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I just got a new 2005 a week ago and my headlights lenses are bad too. The guy I got it from had it regularly detailed and his guy told him there was nothing more he can do with it. Apparently they are smooth/silky to the touch on the outside so the problem seems to be on the inside of the lens. After reading about the costly pain of replacing the lens here, I’ve decided to go with a vinyl black out. Should be a nice touch with a black car. Unless… Anybody has a ‘miracle solution“. Lol
@RobertCorvette you sure don't want to do that unless you never drive your car at night. Any darkening film applied to lights diminishes the already poor OE performance of the lights.
Since you're in the Bay Area, feel free to stop by our shop in Concord, CA ,
@RobertCorvette you sure don't want to do that unless you never drive your car at night. Any darkening film applied to lights diminishes the already poor OE performance of the lights.
Since you're in the Bay Area, feel free to stop by our shop in Concord, CA ,
Good advice. Thanks. I don’t really drive it too much at night, if at all anyway. And never in bad/rainy weather. If it doesn’t work out, they peel right off. I just put on one headlight vinyl of the two and it looks really cool. Major tedious work though. And thanks for the invite, I just may cruise by there sometime. Only 30 minutes down the road. 😉
Good advice. Thanks. I don’t really drive it too much at night, if at all anyway. And never in bad/rainy weather. If it doesn’t work out, they peel right off. I just put on one headlight vinyl of the two and it looks really cool. Major tedious work though. And thanks for the invite, I just may cruise by there sometime. Only 30 minutes down the road. 😉
I agree with umnitza that it'll be way too dark at night, or in the rain. You may also want to check any traffic regulations, as it may cause you to be pulled over.
I agree with umnitza that it'll be way too dark at night, or in the rain. You may also want to check any traffic regulations, as it may cause you to be pulled over.
I also want to see pics when you're finished!
just finished with the 15 piece kit. Did the whole car. Came out really good except the headlights were kind of meh. That shitty look still kind of shows through in certain light. But it looks better at a glance now. Definitely easier to do in the driveway during the day then opposed to in the garage at night. Heat is a factor.
Damn, black cars are a bitch to photograph! 🤪
She’s done! 15 pieces.
Sorry for the double post. The other one above didn’t post for 24 hours so I didn’t think it worked. So I posted again and it went up immediately.
Last edited by RobertCorvette; May 19, 2022 at 03:24 PM.
I've done more headlight restorations than I can count. And I restored the lenses on mine about a year ago.
I had read all the noise about "crazing" and how it wasn't possible to restore them, but it just didn't make any sense. The lenses can be restored (as can the transparent top), you just have to be aggressive enough to remove ALL of the UV clear coat that was originally applied to the lenses.
Takes about 2 hours over 2 days. Start at 400 grit (wet) until all of the clear is gone. The clear seems to be quite thick, so it takes quite a bit of sanding to get through it. Once all the clear is gone, go to 600, 800, an then 1,000 making sure to remove all of the scratches of the previous grit. The lenses will NOT be clear--they will be quite dull. There is no need to go any further than 1,000. Let the lenses dry completely (I usually wait overnight) then clean with alcohol. Shoot two light coats followed by a heavy coat of UV clear. If you want them perfect, compound and then polish.
If you are in the North Texas area, I don't mind helping you out. $25 for a quality 2-part clear and $10 for sandpaper and tape sure beats the cost of new lenses or new assemblies.
Last edited by HobbesTiger; May 20, 2022 at 06:09 PM.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
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