B18Sleeper

Ok this weekend i am going to start my DIY CTR Headlight project. I hear everyone saying Gunmetal paint. Seen some that used flat black, but my question here is what would look the best and most JDM on a 00 MR si with blacked out window tint, that is lowered and completely stock exterior? and if anyone has good pics of these DIY headlights on MR posted please, cause I have seen real CTR headlight pics on MR and i love those but are they gunmetal color? thanks

waddy41

use gunmetal
i think flat black is too dark

Hondizzle!

The best way to do this and it actually look like a ctr light is to actually use a smoked clear coat. This way you keep the mirror reflectiveness of the original finish and just make it darker. In order to get a darker color... just add more coats.

B18Sleeper

and where can u get smoked clear coats? cause i have never seen that just glossy and flat clear coats. cause on down the road i will get real ctr headlights but right now i dont wanna spend 400 dollars on the real ones. i wanna get my car looking ok then focus on the motor before i go out and get the lip kits and all jdm exterior like type r side molding etc. and ctr headlights. thanks keep them coming and any pics?

B18Sleeper

bump

Hondizzle!

http://www.americanmuscle.com/....html
one of many... google smoked clear coat... smoked paint... etc.

B18Sleeper

that is to actually paint the lense, i would be to scared that would scratch off or something and look horrible. should i just wait a while and get real ctr or paint the chrome housing until i get the real deal?

LeArN2LiVe

Go ahead and try painting them first and if they don't turn out the way you like then get the real deal.

HBP.EH2

use the tamiya smoke paint.

mist it on slowly to control the tint.

B18Sleeper

ok some are saying to spray tint on my lenses the other say just use gunmetal paint and paint my chrome housing....either way in a few more months i will get the real deal. so does anyone have a pic to show the difference between the smoke paint and painting chrome housing? thanks

verycleanhatch

if i were you i would just keep it stock because the 99-01? civics headlights look good to me stock because it doesn't have too much orange. i seen a blue si on here everything was modified except headlights and it looked good.

if you really wanted the smoked look though just wait to buy the ctr's but it would look good stock too.

B18Sleeper

i like the stock headlights too, but with my tinted windows i thought that it would really set off the car with the ctr headlights, which is why i was going to DIY ctr first and then later on replace with real ones. but keep the opinions and help coming thanks

Baggy Spandex

They shouldnt be dark <u>at all</u>. Heres my OEM CTR's.






Like a slight, slight smoked clear is all you should use. The 99-00 may be a little darker, but don't go overboard.

i.e.

ahhsimon

wtf dont listen to them !! u cant just spray the smoke paint on the tint it wont stick because u have to sand it down before paint ! ull get spots of unpainted parts because the smoke doesnt want to stick unless u find one that does .. or unless u can find dark chrome then u spray that or u can even tint the chrome but i do not recommend u spray smoke paint .. or other then that .. just do light gunmetal where it turns out to be black housing at night and gunmetal at day time

soundbomber

honestly dude, i would just leave it stock until you get real ones. that's just my opinion tho, makes the car look cheap

B18Sleeper

thank you at least someone thinks the same as me. if i do this i am painting the chrome housing gunmetal. i aint spraying no tint on, cause i would be redoing that all the time cause of chips and scratches in it. and on top of that thanks for the pics that was posted. is that housing painted gunmetal? and finally should i leave the stock headlights alone until i get real ctr or do it myself?

Briman2021

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18Sleeper &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thank you at least someone thinks the same as me. if i do this i am painting the chrome housing gunmetal. i aint spraying no tint on, cause i would be redoing that all the time cause of chips and scratches in it. and on top of that thanks for the pics that was posted. is that housing painted gunmetal? and finally should i leave the stock headlights alone until i get real ctr or do it myself? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Chips and scratches on the chrome housing? Do you run without a lens on your headlights or something? Just make sure the paint doesn't get messed up during installation, and then it should be fine, because unless something really bad happens, your chrome housings should pretty much be in a sealed environment, protected from the elements.

B18Sleeper

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Briman2021 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Chips and scratches on the chrome housing? Do you run without a lens on your headlights or something? Just make sure the paint doesn't get messed up during installation, and then it should be fine, because unless something really bad happens, your chrome housings should pretty much be in a sealed environment, protected from the elements.</TD></TR></TABLE>

NO NO NO i am talkin about if i use that smoked clear on the lense. no the painted chrome housing

Heretic:Si

don't waste your time painting them, just save up for the real deal. then you have the option to go back to stock if you want.

-dSoc- soccerwuedo5

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ahhsimon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wtf dont listen to them !! u cant just spray the smoke paint on the tint it wont stick because u have to sand it down before paint ! ull get spots of unpainted parts because the smoke doesnt want to stick unless u find one that does .. or unless u can find dark chrome then u spray that or u can even tint the chrome but i do not recommend u spray smoke paint .. or other then that .. just do light gunmetal where it turns out to be black housing at night and gunmetal at day time</TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18Sleeper &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that is to actually paint the lense, i would be to scared that would scratch off or something and look horrible. should i just wait a while and get real ctr or paint the chrome housing until i get the real deal? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have smoked out part of my tails, and there certainly is no sanding NECESSARY to adhere the paint...thought it may yield a smoother finish if the surface is excessively rough.

Secondly, think about what you said B18Sleeper, dont you think the lens of a headlight would receive more chances of scratching and flaking then the inside?
thus if its good enough for the inside, shouldnt it have already proved itself to be good enough for the inside?

I dont have an opinion on the lights, I just have a bit of experience with the tamiya smoke stuff, and i think it looks great and is A LOT cheaper than what you used.




Keep in mind, car has been de-riced since then...but the paint still holds pretty well...shoulda used a clear coat! Oh ya, and this is a year later



--Jake

nathanong87

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by soundbomber &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">honestly dude, i would just leave it stock until you get real ones. that's just my opinion tho, makes the car look cheap</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by soccerwuedo5 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


</TD></TR></TABLE>

point made....

Jakester9500

i smoked my tails and I didn't sand it or anything. I just taped them off and sprayed away. That was like a year ago and it still looks fine, but I would prefer the 99-00 tails over the 96-98 anyday

Nate047

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hondizzle! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The best way to do this and it actually look like a ctr light is to actually use a smoked clear coat. This way you keep the mirror reflectiveness of the original finish and just make it darker. In order to get a darker color... just add more coats. </TD></TR></TABLE>

true... Before you start this process, be aware that to make them look the best, you should paint the reflective seface behind the bulbs as well as the housing. BUT this will effect the beam pattern and make it harder to see/harder for other cars to see YOU... So, yea. its a little give and take.

OR you could just buy real CTRs...

-dSoc- soccerwuedo5

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nathanong87 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
point made....</TD></TR></TABLE>

To each their own, I suppose...I like the look better than stock. Could have been done better/cleaner, but I enjoy it for what it is.

--Jake

B18Sleeper

well those pics of are the taillights, and that smoked look dont look to me at all cause it looks cheap. which is why i wanted to paint the chrome housing. but i guess since so many so either real CTR's or nothing i will just wait