do the headlight lenses come apart or is the whole thing an assembly, i found some new ones for my car that can be ordered and will arrive in a couple days, i just want to know if it will come as an assembly or do i have to pry the old lenses off and glue the new ones on
Where did you get them, Mine are pretty bad.
I can remember separating the lenses from the housings when I had my '88 XR7.
I ran them under hot water for a few minutes, then used a large, flat-blade screwdriver to gently ease them apart.
I can't remember why I even took them apart...
You should get the whole lamp housing assembly... It may or may not have the adjuster included(prob not), it is(maybe was)available both ways...
IF they are from Ebay diamonds777 then they are great.
Complete new lense and reflector, just add bulb.
The adjustment bracket mounting is not included.
Watch those screws!! they were imbeded in the plastic
20 years ago and pull out if you over tighten them.
I just polished mine.I found a polishing kit especially for these kind of lights.You clean the light thoroughly,put the disc on to the chuck and install it in the drill,and get after it.After about 5 minutes,my dull yellow headlights were crystal clear.The kit was about $10.00
Wow where did you find this? Have a link?
I found it Autozone and they have it at wal-Mart in the automotive section.It comes with 4 or 6 discs,the chuck,and one disc will do a lot of work.It didn't look like it would work,but I was wrong.It's great.I threw the box away,sorry,no name.It was a box about6 or seven inches high,about 3x3 around,and the box was grey.I just bought it a few weeks ago.They were still there the other day.I'll post the name for everyone the next time I go down town to the store.
I was up at walmart tonight looking at automotive sandpaper and i saw the stuff you are talking about. I couldnt find a brand on it but its a black box that says "5 minute optical polish" . It was right next to the grease and tar/wax remover and stuff like that. Not sure this is the exact same thing as what you found but it looks like the same thing you described.
Yes,I believe that's it.Has little round grey sanding pads in it and a chuck for the drill.Just follow the instructions just as they say,and it works great.I read the instructions 3 or 4 times before I started.I was pretty skeptical at first about the product.I'm going to go buy a couple of more boxes soon.I've had 2 people ask if there was anything that can be done about yellowing headlights,and I told them for $20.00,I'd take care of them.I made a profit from what I already bought,and I may fix headlights for folks every now and again for some parts money.
I've wondered about that setup vinnie, I've been eyeing it for nearly two years now.
Cool man, thanks for the info. :)
Just remember to keep the lights waxed frequently to protect them from more UV damage. Otherwise they will turn yellow rather quickly after you've sanded off the top layer.
Remember the good old days when headlights were glass?
Hey,no problem on the help.I like to share all my ideas and finds that may help others.Let me know how it works.
I know for certain that Nissan and Honda used glass headlights into the '90s. I'm not talking about the old sealed beams either. They used molded glass to make the lens. The only reason to use plastic is cost. I can't think of any other advantages. The weight difference is not that significant. When it comes to a debate between quality and cost reduction, the almighty dollar wins every time.
I wonder it you clear coated the lights after you polished them if that would help them stay nice longer. I know wax them but I ber clear coat would work like the way you clear coat a polished alluminum wheel.
when i tried to clear coat my lenses it was too smooth and the clear ended up looking like it had cracked all over the place.
A friend of mine has a mid-'90s Nissan 300Z. Not only are the headlight lenses glass, but he claims that they are identical to the units used on similar year Lamborghini Countachs (or Diablo?).
Yeah I was going to mention that. I have seen these clear adhesive covers for headlights. It's just a clear film that sticks to the light to protect it. They custom make them for some cars and motorcycles.
This place doesn't list them for Cougars, but it does list them for the 1992 Lincoln Continental, which used the exact same headlights.
http://www.autoanything.com/lights/60A1218A0A0A1805881.aspx
Another company that sells them is called Invisigard.
Man you weren't kidding! I have had horrible luck trying to shine my old yellow faded lenses and I completely vouch for this product. I got about 3/4 the way thru before my stupid cordless drill died, and it had already made a huge difference. I can actually see inside the lense now and unlike before, it casts a direct beam of light which you can actually see on the road, unlike before when it was just kind of a faint glow in front of my car. I've got old betsy charging now so I can finish this evening. I'm anxious to see the results. Thanks again for refering me to this stuff.
No problem,glad to help,now,everyone go buy this stuff whether you need it or not,because the way I see it,it's the best thing I've found for our lights (lenses),and that means they'll probably take it off the market soon and we'll all be screwed.
Will the shine kit work on my plastic lenses? If not, where could i find some glass ones for a 93 cougar?
Thats what its for, I used it and it was the best 10 bucks I ever spent. I can actually see down the road now.
So will i have to pop my lights apart or do you know if it's only on the outside?
It's for the outside.It's very easy to use,and you can do a lot of lights with one kit.I did all 6 of my front lights and I'll do the rear lights eventually.
3M makes a similar product I ran across a couple weeks ago @ their site. They may make the one for sale @ your local stores. If not ... second source.
the "5 minute optical polish" is what i used and it looks clean as hell. i put StreetGlow Xenons in there and it is clean