One of the ways to set your truck apart from the stock skinned rigs you see is to take something the factory did and modify it in some way, such as bolting in a roll pan or throwing in an aftermarket grille. Eventually you'll reach the end of bolt-ons, but the need for customization continues, so what then? Step up and start cutting into the skin and smoothing out some lines, shave the door handles, or french in the brake light. In this story, we'll show you what it takes to trash the bulky third brake light on an S-10 with a Starbucks Customs flush light kit. The kit comes with the light and a pre-fabbed bucket to make installation much easier. This kit will save you the task of scouring the wrecking yard for that perfect piece; you know the light will work, and if you've tried to cut out sheetmetal without power tools, it's worth it. If you're confident in your ability to cut, weld, and do some bodywork, you could do it yourself, but if not, have a competent body shop do the job for you.
Now let's get to it.
Dome Light
On S-10s, the dome light screws into the third brake light bucket, so we had to cut two strips of sheetmetal to bridge the gap of the headliner and provide a place to affix the new light.
 1.Here is the universal light...  1.Here is the universal light kit from Starbucks Customs. It comes with the light and the bucket. You can install it wherever your heart desires, in the roll pan or on the cab. We decided to use it to replace the bulky stock third brake light. |  2.Before starting, make sure...  2.Before starting, make sure to disconnect the battery because there is some welding involved and it could smoke the ECU - better safe than sorry. |  3.To begin, the lens has to...  3.To begin, the lens has to be removed. |
 4.Position the bucket so that...  4.Position the bucket so that the bottom edge lines up with the bottom edge of the stock hole; this will keep it horizontally straight. Center it by measuring off of the cab seams, and get out the trusty sharpie and trace around the bucket. Now call a glass shop out and have the crew pull the window; we wouldn't recommend you do this yourself because it's glued in, and if it breaks, the shop can replace it. |  5.Once the window is out,...  5.Once the window is out, access to the dome light and the stock bucket is a piece of cake. The headliner is held up in the rear with Velcro, so carefully pull down on it; this will give you just enough room to work. Pull out the bucket, cut the wires to the stock light, and remove the stock light. |  6.Protect the headliner with...  6.Protect the headliner with some cardboard and mask off the truck. |
 7.Now the hole is cut. Stay...  7.Now the hole is cut. Stay inside the line; this will prevent the hole from being too big. |  8.With the light inside to...  8.With the light inside to keep the bucket from distorting, test-fit the bucket. Position the bucket depending on what look is desired - inset or smooth. Starbucks has a junky lens to save time, but make sure to remove the good one so it won't melt. |  9.Leave at least 1/8 inch...  9.Leave at least 1/8 inch of the bucket hanging out so the weld has some meat to grab onto. Tack it into place and check it out; if all is good, start stitching it up. Go slow and allow the area to cool after every fifth or sixth zap. This will keep the heat down to prevent the roof from warping. |
 10.After all the welding is...  10.After all the welding is complete, grind off the excess material and smooth out the welds. |  11a.Use masking tape to make...  11a.Use masking tape to make the pattern for the patch panel |  11b.Once the outline is done,...  11b.Once the outline is done, transfer the outline to some sheetmetal and start cuttin' |
 12.Bend the material so it...  12.Bend the material so it matches the radius of the roof. |  13.Once the panel fits correctly,...  13.Once the panel fits correctly, break out the welder again; remember to go slow. Once the welding is finished, grind the area smooth. |  14.It's time for the mud....  14.It's time for the mud. Mix up the filler per the instructions and spread away; try not to get too much of it in the hole. |
 15.When the filler is almost...  15.When the filler is almost dry, start blocking; this will clog up the sandpaper, but you can shave some time off your sanding. If the filler balls up and gouges really deep, it's not quite dry enough, so give it some more time. Remember to sand in an X pattern to produce a crosshatch look; this will keep from sanding steps in the roof from the edge of the block digging in. |  16.Rub it with your hand until...  16.Rub it with your hand until it feels nice and smoothly lay down the primer. |  17.Now feed the wires through...  17.Now feed the wires through the hole, connect them to the stock wires, and call the glass shop to reinstall the glass. There you have it: a custom touch that looks factory. |