CORNERS gets a Joey Mod |
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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Posted: March/09/12 at 9:24pm |
I did a Joey mod to CORNERS today. The 2002-2004 Xenon headlamps are basically impossible to take apart without destroying them, so I ordered a set of 2005-06 headlamps. These easily come apart after sticking them in the over for about 10 minutes at 200F. Then paint. I didn't bother sanding. I just used a Krylon Plastic paint as the primer - it is fairly aggressive and slightly melts the chrome. We'll see if it holds up - but this part will have nothing touching it so it should be OK. When I put things back together, some goo got on the inside of one of the clear lenses. I tried to clean it off but things just went downhill. I couldn't get the lens sufficiently polished and the more I tried the worse it got. I gave up and used the lens from one of my original headlamps (which required destroying it). So it's not quite as pristine as the other one. There are a bunch of small rock chips. It will even out over time. It was about as difficult as I imagined. If you don't have a spare headlamp, just be careful putting things back together!!! Here's the pictures! Here's what he looks like when all done: Waiting for the painted parts to dry... He looks like he has two black eyes.... :-) This is what the headlamps look like on the inside I stuck them in the oven at 200F for about 10 minutes to pry them apart and to put them back together. The finished product. New eyes. The bottom light is the high beam and also functions under low power as daytime running lights. Low beam Xenon. Edited by CORNERS - March/09/12 at 10:39pm |
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italianjob
MINI Motorer Joined: May/30/10 Location: Ballard Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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Nice job Kurt!
What u gonna do with the old xenon? I kinda need the passenger side one;) Stefano |
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(Italian Job) '03 MCS Indie Blue SOLD :'(
(Polpetta) 2008 MClubman S Sitting on Sparco Assetto Gara Wheels 2013 GP "I killed the clown and took his car" |
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CINIMIN
MINI Motorer Joined: August/27/05 Location: Everett WA Status: Offline Points: 4676 |
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Nice look. I have a question about painting in cool / cold conditions - Doy you paint indoors, have a heated garage, or just not worry abut it?
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Jack -
<font color=RED>CINIMIN [/COLOR] 2006 CR/W MCS - 6spd - LSD -15% Pulley - Dinan CAI ASA JH6's Koni FSD's 22mm Bar Have you hugged a curve today? |
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shasti212
PSMINI Admin PSMINI Vice President Joined: January/18/11 Location: Lynnwood Status: Offline Points: 878 |
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Love it!!! CORNERS is getting more and more bada$$
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R.I.P.: "Zippy"-Hyper Blue Metallic/White 2005 R50."MINI-ME" plates. Side wing decals.
"Luna" - White Silver 2014 Roadster S. "RDSTER" plates. "Aura" - Space Blue/Silver 2006 Cooper S. |
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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It's going to take me a while to get used to how dark the headlights look now. SMOG: I kept the spray cans indoors until they were room temperature. I closed the big garage door and opened the door to the house and circulated the air for a while, and then painted in the garage. I was real careful to not put down too much paint. The key is to put down a very thin coat first - just barely even enough to cover the work. Wait for that to get a little sticky and then start laying it on a little bit thicker. Let it set up for 30 seconds or 1 minute between passes. The temperature in the garage was probably around 65F. Wife and kids weren't home to complain about the smell, so after painting, I put the painted parts in the powder room with a space heater to get the temperature up to 90F or so, to speed drying. They were dry to the touch in about 3 hours. I would not attempt to paint at temperatures much below 60F and in high humidity. Edited by CORNERS - March/09/12 at 10:43pm |
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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$$ is right. These headlamps were not cheap. I should have got a 2005-2006 MINI.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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Kurt: Looks very good
Painting with the family gone was a good move, otherwise you would have to try and convince your wife that the odor was just a special new MINI incense Those multiple coats thin coats are the hardest thing to do for me. I always seem to get carried away with the paint. Have you tried buffing out the pits in the clear lenses? I took out some scratched in graffiti on a tail light lens. |
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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The pits are fairly deep. I'll need to sand them down and then polish them back up again.
I did polish it a little bit yesterday and it does look a lot better. Note to self: Never use thinner on clear polycarbonate - it causes haze. Use rubbing alcohol or just soap and water instead.
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johnf36
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: August/30/07 Location: Ephrata, Wa. Status: Offline Points: 8612 |
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Kurt you might try one of those head light restore kits, my Dad had good luck with the 3M kit.
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
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Erhan
MINI Motorer Joined: August/07/11 Location: Mill Creek Status: Offline Points: 319 |
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Looks great. Love the red accent.
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2011 R56 S
Wilwood BBK, Konig feather wheels & AD08 tires, Alta FMIC, NM dischrg pipe, BC Racing coilovers, Alta 22mm rear sway & endlinks, Hsport rear cont arms, TSW xbrace, JCW steering wheel |
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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I just used various sandpaper and polishing equipment I have on hand and it cleaned up pretty nicely.
You can't tell from 6ft away.
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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That's "Ford Red" engine paint from O'Reilly's if you're interested. :-) It has a decent gloss by itself, but I shot it with some clear coat to make it more shiny. |
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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I used rubbing compound to get the deep scratches out and then progressively smoother Griot's compounds and finally glass polish.
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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I used 600 grit sandpaper, 1500 grit, and then an orbital polisher with Meguiar heavy cut polish, followed by fine cut polish.
What I can see now are impact craters from rock hits. They are very deep relative to the surface, but the polish did get into many of them and they are not as visible as before.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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I too used an orbital polisher once I got the crude Z pattern removed
from the lens that a person thought they needed to carve into the lens.
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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Genie B
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: May/30/08 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 2153 |
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I Like it!
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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Any oven in my home must serve dual-duty. :-) |
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el chupacabra
MINI Motorer PSMINI Nonmember Joined: January/12/11 Location: Elk Plain Status: Offline Points: 88 |
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Looks tight. You did a good job.
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LoMasRankiao/ Dandole Dura A La Competencia con mi '06 MCS
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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Thanks for all the info Kurt! The bit about solvents & plastics is a good reminder.
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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Wildfamily
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: March/11/06 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4559 |
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So what did the wife think of the oven usage for car parts? LOL Anne was not happy with me when I was rebuilding my brake calipers for the E30 on the kitchen table. LOL
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'15 F55 Cooper Volcanic Orange
'80 Mini English White |
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