All these new car threads
11-21-2013, 12:53 PM
#52
Banned
Thread Starter
Headlights are tricky chaps; it's actually a clear acrylic coat designed to protect the polycarbonate which yellows. Polish it off and then the PC just yellows, which is why you have to keep at it all the time & was one reason for the 'Lude's projectors.
Funnily enough, the Leg End's dipped beam isn't all that either. S2000's is way better.
Change the cog box oil; all that friction material from the clutch & brake plates cannot be good for it. The only reason they say 'for life' is they want to sell you a recon slushbox. Madness.
Anyway, I used to like yellow lights on cars when I was a kid - I think they were French or Cibies or something and I always thought they looked cool.
11-21-2013, 10:37 PM
#53
It was French cars that had the yellow 'headlights'.
In fact my first car had them; it was a 1972 LHD Fiat 127 imported from France. The headlights were plain glass but the bulbs had a yellow coating.
The lights were yellow for the same reason as Ye Olde car fog lights were; the blue light frequencies are filtered from the spectrum as these are more easily diffused and refracted by water droplets/crap in the air. The yellow light is less absorbed and thus has better penetration. Yellow also increases contrast.
Red light would of course be better but it would most likely create the impression with oncoming drivers of a car reversing at ultra high speed...
11-22-2013, 09:04 AM
#54
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
Simply not aggressive enough. Inadequate for most headlights and not cheap at £20 for four little pads and a small pot of polish.
I will use some more aggressive wet and dry (the most aggressive in the kit is only 1800 grit) and use the polish at the end.
I suppose it might be ok if your lights are nearly new (in which case why bother0 but otherwise don't waste your money.
11-22-2013, 10:45 AM
#56
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Originally Posted by gaddafi' timestamp='1385035760' post='22887602
[quote name='s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475']
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
Simply not aggressive enough. Inadequate for most headlights and not cheap at £20 for four little pads and a small pot of polish.
I will use some more aggressive wet and dry (the most aggressive in the kit is only 1800 grit) and use the polish at the end.
I suppose it might be ok if your lights are nearly new (in which case why bother0 but otherwise don't waste your money.
[/quote]
You need to get a DA polisher on the case - will bring them up a treat.
11-23-2013, 07:20 AM
#57
Banned
Thread Starter
Photo before having a go. Really bad marking especially on top of the lenses:
[attachment=49343:before headlights.jpg]
Using the Meguiars kit was a waste of time. As I said, the most aggressive grit in that kit is 1800 which is nothing like coarse enough.
I decided to use my own judgement and this is what was achieved after two hours (to do all four lights):
[attachment=49344:after headlights.jpg]
If anyone's interested I'll post exactly what I used/my experience
Here's a reason why you cannot fix things on modern cars - just about everything is inaccessible:
[attachment=49345:engine 1.jpg]
[attachment=49343:before headlights.jpg]
Using the Meguiars kit was a waste of time. As I said, the most aggressive grit in that kit is 1800 which is nothing like coarse enough.
I decided to use my own judgement and this is what was achieved after two hours (to do all four lights):
[attachment=49344:after headlights.jpg]
If anyone's interested I'll post exactly what I used/my experience
Here's a reason why you cannot fix things on modern cars - just about everything is inaccessible:
[attachment=49345:engine 1.jpg]
11-23-2013, 08:46 AM
#58
Originally Posted by gaddafi' timestamp='1385143495' post='22889906
[quote name='gaddafi' timestamp='1385035760' post='22887602']
[quote name='s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475']
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
[quote name='s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475']
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
Simply not aggressive enough. Inadequate for most headlights and not cheap at £20 for four little pads and a small pot of polish.
I will use some more aggressive wet and dry (the most aggressive in the kit is only 1800 grit) and use the polish at the end.
I suppose it might be ok if your lights are nearly new (in which case why bother0 but otherwise don't waste your money.
[/quote]
You need to get a DA polisher on the case - will bring them up a treat.
[/quote]
Yeah - glasspaper followed by a Dual Action and some stuff from Pinball Wizard. The Meg's is weak.
I just CBA to go through that all the time.
Also, once you've done through the Si coat, the PC will yellow and then I believe, polishing will no longer work.
Dunno what the long-term answer is.
11-23-2013, 09:12 AM
#59
Banned
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by cheshire_carper' timestamp='1385149545' post='22890100
[quote name='gaddafi' timestamp='1385143495' post='22889906']
[quote name='gaddafi' timestamp='1385035760' post='22887602']
[quote name='s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475']
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
[quote name='gaddafi' timestamp='1385035760' post='22887602']
[quote name='s2konroids' timestamp='1385023405' post='22887475']
The Polish won't make a massive difference Pete, the best approach is wet and dry sand paper with a cutting compound however you need to keep on top of it - it will look like new then.
Simply not aggressive enough. Inadequate for most headlights and not cheap at £20 for four little pads and a small pot of polish.
I will use some more aggressive wet and dry (the most aggressive in the kit is only 1800 grit) and use the polish at the end.
I suppose it might be ok if your lights are nearly new (in which case why bother0 but otherwise don't waste your money.
[/quote]
You need to get a DA polisher on the case - will bring them up a treat.
[/quote]
Yeah - glasspaper followed by a Dual Action and some stuff from Pinball Wizard. The Meg's is weak.
I just CBA to go through that all the time.
Also, once you've done through the Si coat, the PC will yellow and then I believe, polishing will no longer work.
Dunno what the long-term answer is.
[/quote]
Don't keep the car? That will probably be mine.
I gather there are products that provide some UV protection. I also read clear coating might work - certainly easy enough to try.
11-23-2013, 09:27 AM
#60
Indeed - there are a few 'specialists' who claim to offer that service.
It ought to fix the porosity, but I cannot see it being 'tough' enough not to chip/offer UV protection.
Cannot be that difficult to offer a refurb service? Here's one who claims to use the 'correct stuff':
http://www.smart-repair-wales.co.uk/...estoration.php
It ought to fix the porosity, but I cannot see it being 'tough' enough not to chip/offer UV protection.
Cannot be that difficult to offer a refurb service? Here's one who claims to use the 'correct stuff':
http://www.smart-repair-wales.co.uk/...estoration.php