How to facelift your pre-facelift Supra

How to facelift your pre-facelift Supra

This is how my supra looked until today; tired orange indicators and misty, yellow headlamp lenses.

The Supra was updated in ’96, I believe, with new headlamps, rear clusters and front indicators (amongst other things.) These are not quite a straight swap, but it’s pretty easy. The main difference was the change from mirror background to black background in the headlamps and the sidelight is now located in the indicator unit instead of the headlamp unit.

You will need:

Your facelift headlamps

Facelift indicators (should come with bulbs)

Indicator looms x 2

Tools:

10mm spanner with extension

8mm spanner

Soldering iron and accessories

Phillips Screwdriver

Stanley knife

Power drill

• Disconnect the battery and remove old headlamps. First, unscrew all the bulb-holders and remove the bulbs so they don’t get broken (The fog-light bulbs are a right PITA to remove.) There is 1 bolt and two nuts holding each headlamp unit in place; the bolt is at the top above the radiator, the two nuts are a bit more tricky, tucked away next to the inside of the wings. In the picture, you can see the back of the headlamp (arrowed green) with the two side nuts (arrowed red).

Both the nuts and bolts are 10mm. I used the extension to get at the side nuts, on the drivers side you may want to remove the battery (I didn’t). I also but I found it easier to completely remove the airbox and intercooler piping on the drivers side. These are held in place with about four bolts, and a few jubilee clips; they are all easy to see and remove.

• Once you have done step one, you can now see the bolts that hold the old indicators in place.

And the rear view:

On the passenger side these are easy to remove but on the drivers side much more tricky due to the intercooler in the way. To get at the bottom two nuts, I found it easier to go underneath them through the vent in the bumper.

Once you have removed the indicators you can now compare them to the facelift ones and see that the three bolts are in a different configuration.

There are two options for you now:

You can either cut off the sideways pointing bolt on the new indicator. Or you can drill a new hole in the bumper for it. I chose the latter method because I saw one done the other way and it was all crooked and just looked crap!

The picture shows roughly where to drill the hole. This is a bit of a trial and error process but don’t be afraid to drill more holes or file them to get them just right because the new indicator hides them completely.

Now try them for fit and remove again.

• Now comes the soldering! Although I bought the facelift looms because I was told I would definitely need them, I didn’t! All you need is the bulb holders that come with them because they are very different to the pre-facelift ones.

Cut off your old side-light bulb holders and replace with the new ones and do the same with the indicators, then insulate them (Duh!) You will probably need to use some more wire here because mine were not quite long enough to reach.

Now reconnect the battery, put the bulbs in and check they light up. There’s nothing more annoying than getting to the end only to find you have a blown bulb! I replaced my sidelight bulbs with these from ebay. Only £4.50.

You may now want to disconnect the battery again.

Fitting the facelift headlamps is a reversal of removing the old ones but takes a bit of jiggery to get them in. (That is the technical term, I looked it up!)

Today, I replaced my fog-light bulbs with “Phillips Blue Vision” the dipped ones are still in the post. I hope.

4 Stand back and admire your work!

I am really pleased with the bulbs I chose, and I cant wait to replace my dipped bulbs with more Phillips blue ones!

Rear clusters are a straight swap with the old ones but you MUST also get a new loom because the bulbs are different and wont fit into the pre-facelift loom.

Please leave your comments and questions or PM me.

John

Nicely done!

John a very good guide for people looking to do that. Well done

Nice guide mate.

Did mine a couple of weeks ago, It takes years off the car, really modernises the appearance

Exactly what ive been wanting to know but was too afraid to ask

Nice write-up - will be useful to point people at this in the future.

Cheers guys.

Some more pics for you...

Nice, Now for true facelift, move the indicators to the front bumper and smooth the wings.. and add the spoiler type thing in front bumper hole..I even fitted the rear markers!

I'll leave this up for a bit then tidy it up and move it for future reference. Good work, very good "how to" guide.

Excellent write-up there.

Lewis

Link to the LED sidelight bulbs mate?

no probs...

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZjzlz1996

where did you get the foglight bulbs too?

i got the fog bulbs form Envy but they totally fucked me about without even an email or a phone call so i wouldnt recommend them! thats why im still waiting for my dipped ones.

You will need H3's

I've done the grill but nothing else yet, still waiting on facelift indicators to arrive , supplies have dried up I think.

The grill is a wee bit fiddly cos you have to measure where to drill the holes but they look good and are pre-painted.

[ATTACH]52328[/ATTACH]

T53112-14070-D0 Last two are the colour code.

nice i like tose side light bulbs i might have to try that

you still need to flush the front wings and do rhe side indicator lights

Only just found this thread, but an excellent writeup mate, I've seen the car myself, and he's done a fantastic job... I think I'll be giving you a shout once I get the looms for my facelift indicators

which side lights did you get was it the

11mm cluster of 4 LEDs

12.8mm cluster of 6 LEDs

15mm cluster of 9 LEDs

on second look the side lights look like the 6 led clusters, so i am going to get some i am also going to get some to go in the number plate lights it looks like i will only be able to use the 4 led clusters for those because there is no much room for the bulb

yep deffo got the 6 LED ones. they're the same size as W5W and they have the resistor "built in"

got them off an ebay seller called jzlz1996

Cheers Pot, mate!

And just to update, my dipped bulbs arrived along with some free extras to make up so Envy are back in my good books - Cheers Gaz

nice write up!!!! Now get your bumper the right colour..LOL ;-)

whats up with my bumper?

i think he means that it looks like there is a small difference in colour

i have just bought a set of 6led clusters, you couldnt do me a favour and see if the 6 led clusters fit in the number plate ports and light it up enough could you coz if they do i am going to buy a second set

There is no difference in colour, must be the photo. arsehole.

Anyway, yes they should fit, (so the book says) but the light is quite directional so dont know if they would work that well... I will try and have a go at fitting tomorrow if i get time!

cheers fella