3SGuide

Ever wonder how people actually “robomod” their 2G headlights? Here’s a guide on how to do just that, with a little bit of southern twang thrown in for good measure.

First, and most importantly, this guide will only work on 1994 model glass headlights (3000GT or Stealth). Lexan/plastic headlights are a huge pain in the butt to work with because the plastic covers themselves are painted, as opposed to a painted insert underneath a clear glass cover found in 94 models. Check my Parts for Sale – 3000GT Glass Headlights section for deals on glass headlights.

Comprehensive supply list:

• 1994 3000GT/Stealth glass headlights
• 1 Phillips screwdriver
• 2 Flathead screwdrivers
• Utility knife
• Plastic sandwich bags to store things
• High-temp spray enamel (I used gloss black, 500*)
• Windex/Foaming glass cleaner/Simple Green
• Kitchen sponge (the green/yellow ones–Scotchbrite)
• Lint-free towels (I used newspaper)
• Latex or Nitrile gloves
• An oven
• Black RTV

Step 1. Cleanin’ and dis-assembly

The first step, before you open the headlights, is to disassemble the brackets, clips, and bulbs connected to the headlights. Use a Phillips screwdriver for the brackets. Turn the bulbs counter-clockwise. This is pretty self-explanatory I think. Set aside all of the hardware in plastic bags so that you don’t lose anything (one for each headlight). Secondly, give them a quick bath. If you don’t, all the cobwebs and dirt will bake in the oven and start smoking and stinking. I used Simple Green and some paper towels to quickly clean everything.

Step 2. Open ‘er up

It’s now time to bake your headlights to soften the epoxy that holds them together. Personally, I pre-heat my oven to 325* and let the headlights bake for about 5-8 minutes. Others have their own temperatures and times. Use some tin foil underneath so that you don’t get the oven dirty and end up with an upset significant other. If you poke at the epoxy that’s hanging off the sides, you can get a good feel for it being ready (it’ll be gooey). Do one headlight at a time so you’re not playing hot-potato with headlights and use oven mitts otherwise you’ll burn yourself.

Once the headlights are out of the oven and onto your work area, start prying at the corners with a flathead screwdriver. This takes some practice and may be nerve-wracking at first, but if you heated the headlights enough, the glue will separate without too much force. A second screwdriver may be handy to “prop” the glass cover up while you work your way around the edges. Be aware that a small chip or two around the edges is not uncommon. We’re dealing with 16+ year old glass here. A utility knife is also useful for cutting some of the epoxy that stretches. Once the headlight is open, tuck as much of the epoxy back into the groove in the plastic housing as possible. Repeat for your second headlight.

Step 3. Tear ‘er down

After you’ve successfully separated the glass cover from the plastic headlight bucket and stored it somewhere safe, the next step will be to remove the painted insert. Be ultra careful here if you plan on keeping the inserts. The insert is held by one screw and 3 clips as shown in the picture below. Start by removing the Phillips-head screw at the top, and put it in your hardware bag. The  clip at the top corner is, for lack of a better word, a plastic “push clamp” that is secured to a screw. Work at it pushing it up vertically (slowly). The two clips at the bottom can be disengaged by sliding the insert straight outwards. The insert will crack if you’re not careful.

You’re now down to the guts of the projector headlight. You’ll see the two projectors (one frosted, one clear), lots of adjustment rods, and the level gauge. Notice how many different colors are going on inside this thing? Yep, that’s why we’re going to paint the inside a single color. To do so, first we need to remove the glass lenses and the trim that holds it in along with the level gauge (two screws, dark colored). The lenses are held in by two phillips screws a piece. Be very careful when removing these. if you drop one it will crack or shatter. Some of the outer-edge may have chipped away on its own after over a decade of use, so don’t be alarmed if you see some glass “crumbs” in the bucket. If you have significant damage, you may need to replace the lens, which is difficult to find on its own. Set those aside in a safe place.

Step 4. Get ‘er prepped

With some luck, you’ve hopefully made it this far without dropping or breaking anything. Now that we’ve got all the fragile glass out of the way, you can relax a bit . Next you’ll want to clean out the plastic housing as much as possible to get it ready for painting. Yes, we’re leaving all the “guts” inside for the painting process–no reason to remove them. Simple green and paper towels work fine. for cleaning Be thorough–there’s no more painted insert to hide the insides of the bucket.

Blow the bucket out with some compressed air if you have a can or compressor, or just blow it out like you did your NES cartridges back in the day. Stuff some paper towels into the holes of the projectors. It’s not a big deal to get paint in there, but if you can avoid it, why not?

Lastly, mask off the edges of the headlight bucket, covering the grooves where the now-hardened epoxy is sitting.

Step 5. Get ‘er painted

With your headlight ready for paint, give it one more inspection to be sure any dirt, dust, cat hair, etc is gone. You dont need to primer or sand anything down because the enamel we’re using is very sticky. Find a nice clean spot to paint (not outside) and lay some newspaper down underneath. Spray your rattle can in nice, thin, and even layers. I did 4 layers for mine because you have to get in at every angle. It’s important not to leave any unpainted spots that are visible through the glass that will be on top of it.

When you’re done with that, let the enamel dry for 1-2 hours. In the meantime, you can work on getting your glass cover and projector lenses in top shape. I wont go too much into that as it’s already been discussed on my website. In short, use lots of Windex and dish soap on the inside along with your sponge (with a green Scotchbrite side) to remove any residue that might exist. Dry with newspaper. Be very thorough with this too. Any imperfections will be magnified as there isnt a backdrop (the insert) for them anymore.

Once the bucket you painted dries, you’re now ready to move on to re-assembly.

Step 6. Get ‘er fixed

Hopefully by now you have the glass elements cleaned and looking their best. Put on some latex gloves, things are about to get wild (not really). You do need the gloves when handling the lenses though, as smudges will form with bare hands.

With your lenses, metal trim rings, screws, and a phillips screwdriver in-hand, it’s time to put the projector lenses back in. Lets start with the “outside lens” (the frosted one). Carefully mount the lens into the trim ring, then guide it into place. While holding the lens with one hand, carefully screw in the metal rings. Do not let go of the glass lens until it’s completely secured with two screws. Repeat for the “inside” lens, the clear one. There’s no need for the screws or clips that held the painted insert to go back in, so you can just put those into the “parts bin.” Do re-install the level gauge now (2 screws). Whew, almost there.

Step 7. Get ‘er done

We’re almost done. As it stands, your headlight bucket is painted and the lenses are re-assembled. All that’s left is to make sure everything is clean and to close up the headlight. Place the glass cover on top to see how it looks, but dont push down just yet. If you’re satisfied, carefully remove the cover once more and apply a thin bead of RTV Black all the way around. This will help seal the headlights better than the original epoxy alone would. It’s a messy process; just make sure the inside of the glass doesnt get any RTV on it (hint: Mineral Spirits gets rid of RTV in no time). The outside can always be cleaned later. Place the glass cover on top once again, but do not press down. Bake the headlight for 5-8 mins at 325*, remove it, then clamp the two halves down as much as possible with your hands. Re-install the metal clips, brackets, bulbs. You’re done, congrats!!!