Headlight modification - blackout / black eye amber removal

Headlight black out freelander 1

This will do two things: make your early (-2000) hippo look a lot newer by removing the orange filters in the headlights and also give a meaner look to the front end....

Start by removing the headlights:- remove the screws along the top edge of the bumper and grille, remove the two 10 mm bolts from the top of the headlight. Pull the tip of the bumper out and slide your hand in, loosen the 10 mm nut on the bottom of the headlight but don't remove it totally, ease the headlight forward, unplug the wiring and remove the indicator bulb holder.

Now you have two options, usually depending on if the missus is at home or not! Either place a headlight in the oven at about 100c for 4-5 mins or use a heat gun around the edge of the headlight. The oven is a lot easier!

You need to ease the clips around the edge of the lens and lever/pull/seperate the lens from the headlight body, I start at the bottom with a wide screwdriver and a very stiff plastic trim tool. A knife also come in handy for the glue that does a cheese string impression. Eventually you will end up with something like this:



Seperate the lens from the surround and place to one side.



Now you need to prep the chrome section, thoroughly sand the chrome to give the paint a key, and then clean up the surface as you normally would before painting,

Plastic prime...



Allow to dry. Then top coat.



When dry pop out the orange filter:



Put chrome and black section back into headlight. Pop back and lens into oven for another couple of minutes. Then reassemble. Repeat for other side!



Once complete refit to front of your freelander. Stand back and admire!!



:tea:
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Looks good mate, nice job.

Looks good! I brought some 2001-2003 headlights instead but yours look a lot better. Hope you remembered the orange bulbs!

And are your side bars polished now???

Looks good mate

Kizzeh said:

And are your side bars polished now???

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Not polished them started non slip painting the tops of them so that little people can use them as steps. Gonna paint matte or satin over the top when I have finished non slipping them.

Looking at the 2000 on headlights they appear to have less silver paint on the inside of the clear plastic. So this mod would look even better on the later headlights.

Who is up for giving it a go?

ZDomZ said:

Looking at the 2000 on headlights they appear to have less silver paint on the inside of the clear plastic. So this mod would look even better on the later headlights.

When are you trying it Kizzeh?

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After i have done my headgasket and I have half an hour free time.

I have a spare headlight I could test on?

Cool look forward to seeing it.

You missed a trick there you could have angel eyed/audi styled them at the same time..

Yeah but I had paint and time...... This didn't cost me anything and I ain't sure I like the DRLs like the audis have and angel eyes wouldn't look right with this shape light....

Those strips ya can get would be long enougj to do a sq/oblong angel eye going fully around the inside I think that would look ok I might have a pop at sone point..

Go for it it is easy to get the hl apart.