Polishing the headlight reflectors
Discussion
Intrigued to know how the lights come apart.
In an ideal world, I want to polish the reflectors without removing the headlights from the car.
Can I just remove the exterior painted cowls, then the glasses, and work with the rest in situ?
Saves worrying about rusted adjusters and getting the lights aligned. They already are.
Can anyone advise please?
In an ideal world, I want to polish the reflectors without removing the headlights from the car.
Can I just remove the exterior painted cowls, then the glasses, and work with the rest in situ?
Saves worrying about rusted adjusters and getting the lights aligned. They already are.
Can anyone advise please?
OE is that there is a O ring that fits around the glass and then that is bonded in (enabling you remove the glass and replace the glass within the O ring, (I have this as a number 91163196700/1 which relates to a Porche, but Bosch headlamp) but buying was almost impossible via TVR M0436. A@
Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 27th May 09:37
I all depends how bad the original silver finish has got. My reflectors were very poor, dull and tinted brown. On inspection it was only surface contamination, dust and road grime. I removed them, sprayed them with cold water and a little hand soap to help the water sit on the reflector. After 30 mins of repeated spraying I flushed them under flowing cold water to reveal the original undamaged silver. As said above, the silvering is not bonded to the substrate so don't touch the surface with anything like fingers or cloths.
I then worked to minimise the ability for road grime to get through to the reflectors by adding a membrane behind the reflectors
I then worked to minimise the ability for road grime to get through to the reflectors by adding a membrane behind the reflectors
Gentlemen, you are a fantastic suppository of useful information 
Thank you all for taking the time.
Mine are as described above, very brown looking and dull.
I have to date got around the driving at night problem by fitting Ring 120% brighter bulbs of the standard 60/55 watt halogen variety (so not melting the wiring).
But the lights look unsightly and annoy my limited OCD, so would play hell with Classic Chimi's OCD.
I can see I can get an adjuster kit for £30-40, so one of these days I will park my bum on a cushion in front of the car and have a go at completely dissembling the lights and give the washing them under cold water/soap method a go.
Thanks for the warning about not touching the silvering - I would have done that without a doubt.
If all else fails, I have a set of Lupo lights on the shelf, I just don't know if they are right hand or left hand drive. Still, if they are left hand drive, at least I have a chance to get my own back on all the Audis and BMWs that have been dazzling me with their anti-aircraft searchlights for the last five years.
Thank you all for taking the time.
Mine are as described above, very brown looking and dull.
I have to date got around the driving at night problem by fitting Ring 120% brighter bulbs of the standard 60/55 watt halogen variety (so not melting the wiring).
But the lights look unsightly and annoy my limited OCD, so would play hell with Classic Chimi's OCD.
I can see I can get an adjuster kit for £30-40, so one of these days I will park my bum on a cushion in front of the car and have a go at completely dissembling the lights and give the washing them under cold water/soap method a go.
Thanks for the warning about not touching the silvering - I would have done that without a doubt.
If all else fails, I have a set of Lupo lights on the shelf, I just don't know if they are right hand or left hand drive. Still, if they are left hand drive, at least I have a chance to get my own back on all the Audis and BMWs that have been dazzling me with their anti-aircraft searchlights for the last five years.
QBee said:
Gentlemen, you are a fantastic suppository of useful information
Thank you all for taking the time.
Mine are as described above, very brown looking and dull.
I have to date got around the driving at night problem by fitting Ring 120% brighter bulbs of the standard 60/55 watt halogen variety (so not melting the wiring).
But the lights look unsightly and annoy my limited OCD, so would play hell with Classic Chimi's OCD.
I can see I can get an adjuster kit for £30-40, so one of these days I will park my bum on a cushion in front of the car and have a go at completely dissembling the lights and give the washing them under cold water/soap method a go.
Thanks for the warning about not touching the silvering - I would have done that without a doubt.
If all else fails, I have a set of Lupo lights on the shelf, I just don't know if they are right hand or left hand drive. Still, if they are left hand drive, at least I have a chance to get my own back on all the Audis and BMWs that have been dazzling me with their anti-aircraft searchlights for the last five years.
I’ve got a set of excellent second hand reflectors to go in sometime but I’ve bottled doing it for ages so take pictures please Anthony. Thank you all for taking the time.
Mine are as described above, very brown looking and dull.
I have to date got around the driving at night problem by fitting Ring 120% brighter bulbs of the standard 60/55 watt halogen variety (so not melting the wiring).
But the lights look unsightly and annoy my limited OCD, so would play hell with Classic Chimi's OCD.
I can see I can get an adjuster kit for £30-40, so one of these days I will park my bum on a cushion in front of the car and have a go at completely dissembling the lights and give the washing them under cold water/soap method a go.
Thanks for the warning about not touching the silvering - I would have done that without a doubt.
If all else fails, I have a set of Lupo lights on the shelf, I just don't know if they are right hand or left hand drive. Still, if they are left hand drive, at least I have a chance to get my own back on all the Audis and BMWs that have been dazzling me with their anti-aircraft searchlights for the last five years.
My OCD is under control, no money to waste
Hopefully yours are like these,,, or I’ve been turned over
I got these off another owner but for the life of me can’t think who, thanks anyway.
Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 27th May 18:26
Maybe some help to others. I have changed my reflectors over.
Mine is a pre-face lift 1993 version.
Here an overview of the work that I did.
1) Mask the area that you need to insert the knife into!
2) Cut gently around & through the the mastic. this should loosen that upper portion of the head light surround.
3) After you have removed the grill opening mesh. Then reach in & up to the bottom of the plastic surround and unscrew the 2x wing nuts. Hopefully they will unscrew with out too much of a fight!
(One of mine broke off from the surround)
4) Remove the head light surround.
5) You now have to cut through the mastic holding the headlight lens in place, this is to release it from the wing section. Holding the headlight lens towards the end as it could fall out !!!
6) After safely removing the lens, you should be presented with the reflector, and three screw heads at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. These are a pain to get out if they are rusted like mine.
7) After getting the screws out the reflector will come out easily with the wiring. (You might want to pull the head light and side light plugs off at an earlier stage.)
8) I cleaned up around the reflector and painted it silver for a better look.
9) If you are going for new reflectors, don't forget to keep the little "tabs" from your old reflectors. these are at the ends of the long screws (M4, I think)
10) Fitting is the reverse of the above.
Then of course just the otherside to do!!!!
Mine is a pre-face lift 1993 version.
Here an overview of the work that I did.
1) Mask the area that you need to insert the knife into!
2) Cut gently around & through the the mastic. this should loosen that upper portion of the head light surround.
3) After you have removed the grill opening mesh. Then reach in & up to the bottom of the plastic surround and unscrew the 2x wing nuts. Hopefully they will unscrew with out too much of a fight!
(One of mine broke off from the surround)
4) Remove the head light surround.
5) You now have to cut through the mastic holding the headlight lens in place, this is to release it from the wing section. Holding the headlight lens towards the end as it could fall out !!!
6) After safely removing the lens, you should be presented with the reflector, and three screw heads at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. These are a pain to get out if they are rusted like mine.
7) After getting the screws out the reflector will come out easily with the wiring. (You might want to pull the head light and side light plugs off at an earlier stage.)
8) I cleaned up around the reflector and painted it silver for a better look.
9) If you are going for new reflectors, don't forget to keep the little "tabs" from your old reflectors. these are at the ends of the long screws (M4, I think)
10) Fitting is the reverse of the above.
Then of course just the otherside to do!!!!
Edited by FoxTVR430 on Tuesday 28th May 16:00
As per this thread
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The VW T2 transporter reflectors fit at a fraction of the cost
Quick search found these, I'm sure a bit of sleuthing would turn up more T2 parts sellers
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Transporter-T2-74-79...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The VW T2 transporter reflectors fit at a fraction of the cost
Quick search found these, I'm sure a bit of sleuthing would turn up more T2 parts sellers
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Transporter-T2-74-79...
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