So since I was having a hard time finding a thread with a write-up on how to do the modernized tails, I figured I would make my own. Heres my "How To" on modifying the S5 tail lights to look more modern.

Tools required:
10mm socket or wrench
Razor blade
Flathead screwdriver
Black silicone

From when I popped the hatch of my car to when I was finished, it took me about 3 hours but I was watching tv while I was wet sanding the lights so I got a little sidetracked.

I started off with not so nice S5 tails with the diffusers still installed




They were in pretty bad shape.

I removed the 8 10mm nuts on the back of each light, took the bulbs out and took them into my kitchen.


I heated each light seperately in the oven on 250 for about 2 minutes. Pull it out and pulled off the plastic slowly. I used the flathead screwdriver as leverage at this point. It made getting the lights apart a lot easier.


Make sure to remove the 4 screws along the bottom edge of each light or you'll end up chipping the light like I did.


Remove diffuser and reinstall the light cover.



Finished product


Night time

 

Nice write up! .... How bright are they at night? Kinda hard with that pic to tell, but if the behind traffic came up would they be blinded beyond belief? Get someone to drive your car and tail them see how it's.

 

They are pretty bright. I noticed when I was sitting at a red light that when I was holding my brake, the reflectors on the ground were lit up a good 20ft behind me..

Going to spray tint them in the next week or two and will add that to this thread.

 

really? i was searching a while ago on to see if there are any mods for the s4 tail lights and i found a bunch of s5 modernizing threads with steps on how to.

oh well. all of the s4 tail light mods are just smoking them anyway.

 

All the ones I saw were people posting that they had already done it and their before and after pictures. I had to read through a lot of the posts to figure out what needed to be done. A lot of the posts on there are not related to the topic...

 

i hate to be that guy but....

















































s4 tails FTW!

 

wat.

 

87- t66

lol with ya bro

 

still looks like im keeping my s4 tails

 

ill be doing this to my S5 rears of course, nice write up as well.. REP +1

 

what kind of silicone did u use? RTV or what?

 

modernized tails just dont look right imo, looks cheap

 

Black RTV. Works great.

 

il b doing this to my tails. Cool right up. And I was almost going to pay this guy $80 to do them. Now I could do them myself. Appreciated man thanks

 

agree

 

It's ok, I think LED taillights look cheap. You basically do the modernization, but instead of keeping the bulb, you just glue in a LED thing. I think it looks like those rice "altezza" lights honda guys buy on ebay. You can buy the piece to make them LED at walmart...

But everyone has their own opinion. The S5 modern lights look great I think.

 

its cool man u didnt have to take offense to it and try to defend it =D
just alot of people do it to stock cars and it looks awkward, seeing the individual bulb looks like seeing a nipple on breast lol
i actually wouldnt mind putting the diffusers back into my corner lense since i have a crack and without the diffuser you can see the crack easily.

 

I "modded" my tail lights when i did my paint job. Easy as pie with no write up.
Anywho, hers a picture of what mine look like now.






They dont look cheap IMO.

 

I disagree 100%. I think that the bulb being exposed like that is my main beef with "modernized" tails. It does look cheap. Not too mention everyone half asses it and doesn't get rid of the honeycomb stuff on the other side of the reverse light. An hour or so of fiberglassing and sanding, would remedy that.

I plan on doing the LED's but making my own circuit boards so they are just an outer ring for running lights and when brakes are applied the whole thing lights up.

 

Everyone has their own opinion on how different things look. I think that a (mostly) stock T2 FC is the best body you can have. No kit or light mod or anything is going to make it look better than the stock kit. Maybe some staggered fit rims and a drop and a FC looks perfect. Alex's FC after he took the kit off and sold it?

Modifying the tail lights makes them look a TON better than stock with the diffusers. Having the diffusers in, looking at the back of the car makes it look its age. You change the tail lights and it definitely makes the back end of the car a all around better look.

Whats the point of removing the honeycomb over there if my reverse light doesn't work anyway? I'm sure their are plenty of people that have done the mod that have thought the same thing...

 

put in round LEDs and you good.

BTW: S4 tails FTW

 

S4. I love my S4 taillights... I just need to track down a mint set

 

I do a killer S4 tail restoration- if your into S4 lights they can be restored alot better then S5s, and by restoration I dont mean baking them and polishing the lenses, im talking full resto.

 

I don't think you understood what I meant. I mean the clearly visible honeycomb on the other side of the reverse light, not the reverse light itself. If you're going to remove the **** at least remove it all. Again, "modernizing" them really doesn't make them look better then stock. I'd rather have a nice clean set of stock tails, then modernized. You can go on and on about how it makes the car look newer, but the rest of the car is so dated.

 

I kept the honey comb on the other side, this was my old fc