Custom Parker Lights

[Lonewolf]

I wanted to share a little mod i'm doing to my spare pair of headlights to give it a different look. I suggest doing it with spares, if you chip the chrome your gonna have to rechrome it which might take a while depending on how busy ur local chrome plater is, and it will also add a lot of expense to this inexpensive project.

What i'm doing is putting in some LED parker lights, and then painting the chromed reflector or if that doesnt work, the headlight glass itself, with some glass paint.

OK, For the LED part, You can use White LED's to stay legal, but me being me, i went for some LEDs that had 3 independant colours (red, green, blue) in it. I got 4 of these, 2 for the headlights and 2 for the fog lights. When using LED's you must put a resistor on otherwise it will literally explode, even if it says a resistor isnt needed, trust me it does. if going with multi coloured LED's like me, you need 3 resistors per LED, 1 for each colour. I'd also suggest a switch to operate them from in the cabin and some empty LED bezels to fasten the LED to the hole in the reflector piece.

After you got all the bits and pieces for this side of it and you've done a test run on the circuit to make sure all the components are right (i let mine run all night, if the resistors get hot after use, try a higher wattage one, i was using 1/4 watt ones with no drama).

Once this is done you can pull ur headlight unit from the car after disconnecting all wiring, remove the bulbs and the bayonet bracket that holds them in, when taking the metal clips that hold the glass to the outer plastic shell, if your careful u can pry them out with a flatblade screwdriver with no damage to glass, plastic or the clip. once the clips are off put the glass, clips and the rubber seal aside. You should be left with the plastic housing and the reflector. wind out the aiming screws till they leave the thread of the reflector, then the reflector should easily pop out from the plasic housing.

With the reflector seperate now, we can install the LED('s), i was using 5mm LED's so a 6mm hole needs to be drilled for the LED holder to fit. To avoid chipping the chrome, drill the hole from the chrome side, and the slower you drill the better, my reflector needs rechroming anyway so it didnt bother me if the chrome chipped. Once the hole is drilled you can put the bezel in and then the LED. I wired the LED up at this point and threw the glass on top to see what that it lit up like i wanted it too, heres the results from a pic of that with the red/blue wires powered.



Total Cost so far - $15.50
4 LED's( $8 ),
12 resistors ( $0.50 )
Switch ($2 )
Wire( $5 )

[redline]

Loving the effect but I think the fedaraly's ( cops ) would hang us out to dry if we tried this in the U.K. (unless it was for show use only ). we can't even use under car neons on the road over here without getting busted

[Tom]

we can't even use under car neons on the road over here without getting busted

Have you tried that mate? LOL

[Duvel78]

we can't even use under car neons on the road over here without getting busted

Have you tried that mate? LOL

Of course he has tried, it's a 340 REDLINE with RED neons, logical! (or pink?) lol

Lonewolf, you project is great but same problem here as in UK, mods like that aren't accepted... You can do that in Australia without any problems?

[Lonewolf]

no, it's illegal for a vehicle to have such lights, while in motion... some cops will say when stationary too, but i dont see any stationary houses getting defected for chrismas lights, so it doesnt bother me. Also the only time their on is twilight, when its too bright for headlights but too dark to have no lights on.