Brian P Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Pics will do most of the talking. Start with shit: Perform wetsanding with the following grits (do this by hand for a few minutes each grit, rip each sheet in half and hold it in the palm of your hand): 320>400>600>800>1000>1500>2000 Wipe dry. Do NOT touch lens with fingers!!! Let sit out in sun for 5 minutes to dry. Use: Rustoleum ultra-clearcoat. Two medium-heavy coats spread 10 minutes apart. Reassemble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Mmm I need to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 me likey.... kind of related question: what are the nipples for, and can i remove them with say a dremel and a file, smooth out where they were, continue sanding the rest, and finish it without it looking odd/weakening the lens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Did you keep any type of directionality? Or just whatever felt best? I REALLY need to do this to my left side light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89SupremeCutty Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 me likey.... kind of related question: what are the nipples for, and can i remove them with say a dremel and a file, smooth out where they were, continue sanding the rest, and finish it without it looking odd/weakening the lens? the nipples are for using a headlight adjuster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted June 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Did you keep any type of directionality? Or just whatever felt best? I REALLY need to do this to my left side light. I did at first, but given the fact that I'm clearcoating it anyway, it doesn't matter. I ended up sanding in circles and however I can fit my hand (those protrusions were a pain in the ass, always getting in the way) not sanding in the same direction makes the process go faster too. Also... do NOT use any kind of clear primer/adhesion promoter like Bond Aid. It reacted with the plastic and old factory clearcoat. I had to resand the shit out of it after that trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted June 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 me likey.... kind of related question: what are the nipples for, and can i remove them with say a dremel and a file, smooth out where they were, continue sanding the rest, and finish it without it looking odd/weakening the lens? I think you can get away with it. I don't know of any shops that still use the old headlight adjusting equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 me likey.... kind of related question: what are the nipples for, and can i remove them with say a dremel and a file, smooth out where they were, continue sanding the rest, and finish it without it looking odd/weakening the lens? I think you can get away with it. I don't know of any shops that still use the old headlight adjusting equipment. well, i know what i'm doing today/tommorow before it gets too hot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I need to do that on my truck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Wow that turned out great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Wow that turned out great. x2 great work man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrcuttymann Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Looks really good .. now do the same to your turn signals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intern8tion9l Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 and fog lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 And tail lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Ball Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Any reason why you didnt polish it and than wash it off and than clear coat it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted July 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Any reason why you didnt polish it and than wash it off and than clear coat it? I didn't want to polish the lens since I wanted the clearcoat to have a sanded surface to bite onto. A sanded 400-grit finish usually doesn't show thru once painted, but being that I wanted these as clear as possible, I went up to 2000 grit. As for the rest of the lenses.... I really should just replace both corner lenses due to damage, and I think the fogs are past the point of reconditioning but I may try anyway... This is my sister's car anyway, my intention was to get her to see better at night since the headlights were horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 THIS NEEDS TO BE STICKIED!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 I don't care if it does or doesn't, that's up to the mods FTR the headlights have been holding up just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W30post Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 I have been thinking about this headlight issue on all plastic headlights for a long time. Do the headlights actually have clear on them or is this just deterioated plastic you are sanding off. From a manufacturing process, clear is another application that I don't think GM or anyone else would pay for if they didn't have to. My thoughts: you did a hell of a job on those but I have a concern. The plastic builds up heat from the headlights being on a lot. This is even worse when the headlights get really dirty and causes them to deterioate even faster. I have had a couple vehicles with 150Kmiles that the headlights still looked new. I wash the cars a lot. My 92 Z34 looked new at 144Kmiles. I wax the headlights when I wax the car. Now the clear you put on these headlights is a nother surface for the light waves to have to penetrate. This isn't sunlight and I don't know what the frequency of this headlight is but there will be a difference in the wavelength of the light. Now this light has to penetrate through the lense and now the clear. My question, and time will tell here, will this application of clear cause the headlights to discolor faster or not at all? My wife drives a Magnum. I washed it this weekend and noticed some water spotting on the lenses that isn't showing up on the paint. I threw on a coat of Zaino on the lenses to forgo the water spots on the lenses. Less stuff that sticks means less heat build-up on the surface. At least that is my current theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 I would also like to see this made into a sticky. It's good info, even if it's just used as a temporary repair. Great work B-rad! Now I just need the time to actually do this...because I found out it DOES take more than 30 seconds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 I have been thinking about this headlight issue on all plastic headlights for a long time. Do the headlights actually have clear on them or is this just deterioated plastic you are sanding off. From a manufacturing process, clear is another application that I don't think GM or anyone else would pay for if they didn't have to. My thoughts: you did a hell of a job on those but I have a concern. The plastic builds up heat from the headlights being on a lot. This is even worse when the headlights get really dirty and causes them to deterioate even faster. I have had a couple vehicles with 150Kmiles that the headlights still looked new. I wash the cars a lot. My 92 Z34 looked new at 144Kmiles. I wax the headlights when I wax the car. Now the clear you put on these headlights is a nother surface for the light waves to have to penetrate. This isn't sunlight and I don't know what the frequency of this headlight is but there will be a difference in the wavelength of the light. Now this light has to penetrate through the lense and now the clear. My question, and time will tell here, will this application of clear cause the headlights to discolor faster or not at all? My wife drives a Magnum. I washed it this weekend and noticed some water spotting on the lenses that isn't showing up on the paint. I threw on a coat of Zaino on the lenses to forgo the water spots on the lenses. Less stuff that sticks means less heat build-up on the surface. At least that is my current theory. Yes, the headlights have a clearcoat on them. These lights that I repaired had the clearcoat "chalking" similar to what happens to horizontal body surfaces over time. The clear also loses its clarity and begins to yellow. During the sanding process made sure that the old clearcoat was fully removed. The best clarity would come from sanding and polishing the bare plastic as highly as possible, however the environment ruins the surface quickly. Many people make the mistake of wet sanding then polishing their headlights and stopping at that point. Unfortunately without repetitive polishing, ~ 6 months later the lights will be opaque. The next best thing would be to use a body-shop quality paint such as urethane enamel that's sprayed on professionally. The clearcoat in-a-can never truly hardens and only lasts so long. As to answering your question of why some composite headlights survive much better is simply a quality and materials issue. I had a '90 Cutlass Supreme with over 200k on it, and the composite headlights were still crystal clear after all those miles and being 13 years old. I'm sure those lights were not treated any differently (I sure as heck never maintained them with wax or anything) yet other cars with 1/3 of the mileage will be in terrible shape. Heck, my fiancee's '03 Elantra, bought new, had a failing clearcoat on the headlights when it was only a couple of years old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 I would also like to see this made into a sticky. It's good info, even if it's just used as a temporary repair. Great work B-rad! Now I just need the time to actually do this...because I found out it DOES take more than 30 seconds! In all reality I spent about an hour doing this, which most time was spent waiting for the paint to dry. My sister wasn't about to spend money on new headlights, nor pay me to buy the clearcoat from a body shop, so this was the last (and simplest) route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 I figured I'd have a solid hour in it. I'm not going to complain on that! I guess I was going for more of a LOL factor with my comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Update 10/28 still clear as the day I did em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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