Devin's headlight recipe

[Devin]

Today's recipe is Headlights Ala Mark.

To start with, purchase a 93-96 Mark VIII. Carefully remove the headlights and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place headlight on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and use a flatheaded screwdriver to separate the lens cover from the light housing. For an extra taste treat, use a paint scraping tool or other wide, strong bladed implement. Yum!

Cool for 30 minutes.

Rinse inside of lenses with CLR for 5-10 minutes, then sand the outside of the lenses with first 400 grit, then 1500 grit sandpaper. (Sanding not depicted due to licensing issues with 3M). Once done, coat lenses with an ever so light spray of clear coat paint.

Coat inside of light housing with reflective chrome tape.

Reassemble using standard kitchen silicone gasket maker. Serves one driver and up to three passengers.

Before and after:

 

[maxmk8]

Great tip! It is crucial not to overheat the headlights... quite a few ppl managed to warp them in the oven!!

 

[Devin]

I actually purchased a junkyard light to experiment with, just because I was afraid of that. It went so well that I went ahead and used it.

 

[J]

Can you clarify the "rinse" with CLR part. Do you just pour it over the light, plug the hole and let it soak, or wipe it on/off?

 

[TimKustom]

Cool...er I mean Hot Tip!

Wonder if that technique would work on a rear neon?

 

[jamies98lsc]

i wouldnt dare try the neon in an oven, and good luck finding an oven to fit a neon housings in too unless you own a restaurant!

 

[Devin]

I just poured the CLR in there and swished it around for 5 mins or so. I *think* that it took the yellow out of the inside. I wasn't about to try to sand it in there since the inside is all textured.

Oh, I didn't specifically say, but while the headlight is in there TURN THE OVEN OFF! You want static heat, not active heat.

 

[Be2lose]

Great tip! It is crucial not to overheat the headlights... quite a few ppl managed to warp them in the oven!!

Oh, I didn't specifically say, but while the headlight is in there TURN THE OVEN OFF! You want static heat, not active heat.

Probably how the warped them.

 

[J]

Wonder if that technique would work on a rear neon?

good luck finding an oven to fit a neon housings !

LMAO, didn't even think of that! Where ya gonna find one of those?

 

[U S Marine]

Where did you get the chrome tape? I'm thinking I've seen it before, but I don't remember where. Home Depot, perhaps??

 

[Devin]

OReilly's

 

[whiplash15]

The neons dont come apart that way either..

 

[U S Marine]

Mine are not neon, so I/m good there. I have separated them before and cleaned them, but I wasn't aware of the tape at the time. Cool, O'Reilly's is on my way home. Then maybe I can scratch the "dim lights" from my car for sale ad!!

 

[Roadboss]

Jamie had an article on this before. We need to get some steel rule dies made so that we can get the tape preshaped for kits.

 

[U S Marine]

I may be able to do that. Not make the dies, but cut the shapes with pattern cutter. I'll investigate that.

 

[J]

The neons dont come apart that way either..

Mine are not neon, so I/m good there.

LOL!

 

[JGoose]

I tried Googling "standard kitchen silicone gasket maker" but it only came up with a several pages of companies in China looking for agents for their stuff, so I figured I would ask here!

Would that be like a Permatex or Loctite sealant?

Also in the recipe, I noticed that there appears to be a chip out of the headlight assembly in the post separation cooling picture. Was that there to begin with, or was the plastic a bit brittle there?

Thanks!

 

[roadrage2]

Hes probably talking about silicone from a tube you use in a caulk gun like you would find at home depot. Its in the paint department. Im just guessing though. Nice write up.

 

[cadillackman]

I beleive that acetone will work much better on the inside of the lenses than clr. Just a thought.

 

[U S Marine]

I tried Googling "standard kitchen silicone gasket maker" but it only came up with a several pages of companies in China looking for agents for their stuff, so I figured I would ask here!

Would that be like a Permatex or Loctite sealant?


If you got to any parts store, they have, in the sealent section, "Goop" sealer. That's what I use. It bonds and seals in one shot. It's in a "purple-ish" color tube.