JDM vs Domestic fogs - Updated final pix
 

I picked up a kit of US foglights and noticed their reflectivity just about sucks to no end. Has anyone tried the powder coating chrome trick to bring out more of the luster?

You can try it, but the JDM ones are far superior.
An HID kit will help too.

JDM fogs for the win!

haven't seen the powder coating trick but i have seen chrome spray paint used and they end up looking just about if not the same as the JDM ones.

Thanks Mario... that's good to know. Now if I can only figure out how to get these things apart.

interesting .... i have the usdm fogs. how much better reflectivity do the jdm ones give ?

There's a writeup about how to take em apart... I'll try to find it.

Beat you to it...

http://www.scikotics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35560

Imagine the reflectivity of a mirror vs cardboard.

haha that much huh .... then i DEFINITELY have to try to get my hands on the JDM set somehow ...

IMHO, I couldn't beat the price of $80 brand spankin new from the dealership... you may want to check with your local part supplier to see if you can get them for the same price. For the price of JDM, you can purchase three sets plus the tools you need to open each lense.

The only thing you don't get in the USDM is the light up switch... if you are like me, you've done the mod for parking lights on. The switch is still behind the easy bake oven for me... I needed those two precious switch spots.

Here is what a buddy of mines did to his fogs.

is that actual chroming or some other method of "chromed" paint? I'm looking to do the aluminum electroplating... similar to what you find on the parabolic housing of headlights. The fog lights just look dim when you compare them to the headlights in those shots. If that's the case, I may as well not bother and just go with HID fog retrofit.

he used chrome spray paint. not sure what brand though.

This is interesting. I've found the fogs to be extremely easy to polish. Using some polishing compound I've got the inside to a near mirror finish. The local shop that could do a real chroming would cost me a little over $175. I think polishing and throwing on a layer of glossy clear coat should be enough.

Pics!!

It's not the greatest pic in the world since it's hard to capture reflective surfaces with this particular camera... but it should do in a pinch.

https://www.scionlife.com/gallery/personal/64859_1.jpg

Prior to the polishing, the interior of the fog light looked a little duller than the exterior. You can see some of the reflection against the papertowel in the back as well as the parabolic line.

Tomorrow I'm going to take some 400 and 800 wet to see if I can polish it further. The polishing in that small section alone took about an hour to do from 220 dry sand paper.

That's pretty sweet.

i cant even get those badboys out.
i tried to do it without taking off my bumper, but can't. and i think my driver's side harness/wire thing is fried ...
and no, i haven't done the city lights mod, but i want to!

anyway, does all that polishing really help a lot ?

I'm super curious to see if it has any effect on the output.