New Idea for Yellowed Headlights

[Mazda]

New Idea for Yellowed Headlights (Well it doesn't work)

Hello All,

I have a 'new' idea on how we can 'de-yellow' the headlights and other lenses that get this way but I have two problems.

1. First I don't want to tell anyone yet because I don't know if it will work at all and don't want to look like a ass for telling someone to do it and it messes up the lens.

2. As I have replaced the headlights on the B2300, x-wife's van, Mom's Toyota , Dad has a new truck and everyone else I know literally has a newer truck/car. I have no old lenses to try this on.

So does anyone have a really old and very yellowed headlight lens that they can part with for 'FREE'. I will of course pay for shipping it to me and if it works or doesn't will ship it back to the owner.


Edit... I should say that if this process does work. You will be able to make like new about 10 cars or trucks for about $15.00 total materials. Far less that other products I have tried and seen or the cost of having a shop do it.
Thanks Guys and Girls

Bryan

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

IMO you need to charge about 4-5 times your material costs. 20-25% material costs and the same percentage for marketing/insurance, government taxes, labor/incidental costs and finally profit.
If I was closer I would send some your way.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[Mazda]

IMO you need to charge about 4-5 times your material costs. 20-25% material costs and the same percentage for marketing/insurance, government taxes, labor/incidental costs and finally profit.
If I was closer I would send some your way.
Good luck,

Richard

Thanks Richard but if this actually works I would be charging anyone anything I would just offer the info for free here and let others do what they want with it.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You mean "wouldn't" ? lol

 

[Mark_88]

I was going to get to cleaning the lenses from the 92 that I am installing on my 88 cab but still puttering around with small things like mounting the lights on the old front end...

Anyway, sorry from my end too because I am using them...but I will watch for your solution as I might need it some day to clean these ones...

One thing I did learn from my 89 Tempo...drill tiny holes in the bottom of the lenses and this will cure most things that ails them...they used to get water inside and when it sloshed it would blow out the bulb...and then the discolouration would set in (not on mine because I drilled early).

 

[enjr44]

Why not just go to a junk yard a get a bad lens/cover.Most of the yards around here would just give it to you for free since it is no use to them and they can't sell it.

 

[Mazda]

Why not just go to a junk yard a get a bad lens/cover.Most of the yards around here would just give it to you for free since it is no use to them and they can't sell it.

Unfortunately I live in California. Yes their are yards but none near me and I can't walk or drive very well do to a bad hip injury. No 'pick a parts' here like in other states. They pull parts and you get charged a fee for that and for the part. Insurance Rates messed that all up years ago. So when I called a few the prices were crazy to me. I have a friend that works at a tow yard and he is looking for me to. I just though someone would have one laying around they didn't want.

 

[black_demon69]

here is a verified working method to clean yellowed head lights

materials needed :
800 grit wet dry sand paper (1 sheet)
1500 or 2000 grit wet dry sand paper (1 sheet)
UV resistant clear coat (1 can)
bucket water with a little dish soap
lint free towel (to dry lights)

procedure is as follows (should take about 30 min to complete):
step 1: remove lights
step 2: wet sand with 800 grit
step 3: wet sand with 1500 or 2000 grit
step 4: dry off with lint free towel
step 5: paint with clear coat with 3 or 4 light coats (to prevent runs)
step 6: when dry reinstall lights


Got this from a body guy that I know and have done this myself and it works.

 

[Mazda]

Well it doesn't work. The clear plastic used for the head lights and others is not compatible with the method I hoped would work. I tried it with a third brake light lens.

Thanks for all the replies. Was hopeful...

 

[txgocartB3000]

Just use Mother's Alum Mag wheel cleaner.

Use small circular circles until all surface is clear.

Buff ... done.

Ray

 

[straycat]

Man, I never had these issues before with any of my rides, but...my wife's headlights on her '03 Corolla (bought new) just started to yellow last month. A few places near us want about $35-$40 to clean them up. I saw Maguire's PlastiX head light cleaner and thought to give it a try. It was about $8 at Walmart. I used it once two weeks ago and it really seemed to help. The yellow is gone and the head lights looks so clear again. All I had to do was wipe on the cleaner with one cloth and then wipe it back off with another cloth. I applied two applications. Very easy. I am keeping an eye on them to see how they look in a few more weeks. Today they still look so clear.

Hope this might help out any others here that might need to try something to cleanup their headlights.

 

[ZMan]

Wetsand them with 600 and spray clear coat on them. I've fixed multiple headlights this way, done right they will last decades longer than they did from the factory. The reason they fail in the first place is the UV coating the factory puts on them fails and peels off. Buffing is only temporary, plus it just doesn't look as good, because usually there is still remnants of the UV coating still on there that makes it look all cloudy.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I've done 4 rigs in just the last month alone, even the ones I've done a couple years ago look factory new. If they are real bad I start wet sanding with #600 then #800 then finish with #1000. You don't need to go finer or the plastic has no tooth for the clear to grab ahold of. Remember clear is NOT like paint and will run in a heartbeat so make darn sure you shoot a practice part of plastic first or you will rue the day you didn't. Also and this is huge don't use rustoleum, krylon or other clears they just don't do the magic, use Duplicolor Acrylic Enamel Clearcoat (Crystal Clear). You can buy it off the shelf at oreillys ect. I have done at least 50 sets on lenses like this and they are all flawless and have withstood the test of time in Alaska's almost 24/7 summer daylight and harsh winters. Also you do not need to remove the lights just tape and paper the rig off and have at it, there are tons of videos on youtube and about 99% are either just stupid or very sub par for results. There is one I will try to find that the guy does it exactly like I do. Maby I should do a video myself since I have a few friends rigs in line to get it done because it can go from OMG what did I do to Meh to WOWZA thats bad azz.

 

[Nhaz]

I have successfully used autosol chrome polish. its pretty much wet grit.

 

[Mazda]

Thanks for all the replies guys... I know how it's done and have used pretty much all the methods that have come up. Frankly the simplest solution for me is to just buy all new housings. They are getting cheaper all the time and it just doesn't make sense to me doing it the other ways.

So I'm also in vintage computing and have several "valuable" computers in my collection and a method that we use to un-age old computers is to use a product called a cream developer like they use in hair salons. This method if it would work on the light housings takes a total prep-application-cure time or about a hour with no sanding or any 'elbow-grease" whatsoever. All you do is clean the parts in a mild soap to get the grease off. Brush on a generous coating of the developer and then wrap it in plastic wrap and set it in the sun for a hour or so. That's it. Still going to try a few more test but I know from the third brake light I did you cant use it on colored plastic but it did work on the clear parts. Here is what it does to the computer parts.







So I see that a member posted that he hit a deer so I'll PM him and see if he will send me the broken light and try some test again.

Bryan