Diy jdm 98-01 DC tail lights

cdn_R050

New Member
Hey guys,

Tried this today and it worked out perfectly I'm very happy with the results, especially since the cost of jdm tail lights are expensive and will only go up, and this cost me zero dollars, since i had all the tools and material already, which is also awesome.

94-97 integra tail lights, jdm and usdm are the same, if you open them up you will see that the 4 openings in the tail light housings are all painted silver, and that the outside trim area is black. That's why 94-97 tail lights look darker, 98-01 tail lights, usdm or jdm have all silver housings, the openings and trim area. But the lens on the 94-97 tail lights are the exact same as the jdm 98-01, the only difference is the housing between the 2.



Required items:

-94-97 integra tail lights
-Oven big enough to house one tail light
-large flat screwdriver
-silver engine block paint (or any silver paint, but I chose one that can handle heat, to withstand the heat from the halogen bulbs)
-masking tape
-gloves
-clear automotive silicone or any silicone you choose.

1. First remove all the wiring from the tail lights, so you are left with a bare tail light.
Also it's probably a good idea to clean the lights before putting them in your oven.

Also, IMPORTANT!! there's a small screw at the end on the turn signal side, be sure to remove this screw or it will crack the lens when you separate the 2.

2. Pre heat oven to 200°f and place tail light in oven in the center rack for 7 minutes, no more no less.

3. Put on some gloves, I used some winter gloves that were thick enough to insulate my hands from the heat but thin enough that I could still work.

4. Remove tail light, and with large screwdriver and thin cloth place screwdriver into the wedge where the tail light lens meets the housing, and twist the screwdriver to get the 2 pieces to start separating, I started at the reverse signal end, I noticed that at least on my tail lights that they were already separated at that end by a small bit so it was easier to get separation there.

5. Once you have some separation you should be able to pull the 2 pieces apart with your hands, that's what I did.

6. Repeat procedure for second tail light.

7. Once you have 4 separate pieces, give them a good cleaning to get the built up dirt in all the corners out.

8. Mask off outside edges of tail light housing.

9. Spray tail light housing with silver paint, that should be straight forward enough.

10. Pre heat oven to 200°f again.

11. Once paint has fully dried, take one matching housing and lens and place them in the oven for 5 minutes, be careful that the lens doesn't rest on any of the painted surfaces or it will take the paint off with it.

12. After 5 minutes, remove tail light (while wearing gloves) and apply bead of silicone around the gap on the housing where the original glue still is.

13. Carefully press together the lens and the housing, making sure to line up the tabs on the lens and housing, and press together.

14. Lay the tail light face down on a soft surface, Place a object with some weight on the back side of tail light, if you have clamps then clamp them together.

15. Let sit for at least one hour.

That's it, when finished you should have tail lights that look identical to the jdm version, but cost you a fraction of the jdm ones.

I included a pic showing the differences in tail lights for dcs to show the guys that aren't fully informed on the small differences between the lights.
 

cdn_R050

New Member
Thanks! It's a subtle difference but a difference nonetheless. When it comes to vehicles I believe doing all the Lil things is what makes a project car nice, all the small things combined make for a nice vehicle.
 

Nick_C78

New Member
Looks good, but you still have the corner light that the jdm ones don't have. How much are JDM 98 tails these days?
 


cdn_R050

New Member
Looks good, but you still have the corner light that the jdm ones don't have. How much are JDM 98 tails these days?
Did u mean side marker? I realize the front end is completely different than a jdm integra, I had jdm side markers from my old jdm front end and I used them on my itr, I did that for 2 reasons. I like side markers, and they are very functional, that Lil flash on the side of the car is very helpful, especially with the horrible drivers in my city.

I'm going to pick up some ukdm clear corners and clear side markers today so I can switch up the look when I'm bored.
 

cdn_R050

New Member
Did u mean side marker? I realize the front end is completely different than a jdm integra, I had jdm side markers from my old jdm front end and I used them on my itr, I did that for 2 reasons. I like side markers, and they are very functional, that Lil flash on the side of the car is very helpful, especially with the horrible drivers in my city.

I'm going to pick up some ukdm clear corners and clear side markers today so I can switch up the look when I'm bored.
On icb Motorsport jdm tails are around 200$ us plus shipping, even if I wanted to pay that rediculous price they are sold out
 

Nick_C78

New Member
No. I meant what I said. The corner lights on USDM tails. The JDM tails don't have the corner bulb. ....how can I explain this better...

US tails have 4 bulbs. Reverse, brake/running, turn signal and then a corner bulb. Jdm only has 3; reverse, brake/running and turn signal. Theres nothing past the turn signals on jdm tails.
 


cdn_R050

New Member
Ohh OK I see what u mean. I didn't realize they didn't have the 194 bulb in the corner of the tail light, I thought jdm tail lights didn't have the reflector in the corners but did have a bulb.

Regardless, I would rather have the corner bulb, people can't drive for shit and the more visible the better the better I feel.

Jdm parts are usually allot cheaper if you have an importer in your city, in Winnipeg there is nobody unfortunately so I look for stuff online.


I guess I could just leave the 194 bulbs in the corners out, but I like having them there. I think if I would have bit the bullet and bought Jdm tails I would have been disappointed with the lack of 194 bulbs, so what I did is probably the best for my taste.
 
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cdn_R050

New Member
I was just thinking, if someone really wanted to get the same look as the jdm tail lights the reflector that's attached to the inside of the lens should be removable, and the bulb can always be left out
 

Nick_C78

New Member
I didn't say it was better to have it removed. Just stating that there are other differences. This write up is good. I personally never knew it was just the bezel colors that made the red darker in some areas. Nice work.
 

cdn_R050

New Member
I didn't say it was better to have it removed. Just stating that there are other differences. This write up is good. I personally never knew it was just the bezel colors that made the red darker in some areas. Nice work.
Thanks Nick! I just added in the last bit in case someone really wanted to get their usdm tail lights to look like the jdm ones, and thanks for the info about the differences!
 

PeteTheCarFreak

I'm Learning
But the thing I don't understand is how does painting the 3 holes for the lights effect the outside of the lens where the light isn't shining threw?

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 

Samurai_Blue

Yolo Whippin'
Looks good, but you still have the corner light that the jdm ones don't have. How much are JDM 98 tails these days?
$75


200 is insane. The importer by me sells them for wayyy less.
yup

But the thing I don't understand is how does painting the 3 holes for the lights effect the outside of the lens where the light isn't shining threw?

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
the area around the lights on the housing is darker making the lens appear darker. the outter lens (red) is all the same color.
 
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