Coloured headlamps - neat trick :)

[LuPix_S15]

Hola! :wave:

Yes I know it's been a while lol but I have updated my S14a track project thread and just remembered a neat little trick I did recently on my daily Lexus which cost me very little that I wanted to share with you guys!

Anyone who fancies coloured (usually blue or yellow) headlamps will usually have to buy expensive tinting film such as Lamin-X. I was about to go down this route and IIRC, with the huge Lexus front light units I had to cover, it was going to set me back around £60+

Luckily, a mate of mine suggested using glass paint... yes, the kind you get from places like Hobbycraft. So, armed with this information, I did make a trip to Hobbycraft and got this:

It's a pot of Marabu GlasArt paint (Sunshine Yellow) although many places will do a similar product. Set me back £3.99


And here's the result after painting on only a couple of layers using a fine hair brush...

Yes you can see very faint brush marks when standing up close to the light units but for £3.99 I'm not gonna even begin to think about that level of detail. At least you don't have to worry about crease marks and the hassle of trying to heat and stretch tinting film which isn't the easiest material to work with!

I used the black GlasArt paint to darken the Lexus front fogs and you can see much more brush marks so wouldn't suggest this on headlamps but with yellow and blue, you'll get away with it.

BTW - if does not wash off!! When fully dry it is very tough and you'll need to wet 'n' dry the lens in order to remove this


Happy cheap modding (for once)!!


James

 

[ali619]

very nice idea! sounds very very cost effective method. you mention there are some brush marks when you look closely but could you not use some very very fine sandpaper to get rid of that?

any close up pictures lupix?

 

[S15_SAM]

Ummm.....james.....why would you want yellow headlights?!

 

[LuPix_S15]

Ummm.....james.....why would you want yellow headlights?!

cos it looked way too boring (at least on a Lexus), goes nice against a red car and... at night it looks immense.

 

[LuPix_S15]

very nice idea! sounds very very cost effective method. you mention there are some brush marks when you look closely but could you not use some very very fine sandpaper to get rid of that?

any close up pictures lupix?

Haven't got any close up pics and I'm sure fine grit paper will get rid of it... just be careful not to take the whole lot off :wack:

 

[s15ollie]

I think it looks mint, any chance of getting a close up?

 

[S15 SILVIA]

Ha ha. Looks wicked james.
Had any stick from the LAPD?
Got any pics of the light given at night etc

 

[ali619]

Ummm.....james.....why would you want yellow headlights?!

It's totally JDM y0

 

[JaseYpk]

Ummm.....james.....why would you want yellow headlights?!

Because its his car. How he chooses to modify his car should be his choice, may be influenced by others, maybe not. But shouldn't depend on what other people like or don't like.

ps - I like it

 

[S15 SILVIA]

Because its his car. How he chooses to modify his car should be his choice, may be influenced by others, maybe not. But shouldn't depend on what other people like or don't like.

ps - I like it

Lol
chill jase, chill.
dont think Sam meant it in a dissing way?!

Anyhow, put some more pics up James.

 

[S15_SAM]

Yeah was definitely not ment in a "dissing" way atall! I was just giving some friendly banter. I kinda like the look but just reminded me of East European cars as alot of them have yellow lenses. Didn't think yellow headlight lenses was JDMYO! Thought that was fog lights.
But as above have u had any problems with the police? I would like to darken my rear lenses just don't know how legal it is?

 

[craig8585]

It's difficult to judge how poeple intend for comments to come across on forums.


For example.. Jase is a pleb.

He know's I mean it very seriously, but everybody else will think it's a joke.

 

[JaseYpk]

Sam - just thought it was a bit of a daft question thats all lol. hense the daft answer. nothing personal

It's difficult to judge how poeple intend for comments to come across on forums.


For example.. Jase is a pleb.

He know's I mean it very seriously, but everybody else will think it's a joke.

Just because i dont have my own butler craig, and someone to put my socks on for me, like they do in her majesties 'Royal Air Brigade Force Thing' doesnt make me a pleb

You selling your S15, for the second time round, does however.

 

[craig8585]

Haha!!

Well, at least I don't drive my dearly beloved into parked cars and rivers! Pleb

 

[JaseYpk]

Haha!!

Well, at least I don't drive my dearly beloved into parked cars and rivers! Pleb

well at least i've had the patience to constantly repair it! unlike you who's giving up at the sight of the mighty blue and white propellers (thats the BMW logo, you n00b!)


- ps. stop spamming james's thread! hahaha

 

[craig8585]

Haha! It's ok, James never comes on here any more anyway!!

 

[S15 SILVIA]

^
Bloody children

 

[LuPix_S15]

lmao... oh I really do miss the banter... need to get my ass back on here MORE!!!


Sam - no offence taken... valid question as I've had a few others ask 'why' when I just did it but when they see the car in the flesh they do tend to like rather than dislike but I can totally understand it's a 'marmite' type of mod :wack:



Mike/Sam - had absolutely no problems with the coppers... this has been done for months and is my daily driver... obviously pass a cop car nearly everyday and not been pulled *touch wood* but as far as I know, you are legally allowed to run main headlights in both white as well as yellow! I'm also expecting it pass it's MOT in Feb haha!!



...

 

[LuPix_S15]

Well.........


Turns out it FAILED the MOT!!


Apparently MOT rules have tightened since Jan this year and my station said yellow headlamps are NOT ALLOWED. It's set to get even more strict this April so goodness knows what they'll start clamping down on?? :wack:

 

[S15_SAM]

Yeah it's getting crazy, ball joint rubbers and track rod end rubbers can't be split, even of there's no movement it's a fail. We had a Subaru fail on low power steering fluid!!!! No leaks, it was just on minimum! I agree it should be tighter as I see alot of old cars that shouldn't be on the road!