[SantasHelper]

I did mine in black and red - pretty much a copy of CubeFX original design - with LED Halos. I left the clear lens off the turn signals when I reassembled the lights - shows off the chrome inside the turn signal housing and give it a unique look.

I sanded those things forever - and still did not get as smooth a finish as CubeFX - I am jealous of his workmanship!

Santa Michael

 

[ClearwaterZiggy]

Yeah, I've been gone a long time... I came back because I just did this mod and I have a tip that is too good to not share. The part that I dreaded most about this project was sanding the chrome from the inside. Yuck.

My solution? I sprayed it with Easy-Off fume free oven cleaner, I set it in the sun for about 10 minutes, and the finish just wiped off with hot water and a sponge. No sanding whatsoever.

 

[jimvw57]

did you have to do anything special after using the easy-off besides hot water, sponge and a real good rinse??
Best looking tip ever!!

 

[ClearwaterZiggy]

did you have to do anything special after using the easy-off besides hot water, sponge and a real good rinse??
Best looking tip ever!!

No other prep at all... The chrome just wipes right off. No sanding or scrubbing at all... Which is great for all of the nooks and crannies.

 

[ClearwaterZiggy]

My biggest regret about this project... I should have tried to dye the plastic instead of painting. I leave that trick up to the next person. (Or my next car.)

 

[Dalgaard]

I'm set to do this mod this summer. I just have one question for you. Do you guys think I should paint my headlights in a glossy or a matte black? Can't really decide what I think look the best.

(My Smart is glossy black.)

- - - - Sorry my english. I'm from Denmark. - - - -

 

[Maxim]

Had somebody still the reflector, i'm looking for this?

 

[dolphinfreindly]

I have both spare reflectors in the garage, one is painted black. Im in Scotland though so post will be huge.

 

[nobznss]

Just a shout out for the help in this thread. That said, I needed new headlights anyway and did the oven cleaner trick. I bought TYC headlights, and to my surprise, the chrome paint was over the top of black housings. Didn't need to paint at all. Instead just buttoned up and put back on the car. Easier than trying to paint them, and probably much more durable.

 

[twcom]

Just a shout out for the help in this thread. That said, I needed new headlights anyway and did the oven cleaner trick. I bought TYC headlights, and to my surprise, the chrome paint was over the top of black housings. Didn't need to paint at all. Instead just buttoned up and put back on the car. Easier than trying to paint them, and probably much more durable.

Fantastic. My TYC lights are about 2 weeks old and the passenger side low beam housing in lose already. I was going to just wedge a stick in it to fix it in place, I ran my last set three years wedged in place lol.. But now your post makes me want to go ahead and take them off as yours look fantastic what was the time frame for the oven spray to work.. Question on the yellow reflector I believe I want to leave mine in if possible and what method did you use to open them. I ordered a set of lens protector film for mine should have it on this weekend but I guess I will wait to do it all at once.

 

[nobznss]

Fantastic. My TYC lights are about 2 weeks old and the passenger side low beam housing in lose already. I was going to just wedge a stick in it to fix it in place, I ran my last set three years wedged in place lol.. But now your post makes me want to go ahead and take them off as yours look fantastic what was the time frame for the oven spray to work.. Question on the yellow reflector I believe I want to leave mine in if possible and what method did you use to open them. I ordered a set of lens protector film for mine should have it on this weekend but I guess I will wait to do it all at once.

I just left the spray on there for about 10 minutes. You can leave the reflector in there, I just wanted to pull mine out.

Set your oven to 200 degrees, put a wet towel under the lights and throw them in there for 10 minutes. Take them out and start prying. If it doesn't work, throw them in there for another 5 until you get them apart. Real easy.

 

[e350coupe]

when I did mine I pre heated oven to 200 and used the wet towel method, then after only 5 minutes I was able to easily separate them with a plastic body tool. The only thing I noticed was that there was a lot of moisture everywhere, which might be a problem when re-assembling them. I really do not want moisture everywhere when assembling them. I am now looking for the specific paint which is on the Brabus lights.

 

[jimvw57]

You don't have to heat them up to put them back together, just use the caulk/sealant

 

[twcom]

Fantastic. My TYC lights are about 2 weeks old and the passenger side low beam housing in lose already. I was going to just wedge a stick in it to fix it in place, I ran my last set three years wedged in place lol.. But now your post makes me want to go ahead and take them off as yours look fantastic what was the time frame for the oven spray to work.. Question on the yellow reflector I believe I want to leave mine in if possible and what method did you use to open them. I ordered a set of lens protector film for mine should have it on this weekend but I guess I will wait to do it all at once.

.....3 years later....... Well I have finally opened one brand new OE Smart Headlight casing.
Just an extremely warm day in the house. I managed to unclip it and pry it open with a plastic pry tool and a box cutter type blade. This is an OE Smart headlight set, not the TYC lights still on the car, so these are white plastic under the silver overlay where as the TYC I believe would be black plastic under the silver overlay. Funny how after 3 years and even after purchasing this new set of headlights 2 months ag, I opened it on impulse tonight while just sitting around and here it is 3 am in the morning, I have no idea what I am actually going to do with the look.

However I did manage to open this one with the orange USA spec reflector undamaged in place. That was paramount because I have actually had a Euro Brabus darkened set of headlights for a few years and have refused to put them on my Smart because they do not have the USA spec orange reflector. So will they be black or more dark grey like the Euro Brabus versions, no chrome, some chrome, any red accents as my Smart is Black with red Accents. Any Halos or additional light strips. I truly have No idea.

⁷y

I do know that I usually start out from the point of lazy where less is best. That would suggest painting them to match the Euro Brabus units, reseal them and install them. So that is the plan anything else will be deemed extra and if done should not be complicated.

 

[twcom]

So with both headlights open without any reflector lense damage, I have decided to go with a color match with the Euro Brabus lights for the chrome inlay. I believe I will leave a chrome ring around the low beam housing though.
Here the Euro Brabus light is on top the opened standard US spec light is displayed open as two pieces.

Opening the headlights was more about patience than effort or time. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, ten being the hardest, it is a 10 if you have little patience. For an individual with patience, It is a 3 your first time and a 2 once you are successful with the first one.

 

[twcom]

Spray painting is another apartment dwellers hurdle to over come. Where to get relatively private outdoor space for the fumes to not burden others. Luckily an out of town road trip to install wheel bearings on the car, gave me the opportunity to take the my opened headlight inlays with me. So on the way home from the successful wheel bearing repair. A Text/Rest stop became the ideal place to paint. The result is a nearly Spot on "US Brabus" headlight.

The Euro Brabus type on top in photo next to the US painted to match. I want to reseal them now before I mess them up. But the color is nearly Spot on but the Euros have a fine almost glitter that I may be able to match with some sort of clear coat with a sheen to it. At that fork in the well enough road, I should choose leave it alone.. but I will mull it over a couple of days while I let the paint full cure. So no harm in looking at a few clear coats in the mean time.

 

[twcom]

Sealed.... Lol. Both Headlights are sealed. I did buy some clear coat spray paint with pearl sheen. It would look pretty close. But in spraying it on a piece scrap it seemed to spray to thick and look prone to run. So I went right up stairs and sealed my US Spec Brabus type clones. The light these will be replacing will be taken apart and I may take a bit more creative risk. But these are done. I opened them, I painted them, I put them back together. That I will call success.

 

[vadsoom]

xxx

 

[twcom]

View attachment 71130

Woke up energized and remembered last headlight install I had the middle Screw on the headlights left out on both sides to make it super easy to remove them. So 45 minutes it was out with the old in with the new and tools put all away.

View attachment 71131