98-00 Explorer Altezzas on the way!

[TheMattDaddy]

very cool.. that's a nifty trick. hafta keep that in mind

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

i tried laminating film on mine, but couldnt get the creases out of it. it looks really good if you just paint the lens itself, ill put up a few pics for you guys

 

[DarkFox1]

nice rytm1, but I can see the problem monochromous is talking about coming up VERY often in this case.. the creases.. I've pretty much decided to put this aside for a few.. got myself a grille guard for christmas and I'm now turning my thoughts to matching taillight guards and driving lights.. what are the laws reguarding the driving lights? I'm looking at piaa 001 solitare blue driving lights.. about 1.5x3" they're small, but I want something I can drive down the road while using..

as soon as I get the guard on.. I'll post pics.. this should be soon

 

[RytM1]

Yeah, it takes some creative cutting, and there are some bubble/waves in a few areas, but once the lens is put back on, you don't notice it. I thought about the paint thing too, but if you don't like it, I think it's a lot of work to "erase".

DarkFox, all states are different. Check with your local police dept., they should be able to give you any info you need on lighting laws in your area.

[Edited by RytM1 on 12-25-2000 at 09:48 PM]

 

[DarkFox1]

Bad news

ok, just got off the phone a few minutes ago with autoaccessory about my LEDS..

I'm sorry to say that APC had some problems with the LEDS and have suspended production for at least 2 months.. my order was canceld.. after this I immediatley hung up and called www.godfathercustoms.com about their "jamstrait" 15 LED red taillight bulbs, only to find that these too are on backorder..

I must find an alternative to APC red bulbs!! they fade too fast!! ARGH!

 

[00XLT]

Sorry to hear that dude, you might try http://shop.sportruck.com and buy a set of their large red silicon bulb covers, worked to some degree for me keeping the bulb color red.

 

[sideswipe]

Hey 00xlt, i suggested that to him also, but it recently found out that they didnt work for me..they melted off... =(
what happened with yours?

 

[DarkFox1]

yea, you did, but then later on you said they sucked.. so I put them out of the question.. I don't know.. www.godfathercustoms.com says they will have some "jamstrait" 15LED red ones in by mid Jan. I might try and order some in a few days from them, at least they'd be the LEDs, don't trust apc on light bulbs anyway.. they're just not that kind of brand to me

ok.. heh, I was jst talking to someone about trying to see how difficult it would be to fabricate my own LED talilights.. the guy called me a ricer.. I guess I'm alittle in shock, but um.. surley not? I hope I'm not just in denial.. I like the mods I've done.. would you consider this sorta thing rice? (or are you even familiar with that term?)

[Edited by DarkFox1 on 12-26-2000 at 08:15 PM]

 

[00XLT]

Last time I looked at your truck darkfox, you didn't have "EXPLORER POWER!" "POWERED BY FORD!" "MUGEN RULES!" or slap on a Type-R under your badging. Very much aware of the ricer scene, Seattle is crawling with them and you definately aren't one of them. Modifying your truck is fine... slapping "sponsor" stickers everywhere (like every civic hatchback is being sponsored by Mugen apparently), claiming to have parts you don't have (Like "NOS Inside", etc.) putting an 8" Hayame muffler on a geo, doing a single wiper blade conversion and having it rest in the middle of the windshield to show it off, etc. that's being a ricer. Wanting to fabricate something for your truck is hardly being a ricer.

My bulb covers worked fine, not sure if I left them on longer if they'd do what happened to sideswipe, mine did look a little brownish like they were starting to go south when I switched my tails though. I wish they made 3157 to 1157 socket converters or something, would help out acquiring bulbs, the industry only recently (as of a year or two ago I think) started making the 3157's in different colors other than red and everyone wants them.

 

[DarkFox1]

thanks, I needed that... I get it a lot unfortunatley.. some people beleive that any modification at all to your vehicle is rice.. I think the name calling is getting alittle out of hand

ya, my bulbs are fading pretty bad, I think it has something to do with where I park and the places I go, cos they always fade in the same location, either that, or they're hot spots on the bulb, I had originally thought about having a lexan shop fabricate me some red lexan cups to go over the bulbs, but when I looked at clearence I realized it would do nothing but melt

I imagine this is what APC was really trying to make when they came up with altezzas, I mean, if you look at them, thats what they are.. a red cup-like thing over the bulb and crystal clear lense with chrome.. its a good look too

needless to say, the guy DID give me the info I wanted.. but made sure I knew he thought I was a ricer first, so it looks like it would be feasible, but, my fabricatoin is limited to cutting french fries from potatos. so I'd better buy some instead

wow, long post

 

[00XLT]

Ok, this is really really REALLY LAME!

Well, I just got home and the top part of my left taillight is fogged up on the inside. I couldn't believe it so I took a cup of water and poured it all along the top, edges, etc. of the taillight but nothing took into the taillight. Did God just find it funny and placed moisture inside or does anyone know what causes this? They aren't cracked or anything, can't figure out what the heck led to this. While I'm at it, anyone know how to fix this and prevent it from happening again?

 

[sideswipe]

I had a problem like this with one of my front clears. What I did was get a tube of silicone sealer fron strauss auto and apply it around the seams, but in a way that it couldnt be seen. Try that.

 

[DarkFox1]

yea, I agree, you might have a very very small leak.. I was afraid of that from APC, they are not what I consider a "quality" company, but they're the only ones that make what I want , ya, I'd do that, try to seal it where it can't be seen.. or maybe even send it back (as much as I hate to say that) but they do have a warranty on things like that...

heh, it happens to the factory taillights too.. its a poor design, ford set themselves up with that when they designed them right below the hatch.. the water comes off the hatch and could pour right into the light.. I saw a '96 eddiebauer at a dealership once.. its tailight was halfway full of water, even the reverse light and half the brake light

 

[RPheezy]

OO XLT selling red and clears

Hey OO XLT, are the red and clears you have the ones in which the top two thirds is clear and the bottom third is red? In other words, from the stock ones to the red and clears, the amber turn lens and the red brake lens are clear and the clear back up lens is red. If so, these are the same ones I have. I was wondering if you had a different set.

Thanks

 

[sideswipe]

yes thats the one he has, and so do I.

 

[00XLT]

Ok, found the leak...

Well, this is pretty ghetto (pardon the lingo), but the reason they are fogging up is because there's some dumb cutout about 2mm x 1mm above the top turn signal mount that isn't covered by the bulb mount at all. I'm gonna do the silicone trick to cover it up, but how do I get all this water out of the taillight? Aye aye aye, am I the only one who can't buy an aftermarket product without having to return it for a properly put together one? First smittybilt, then apc, then ford parts, then lund, now carwear, I swear my rig is cursed!

Oh yeah, my old ones are the same as sideswipes, the top 2/3's are clear and the bottom strip is red. And no, they aren't for sale anymore, sorry, my neighbors dog took a liking to one, so unless you're willing to live with 1 1/2 taillights, I'd look elsewhere hehe.

 

[00XLT]

Answered my own question...

Ever played Snakes or Pacman? That's just what I did with my taillight for about a half hour. I added a tiny bit of water to get a little pool of water going and chased it around inside to pick up all the stray beads and then soaked it up with a towel through the bottom. It's been resting on one of those big industrial fans for the past hour in my garage and is looking good as new. Next step? Electrical tape and silicone! Going to make sure this baby'll be airtight even in the worst monsoon

 

[<<MONOCHROMOUS>>]

rubbing alcohol dissolves water, try sloshing around a little of that in there

 

[DarkFox1]

heh,good work 00xlt, you know the power of electrical tape and zipties cannot be questioned in automotive repairs

hey, your taillight guards are smittybuilt right? what problems did you have? and do those require drilling? the go rhino ones require drilling and I feel like my cars walkin around with a shirt on and no paints w/o the taillight guards.. IE.. incomplete look, but I'm not doing any drilling!! this is not a peice of cheese, its an expensive vehicle

 

[00XLT]

Bob, I'll definately keep that in mind in case this happens again *knock on wood*

The only smittybilt products I've had problems with so far are the brushguard turning a copper color twice and my nerf bars rusting to hell (which I threw out). The taillight guards are smittybilt also, but they're holding up just fine. You do need to drill holes, but honestly it's not that difficult and you don't put your car at risk. Each guard has a plate with three holes that you line up around the (not sure what to call this, work with me) the trunk stalk, you know those cylindrical 2" long things next to the taillight that the trunk latches onto? All it takes are three tiny holes about 5/8" deep. They are supported also by plastic mounts that you stick to your taillights. Mine are currently absent because they're still attached to my other taillights and I'm waiting for more to come in, but really you don't need them. All in all the job is very clean, the guards cover up the holes when you put them on and the trunk also covers that area up. I don't think anyone makes these without having to drill holes. I know some brands have ones you can install with pre-existing holes, but as you've seen, the Explorer's taillights only have two screw mounts at the top of the taillight and there isn't much room to sneak anything under the trunk there and it doesn't provide much support. Trust me, I feel the same way as you about turning my car to swiss cheese, and I was really happy with the way this turned out.