"Cleared" My 08-09 Headlights Without Baking. Rice? Yes or No?

So, I have been lazy and scared to bake my lights and remove the amber reflector so I bought "silver reflector tape", cut it in the shape of the side corner and put it over the amber. It lets some light through still so it isnt that bad. What do you guys think? From far away it looks good but up close, you can definitely tell it is just a sticker.

 

My gf said it is a little ricey...should i take it off?

 

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z314/imprezsing04/IMG01359-20110910-1442.jpg

 

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z314/imprezsing04/IMG01360-20110910-1443.jpg

 

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z314/imprezsing04/IMG01369-20110911-1539.jpg

 

Ill get closer pics later but i used this:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-SILVER-3M-REFLECTOR-TAPE-4-SHEETS-4-X-9-/140605350870?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20bcbb63d6

 

Different angles:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z314/imprezsing04/2IMG01379-20110913-0753.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z314/imprezsing04/2IMG01333-20110904-2112.jpg

 

But seems pretty clear everyone thinks its rice. I think I may try and put my headlight tint over it. If it looks bad, im going to smoke my headlights like skers for now until i bake them in the future

Yeah, looks pretty ricey. However, I do love your rims. What are they?

 

-B

Ehh... I wouldn't have used a diamond/prismatic grade reflective material. If I were to go that route, I would go with something like 3M's 5100 or 7100 series white.

Yea, I'd just crack those puppies open and do it right. There's a couple of walkthroughs of how to do it and you might even find someone local willing to help out.

 

Just make sure your seal is good when putting them back together and you will have nothing at all to worry about. It's easy.

 

Are your fog shrouds painted or are those the carbon fiber replacements?

Yeah, looks pretty ricey. However, I do love your rims. What are they?

 

-B

 

They are 17" BBS RK's

 

Ehh... I wouldn't have used a diamond/prismatic grade reflective material. If I were to go that route, I would go with something like 3M's 5100 or 7100 series white.

 

I bought the white as well and it looked even more like a sticker because it wasnt as reflective as you would think. It just looked like white tape over it

 

Yea, I'd just crack those puppies open and do it right. There's a couple of walkthroughs of how to do it and you might even find someone local willing to help out.

 

Just make sure your seal is good when putting them back together and you will have nothing at all to worry about. It's easy.

 

Are your fog shrouds painted or are those the carbon fiber replacements?

 

Yeah, I know there are walk-thrus, I just dont want to take off my bumper and everything. Just thought this would be an "easy" solution. At least, temporarily. But i guess I will most likely take them off until I bake my headlights.

 

My fog shrouds are painted. The passenger side is cracked from when a car kicked up a piece of tire on the highway. So that may be why you might think it is "grayish"/non-uniformly black?

I bought the white as well and it looked even more like a sticker because it wasnt as reflective as you would think. It just looked like white tape over it

 

I probably should've mentioned that those are reflective vinyls. The white looks more like a silver.

Paint looks good. I have that on my list when I get off my lazy ass

Tell your gf to stop trying to hate on your car

 

It's a LGT from my point of view lol.

 

Looks alright though. Better than my effed up scratched self-done headlights. When you bake your lights call me though because I'm also scared lol.

I probably should've mentioned that those are reflective vinyls. The white looks more like a silver.

 

I bought these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-WHITE-SCOTCHLITE-REFLECTIVE-TAPE-6-SHEETS-/150661430122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23141efb6a

 

Unless you are mentioning something else. I also bought these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLACK-3M-SCOTCHLITE-Reflective-Tape-6-SHEETS-3-1-2-x-9-/150659662519?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23140402b7

 

But didnt try them

 

Paint looks good. I have that on my list when I get off my lazy ass

 

Ha, well, my blacked out and reflector removal is on my to-do list now too when i get off my lazy ass. But since the cold weather is coming, itll be spring before i get to it probably lol

 

Tell your gf to stop trying to hate on your car

 

It's a LGT from my point of view lol.

 

Looks alright though. Better than my effed up scratched self-done headlights. When you bake your lights call me though because I'm also scared lol.

 

Haha, Xero, usually girls are more judgemental but if girls think it looks good. Most guys will too.

 

I have a friend who wants to do his 06 wrx. Maybe we will have a baking party...anyone want to volunteer their oven?

They are reflective btw. I dont know, I guess i just prefer them over the amber so bad that i feel it is an improvement but ill probably be removing them

The good thing about what you did is you still have DOT certified reflectors, so you shouldn't get any crap from law enforcement AFAIK

I think it looks fine. Not something I'd do, but doesn't look bad at all as an alternative!

 

You could try using an alternative bulb to hide the orange reflecting on the inside from the bulb itself. Might help to "clear" it up even more.

I agree, it's really not that bad, just change the bulb to a clear one that's amber when it's on and as Doc said you're still DOT cert'd

The good thing about what you did is you still have DOT certified reflectors, so you shouldn't get any crap from law enforcement AFAIK

 

I think it looks fine. Not something I'd do, but doesn't look bad at all as an alternative!

 

You could try using an alternative bulb to hide the orange reflecting on the inside from the bulb itself. Might help to "clear" it up even more.

 

I agree, it's really not that bad, just change the bulb to a clear one that's amber when it's on and as Doc said you're still DOT cert'd

 

As you guys said, yeah, they are DOT. And I bought chrome bulbs for the corners. Just I have to go thru the fender to replace them. Ill do that this weekend if I have time. If they look ok totally cleared, I may leave them.

 

But I did buy tint film so i may just take off the reflector and tint the headlights.

 

But thanks for everyones input. but yeah....19/22 people said it was ricey so i think im gonna tint film it for now and bake it when i have some free time

I don't know about that i would just bake and take it out but to each his own

its ok from a distance...

throwing in my 2 cents here...

 

I wouldn't say it qualifies as rice because you weren't putting something like a GT-R badge on and your goal was a clean, cleared look, but it definitely doesn't qualify as nice either.

 

Most things worth modifying are not the easy things to undertake. Then again, that's what makes a clean car stand apart from the rest. The easy way out almost never looks great and usually moves your car more towards the rice category... Clearing the lights is not terribly difficult, but takes more time and patience than most people have. It's worth doing right. If you don't want to do it right, I'd recommend you simply not do it at all.

 

All that aside though, I think that product would be a great application for the INSIDE of the lens! I always thought the clearing process looked incomplete with a light diffuser of some kind, and this would be a perfect remedy

its ok from a distance...

 

Yeah, it is hardly noticeable from a distance and... at night lol

 

throwing in my 2 cents here...

 

I wouldn't say it qualifies as rice because you weren't putting something like a GT-R badge on and your goal was a clean, cleared look, but it definitely doesn't qualify as nice either.

 

Most things worth modifying are not the easy things to undertake. Then again, that's what makes a clean car stand apart from the rest. The easy way out almost never looks great and usually moves your car more towards the rice category... Clearing the lights is not terribly difficult, but takes more time and patience than most people have. It's worth doing right. If you don't want to do it right, I'd recommend you simply not do it at all.

 

All that aside though, I think that product would be a great application for the INSIDE of the lens! I always thought the clearing process looked incomplete with a light diffuser of some kind, and this would be a perfect remedy

 

Yea I understand what you are saying.

 

Im just scared to mess up the lights or i wont like the way they will turn out and have to bake them again or something. Just a fear of messing something up that is perfectly fine to begin with. But I guess thats the whole concept behind modifying a car lol.

 

I was thinking the same thing of it being inside as well but i dont know about the heat, if it would have any effect. I always thought the removed reflector look makes it look like somethings missing

I think if you were careful and followed others' advice about proper temps, you'll be fine. The people who mess their lights up are the ones who get in a hurry and turn the temp up too high, or put the lights in the oven and proceed to crack open a 6-pack whilst forgetting all about the project. I've seen plenty of people clear lights successfully, but you have to be willing to put in the proper time and effort.

 

Now that I know this product is available, I'm totally going to clear my own lights

(as soon as my house is completed in November and I have a garage)

I definitely cracked a 6 pack clearning my headlights.

 

but you are right, just pay attention and keep your temps low.