Interior/Exterior Interior and exterior modifications for Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.

Interior/Exterior black-out chrome in rear lights

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 01-04-2006, 06:22 AM
findude's Avatar
findude
findude is offline
4th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Virginia (near DC)
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
black-out chrome in rear lights

Are the taillights extruded plastic that cannot be taken apart, or is it possible to dissassemble them? I'd love to black out the chrome-colored surround that is under the lens. Anyone ever take one of these apart? Any ideas?
Thanks.
 
  #2  
Old 01-04-2006, 08:34 AM
MCDriver's Avatar
MCDriver
MCDriver is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Dallas
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ditto
 
  #3  
Old 01-04-2006, 12:19 PM
Battle Cattle's Avatar
Battle Cattle
Battle Cattle is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just bought a set and will be trying to take them apart!!
 
  #4  
Old 01-04-2006, 12:36 PM
findude's Avatar
findude
findude is offline
4th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Virginia (near DC)
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great! Let us know how it goes.
 
  #5  
Old 01-04-2006, 12:57 PM
J0kER's Avatar
J0kER
J0kER is offline
6th Gear
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: EastSide .: =0)
Posts: 2,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
same here, lmk too.........

i have a spare set meself but since i have had a hard time gettin' a real good seal on other car lamps b4 im hesitatin'
Originally Posted by Battle Cattle
Just bought a set and will be trying to take them apart!!
 
  #6  
Old 01-04-2006, 01:01 PM
Rally@StanceDesign's Avatar
Rally@StanceDesign
Rally@StanceDesign is offline
Former Vendor
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: oh10
Posts: 8,337
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
someone already did this and posted info about doing it.....do a search it was quite a while ago
 
  #7  
Old 01-04-2006, 03:14 PM
not-so-rednwhitecooper's Avatar
not-so-rednwhitecooper
not-so-rednwhitecooper is offline
6th Gear
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Chardon, Ohio
Posts: 5,883
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
I'm still workin on a set of mine that i broke.

Still trying to get them open without using the oven...
 
  #8  
Old 01-04-2006, 04:43 PM
Vinyl Styles's Avatar
Vinyl Styles
Vinyl Styles is offline
Banned
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: 650 NorCal
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I got rid of the chrome in my tail lights, but I didn't paint it. I just used a ruby red vinyl

 
  #9  
Old 01-04-2006, 06:00 PM
J0kER's Avatar
J0kER
J0kER is offline
6th Gear
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: EastSide .: =0)
Posts: 2,546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
whos vinyl did u use??

..
Originally Posted by Lagston
I got rid of the chrome in my tail lights, but I didn't paint it. I just used a ruby red vinyl
 
  #10  
Old 01-04-2006, 06:26 PM
Vinyl Styles's Avatar
Vinyl Styles
Vinyl Styles is offline
Banned
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: 650 NorCal
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I used Oracal 8300 Transparent cal red
 
  #11  
Old 01-04-2006, 06:32 PM
Rally@StanceDesign's Avatar
Rally@StanceDesign
Rally@StanceDesign is offline
Former Vendor
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: oh10
Posts: 8,337
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by not-so-rednwhitecooper
I'm still workin on a set of mine that i broke.

Still trying to get them open without using the oven...
you still keeping one of those for me to toy with?
 
  #12  
Old 01-04-2006, 10:22 PM
not-so-rednwhitecooper's Avatar
not-so-rednwhitecooper
not-so-rednwhitecooper is offline
6th Gear
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Chardon, Ohio
Posts: 5,883
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by RallyMINI
you still keeping one of those for me to toy with?
Yeah, you can have one if you want, i'm not doing anything with them.
 
  #13  
Old 01-04-2006, 10:39 PM
Battle Cattle's Avatar
Battle Cattle
Battle Cattle is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Lagston
I used Oracal 8300 Transparent cal red
where do you get this stuff?
 
  #14  
Old 01-05-2006, 04:46 PM
Vinyl Styles's Avatar
Vinyl Styles
Vinyl Styles is offline
Banned
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: 650 NorCal
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Battle Cattle
where do you get this stuff?
I found it on ebay, but it was a smaller size made for the RSX tail lights. I contacted him and he was able to cut me a bigger size. Shoot me a PM and I'll try to find his e-mail address
 
  #15  
Old 01-05-2006, 05:25 PM
Passat774's Avatar
Passat774
Passat774 is offline
5th Gear
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia
Posts: 1,010
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think if we could just source some "ruby red vinyl" from a local sign shop that may be the ticket !!
 
  #16  
Old 01-05-2006, 05:51 PM
amorican's Avatar
amorican
amorican is offline
4th Gear
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greater Chicagoland
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I too HATE the chrome in my tail lights. Black Tie has shed so much of his chrome, and more I get rid of, the more I cannot stand the chrome that is left. Ideally I would love to use some of the 3m vinyl I used on the beltline and have a black strip replacing the chrome.
I too would appreciate tips and ideas regarding the exposure of that interior chrome piece for modification.
TJM
 
  #17  
Old 01-05-2006, 10:34 PM
MCuS's Avatar
MCuS
MCuS is offline
1st Gear
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: So Cal
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I did it!

I did it when summer started and still have not finished.. I kinda got lazy and my ideas kept changing. I'm actually working on a full LED tail/brake and signal setup for my 05 tails. I currently have 04 and earlier tails on and I'm working on the same year tails and converting to all full LED's with painted chrome surrounding to black I'll post pics tomorrow morning. I gotta study right now.

,MCuS
 
  #18  
Old 01-05-2006, 11:06 PM
Rally@StanceDesign's Avatar
Rally@StanceDesign
Rally@StanceDesign is offline
Former Vendor
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: oh10
Posts: 8,337
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by Passat774
I think if we could just source some "ruby red vinyl" from a local sign shop that may be the ticket !!
It would have to be translucent obviously
 
  #19  
Old 01-06-2006, 09:47 AM
Passat774's Avatar
Passat774
Passat774 is offline
5th Gear
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia
Posts: 1,010
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Please google the following and it will shed some light on the situation

Oracal 8300 Transparent cal red

Read the other forums and decide if it's something you want to do...
 
  #20  
Old 01-06-2006, 10:01 AM
MCuS's Avatar
MCuS
MCuS is offline
1st Gear
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: So Cal
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here they are..

I even cut out the amber lens to see how they looked.. the poor mans version of the clear lens. I used a dremel w/ a cutting disk and carefully cut in between the outer lens and the black plastic housing.

You can pull the red lens out (harder) or mask the red lens and sand down teh chrome and then paint (don't forget to mask the holes on the back of the lights! some paint can get onto the reflector and get you a big headache.)

Let dry and put the clear outer lens on and epoxy it back together. Apply a little epoxy at a time you don't want it to drip into the housing and ruin everything.

(Note: NO forcing it on it will sit on the back housing with a gap because you already cut that portion off).

MCuS
 
Attached Thumbnails black-out chrome in rear lights-04-mcs-tails-dechromed-010.jpg   black-out chrome in rear lights-04-mcs-tails-dechromed-011.jpg  
  #21  
Old 01-06-2006, 10:04 AM
MCuS's Avatar
MCuS
MCuS is offline
1st Gear
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: So Cal
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by not-so-rednwhitecooper
I'm still workin on a set of mine that i broke.

Still trying to get them open without using the oven...
Using an oven won't work. I already tried it. The stuff keeping the outer lens on doesn't separate by heat (like the honda stuff). Its almost like epoxy.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
igzekyativ
MINIs & Minis for Sale
34
07-16-2020 12:54 PM
minimofo
Factory JCW Talk (2009+)
130
10-14-2016 06:14 AM
igzekyativ
MINIs & Minis for Sale
28
12-23-2015 10:36 AM
Powershift
MINIs & Minis for Sale
1
08-16-2015 05:14 PM
ECSTuning
Vendor Announcements
0
08-07-2015 08:02 AM



Quick Reply: Interior/Exterior black-out chrome in rear lights



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:27 PM.