Blacked Out Headlights

[floydv]

Anyone considering blacking out their headlight surrounds? I'm not talking about putting tint film on the headlight exterior but actually painting the inside surfaces in the headlight unit other than the actual parabolic reflector dish. I think it could look pretty cool on the Elio. I've seen it done before and it doesn't look too difficult, but it would probably take a couple hours and involve removing the headlight units, some disassemblying, baking and spraying.

Perhaps someone with the right photoshop skills can mock up the Elio fascia with blacked out headlights so we can get a better idea of what it would look like?

Update: edited to clarify that I'm not advocating painting the bulb reflector dish but instead the non-dish surfaces in the headlight surround.

 

[Coss]

In a lot of states if that tinting isn't part of the OEM lensing material, they're illegal.
An exception is if the blackout is removable without a lot of work; like you can unsnap them.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

I just want to know why people don't want to see/be seen in the name of vanity?

If I was a cop, tinted lights would be near the top of my reasons to pull people over.

 

[floydv]

I just want to know why people don't want to see/be seen in the name of vanity?

If I was a cop, tinted lights would be near the top of my reasons to pull people over.

Just to be clear, I explicitly said I'm not talking about tinting the headlight so that total light output is reduced. I'm talking about blacked out or color matched internal headlight assembly, which is OEM on an increasing number of new cars like this:

Here's another example of the Mazda 2 straight out of the factory.

So I'm really talking about coloring the headlight surround (aka shroud), not the reflective parabolic dish.

 

[Coss]

Just to be clear, I explicitly said I'm not talking about tinting the headlight so that total light output is reduced. I'm talking about blacked out or color matched internal headlight assembly, which is OEM on an increasing number of new cars like this:

View attachment 7900

Here's another example of the Mazda 2 straight out of the factory.

View attachment 7901

So I'm really talking about coloring the headlight surround (aka shroud), not the reflective parabolic dish.

Right, and you even said it "..... which is OEM....."

In a lot of states if that tinting isn't part of the OEM lensing material, they're illegal.
When you cast the tint into the plastic, you can control it much closer than it you were trying to paint or tint them.
They also have done testing so that the light output isn't affected.

 

[floydv]

Right, and you even said it "..... which is OEM....."

In a lot of states if that tinting isn't part of the OEM lensing material, they're illegal.
When you cast the tint into the plastic, you can control it much closer than it you were trying to paint or tint them.
They also have done testing so that the light output isn't affected.

Did anyone look closely at the P5's headlights? Maybe it's the glare and reflections, but I'd almost swear the P5 already has blacked out headlights when I look at some pics again, especially the last one:

 

[Coss]

I think it's more of a reflection of the black area inside the headlight assembly.
You can see the area I'm talking about more in the 2nd picture than the others.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

"I blackened out my headlights so they don't work."

 

[NSTG8R]

"I blackened out my headlights so they don't work."

Bizarre, but funny.

 

[Cache Man]

I think Floydv is not talking about tinting the lenses or blackening the actual reflectors on the actual lights. I believe he is referring to the areas around the light beams and making the head light area look dark. There is a tint to put on your lenses also...

The link below shows how to "Blackout" you lights and put "halos" on your headlamps. The yellowish ring is the halo LEDs.