We've all seen them, whether they're going down the road on the way to work, or sitting next door in your neighbor's driveway--those cloudy, discolored, and yellowed plastic headlight assemblies. It's not just a Ford thing, as we've seen all manners of domestic and import vehicles with less-than-usable headlamps. But Fords are all we care about here, and it seems that the '99-'04 Mustang is more prone to this headlamp issue than most (though the '87-'93 Fox cars come a close second).
Sure, you can try a headlamp cleaning kit--they do work to some extent--but once the surface has started to fail, the discoloration usually continues to come back, just like a faded and dull paint job being buffed out time and time again. Luckily, the headlights are installed with simple friction clips, allowing an easy 10-minute driveway installation that's just about tool free. (I guess it depends upon how much grip you have in your fingertips.)
Our neighbor's daughter uses an '01 V-6 for daily driving duties, has taken very good care of the car, and she really enjoys driving it. We felt she had earned herself a new set of headlights for being such a good driver and taking care of her ride. Of course, we couldn't put stock lights in her Mustang; then we'd have to remove the "Modified" from our magazine name. So an e-mail later, a set of these nice, smoked headlights from American Muscle was on the way. Don't worry, though, American Muscle has stock replacement-style lights if that's what you want, as well as some wilder options with extra driving lights and accents.
Here's what our neighbor's...
Here's what our neighbor's '01 V-6 looked like when we showed up, box in hand, to swap out the headlights. Between the yellowed and pitted lamps and the stock bulbs, she had a real problem seeing, especially in the rain.
Here's what we meant about...
Here's what we meant about the job being "almost" tool free. Each headlight is secured with two of these spring-steel mounting clips that simply slide straight up and out of the headlight panel to release the lamps. On some cars, you can pull these out with your fingers, while others, like this one, require a little gentle prying with a screwdriver or small prybar.
Once the two retaining clips...
Once the two retaining clips are freed, the lamp can be pulled forward a few inches. The locating pin in the corner of the lamp, near the side-marker light, might give you some guff, but it will pull out. Disconnect the main headlamp bulb socket from the bulb.
The side-marker/turn-signal...
The side-marker/turn-signal bulb is disconnected now as well. This will completely free the lamp housing and you can put the housing on a workbench for transferring of the bulbs (if you're not upgrading the bulbs like we are).
The new lamp uses a slightly...
The new lamp uses a slightly different method for securing the headlamp bulb, but is still nothing more than a twist-and-pull affair. Here, our new Sylvania bulb is being installed. The side-marker/turn-signal bulb is removed from the old socket and transferred to the new socket that comes with the new lamp housing.
With the new smoked lamp fully...
With the new smoked lamp fully configured, it's time to go back into the car. First, the main headlamp bulb is reconnected to its electrical connection. Then, the side-marker/turn-signal wiring is reunited with the new socket assembly.
Carefully seat the new lamp...
Carefully seat the new lamp into the headlight opening panel, being mindful of the headlamp seal and where it meets the fender. You want the seal to be properly seated before pushing the lamp in and reinstalling the two retaining clips. If the mounting clips were tight during removal, a rubber mallet or a small block of wood will aid in seating the clips. Ensure you have the mounting clips going through all of the headlight retaining tabs for a secure installation.
As you can see, the difference...
As you can see, the difference between our old lamp and our freshly installed smoked version from American Muscle is night and day. (I know, bad pun, sue me!-Ed.) Simply repeat these steps for the other headlight assembly and you'll be good to go for your next bout of night-time driving. Lastly, while this installation doesn't interfere with headlight position, now is a good time to verify that your headlights are properly aimed, especially with higher-output headlamp bulbs.