UNBELIEVABLE STORY!! I made clear front corners!!! MUST READ!!
02-06-2001, 12:27 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 414
Haleluah brothers, and some sisters!!!
I succeded in making the clear corners! It took me 6 straight hours!
Oh boy, it was hard because I didnt' have a jigsaw, but I made it through with a Dremel. It is not super neat because i didn't have a jigsaw and I couldn't find one of those instant plastic super glues, but I can almost guarantee you all that If i have a jigsaw, I can make it 98% like OEM.
It is on my car right now and I must tell you all that it looks SWEEEEET!! especially more since my car is white.
I even made it a double layer, like the clear rears. I have a CLEAR plastick layer on top, and about 1/2 inch below that first layer is the lighting panel.
I spent about $50 on Dremel and other various things.
This was worse than making the clear rears for the 4th gens. because I had no damn jigsaw.
Here's how I did it. (very briefly)
1) I removed the first orange layer with the dremel, which revealed the reflective plastic, which was white to my surprise.
2) I thought it was done since the white part was revelaed, so I put it on the car. But guess what! the orange from the "housing" shows thru the reflective plastic as if it were clear glass.
3) I removed the reflective plastic with the dremel, and all there left was empty orange housing.
4) I painted the housing with white paint, but guess what again?
It will never become white, it will turn pale yellow because the housing itself is so damn orange.
5) so I put white paper inside, and boom, it looked good. Then, I put the lighting panel in, which will become the inside layer.
6) I cut out the clear plastick to the shape, and glued it on top. Beneath the clear glass is the lighting panel, just like the rears.
Note* there is no "hill" anymore. It is impossible to do that at home. So now, it is flush with the bumper, and I think it is better like that.
Dont follow the directions I wrote here and try to do it. These are just a recap , I need to post a few important details along with the pictures.
I AM SO EXHUSTED NOW!! I DIDN'T DO ANY OF MY HOMEWORKS! But my car looks awesome!
Let me say this: Start salivating, cause the clear fronts look SO MUCH better and if you have a jigsaw, it is not that hard to make.
Am I the first to do this? tell me i was the first in the world!!
I wont be back to the board until the end of the day, so I'll answer quesitons then.
I succeded in making the clear corners! It took me 6 straight hours!
Oh boy, it was hard because I didnt' have a jigsaw, but I made it through with a Dremel. It is not super neat because i didn't have a jigsaw and I couldn't find one of those instant plastic super glues, but I can almost guarantee you all that If i have a jigsaw, I can make it 98% like OEM.
It is on my car right now and I must tell you all that it looks SWEEEEET!! especially more since my car is white.
I even made it a double layer, like the clear rears. I have a CLEAR plastick layer on top, and about 1/2 inch below that first layer is the lighting panel.
I spent about $50 on Dremel and other various things.
This was worse than making the clear rears for the 4th gens. because I had no damn jigsaw.
Here's how I did it. (very briefly)
1) I removed the first orange layer with the dremel, which revealed the reflective plastic, which was white to my surprise.
2) I thought it was done since the white part was revelaed, so I put it on the car. But guess what! the orange from the "housing" shows thru the reflective plastic as if it were clear glass.
3) I removed the reflective plastic with the dremel, and all there left was empty orange housing.
4) I painted the housing with white paint, but guess what again?
It will never become white, it will turn pale yellow because the housing itself is so damn orange.
5) so I put white paper inside, and boom, it looked good. Then, I put the lighting panel in, which will become the inside layer.
6) I cut out the clear plastick to the shape, and glued it on top. Beneath the clear glass is the lighting panel, just like the rears.
Note* there is no "hill" anymore. It is impossible to do that at home. So now, it is flush with the bumper, and I think it is better like that.
Dont follow the directions I wrote here and try to do it. These are just a recap , I need to post a few important details along with the pictures.
I AM SO EXHUSTED NOW!! I DIDN'T DO ANY OF MY HOMEWORKS! But my car looks awesome!
Let me say this: Start salivating, cause the clear fronts look SO MUCH better and if you have a jigsaw, it is not that hard to make.
Am I the first to do this? tell me i was the first in the world!!
I wont be back to the board until the end of the day, so I'll answer quesitons then.
02-06-2001, 12:39 AM
#3
Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 115
I have made these about 6 months ago. Here's what I did..
1) I removed the lamps.
2) I broke off most of the orange lense.
3) Carefully remove the reflective lense with a scredriver. It helps to slowly work your way around. Be careful and tike your time with this step. If you messup you can crack the lamp or the reflective lense.
3) Clean the edges with at dremell or sandpaper.
4) Here's the trick to painting the back of the lamp. Use a Silver or chrome paint and paint in thin layers. You will see no hint of orange if you do it this way.
5) After the paint dries glue the reflective lense back on with silicone. Be sure to apply an even amount of silicone around the backside of your lamp if you don't moisture will get in.
6) Put the lamp back in.
Hope this helps.
1) I removed the lamps.
2) I broke off most of the orange lense.
3) Carefully remove the reflective lense with a scredriver. It helps to slowly work your way around. Be careful and tike your time with this step. If you messup you can crack the lamp or the reflective lense.
3) Clean the edges with at dremell or sandpaper.
4) Here's the trick to painting the back of the lamp. Use a Silver or chrome paint and paint in thin layers. You will see no hint of orange if you do it this way.
5) After the paint dries glue the reflective lense back on with silicone. Be sure to apply an even amount of silicone around the backside of your lamp if you don't moisture will get in.
6) Put the lamp back in.
Hope this helps.
02-06-2001, 12:59 AM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 414
Darn, you beat me to it!!
Man, I wanted to be the first 
How in the world did you remove the reflective lens with a screw driver? It was impossible, and I had to break it off with a dremel and a plier.
About using the silver or Chrome paint, THAT IS A GENIUS IDEA!
Why couldn't I have thought of that?
It looks like I took the hard route, but I'm still proud of myself!
I considered this project as a "practice", so I might get the lamps and do it again in a much neater fashion.
How in the world did you remove the reflective lens with a screw driver? It was impossible, and I had to break it off with a dremel and a plier.
About using the silver or Chrome paint, THAT IS A GENIUS IDEA!
Why couldn't I have thought of that?
It looks like I took the hard route, but I'm still proud of myself!
I considered this project as a "practice", so I might get the lamps and do it again in a much neater fashion.
02-06-2001, 03:40 AM
#5
black2kse,
When you seperated the orange lense, it revealed a clear lense. You removed the clear lense, painted, then put the clear lense back, then you installed it? So, the question is, is the clear inner lense on the outside of the vehicle now in a rounded shape?
When you seperated the orange lense, it revealed a clear lense. You removed the clear lense, painted, then put the clear lense back, then you installed it? So, the question is, is the clear inner lense on the outside of the vehicle now in a rounded shape?
02-06-2001, 10:35 PM
#12
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 297
Why the clears?
Forgive my newbie ignorance, but why are the clear lenses preferred? Is it just aesthetics? I keep seeing post about changing over to clears but have not understood the value/point?
My car is a black color, do you think clear looks better than orange for all body colors or only some of them?
Just trying to understand...
My car is a black color, do you think clear looks better than orange for all body colors or only some of them?
Just trying to understand...
02-07-2001, 07:28 AM
#13
Re: Why the clears?
Originally posted by y sleep
Forgive my newbie ignorance, but why are the clear lenses preferred? Is it just aesthetics? I keep seeing post about changing over to clears but have not understood the value/point?
My car is a black color, do you think clear looks better than orange for all body colors or only some of them?
Just trying to understand...
Forgive my newbie ignorance, but why are the clear lenses preferred? Is it just aesthetics? I keep seeing post about changing over to clears but have not understood the value/point?
My car is a black color, do you think clear looks better than orange for all body colors or only some of them?
Just trying to understand...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Finkle
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
13
09-27-2015 09:53 PM
03VQMAX
7th Generation Classifieds (2009-2015)
2
09-25-2015 04:19 PM
wingsfan24
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
1
08-15-2015 07:35 PM
yat70458
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
2
08-03-2015 01:16 PM