Modding headlight idea, would it be possible and legal?

[eresseraca]

I was looking for some spare parts on ebay and happened to browse past a mk5 headlight, and an idea came up.

Haven't opened a light up myself but from the looks of it, there's kind of a bezel that's chrome facing outwards and that doesn't seem to have much effect on how the bulbs beam is reflected, as it's pointed directly outwards and sits close to the lens. If looking for the outside doesn't distort the view.

So thought it would look nice, a little twist without having too much of a "tuning look" with angel or evil eye lids (not judging, just isn't my kinda thing). But to you guys who have opened headlights up, how fiddly is it. Heatgun enough to crack them open and how risky (leaks in the future etc.)..

Do you think painting the bezel area dark grey/black (as per photoshopped pics attached) would be a legal mod, as it doesn't seem to reflect light or change the beam in any way?

headlight00.jpg

headlight01.jpg

[ned]

As long as you don't paint the silver bit that reflects the light then I can't see it being a problem, its a common mod on the mk7 and my mk6 is black anyway.

Search split headlight club, shows how to open and reseal the lights, OK its mk7 but the same principal I would have thought. N

[Jim Archer]

Patience and a blunt knife gets the lens off the casing.

Jim

[eresseraca]

Thanks guys!

At some point a day or two off, a blunt knife, masking tape, black gloss paint and patience it is then

[ned]

I used a heat gun on my mk6 headlights to soften the plastic and sealant, I might paint my black bits blue to match the van N

[eresseraca]

Yeah I read around a bit today and the heatgun seems to be a popular addition to the toolkit... have to check tough wheter the lenses are glass o plastic. Don't want those to crack or melt from the heat. But at using the gun at lower heat might be safe enough.

When putting them back together, just scrape off all the sealant and use sikaflex or similar to seal them again?

[ned]

Yeah use the heat gun on the low setting untill its soft then prise the lens off a little at a time working around the light, silkoflex is the popular choice on here, I used clear silicon as I will be opening mine up again soon. N

[Rethay]

Just my two cents...

It's nice that you want to do things to your car - but do the things you want to do, and don't limit what you do to what others think looks cool/good/etc.

Black bezels on the headlights (but leave the reflectors silver) is a great mod and changes the look of the car for the better, IMO.

Don't tint the taillights - it's illegal, and potentially dangerous if you tint them too far. If you MUST tint them, limit it to one coat just to take the shine off the clear lens - this way, the indicators and brake and tail lights should still work as normal..

[eresseraca]

Decided not to do it after all... afraid that it'd look too much like a "tuning" mod, in lack of a better term so gonna stay stock...