What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Just look on YouTube how to take out the headlight and the black headlight mod on the Tacoma website. Me I actually brought a pair off headlights from craigslist for cheap and did those and then changed the ones I had on the truck.

 

I was a little nervous but the write up is great.

 

your reply mad me bust up,

 

Which write up?

 

There was a guy locally that wanted 150 bucks to do this for me. I was like F that get the @#$% out of here. I went to home depot got some spray paint and knocked it out.

 

Edit by mjp2: This tutorial was awesome but the photos disappeared from Photobucket. 478DblSport was kind enough to save and restore the information, so I'm including that post here for reference. Enjoy!
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How To: Black Head Light mod
I made this one because all of the previous ones have NO PICTURES. This is to show a step by step instructional after the headlights are off of the vehicle.

**Disclaimer**

If you can't spray paint, I don't recommend even starting this mod. Please do yourself a favor and have someone with experience to help you out.

Tools:

1. Flat head screw driver
2. Torx bit (#15)
3. Gator Clamps
4. Adjustable pliers

Materials:

• Krylon Fusion rattle can spray paint (color of choice)
• 3M Windo-Weld
• Masking Tape (if masking off reflectors)

Can be picked up at local auto part store:





1. Remove headlights from vehicle:


2. Remove all rubber, plastic, and bulbs:


3. Remove 3 torx screws on the side of headlight:


4. Place oven grill to lowest adjustment.

5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

6. Once it reaches 300 degrees F, turn the oven OFF.

7. Insert headlight facing up on top of a piece of card board so that none of the headlight is touching the metal grill. Time it for 10 mins.

8. Once your timer is up, remove the headlight (be careful, it will be HOT). Start prying the headlight apart with your flat head screw driver where the yellow circle is. As you are prying, unclip the tabs circled in red:


9. Once the headlight has come apart into 2 halves, remove the 2 torx screws:


10. To remove the bezel, hold the lens with your left hand, and with your right hand, hold where the turn signal bulb goes through. Push it to the right, then up.


11. Once the bezel is out, it is time for paint. You can mask off the turn signal reflector and/or the side marker. To remove the turn signal cover, just simply stick a ratchet handle through where the bulb goes in and hit it out (don't tap it out).

Prepping is optional, since I have had no issues using Krylon Fusion. Just give it proper drying time.

Since the bezel has a lot of indentations and crazy angles, you can't just spray it laying down or sitting up the whole time.

What I do is: Spray it sitting up (I used an empty spray paint can). Then put a plastic bag over your hand and arm, then use tape to wrap it tight on your arm. Hold the bezel in the air and spray at all angles possible. Allow proper drying time between coats. To check if you've hit all of the areas, just turn it a bunch of different ways under a light or the sun. The light will show the chrome that's still showing.

12. While the bezel is drying, preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then OFF.

13. Place the gray half of the headlight back in for 10 mins.

14. Once the timer is up, remove the headlight half. Use the flat head screw driver and remove as much of the factory sealant as possible since it will harden very quickly.

15. Once it is all dried, remove all of the masking tape. Place the turn signal cover back in (I tinted mine):


Preburning: After you have painted the bezels, place them back in the oven at 250 for 5 minutes with the oven ON. This will unify your spray paint and make it look nicer and the way it is supposed to look. (this also glosses up overspray).

16. To put the bezel back in, align the bezel's nubs with the lens' hooks, then reverse the force the same way you took it out (left hand pull the lens out, and right hand goes in and together with the lens:


17. Screw the 2 torx screws back in:


18. Place a 1/4" bead of the rubber butyl in the channel of the headlight. To make it smaller, just stretch it:


19. Preheat the oven to 300 again. Then OFF. Place the gray half back in the oven. (This softens the rubber butyl). Time it for 10 mins.

20. Remove the gray half from the oven, and grab the lens with the bezel in it. Start putting the 2 halves together starting from the fender corner. Firmly press the rest of the headlight together. Use the adjustable pliers to squeeze the halves together.

21. Screw the 3 torx screws back in:


22. Use gator clamps to hold the headlight together for curing:


23. Repeat all of the above steps for the other headlight (if you have confidence, do both at the same time to save time).

24. Once it is cured, put all of the rubber, plastic and bulbs back in. And you're done with the black head light mod! Just install the headlights back on the vehicle and plug in all of the harnesses. Pull up to a wall and adjust the headlights, they will be slightly off.

*Viet2100's pic's have been revived and with mjp2's help they'll be restored to the OP.

 

I see what you did there

 

Check out the @RelentlessFab mounts

 

Im almost positive All pro sells the mounts in pairs

 

Another patch, because sometimes it feels good to drop the F-Bomb

 

I had just about convinced myself that I didn't need to do this mod. Now, however, I guess it is back on my list. Thanks for the write-up and pics.

 

Now how do I get my headlights to look brand new again before I start this project?

 

Which mount is that for the gauge? Thinking of getting one for my 11

 

Looks great! Have you considered black Depo tail lights and doing a BHLM? You could even put some orange on black accents on the bezel inside the headlights.

you could also go really crazy and do some orange backlighting in the grille.

 

Correctemundo. I splurged on em and they are beef. Top quality.

 

My buddy helped me detail the hell out of my ruined paint.

 

Yeah I'm going to retro the lights and keep with the black and orange accents in them. Tail lights I haven't thought about.