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What did you do to your 5th Gen?

Britta,
Did you post pictures of the clear bra? I have an appointment scheduled for next weekend and I would like to see what it looks like before I drop $750 for the upper and lower on my 16 Ex Sport.
 



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Britta,
Did you post pictures of the clear bra? I have an appointment scheduled for next weekend and I would like to see what it looks like before I drop $750 for the upper and lower on my 16 Ex Sport.

The pic in the post of my black emblem in here is taken after the clear bra got installed. Other than that I don't have any, you can't really tell its on. There are some marks still, but that stuff needs a month to cure and the marks are supposed to vanish. If not I have a 10 year warranty on mine and it will get done again. $750 seems like a very good price, I paid $1450, but have the full front, side fenders, mirrors and door cups covered.
 






I have a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport, black, with tow package.

Today I added a rear cargo Husky liner. It's the model that fits behind/under the 3rd row.

Last week I added a husky mat that fits behind the 2nd row / in front of the 3rd row. I haven't yet decided whether I'll get rubber husky mats for the front and 2nd rows. And since we leave our third row set up most of the time, it's unlikely I'll ever need a full-cargo style in back.

Last month I added a factory roof rack, and a Primus IQ trailer brake controller. Also since I got the vehicle with only one FOB, I purchased a second one last month.

There's really not much more to do! The vehicle is great already. Maybe someday i'll add rear suspension air bags to level out a little better while towing my 3000 pound popup trailer (450 pound tongue weight when loaded).
 






Added racing stripes. During the day, the stripes appear dark satin gray, and sometimes reflect bright sunlight. At night, they are white reflective.

Stripes reacting to ambient light...


Stripes reacting to direct light (flash)....


Used the same material that I used inside of my headlight....
 






What headlights are those? Clean X!!
 






Added racing stripes. During the day, the stripes appear dark satin gray, and sometimes reflect bright sunlight. At night, they are white reflective.

Stripes reacting to ambient light...

Stripes reacting to direct light (flash)....


Used the same material that I used inside of my headlight....

Where did you order them?
 






What headlights are those? Clean X!!

Headlights are OEM. Baked the OEM headlights, removed the amber reflector and painted the interior housing black.

Where did you order them?

It might be 3M tape, but I'm not sure. Bought the material about 8-9 years ago and it was sittin around. A while ago, while modding my headlights, I thought about incorporating the material somewhere in them. Since the amber reflector would be removed, I figured it would help with safety by putting something reflective in the headlight. Then I got super "safety-first" and started putting the tape along parts of the tailgate and all four doors so oncoming traffic can see that they are open. Finally, tinkered some more the other day and made racing stripes out of them. I'm pleased with how it looks, so it's gonna stay.
 






What was the process used in doing the headlights?
Was it easy?

Step-by-step would be helpful if you have the time.

Headlights are OEM. Baked the OEM headlights, removed the amber reflector and painted the interior housing black.



It might be 3M tape, but I'm not sure. Bought the material about 8-9 years ago and it was sittin around. A while ago, while modding my headlights, I thought about incorporating the material somewhere in them. Since the amber reflector would be removed, I figured it would help with safety by putting something reflective in the headlight. Then I got super "safety-first" and started putting the tape along parts of the tailgate and all four doors so oncoming traffic can see that they are open. Finally, tinkered some more the other day and made racing stripes out of them. I'm pleased with how it looks, so it's gonna stay.
 






What was the process used in doing the headlights?
Was it easy?

Step-by-step would be helpful if you have the time.

The steps can vary because people either use an oven or a heat gun. I personally used a heat gun because my headlights wouldn't fit in my oven, and I worried about melting some parts. Heat gun was more manageable, but it added a lot of time to the process.

Baking:
1) Remove the headlight assembly.
2) Remove the bulbs, wires, and other loose items on the assembly.
3) Place the headlight on a sheet in the oven and bake it at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Some have used wood or cardboard to prevent "contact-melting."
4) The permaseal that seals the headlight lens to the back of the headlight assembly will begin to soften and loosen.
5) Somewhere near the bottom of the headlight, or at farthest corner the edge of the headlight, use a flathead screwdriver to pick at the permaseal and pry open the headlight while the permaseal is soft.
6) The headlight lens is made of plastic, so there is some wiggle room. Keep prying and prying until the lens is removed.
7) Keep in mind that baking at the wrong temp or for too long could result in melting the assembly or the lens; warping or damaging the assembly; etc. Oven temps vary by oven so proceed with caution. The headlight cools down relatively soon, so constant re-baking at the same temp but lower time interval might be necessary.

Heat Gun:
Similar to the above, without the oven. Use a heat gun on a low to mid heat setting and aim it along the entire edge of the headlight. The permaseal will begin to soften..... pry and pry, etc.

Once the lens is off, you can unscrew the amber reflector and ponder what you want to do to the interior (ie. paint it black, remove the amber permanently, tint the amber black, paint the chrome trim to something else, add halos, retrofit HID projectors, and so on).

IMG_1236.jpg


Referencing the photo, the headlight lens is at the top left. In the middle, to the right, is the amber reflector housing and reflector itself. The amber reflector is screwed to the reflector housing. The reflector housing is screwed to the final piece at the bottom, left--the headlight assembly base. The base has the headlight projector mounted to it, as well as the chrome signal and side marker reflector.
 






Thank you for the step-by-step it is very helpful.:thumbsup:

How did you reseal the lens?


The steps can vary because people either use an oven or a heat gun. I personally used a heat gun because my headlights wouldn't fit in my oven, and I worried about melting some parts. Heat gun was more manageable, but it added a lot of time to the process.

Baking:
1) Remove the headlight assembly.
2) Remove the bulbs, wires, and other loose items on the assembly.
3) Place the headlight on a sheet in the oven and bake it at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Some have used wood or cardboard to prevent "contact-melting."
4) The permaseal that seals the headlight lens to the back of the headlight assembly will begin to soften and loosen.
5) Somewhere near the bottom of the headlight, or at farthest corner the edge of the headlight, use a flathead screwdriver to pick at the permaseal and pry open the headlight while the permaseal is soft.
6) The headlight lens is made of plastic, so there is some wiggle room. Keep prying and prying until the lens is removed.
7) Keep in mind that baking at the wrong temp or for too long could result in melting the assembly or the lens; warping or damaging the assembly; etc. Oven temps vary by oven so proceed with caution. The headlight cools down relatively soon, so constant re-baking at the same temp but lower time interval might be necessary.

Heat Gun:
Similar to the above, without the oven. Use a heat gun on a low to mid heat setting and aim it along the entire edge of the headlight. The permaseal will begin to soften..... pry and pry, etc.

Once the lens is off, you can unscrew the amber reflector and ponder what you want to do to the interior (ie. paint it black, remove the amber permanently, tint the amber black, paint the chrome trim to something else, add halos, retrofit HID projectors, and so on).

IMG_1236.jpg


Referencing the photo, the headlight lens is at the top left. In the middle, to the right, is the amber reflector housing and reflector itself. The amber reflector is screwed to the reflector housing. The reflector housing is screwed to the final piece at the bottom, left--the headlight assembly base. The base has the headlight projector mounted to it, as well as the chrome signal and side marker reflector.
 






Resealed it with OCI Butyl Rubber Glue. It comes in a coiled cord that is sandwiched between the lens and assemby. You have to rebake the whole thing so the glue softens. Then remove and squeeze or clamp the pieces together while the glue "dries" (cools and hardens). The upside is if you ever have to disassemble it again, the prying is a bit easier because the OCI Butyl is much easier to work with. Permaseal, on the other hand, came straight from satan's butthole.
 






Just got factory nav for my mft sustem that didn't come with it from factory. So much better than using my cell phone for GPS! It was fairly easy to install. Took me less than 20 minutes including the time I kept dropping bolts and screws and had to try and find them.

I got it from fordpimods
hit up jmr061 if you're trying to grab the factory nav. He provides really good customer service. I ask him a crap ton of questions and he was so patient lol.

8CBAA522-0CF5-4F96-9E37-57185A88DA1E_zpsddvkfxpd.jpg


19E6B22E-3BC2-49E6-AFB1-C345CBFAB201_zpsprdivcji.jpg
 






Headlights are OEM. Baked the OEM headlights, removed the amber reflector and painted the interior housing black.



It might be 3M tape, but I'm not sure. Bought the material about 8-9 years ago and it was sittin around. A while ago, while modding my headlights, I thought about incorporating the material somewhere in them. Since the amber reflector would be removed, I figured it would help with safety by putting something reflective in the headlight. Then I got super "safety-first" and started putting the tape along parts of the tailgate and all four doors so oncoming traffic can see that they are open. Finally, tinkered some more the other day and made racing stripes out of them. I'm pleased with how it looks, so it's gonna stay.

Beleive is clear 3M reflective tape, question: where did you purchae or ordered the tape? Width?

BM
 
























Haha, nothing happened. It's a car I'm putting together for SEMA so it's apart so it can be painted a new color.

Wow, taking a closer look I can see all the parts lying around, but seriously, first glance looked more like after an accident :D
 






Wow, taking a closer look I can see all the parts lying around, but seriously, first glance looked more like after an accident :D

It's definitely a little scary seeing it like that, especially less than 100 miles after it came off the truck.
 






Beleive is clear 3M reflective tape, question: where did you purchae or ordered the tape? Width?

BM

I bought it from an old safety supply warehouse a few blocks away from home, but they are no longer in business. It could be 3M brand, but looking at most of the 3M products currently out, the 3M logo is printed repeatedly on the inside of their rolls--mine has no logos or brand, so I'm not certain what brand mine is.

The roll appears to be 100ft, and the width is 4 inches. The tape itself is not clear; it is dark gray and has a satin/matte finish to it. It also has an application tape material/film on top that is supposed to be removed after applying the tape. It is very reflective and responsive to light during the day and night.

I decided to use it since I've applied it to several marine vehicles and other safety applications 8-10 years ago, and the tape has withstood the elements of heat, cold, and moisture and looks like I applied it yesterday. And removal is no problem with a little bit of heat from a heat gun and goo gone.

Other safety applications with the tape:
 



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