Dull Headlight Lenses

[JohnBoyZA]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but reading the LED headlight posts with great interest, I had a close look at my headlight lenses and found they had a brownish tinge and were quite pitted, probably from gravel chips and sand. Later that day I googled replacement headlights and was shocked to see the prices of the 'genuine' replacements.
Then, you won't believe the next day after picking up my daughter from school I stopped at a takeaway pizza spot and out pops this guys who walks straight up to me with a big smile and I entertain him while my daughter orders. "Meneer Patrol", he says to me and starts his marketing pitch. His commitment is to make my lenses as good as new while I wait for my pizza and if I'm not happy, my money back R150/light So was this a scam or not?

[hugejp]

Fine rubbing compound sorts it out 90% of the time!

Our vallet company used tooth paste to buff cloudy headlamps up!

Are those lenses plastic?

[Picasso]

Hallo John

Looking at the before and after picture I would say it has worked.

I would say you can definitely improve the appearance / remove the dullness of the headlight, by means of 'sanding and polishing).,
I bought a headlight restoring set which consisted of some 2000 grid water paper , a small polishing disc and some polishing compound. this cost about 450 R which is quiet pricey. I would say if you buy the components separately you might get away with less then halve the price. Irrespective , I treated the headlights as prescribed i.e. sanding and thereafter polishing and I would say that the appearance improved significantly similarly to what you show in your before and after pictures.

[Rhett]

Worth the R150 John! I have used toothpaste, brasso, polishing compound etc over the years, and although they all work, my elbows and fingers did not like the abuse

[ricster]

That looks pretty damn good JohnBoy !!

PS..... I had to chuckle when the owner of this fantastic forum doesn't quite know where to post a thread..... ....

[JohnBoyZA]

Glad you agree I didn't waste my money Now to get the LEDs...

Ricster

[ricster]

I'm looking at importing the LED globes from China ( where everything seems to be made anyway) but have also recently ordered some gas burners for my gas braai that I have, that nobody seems to have spares for.

Sadly it has taken just over 2 months to get the parcel to show that is is finally out of customs and back at JHB international mail services, and now at just over a month is " in transit".... for 3 days already!!

So If I order now it will probably arrive somewhere over December, and I'm worried that I may be away during that time, so I will probably order them later this year to get arrival around end Jan next year.

There are a few more economical choices out there with the correct specs, but will chat with Christo before final order to make sure that they are the right ones.

[AdrianPowrie]

Cedric, I would like to join in on the order if you are keen and wouldn't mind? Obviously splitting the shipping etc...

[ricster]

Perfect Adrian. I'll give you a shout closer to the time, then we can make a plan. Its easier to do one shipping than multiple.

[Florian320]

At least at my other car (an Audi A4) the problem with polishing the headlamps is that also the uv-resistant coating is polished away.
So as far as I know you have a great effect after polishing but have to take into account that the headlamps become blind again quicker.

There are uv-resistant coatings out there which can be put on the plastic.