I have been researching for a while now on the boards for different ideas on a DIY for headlights. The most popular seems to be the new "blacked out" trend between Lancer and Evo owners alike. I am going to take this idea to a completely different level. I am going to use a process called "Heat Wrapping" to do a one off custom carbon fiber headlight housing on my Lancer. It is a process that TYC uses to do their carbon fiber tail lights. It uses carbon fiber vinyl (which is very expensive), a torch, some special adhesive materials, and lots of time. Heat wrapping the headlight housing with carbon fiber will take approximately 6 hours per light!!! They still have to be baked t seperate the lens from the housing, then sanded, primed, and then adhesive promoter, then special vinyl heat adhesive, then the heat wrapping itself, then the putting it back together. The only thing is that you can't bake the pieces back together after. A completely new seal has to be made using various types of silicones and windshield "gunk" (which the use to put in windshields and keep them in place). Anyway, enough rambling............. The plan as of now is that tomorrow I will be starting on the first of 2 headlights. By monday morning they should be completed and installed. Pics will be up as soon as they are done. Any suggestions or coments are always welcome........ I am a ham for constructive criticism!

As Always,
~ Nick ~

 

Do you guys think this is a good idea or not? Lemme know what you think either way!

 

aren't you the one that said your lancer was JDM and had 180 horsepower?

 

GOOD IDEA is a projector headlights, not a carbon fiber. OR what about a carbon fiber projector headlights for Lancer??

 

well half of lancelots car is CF so its a good idea for him....but i'd never do it to mine.

go for it bro!

just goto autozone and pick up some RTV silicone for ur sealant, works like a charm bro

 

A company out of Japan called Creative Sports makes projector headlights for the JDM Cedia which should fit our cars with some serious wiring mods.

Rob, I was playin a little practical joke on some of the guys I know around my area that own WRX's and SRT-4's. It was for nothing more than a good laugh! Hahahaha!!! No i know my car has a petty 120 hp and with the bolt ons i might be pushing 135 tops!!! But no, I know what I have and love to show our lancer's potential. We are a minority in the import scene and the more positive attention we get the more respect we will get with our competitors!

Thanks for the suggestion for what to use! I appreciate it!!!

As Always,
~ Nick ~

 

sounds like it could look prety cool. very original if nothing

oh and please tell me your not gonna use that cf "look" stuff, god i hate those. tails w/the fake cf just look so nastay

 

I think that is what he is using is the CF Vinyl, not real CF material and then resin and epoxy....Correct me if I'm wrong but that is what I think he is using

Adam

 

most likely using real CF would make the housing too big to fit the clear plastic lens back over it.. sounds like a fake cf since its vinyl

 

i think he is using cf look vinyl but he also said that it is "very expensive".. so i am kinda confused.. i have cf vinyl graphics on my car but the cf vinyl was pretty cheap... so i dunno what exactly he's talking about..

 

tyc tails arent real cf right?

 

No TYC tails are not real cf. The material I will be using today is made up of three layers. First a cf look vinyl followed by 2 transparent layers with a patter printed on them to simulate the 3D effect real cf has. The 2 top layers look like cf look pattern except where the grey is it will be see through on one layer and on the next the black will be see through on the other. Each of these 2 layers will be placed at different angles so that the patterns, when put together, form a weaved 3D look.

 

What do you guys think about giving my headlights a "JDM" look by adding an amber reflector like the Evo's have on thiers?

It would look similar to this but with a dark housing.


Lemme know cause Ill be starting this project in a few hours.

 

dont do the amber, it will kill the look. as for the headlight project, i say go for it. you would be the first to do it.

 

Another thing that I have been seriously concidering is doing the traditional blacked out housings but then doing just the center blinker housing in carbon fiber and keeping the rest just black.