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BlueRibbon4x4 inspired MGM Retrofit Headlights

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by tinman10101, Jan 18, 2020.

  1. Jan 18, 2020 at 7:41 AM
    #1
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    So I started this awhile ago, Oct 2019, but I thought I should document the progress just to have a record. ( I DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK @BlueRibbon4x4 for all the knowledge he has so graciously passed on from his experience. I would have never taken the plunge without his help. We are truly blessed to have such a great Tundra Forum Community. )

    Backstory: I met up with Geno last year after seeing his sick retrofit of the Barcelona Red Headlights he did. Coincidentally it turns out he lives over in the next city over and I drove out to go check them out and get a few pointers. Since then, I have of course, asked for his help as I slowly trudge forward (have two kids to myself every weekend while wife works) with the retrofit of my MGM headlights. I can say that splitting the headlights open has been the hardest.

    Of course like all retrofits, I knew I wanted to get rid of all the chrome and color match the inside trim with MGM color matched bezels. I also wanted demon eyes with laser etch to accentuate the projector glass and since my original headlights did not have the DRL strip, I wanted to include a switchback sequential lower DRL strip.

    So I took the plunge and placed the headlights in the oven. There are 6 torque screws that need to be removed from the rear of the assembly as well as one steel ubolt clip. So into the oven on wooden 2x4 blocks at 230F for 20 mins. There has been extensive write-ups about tearing the headlights apart so I won't go into detail and as always, I recommend shooting a pic of any section before you start tearing them apart as a photo reference. I did need to reheat them multiple times because I was a newbie and very slow at taking them apart. I definitely suggest gloves as well because after an extended time, your fingers will feel numb and the heat does not make it any better. You will be able to tear all components apart except for this main housing. I am sure you can somehow but masking for paint just seemed so much easier.

    upload_2020-1-18_7-22-41.jpg

    I did purchase this tool 9" angle tip option which has been invaluable for me when I opened them up. LINK

    upload_2020-1-18_7-24-36.jpg

    upload_2020-1-18_7-25-53.jpg

    Prying the front and rear housing apart is just something you have to do slowly. The tool above was great for separating the pieces slowly and after the final removal, with again the advice of Geno, I placed the two glass front assemblies in a large tumperware container with a lid and never to access them till reseal. To this day, I am not done and have not accessed them. Getting dust on the inside of the glass or any scrapes is the biggest PIA I've read and will basically destroy all the work of your retrofit because it will ultimately affect the appearance of the headlights.

    The Permaseal: All I can say is if you are patient, you can slowly tug on it while you strategically pry with a small flathead screwdriver so it will cleanly separate from the housing. The permaseal breaks very easily when tugged with excessive force as you can see below:

    upload_2020-1-18_7-36-28.jpg

    but you can see that if you are slow and patient, it separates cleanly. Below is a pic of the second headlight permaseal removal with the cleanest and most patience applied. FYI ... this probably took me over 1.5 hours with a rebake of probably 4-5x but it resulted in the most clean removal.

    upload_2020-1-18_7-38-42.jpgupload_2020-1-18_7-39-7.jpg

    You can see how clean the permaseal channels are and I guess any retrofit person can appreciate this pic and you will realize why they companies charge so much for retrofits. Labor alone is insane for this process.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
    Cfincke likes this.
  2. Jan 18, 2020 at 7:49 AM
    #2
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    Looks great! I've done a retrofit on my commuter car, opening them up is definitely a pain.

    What kinda hardware are you gonna put in them?
     
    tinman10101[OP] likes this.
  3. Jan 18, 2020 at 8:05 AM
    #3
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    I recommend if anyone has a set laying around, to just take the plunge. It is fun and a lot can be learned and especially appreciated as I have experienced. I do need to say that researching the parts and the cost is something that takes a lot of time as well. It's not a cheap project but at the end of the day, you can say you did it yourself, right? LOL. Our 2016 Headlights have the H4 bulbs so luckily there are many companies that offer the drop in H4 adaptor for the projector. As for parts, the following is the initial list of items I purchased. I am not going to talk about brands or vendors because at the end of the day, you get what you paid for and I can see this thread getting locked down from people voicing their opinions on quality vs price vs brands vs vendors. BLAH BLAH BLAH!

    So here is my initial shopping list back in Oct 2019:

    mgm1.jpg
    Laser Etched H4 retrofit projector 2.5"

    upload_2020-1-18_8-0-47.jpg
    Switchback Panamera Shrouds (will be painted MGM)

    upload_2020-1-18_8-1-23.jpg
    Switchback sequential flexible DRL strip

    upload_2020-1-18_8-1-49.jpg
    Wire harness of course

    upload_2020-1-18_8-2-9.jpg
    2.5" to 3" adapter rings for Panamera Shrouds for Projectors


    upload_2020-1-18_8-3-29.jpg
    Amber Demon Eyes

    PLEASE NOTE: I didn't want to invest too much because this was only a fun project more to learn and never to brag so this thread is exactly that. I am no expert and do not claim to be but just want to pass on what I have learned along the way from Geno and then applying my own experiences.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
    BlueRibbon4x4 likes this.
  4. Jan 18, 2020 at 8:09 AM
    #4
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    Thanks. It's just a fun learning project and I give you much props for taking the plunge as well. I posted an initial list above but the list has definitely changed through time by trial and error as I update. It is 4 months now and I am still not done because I only work on them about every 2-3 weeks because of family and my wife is annoyed with anything Tundra related.
     
  5. Jan 18, 2020 at 8:14 AM
    #5
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    Like an idiot, I spent so much time sanding down the chrome to make sure paint would adhere and cure correctly, Trying to get in every nook and cranny. I say I'm an idiot because I found out this was entirely necessary but I am just documenting my experiences. Sanded with 500 grit sandpaper and then de-greased with denatured alcohol in a spray bottle.

    upload_2020-1-18_8-14-14.jpg
     
    BrandonL812 likes this.
  6. Jan 18, 2020 at 10:18 AM
    #6
    BlueRibbon4x4

    BlueRibbon4x4 Let’s color match it

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    Killer! Almost there, Tin! Put that shit together and get ‘em on your truck! Looks like you’ve been pretty meticulous. They look great.
     
    tinman10101[OP] likes this.
  7. Jan 18, 2020 at 5:41 PM
    #7
    BrandonL812

    BrandonL812 New Member

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    Rx350 retrofitted, Morimoto Led fogs. interior and exterior leds swap. TRD drop in filter. Carbon filter delete. Led DRL panels. TRD Shift knob.
    Tedious but wnd result will rock. I need to redo my wife's rav4 retrofit i did back in the Fall. Ine side is not level. Need to open it up again, that's the sucky part. It would be easy retro if it had h4 base bulb, nooo it have 9005 and 9006. Not having a long level driveway doesnt help either. My alignment for low and high beam is all outta wack.
    Take your time man. It will be perfect when you finish it, sometime this year. LOL
     
  8. Jan 23, 2020 at 7:14 PM
    #8
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    MGM painted shrouds with laser etched projectors, demon eyes, and halo rings. Just testing to make sure everything is working. I'm really bummed the yellow demon eyes barely show when the white halos are activated.

    upload_2020-1-23_19-14-3.jpg

    upload_2020-1-23_19-14-12.jpg
     
    Cfincke, BlueRibbon4x4 and GAknight like this.
  9. Jan 23, 2020 at 7:17 PM
    #9
    BrandonL812

    BrandonL812 New Member

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    Rx350 retrofitted, Morimoto Led fogs. interior and exterior leds swap. TRD drop in filter. Carbon filter delete. Led DRL panels. TRD Shift knob.
    I think the white may be too bright? Overtook the yellow.
     
  10. Jan 23, 2020 at 7:19 PM
    #10
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    I agree Brandon. I did order Yellow halos just so it matches with my theme of gray/bronze (amber) on my truck. Waiting for them to come in to mock up.
     
    BrandonL812[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Jan 28, 2020 at 11:56 AM
    #11
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    mocked them up over the weekend ... not bad for a rookie. LOL

    upload_2020-1-28_11-54-42.jpg

    upload_2020-1-28_11-55-51.jpg
     
  12. Jan 28, 2020 at 12:01 PM
    #12
    Y0TA PR0

    Y0TA PR0 Dirt biking & fishing

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    That’s freaking awesome!
     
  13. Jan 28, 2020 at 12:10 PM
    #13
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    Quick video on the sequentials.

     
  14. Jan 28, 2020 at 12:13 PM
    #14
    reneaux

    reneaux New Member

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    Lookin great man! I always thought the TW guys were crazy asking for the prices they did on retro's...Until I looked into doing them myself and instantly knew I did not have the patience to do so. :bowdown:
     
    tinman10101[OP] likes this.
  15. Jan 28, 2020 at 12:17 PM
    #15
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    Thanks so much! I am exactly like you. Once I took the plunge because i couldn't shell out a grand, I thought, "OMFG the labor is insane. I couldnt do this for a living. LOL"
     
    reneaux[QUOTED] likes this.
  16. Jan 28, 2020 at 2:06 PM
    #16
    TheBeast

    TheBeast The Beach

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    very nice
     
    tinman10101[OP] likes this.
  17. Jan 28, 2020 at 2:07 PM
    #17
    BlueRibbon4x4

    BlueRibbon4x4 Let’s color match it

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    They look great Tin!
     
  18. May 4, 2020 at 8:19 AM
    #18
    Cryer

    Cryer New Member

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    Did you do the color matched shrouds? if so where did you get the paint I'm piecing all my parts together to start mine, and am debating just going to a mat black or color matching it to my MGM.
     
    BlueRibbon4x4 likes this.
  19. May 4, 2020 at 6:55 PM
    #19
    tinman10101

    tinman10101 [OP] Ah cha cha cha

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    Yeah I colored match them. Ordered the paint from the following site: https://www.automotivetouchup.com/
     
    mav7021234 likes this.

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