step 14

Pop the next headlight in the oven

Step 15

Paint. Make sure to paint in several thin layers as to one thick one. The will help avoid runs and still provide good coverage and overall consistency.



Step 16

Have a beer.
Repeat steps 9 thru 15 for your second headlight.

Allow the paint to dry at least an hour before handling.

Step 17 remove the tape from the now black trim. And reinstall the painted trim into the clear housing. Don't forget the 2 screws that holds on to the clear plastic.



Step 18

Using the silicone sealant run a good thick bead around the black housing where the clear plastic seats into the black housing.



Step 19

Using some tape, tape the two parts together tightly and let it sit at least 8 hours.

Step 20

Remove tape and marvel at you new hotness of headlights.



Step 21 Perform steps 1-6 in reverse order.

DONE!!! Now you have a unique 2005 Focus that all your friends will drool over.





[:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]Please Note[:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]

This how-to is nothing but merely a guide on the best methods to go about the project. I do not take any responsibility of any ill-effects that occur to you vehicle from this mod or any legal issues they may arise do to the modification of your cars headlight system. PERFORM AT YOUR OWN RISK!

-Matt
 
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#316 ·
So I took the light apart and now I cant get it to go back together at all. I cleaned out all the black caulking and scraped it down until it was completely clean and now the plastic lens doesn't seem to want to fit back on the black plastic back housing. it's almost as if it maybe warped while it was cooling. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong..
 
#317 ·
Here is the final product!



The first light I baked at 250 for 15 mins, then again at 250 for another 10 mins, then at 300 for 5 mins, then 315 for 5 mins and finally got it apart. It took me about 2 hours of scraping to get all the glue out and eventually I finished the light.

The second light I put in the oven at 315 for 10 mins and pulled it apart first try right after that. Not only did it pull apart right away but all the glue came out as one big hunk.

From the time I started baking the second light until I was painting was 15 mins total. Way easier second time around.
 
#318 ·
I hope i dont get flamed for bumping this?[shhh]

When mine are apart i want to use that spray on tint stuff and paint the inside of the front lens to kinda smoke the light even more. Has any one tried this?

Ive seen people smoke the lenses from the front but i dont want it to peel or come off from washing or what ever so i want to paint the inside while its apart.

I havnt started anything yet im just at the planning stage.

Any thoughts? Do the lights get hot enough to maybe boil the inside of the paint off?
 
#320 ·
i will eventualy get the halo headlights like that, or similar. I just bought the car so im doing the cheap stuff now.

New hubcaps, painting the headlights and chrome grill, maybe add the black molding strip on the door. Then tint and wheels
 
#323 ·
i raced R/C cars for several years, the high end ones. They come with clear plexan bodys that you paint from the inside and they take a beating and the paint always looks great. You never have to shoot any clear because the body is already a shiny clear. I have however tried the window tint stuff for the lexan and it was pretty hard. The tint paint i found to be hard to see as its shoots on. It was very easy to spray it on thick and it would run.

This is why i asked to see if anyone had any tips before i get started.

Whats a good brand of spray on tint? If spraying on the inside will work? any other things i need to watch for?

I think just spraying the tint on the outside will need to be dark for how i want it to look but if i spray the inside black first as the original thread starter did i may not need the tint part as dark to get a result i want.

If i ruin it then ill just have an excuse to get the halo ones [hihi]
 
#324 ·
Ummm. ya! I was not questioning your ability to spray. Only thinking that, a rattle can might not be the way to get this done as you have to shoot from ~12" or risk a run. On my 07 lens the bottom edge is very deep so the best angle I could get would be ~40 <> 60degrees, which would cause banding in my case. Your info does not say what year your Focus is btw. [wiggle]
 
#325 ·
Your post wasnt offensive i didnt think i was just wondering about the tint spray. Mine is also an 07, i have to spray from the outside i guess i can. I think it would be better from the inside over time but ive never used the paint so im not real sure.

I guess ill be the first and ill post some images as i go
 
#327 ·
man, mine did not come out good. I ran into some issues.

First i tried the 300° thing first and it melted the bottom of my light assembly and put a haze in my front lens.

The second one i used the cookie sheet and i didnt have problems, putting the assembly directly on the racks is a bad idea. This was my first mistake

Second i didnt leave it in long enough getting in a hurry, the longer you leave it in it seems the softer the seal gets so its easier to pop apart.

doing the night shade on the inside makes it more work if you get it to dark then you have to take it back apart to correct it. Also doing the night shade covered up the whole painting the inside and now my lights are to dark so now it doesnt even function well.

Now im worried about getting a ticket.

If you do this mod do it exactly like the instructions you wont have a problem but i didnt fallow them very good.

USE THE COOKIE SHEET ITS A MUST.
 
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