i have wanted to do this for quite some time but i would rather get them powder coated. will the plastic withstand the heat?

 

probably not. plastics you have to get them painted not powder coated.
(i think. )

 

In an issue of MC2 a guy powder coated the interior trim. i was hopeing that you could do the same with the headlight.

 

powdercoating usually has to do be done to metals. I havent heard of plastic powdercoating.

 

yah i dont see how the plastic would last in the heat required by powdercoating

 

According to the Powder Coating Institute..

While powder coating started as an alternative to finishing metal products only, the development of powder that can be cured at lower temperatures has allowed powder coating to expand to non-metal surfaces such as ceramics and some wood and plastic applications.

 

do you think the headlight interiors could stand up to it though? They are so thin.....i could see the dash working as it seems to be a bit thicker.....but i could see the headlight parts just melting away.

Good to know though

 

well...that's technology for you.

 

it would by far more time efficient

 

Having them powdercoated would be? How so?

 

well to follow up on the powder coating ....i think the plastic would definately NOT withstand the heat even though they say lower temps are used for curing but yeah i dont think it would be worth while as far as expense and time because you will still need to take all the time to take apart and put back together and you will still need to drive the housings or ship them to the powder coater and wait a week or more im sure plus if you ship or maybe even in a simple transport you may break the housing ...they are extremely flimsy ....seriously i think if you take the proper amount of time to prep the housing then you should for no reason have a job thats under par. plus like i said use a flat color to avoid heat bubbles ..and take an extra measure and use a heat resistant paint ....you will spend the weekend at tops on this mod ( i think ) but if you powder coat then get ready to not drive your mini while the powder coaters will likely take their marry ol time on your lights lol

 

I know what you mean. But in my case my friend powdercoats. so it would be a quick turnaround

 

How do i get friends like that? LOL Seriously i want to do this mod so bad but im scared of messing something up. The Halogen lights dont look that hard its the extra pieces on the Xenons that worry me. The leveler and the washer assembly to be specific. I wish i had someone near me that has done it that could be like an onsite guide.

 

There are powders that cure using UV light now... No heat at all, you can powdercoat a plastic 2 liter soda bottle and not melt it if you want.

 

I think that if you black out your grille Eddie or Joey or whoever you are it would look really good, complete I guess is what I mean!!

And BTW I love your car gnatster, absolutely love it.

 

name is eddie and yup i agree i def am placing an aero grille on my car this week except the black out theme im not sure about anymore ...i like my hood scoop and lights black but i blacked out my side vents and i think i want them chrome again because my rims are black gloss with a chrome lip so i think the black lights and chrom rings and chrom vents handles beltline and gas cap will look nice ...not sure if that makes sense

 

Im having issues w/ getting the lens back on. I have an 03, which used some kind of rubber cement that DOES NOT MELT. I had my housing get softer that the compound that holds the lens on. Now the housing is kinda warped, and doesn't fit right from all the prying. Any suggestions?

EDIT***

It really helps to scrape the old stuff out before putting on the lens again. That solved the issue, though the plastic is still warped, it'll at least fit flush.