Bought a Headlight that needs work - Help Please!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 332
Likes: 1
From: Norman OK
Bought a Headlight that needs work - Help Please!
Hi All,
I bought a Black headlight for my 08 C6 on Ebay for a very cheap price. There are some issues with the headlight, but for the price I figured what the heck, may as well give it a try. Anyways, heres the issues...
1) On the underside of the headlight the tabs that hold the screws/bolt in are broken off with the bolts. In other words, the plastic broke, so I need to either re-weld the plastic back on, or possibly glue it somehow? Any advice here?
2) The lens has two pretty large scratches. I have read a bit about wetsanding them, but not sure if this would be possible. Anybody have experience wetsanding a lens? The scratches are fairly deep, and it seems one has actually been filled with some sort of material.
Thanks guys, let me know what you think!
I bought a Black headlight for my 08 C6 on Ebay for a very cheap price. There are some issues with the headlight, but for the price I figured what the heck, may as well give it a try. Anyways, heres the issues...
1) On the underside of the headlight the tabs that hold the screws/bolt in are broken off with the bolts. In other words, the plastic broke, so I need to either re-weld the plastic back on, or possibly glue it somehow? Any advice here?
2) The lens has two pretty large scratches. I have read a bit about wetsanding them, but not sure if this would be possible. Anybody have experience wetsanding a lens? The scratches are fairly deep, and it seems one has actually been filled with some sort of material.
Thanks guys, let me know what you think!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
Contact member RLSebring for help, he specializes in headlight work. 
Here's a recent thread where he posted (#2) so you can get to his contact info:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...n-c6-help.html
Here's a recent thread where he posted (#2) so you can get to his contact info:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...n-c6-help.html
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 748
Likes: 3
What do you mean "a" headlight? You only bought one to swap out for your colored headlight? You can just paint the bezels of the headlight....
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eadlights.html
It wasn't fun separating the lens from the housing then removing the glue...and that was no where near the first headlight I ever separated!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eadlights.html
It wasn't fun separating the lens from the housing then removing the glue...and that was no where near the first headlight I ever separated!
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,893
Likes: 107
From: God's Country, ID
Hi All,
I bought a Black headlight for my 08 C6 on Ebay for a very cheap price. There are some issues with the headlight, but for the price I figured what the heck, may as well give it a try. Anyways, heres the issues...
1) On the underside of the headlight the tabs that hold the screws/bolt in are broken off with the bolts. In other words, the plastic broke, so I need to either re-weld the plastic back on, or possibly glue it somehow? Any advice here?
2) The lens has two pretty large scratches. I have read a bit about wetsanding them, but not sure if this would be possible. Anybody have experience wetsanding a lens? The scratches are fairly deep, and it seems one has actually been filled with some sort of material.
Thanks guys, let me know what you think!
I bought a Black headlight for my 08 C6 on Ebay for a very cheap price. There are some issues with the headlight, but for the price I figured what the heck, may as well give it a try. Anyways, heres the issues...
1) On the underside of the headlight the tabs that hold the screws/bolt in are broken off with the bolts. In other words, the plastic broke, so I need to either re-weld the plastic back on, or possibly glue it somehow? Any advice here?
2) The lens has two pretty large scratches. I have read a bit about wetsanding them, but not sure if this would be possible. Anybody have experience wetsanding a lens? The scratches are fairly deep, and it seems one has actually been filled with some sort of material.
Thanks guys, let me know what you think!
2.You can purchase a new lens and go through the baking process listed in the above link. Or, you can purchase a headlight lens repair/restore kit and try to get the scratches out. The Wallmart, believe it or not, by my house has a kit that works pretty good.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 748
Likes: 3
Wetsanding does work by the way (400.600.800.1000.2000.buff with heavy cut compound and good high speed buffer) but it's a lot of work and a long process. Depending on how deep the scratches are, you may start with a finer paper.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 332
Likes: 1
From: Norman OK
Haha yes, I bought just a single headlight, however I don't plan to run the car with mismatching ones. I paid 40 bucks for the headlight so I figured I may as well scoop it up and see if I can make it work, and I will wait out until I find a nice deal on a left headlight. I am not in a rush, and don't mind a project as long as I'm confident I can get it nice looking. Thanks for the help guys, I ordered the 3M lens repair/restore kit so I will start with that and see where I get. As far as the broken plastic, do you think something like this would work?
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/epx...tic-Bonder.htm
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/epx...tic-Bonder.htm
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,893
Likes: 107
From: God's Country, ID
Haha yes, I bought just a single headlight, however I don't plan to run the car with mismatching ones. I paid 40 bucks for the headlight so I figured I may as well scoop it up and see if I can make it work, and I will wait out until I find a nice deal on a left headlight. I am not in a rush, and don't mind a project as long as I'm confident I can get it nice looking. Thanks for the help guys, I ordered the 3M lens repair/restore kit so I will start with that and see where I get. As far as the broken plastic, do you think something like this would work?
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/epx...tic-Bonder.htm
http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/epx...tic-Bonder.htm
The epoxy I use hardens in less than a minute and completely cures in 24hrs. You can find it Kragen/Oriely.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 332
Likes: 1
From: Norman OK
Okay sounds good. I went to Orielly's Auto Parts and picked up some plastic epoxy that says it hardens in 15 minutes. Hopefully itll be quicker and I won't have to hold it there that long, but if I do, oh well. There are just three tabs so it should be too bad.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
rick gave you the best advice to talk with someone who has done many and experimented. but you can experiment, too.
may want to look at this thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...d-to-know.html
and another one: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...placement.html
may want to look at this thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...d-to-know.html
and another one: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...placement.html
Last edited by AORoads; Aug 12, 2011 at 07:32 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 332
Likes: 1
From: Norman OK
Thanks, I sent him a PM so hopefully I'll hear back. In the meantime, I used the plastic epoxy with what seem to be good results. It has been drying for about 2 hours now, and says will be fully hardened after 24 hours, but so far feels real sturdy. Are there any tutorials on removing/installing headlights? Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
Are there any tutorials on removing/installing headlights?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-question.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1576999104-post4.html
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
And in case you've never been in there, here are some pics from Talon90 to give you some idea what you'll see:
Just be prepared. In order to remedy this they will need to remove or at least loosen your fenders and your front fascia to get at these gaskets.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 11,216
Likes: 178
From: Pensacola Florida GO GATORS!!! www.rlsebring.com www.c6c7vette.com
St. Jude Donor '17
PM sent. Here's a PDF of how to do a front wide body. Use the first part of the steps to get to the lights. You only have to loosen up enough of the top screws in the fenders and front bumper to comfortably get the lights out without scratching something.
Thanks, I sent him a PM so hopefully I'll hear back. In the meantime, I used the plastic epoxy with what seem to be good results. It has been drying for about 2 hours now, and says will be fully hardened after 24 hours, but so far feels real sturdy. Are there any tutorials on removing/installing headlights? Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,893
Likes: 107
From: God's Country, ID
Thanks, I sent him a PM so hopefully I'll hear back. In the meantime, I used the plastic epoxy with what seem to be good results. It has been drying for about 2 hours now, and says will be fully hardened after 24 hours, but so far feels real sturdy. Are there any tutorials on removing/installing headlights? Thanks