R32 Headlights Customising

[funkymonkey]

Started doing the headlights today as I was taking off my indicators and front bumper to do the widebody kit measurements and also the custom air intakes in the indicators.

Will post up pics soon.

Idea is to make up custom headlights. I have 2 pairs of headlights, one are the 89 model poverty lights that I bought on here, the other are the late model ones that came with my car (got the GTR ones coz my car was a V Selection II) should be very similar to the Series 2 R32 headlights anyways.

Things to do for:

89 Model headlights...

The headlight was shipped in dodgy packaging so the glass on the RHS one was smashed to bits (cut my hand on it when I opened the packaging). Anyways, after cleaning off all the glass shards on it, I took off all the rubber grommets and clips, took out the bulbs and plugs.

Then i unclipped the 4 metal clips holding the glass onto the headlight.

It was 32 degrees today in the sun, so I put the headlight in the sun to heat up naturally. I did this because I didn't want the glass from cold to hot and shatter (well it was already shattered, but it was practice for the non shattered ones).

I got an oil pan, filled it with boiling water and then dipped the glass side in and left it for 10 mins to heat up. THen using a screw driver I gently pryed the glass of the headlight. It was pretty easy to do since the glass was broken into chunks.

After this i found there was shattered glass in the glue, so while it was hot I quickly cleaned all that out too.

Then I took out the internals, and seperated everything.

Next thing to do:

Undid the headlight on my car and put the shell into it, checked where there was space to do more in, not really much space to do anything because of the aircon hoses etc.

Cut out the back of the headlight. THis should allow me more freedon to do extra shit in it.

Make up cardboard contour cards of the general shape I wanna get, put the replacement bulbs in and get a feel for the reflectors etc.

Block off all the bits I don't want affected, lay clingwrap on the surface then fill the headlight with space invader. Once the space invader has foamed out, carve the general shape I want out of it. Then pull the whole thing out using the cling wrap.

Using the solid block of dried space invader, create a cast by laying fibreglass on it. Once the cast is set, then use the cast to create a gelcoat negative which I'll then paint and put back into the headlight. Then make up the reflectors (either thin aluminium sheets, or chrome paint). Once all that's done, fabricate a cover using fibreglass and heat resistant perspex or glass (depending on what I can source). Then repeat steps for the other headlight.

[pentae]

Sounds cool funky,

Let me get in before everyone else and say I cant wait to see pics

[V8skylineMAN]

i dont understand what you are trying to achieve....are you just putting different type lights behind the stock 32 glass, or what....if you are tryin to do a twin headlight conversion, you can buy them.

[Sinista32]

Hi - Maybe you can help me. I'm looking for twin headlight projector lights like the ones on the "Flybye" in the 2004 Autosalon car of the year mag. I called Autostyle who tell me they make them and will not retail them.

Any suggestions

[funkymonkey]

With my current headlight (the Series 2 GTR ones)...

I took out the left one (and replaced it with the unbroken 89 left headlight... so now I'm driving around with a Series 2 RHD light and a series 1 LHD ligh, looks very odd but shmeh)

Using the same process I took out all the bulbs n clips n screws n grommets n vent hoses. Then left it in the sun to heat up. Then put it in a hot water bath to heat up further. After 10 mins used a thin screwdriver to make a small wedge into the headlight and pull out a corner. after this I used a knife to cut back the black goo a lil, and the back of a teaspoon to wedge it out some more, repeat that again and again, till the whole glass was out of the plastic casing. The trick is not to get too excited when you get a lil bit of movement as the glass can very easily crack.

Here's the disassembled headlight...

This one has a projector lense in it, so I don't intend to customise it to extremes. It has a chrome silver shroud that I'm gonna paint matt black. And then put a Xenon HID conversion kit in. Put it back in the car and test em out. With R32s projectors and Xenon HIDs I read in jap mags that the xenon bulbs tend to form shadows in the beam that they project... like so...

See how the bulbs form shadows...

Some of them have managed to modify the shadow so that it looks like so...

Here's what the HID light looks like on the projector style headlight...

Hopefully I can figure out a way of getting rid of the shadow cast by the bulb (due to internal light reflection). Painting the shroud in black "should" fix it, but we'll see how it goes.

[funkymonkey]

Um, Autostyle are wanks if they don't want to sell to the public

If you're talking about the headlight kit in this thing, I've had one, and its really dodgy, for one its exposed to the elements, and secondly the backing on it is absolutely POS. I got mine from japan from the manufacturers after a lot of begging and pleading. I've posted up pics of it before on the forums. Add to this the fact that if you get really close to it it looks butt ugly due to the metal bracket showing thru and having a very ugly looking contourless 90 degree bend in it. If you're still keen on em, then I've got the moulds for it and it shouldn't be that hard to get someone to make up a batch of em.

Basically I'm trying to get an H4 dual beam (highbeam/lowbeam) Xenon HID, H1 Xenon HID projector, and indicator setup with clear glass front setup on the 89 headlights and a standard Xenon HID only setup on the Series 2 headlights. Both with no bulb shadows and clear front glass. With the Series 2 headlights I might take t to a glass blower, and get them to place the glass in high heat sand and then put it in the kiln to heat it up and get rid of the diffractors. Failing that I'll just use perspex or clear glass that I fabricate using the 89 headlights.

[funkymonkey]

Time for a bit of Mythbusting...

"Autostyle headlights" are NOT what they should be known as... they are in fact Infinty Headlights...

Here is their website: http://www.info-nagano.co.jp/infinity

One of the guys at autostyle just happened to import his car with these on, and suddenly that's what they're called... pfft.

they also do them for S14's

Here's the pair of INFINTY headlights that I bought:

[Nismo_Boy]

As do final konnexion... But they dont sell the lights anymore. Or just wont sell them to me.

Maybe these guys just bought them off Infinty.. Meh who know's.

[funkymonkey]

its not the hardest to clone nor the most complex headlight in the world... if you're a fan of getting your bulbs a bit too close to getting wet in the rain... go nuts.

Anyways, back on topic, I'll post pics of the headlight customising tomorrow sometime.

[cul202]

Funky

Firstly, sounds a good little project. Let me know if you are intersted in trying them in carbon at all (if you dont have access to carbon yourself already that is).

Secondly, I have a early projector on the drivers side & a late projecter on the passenger side. Wanna swap so we have matching sets of lights?

Ben

[funkymonkey]

Um I have 2 pairs of lights, so I have complete sets sorry dude, but I can get you a headlight if you want from a wrecker.

Carbon sounds interesting... I was thinking about it... I can do very very bad CFing using a vaccumn pump and a thick plastic bag do you know someone that can use my moulds to make some CF items? I've never made a mould for CF, is there any special requiremens or is it the same as gelcoat moulds?

[cul202]

buggar about the light...

The main probs with moulding in carbon is getting the woven mat to stick in small areas and tight complex curves. Obviously, with a clear top coat, any parts where the weave pulls or gets a little distant from the mould show up on the surface.

When you've got the moulds set up & ready, take a few good shots of them and I'll run the pics past the CRP mob I know and see what they say.

PM me if you want my email

Ben

.

[someonestolecc]

Hey that sounds like a great project funky. I have no idea why you're doin what you are but I've been thinking of pulling apart the ceffy headlights to give them an angel eye (yes rice I know but original also and with the dual projector lights i don't think it will look too bad!!).

The other idea was to drill a shaft between the two projectors and mount a small orange light there for an indicator (my bar doesnt have any).

Anyways so this gives me a way to open the headlight enclosure without snapping it because I wasn't sure how to take them apart so thanks for that.

Just out of interest if you drop them in hot water after warming them up gently are they watertight at the front? To be it seems obviously yes they are but just to confirm.

How much the HID cost you? Let me know if you figure out the HID retrofit cos the ceffy and r32 projectors look identical.

Thanks.

[ocean]

:slap: they better not be GT-R headlights your chopping.. unless you are planning on doing a set for me

Sounds like a really good idea, but a fair pain in the neck to do. Have you worked out how you are going to seal them up again?

-Patrick

[someonestolecc]

that should be easy shouldnt it? contact adhesive? or that clear poly-filler whatever stuff ("max seal"?)

[funkymonkey]

someonestolecc, the ceffy's headlights are next on my list of things to do, rip em apart, take out the pooncy yellow fogs, paint the backing strip matt black, then do angel eyes on the dual projectors. I'll then rewire the fog lights to an H4 halogen, to use as high beam (and blind the f**k out of everyone in the process).

I'll be doing dual xenon's on them too (providing my old man forks over enough for it) otherwise I'll just go with hi temp halogens.

And yes they are GTR headlights I'm chopping, they came standard with my car.

I'm using a water resistant clear sealant (Selley All Clear) to reseal it.

Don't drop em straight in hotwater as the glass might crack due to the extreme change in temp. And yeah they are watertight. so you put it in the bath and you pour some hot water inside the headlight case.

[Ronin 09]

mmm nice.

/me steals headlights when completed for my GTR/

[MM2death]

Good work funky. I'll keep on eye on this and see how you go.

Scott

[someonestolecc]

Nice funky.

I like my yellow fogs I think I'll keep them - but definately the ceff DOES need HID the headlights are shocking. That's an interesting idea .. double low beams and the foggies turn into the high beam.

Doesn't that mean you need 4 ballasts and 4 HID bulbs? Sounds like over a $1000 for the conversion there :

Are there any where in Japan that do out-of-the-box HID conversions for ceffies? Where are you sourcing your HID from? Last I saw phillips ballasts + globes were like min. $600.

[Ronin 09]

I think all R32 & R33 skyline headlights (except for the Xenon set) are pretty crap... ordinary throw and not bright enough

Might have to invest in some HIDs as they fall in price

PS and those round headlights are damn butt ugly!! Can't they even get the fibreglass surround straight at the bottom, side and top edges?!? :fart: