ST246 Calinda Headlamp Replacement

[Alchemist]

Afternoon ladies and gents, long time lurker, but haven't posted in quite some time...

Given its the holidays I've finally had some time to get around to those projects you've had waiting for when you've got a spare half a day to tinker....

My old headlamps were starting to yellow and whilst I can bring them back up to a nice clear finish with plastic polish I was getting a little bit over doing it every few months so I bit the bullet and got some new ones.

I assumed they'd be a simple replacement like the Supra ones are, but there is appears to be a screw that holds them in around the bottom left side of the headlamp unit which I just can't see a good way to get at without removing the front quarter panels from the car, which just doesnt seem right, surely there is a better way to get at the screw than that. The one in question I've circled below in red.





Have had no joy with Toymods searching, or Google so far.

Has anyone replaced the full headlamp units on a Caldina and able to share some tips? Or perhaps a few choice pages from a service manual? (Had no luck finding one of them either..)

Thanks!

[The Witzl]

Even on the Ozcaldina forums i've read everyone saying that taking the headlights out is a "bumper-off" affair - so no way around it unfortunately.

[Alchemist]

Thanks mate, I've only just found OzCaldina, I'm a little rusty on the old car forums these days....managed to get a few useful pages from a service manual from there, although it just says remove the screw, I was kinda hoping for a how Will investigate front bar removal and let everyone know how I go.

[The Witzl]

How much were the new headlights out of interest?

Also, ive found that you can use on of those spray on carnauba "cleaner-wax" products to do a quick and easy clean up of the headlights. Doesnt work as well as the full Meguiars/Mothers products, but works well as an in between option that only takes 2 mins.

[Alchemist]

Well like most genuine headlights too much :| $1700 or so for both from Castle Hill Toyota, all the second hand ones I could find looked like they were on the way out as well. This is my wifes car she drives our kids around in and when you get to the point where you're like "are my headlights even on" I figured worth the money

The mothers stuff cleaned them up really well, especially when you used the fine grit sandpaper, will try the carnauba wax until I get around to changing them over, hopefully this weekend.

[maj]

It's pretty exxy for a product but high end detailers swear by this vendor so I'd expect it should work quite well:

https://www.zas.com.au/product/665/o...bre_cloth.html

Not a product for cleaning up the headlights, but a coating product that stops them from ever yellowing up again.

Modern cars it's not surprising to take off the whole front bumper to change headlights. My old car was the same (not a Caldina), except I had to take out the headlight just to change the passenger side bulb!
It's usually about 8 or so push pins which hold the skin on then a couple of bolts where the crash absorption panel bolts onto the chassis.

[101gze]

Your purchase looks like the update version of headlight.Post 05. You have an early 03 build. From what I understand one wont fit the other.
Can you post part numbers?