orange lense removal

Postby **Okibi** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:09 pm

He means when you pull it apart to paint it, it's another mod you can do to the NB8A headlights.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:49 pm

It is pretty extreme to figure that breaking the amber t/sig lense is the only way to remove it. It will have originally been moulded separately and fixed by usual methods like gluing, mirror welding or on older headlamps- screws. As stated earlier it is a risk to take the headlamp apart as breaking something cannot be ruled out. Plastics often harden with age and the components are not serviced. Nobody seems to have turned their minds on adjusting the bulbholder or aperture to accept the different base config of a replacement bulb. If you do a job it should be robust. I am uncertain whether the amber flash capability will be ideal considering that there is no longer a t/sig lense over the bulb.

Postby **Okibi** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:00 pm

My car has been like this for years, the indicators are just as bright as standard, they are new fangled globes that look silver but flash orange.

There's enough tollerance in the buld holder that you don't need to modify it for the different pins.

Yes you could remove the orange lens if you pulled everything apart and convinced the glue to let go but it was less risk just to snap and remove it through the bulb holder location.

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:36 pm

For the NA peoples out there with their front parkers/indicators...

I hit mine with a heat gun for 10ish minutes, with a little patience they just peeled apart. Two screws then got the orange out. Heat gun again to soften the glue back up and they go back together. Add a pair of those fancy "look chrome, flash orange" globes and you're away.

Before I put them back on the car I hit them with the hose, Huzzah! No leaks. Although, others do suggest putting a bead of silicone around the join again just to make sure, with nothing wrong I didn't bother. I made sure to check the first few times I washed the car and haven't noticed anything so far either.

I think they look better and have lost no function. For $10 and less than an hours work, I'd consider that a win.

Before...

During...

After... (ignore the headlight cover, that was only there briefly for some testing)

I was a little scared that I was going to break them so I did buy a used backup pair off this very forum first. Since mine worked out fine I actually went ahead and cleared the other pair too, figured I could sell them later down the track. Never got around to doing that because I found a better use for them. Although, me ever getting around to said better idea is another story.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:11 am

Anyone noticed that the subject actually switched from headlamps NB to stand alone turn sigs on the NA. On the T/s Jeo showed that the sub lense is screwed in place and can be removed quite easily once the outer clear lense is removed and the job was done properly. The process is therefore reversible. Personal taste but I prefer the original shot also with 2 original eyelids. Clear side reflectors are not legal.

Postby **Okibi** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:06 pm

Yeah the NA's also look better without the orange plastic, I think the difference is more noticeable on the NB8A. :mrgreen:

TieNN89 · Postby **TieNN89** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:08 pm

Mr Morlock wrote: Nobody seems to have turned their minds on adjusting the bulbholder or aperture to accept the different base config of a replacement bulb. If you do a job it should be robust.

If you took notice I do have orange bulbs in mine

and now I have chrome but flashes orange

and absolutely no modification to the bulb socket was made

they do sell bulbs for it

TieNN89 · Postby **TieNN89** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:12 pm

OH and heres the link to the bulb

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/931

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:56 pm

Mr Morlock wrote:Anyone noticed that the subject actually switched from headlamps NB to stand alone turn sigs on the NA. On the T/s Jeo showed that the sub lense is screwed in place and can be removed quite easily once the outer clear lense is removed and the job was done properly. The process is therefore reversible. Personal taste but I prefer the original shot also with 2 original eyelids. Clear side reflectors are not legal.

I thought it was cliose enough to justify switching since we were talking about opening up headlights, wasn't that much of a stretch to jump to the NA parker/indicators was it?

I have been questioned about the clear side reflectors at a RTA road block before, all I said was that they were indicators. Got out to show him and ohh look, they flash orange. I was on my way seconds later.
now look who went off topic... :wink:

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:40 am

Jeo comments about the RTA is interesting- it does show they do checks . The clear reflector mounted on the side is not legal but if it is a side repeater with a bulb which flashes amber then it should be ok. It has been very common practice esp in recent years for manufacturers to use clear repeaters and amber bulbs and amber and clear wedge bulbs have the same base ie interchangeable. However for rear and front lamps the well known 15mm amber and clear bulbs have a different base. Okibi remarked on the headlamp that you can fit either and that is probably because the aperture is somewhat forgiving and the pin heights makes the "foolproofing" not as intended . The bulbs themselves ( all versions) are readily available from local sources such as Burson's Repco Autobarn as they distribute for Osram and Philips- better to buy local and more convenient than support an offshore source who supplies the same bulbs.

Postby **Okibi** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:51 pm

Better yet, buy from a forum sponsor. :mrgreen:

Fuzzlet · Postby **Fuzzlet** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:03 pm

I need to do this mod to the SE. It looks kinda weird with black headlight surround, clear high and low beam reflectors, and then orange indicators

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:35 pm

probably a bit O/t but Okibi is right in that a local business and sponsor should have preference if they offer same product and reasonable pricing. I suppose a UK/ Eu MX5 source may have better buying power but that is a big supposition. The bigger businesses I mentioned presumably would actually buy bulbs better than a small business by virtue of the much larger sales but they may not offer specialist MX5 bits.