My weekend DIY projects...

[undertheradar]

My weekend DIY projects...Now with a quick How-To

Okay....heres the how-to for installing city lights into non-JDM headlights.
You need to get the city light sockets from a late model Prelude. You can get the part # here: www.brokenlimits.com
Actually, use that site for the wiiring info too. I paid 11 bucks a piece from the dealer.
You will need to pull the headlights off the car to do this. I wasn't going to open them up either, but after drilling there was some dust and shavings left behind that I wanted to get out so I baked em and cracked em (for like the tenth time, lol)

On the back of the housing to the right of the main bulb opening, you will see a little indented circle. This is the marking for the socket hole. I think the size is 5/8's but I'm not sure. Drill that hole out to almost the circle marking the hole. You can adjust it later to hold the socket nice and tight. Once the hole in the housing is drilled and the socket will fit tight (there is an o-ring that will make it seal tightly) you need to drill a pilot hole in the back of the reflector. Do this before you take the headlight apart so that you're sure of where the hole needs to go. Once apart, enlarge the hole in the reflector to a tad larger than a 194 bulb. Be careful that you don't chip the chrome finish. Put it all back together and you're done. I ended up wrapping the socket with some electrical tape to make it a little tighter in the hole. If anybody has any questions let me know...I have a bunch more pics that I can email.


Finally got around to finishing these projects. I'm really happy with how they turned out. Take a look and tell me what you think.

My painted headlights got some Prelude city light sockets...

My doorpanel inserts and armrest go re-covered in a black fabric from the craft store:

And yes...I know I need to remove the nasty paint on the door handle surrounds

As a frame of reference..this is my car:

 

[nd4sped]

That was a pretty cool idea on the city lights thing..I would have never though tof that...I also like how you added the black cloth...just the right touch without over doing it..
:

 

[x007den]

very nice work, i like your interior work a lot

 

[RacerAce6]

looks really nice, i love those lights they look really hot!

 

[96greencivic]

good job. I love good DIY's. Where did you get the city lights from?

 

[Liz]

How hard what it to do the interior?? I have thought about doing that. Mine is kinda faded a bit.

 

[undertheradar]

Thanks for the kind words.....

The city light sockets are from a prelude....you can get the part number from this incomplete how-to @ www.brokenlimits.com. Pretty easy to do...just takes a little time.

On the doorpanels and armrests, it's really easy, you just have to get fabric thats easy to stretch and form around the curves so that you wont get creases. Pulling the insert out is easy, you have to remover the plastic rivets that hold it on, and then re-attach it some how. I used quick setting epoxy to do it. Thyen just spray with adhesive spray and start wrapping. I pulled the old fabric off first, but you could go over the old stuff just as easy. The fabric I used is called gabardine...which I bought at Joannes Fabrics.

 

[rey rey]

nice work...

 

[x007den]

how much did the interior work cost you?

 

[Zak8022]

looks great man!

 

[boricuacvc]

the like the work. im tryin to do my door panels but i couldn't figure out how to get the insert out without breaking the plastic things. so u just cut the part out and reattached it wit the epoxy thing? is it hard?

 

[matts2ksi]

Good stuff...I got a quick question. How did you take off and replace your E-Brake?

 

[JDM Juice]

The interior is pimp... I might have to do that for my sedan.

Nice work man!

 

[flipmoderacer02]

good job on the interior...

 

[boricuacvc]

i got vinyl for the interior. do you think the cloth is better?

 

[undertheradar]

i got vinyl for the interior. do you think the cloth is better?

I had originally bought vinyl, but saw no way for it to be shaped without getting creases, so I went with fabric (which I like better now anyways.)

Yes, once you drill or cut off the plastic rivets, it';s really easy. I used epoxy to put it back on, but I know people that tap the holes and use 1/4" screws with washers.

It was really cheap overall....4 bux for the fabric, 4 for the spray adhesive, 3 for the epoxy. Thats it.


My ebrake handle was a b***h...but not really. I replaced the original plastic one with an ugly all blue piece that was the right size, so it just slips on and you tighten the allen screws to hold it. The blue/CF one that is on their now was too small on the inside though, so I had to pull out the entire assembly and shave the underside of the handle down with a grinding wheel to get it on there. Good thing is that it fits like a glove now. It's my ricer mod that I refused to give up. To get the factory handle off, you kinda just have to grab it really tightly and start pulling and twisting at the same time. It should just come right off. I know it's easy for some and hard for others. You could always just cut it off with a hack saw too.

 

[boricuacvc]

I had originally bought vinyl, but saw no way for it to be shaped without getting creases, so I went with fabric (which I like better now anyways.)

Yes, once you drill or cut off the plastic rivets, it';s really easy. I used epoxy to put it back on, but I know people that tap the holes and use 1/4" screws with washers.

It was really cheap overall....4 bux for the fabric, 4 for the spray adhesive, 3 for the epoxy. Thats it.


My ebrake handle was a b***h...but not really. I replaced the original plastic one with an ugly all blue piece that was the right size, so it just slips on and you tighten the allen screws to hold it. The blue/CF one that is on their now was too small on the inside though, so I had to pull out the entire assembly and shave the underside of the handle down with a grinding wheel to get it on there. Good thing is that it fits like a glove now. It's my ricer mod that I refused to give up. To get the factory handle off, you kinda just have to grab it really tightly and start pulling and twisting at the same time. It should just come right off. I know it's easy for some and hard for others. You could always just cut it off with a hack saw too.

can you go to my cardomain page at www.cardomain.com/id/boricuacvc and check if they sell fabric similar to the color if the inside paint. let me know. i know it's ricey, dont hate!

 

[Beelzebubba]

That's pretty cool.

 

[undertheradar]

I'm sure they've got something close to that color...just head over to your local fabric store and pick something you like.

 

[boricuacvc]

thanx bro. i guess i'll check that out. i started workin on the car a while back and i started painting stuff, but i don't know if i should continue or just swap everything back to stock. but instead of the ugly beige s**t, i was gonna set all gray. wat u think?