I got all the stuff I need, big **** sheet of flourescent light cover from Home Depot, just removed 1 tail.... about to put it in the oven since i have no heat gun..... ok, so it's 250 for 15 minutes?????????????


Also, do i need to remove the bulbs from the housing ? can they sustain the heat of the oven???????

thanks!!!! check back i'll have more along the way!!!!.....wish me luck

 

oven?

wake me up when you are done

 

:hammer:



GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!! It's heated I just got it out!!!!!! It fakkin came apart like butter!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!! no cracks!!!!!!!

 

Great, a techique I could have known about months ago. Now I have to live with my crack.

 

I got the orange piece out and the little red reflector out too!!!!!! Cutting out the flourescent light cover now!!!!!! taking pics along the way!!!!!

 

Good luck with the cutting. You're gonna need it.

Miguel

 

DAMN!
youre right!!!!!!!



That **** keeps cracking.... ***!
I'm looking for a glass cutter right now, i think that should work better, forget about scissors or a sharp *** knife... dammit... this is probably the hardest part.....

 

what can i use to cut out the light cover???? everything i put to it makes cracks around the edges.... I'm about to try a dremmel tool.... shietttt...

 

I got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freaking Dremmel tool works like a charm!!!!!!!!!! haahahahahahahahaa!!!!! i'm almost there!!!!!!

 

i almost tried doing them...but too scared...this is like a live coverage of u doing ur tails!! lol

good luck, tell us how it turns out, along with tips!!

 

I'll give you a tip regarding clean up. The glue that holds the assembly together is messy stuff. You can use a nice cleaner/wax such as Meguires or Mothers to clean up any glue which got on your lenses. Works like a charm! Makes them shin up nice, inside and out!

 

I've never done it since I have a 3rd gen, but heard MAC talking about it before and he said get a putty knife (or other flat wide blade) and heat it up on the stove top for a little while and then it will cut through easily and make very straight, precise cuts

congrats on your work so far; sounds like it's gonna turn out nice (for a 4th gen )

 

Damn, i should have thought of that.... I'm about to try it!!!!!! I took a break but I'm getting back to it and I wasted a whole bunch of the flourescent light piece!!!!! i cut out like 4 and they are all not good in size!!!!!!!! what a ****ing pain!!!! it's all crooked and stuff and you can see the edges messed up...... I'm going to heat up a knife right now..... gottdamn... i've been at it for over 2 hours and i'm still on the 1st tail!!!!!!! thanx for the tip Craig, i'm going to cut out 2 covers if it goes ok, i'll keep u guys informed!

 

ok.... i cut out 1!!!! what a ****ing pain... and as i was trying to snap it into place, a little corner of the flourescent light cover snapped off!!!! ****! well, i wasn't about to cut another 1 out so i just crazy glued it back and closed it up..... Now i have a question...

When re-sealing the tails, they don't line up exactly as the tails were heated the 1st time I bet they melted out of their shape a little so how do i seal them back? heat them back up???? i dont have a heat gun.....

 

Are you using a template? If so how did you make it? I made mine using both the amber and red pieces. I then cut the plastic to be a bit too large using the flat dremel cutting bit. Once cut I used a sanding bit to grind the lense down to size. Lastly to minimize the chance of breaking the lense I installed it by placing the ends inside the housing and slowly pushing down in the center until the lense snaps into place. Worked like a champ.

Miguel

 

dammit.... i did the same thing actually... but when i was snapping it back into place... i fukken broke off a small corner of the flourescent light cover....that came out a little fukked up, especially after resealing it, there is moisture build up in that place.... but i did not crack the lens!!!!! i managed to mess up somehow.. it's fixable... i need to re-open the tail again and make another flourescent light cover and replace that 1 with it..... But for now it's ok....

Well..... i think i'm done for today!!!!!! i did 1 tail.... i now have 1 clear and 1 amber tail! Tomorrow i'll probably do the 2nd.... it looks ok, when i put everything back in place the crooked edges of the flourescent light cover aren't that visible.... but the damn moisture sucks ***..... also, i melted the tails pretty bad, and they aren't very straight anymore, and i didn't seal them back well enough, 1 corner is sticking up..... not too bad, i took some pics..... let me upload them now......
I'm definately going to re-do this tailight in the future.....

 

my damn Digi cams batteries died (as always) so I was only upload a few phots..... I got tons more.....

Here is 1 shot, i already put them tailight back onto the car.... Check it out,,, if u can't tell, there is a small screw up on the lower left part of the newly cleared tailight.... a piece of the clear flourescent light cover snapped off and i glued it back into place... but when i put everything back together and heated it... moisture build up inside next to it... as u can see, it's a little foggy and shiet... but it's fixable... plus the top of the light is so melted down it is not even that straight anymore... i couldn't seal it that well so it buldges slightly..... none of these things are very visible unless you are right there a few feet from it... check it out:

 

Told you I should of done it for you. My lenses are priceless. I put an alarm just for the lenses, so no one takes them.

 

i can't afford your lenses man! lol.. if i knew of the hassle... i probably would have held over until i got a job and had some $.. but i decided to try it out, since a big sheet of that light cover cost me maybe 5 bucks? I didn't even use a heat gun because I can't afford 1
Your tails look great, how did u cut the flourescent light cover out to fit? Only thing i'd do different on your car is take out those little red pieces in the corner

 

All you had to say is. VAl I need your help I will pick you up and we will do it together.(Val has all the tools, Val is the man) But Nooooo you didnt. Remember the job I offered you. Did you ever call. Well drive with kia looking light now.

 

I know man. I know.... no excuses.
It doesn't look like a KIA! Let me get to the 2nd one... i'll make it better.. if not, i'll drive around with ugly tails until i can get some used tails elsewhere and mess them up all over again... or just let u do it. We need to discuss your car, i've heard you've done a few things.....

 

dude, don't put it in the oven for that long, put it on 250 for about 2-3 minutes, tops, it'll take little longer getting it out but it won't melt, mine didn't, I just have to paint mine now, I have 'em all clear because they're for my 95 max

 

thanks, i figure 15 minutes is too F-in much. I managed to melt 1 a little bit... tomorrow i'll do the 2nd one, i'll try 7-8 minutes this time...

 

NOOO, that's still too long man, do it for 4-5 tops, otherwise it'll start to melt, if that's not enough you can always put it back in the oven

 

alrite... let's try 4-5 i really don't think that's enough.. but 15 is outrageous.. That is why the lens is a little curved and stuff. It melted so bad that while pulling it off gently i was able to mold it into another shape I might Re-do this tail light today