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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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12-09-2017, 08:43 PM | #1 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 808
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It was around late March when my passion for driving was reignited. a series 1 XR6. it wasnt perfect but it ws going to get a full freshening up, mechanically, and cosmetically.
a nasty scratch by key was fixed with one side painted and the boot and along with fully serviced mechanicals, bumper to bumper......it was absolutely stunning to look at and great to drive. there was one little thing that my son noticed. the headlamps has very small traces of UV damage. i have noticed latter model cars have opaque lights and often wondered why. my son told me they are not glass anymore. but plastic..... he bought me a REPCO light restorer kit. now before i tell you how much it cost him, let me tell you what was in it. 3 very course sanding blocks. (i have used ones like that for sanding plaster off walls....) 3 pieces of fine sandpaper 3 pieces of slightly finer sandpaper some paper for masking the paintwork one tiny can of clear paint. does the sound like a headlamp restoration kit so far? well i can buy all of that sand paper and blocks from Bunnings for probably $15.00. a can of paint that small probably 7.00 from a hobby shop? the kit cost $87.00 we followed the instructions slowly and carefully and now the headlamp as totally stuffed. he has ordered a brand new headlamp for my car. i am letting you guys know that if you ever see a little bit of opaque in your headlamps, if it bothers you, buy a new lamp. do not insult your intelligence by being sucked into this 'wonder' product that REPCO put their name on.
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12-09-2017, 09:03 PM | #2 | ||
as in chopped
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,991
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OZqLOZU5qUY This guy has a wealth of cheap quick easy fixes that work. I have also used toothpaste, a cloth and elbow grease to fix hazed headlight lenses covers. It's a shame you wrecked your headlight lens with a supposed good kit.
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12-09-2017, 09:10 PM | #3 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,125
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Have used the Repco kit before with amazing results. They looked brand new after I was done.
Got a pic of the stuffed lenses now? |
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12-09-2017, 09:27 PM | #4 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mid North Coast
Posts: 6,443
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These kits seem to work well for others.
What happened to the lights to make them stuffed??
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The Daily Driver : '98 EL Falcon, 5 Speed , 3.45 lsd The Week End Bruiser : FPV BF GT 40th Anniversary, 6 Speed Manual, 6/4 Brembo and lots of Herrod goodies Project 1 : '75 XB GS 351 Ute, Toploader, 9" with 3.5's Project 2 : '74 XB GS Big Block Coupe, Toploader, 9" with 4.11's In Storage : '74 XB GS 351 Fairmont Sedan XB Falcon Owners Group Mike's Man Cave |
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12-09-2017, 09:32 PM | #5 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 995
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13-09-2017, 12:51 AM | #6 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 700
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Quote:
The last kit I purchased had cutting compound in it which I buffed out the yellowness and a solution which then persevered the plastic lens from turning yellow in the future. It defiantly did not have sandpaper or clear paint. Peter |
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13-09-2017, 04:48 AM | #7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2014
Location: N.Z
Posts: 866
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Sandpaper is fine. And is the only way to to restore lights once they get to a certain point, I used to do the headlight restoration for a job and depending on the job we would start with 240-500 grit sand paper, and work up the grades until using a 4000 grit sanding pad. No polishing or anything, but when clear coated over with a UV clear coat designed for headlights they would come up like brand new.
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13-09-2017, 05:00 AM | #8 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Riff
Posts: 12,422
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product failure?
or User failure?
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FGII XR6 IN LIGHTNING STRIKE R52 SIII IN GUN METALLIC |
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13-09-2017, 06:10 AM | #9 | ||
The one and only
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Carrum Downs, Victoria
Posts: 9,053
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$87 when you could have used toothpaste!
Never tried it myself, but I hear it works.
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1992 DC LTDHO 360rwkw built by me Tuned by CVE Performance Going of the rails on a crazy train Other cars include Dynamic ED Sprint, Dynamic DL LTD, Sparkling Burgundy DL LTD, Yellow, Red & Blue XB sedan & Black XB Coupe
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13-09-2017, 06:52 AM | #10 | ||
AKA "the other bloke"
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,980
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I'm pretty sure that au Xr lights are actually glass and not plastic, my sons series 3 Xr are def glass lenses while my series 2 Ghia are plastic, this might e why they did not work
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Her's: 2000 AU II Fairmont Ghia 75th anniversary VCT meteorite & 2014 yaris - white His Toy: 2012 fg II GT-E, emperor red His: VS Ute 5 Litre 5 speed (povo pack) His: 2012 FG II GS, Vanish His: 2003 BA GT-P, Lightening Strike Jnr: 2002 AU III Falcon XR6 ST, 5 speed Blueprint & 1978 XC Fairmont Neptune Blue Previous: 1976 HX 50th Anniversary Kingswood 2014 FGX G6E Turbo 1980 XD Falcon GL 2003 BA Falcon XR6 1991 EB Falcon S 1989 EA Fairmont 1982 XE Fairmont 1968 XT Falcon |
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13-09-2017, 08:09 AM | #11 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: St Albans, VIC
Posts: 349
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All AU XR6/8 are glass.
did yours have the headlight protectors on it which are plastic? |
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13-09-2017, 08:37 AM | #12 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 808
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the right hand light is opaque, scratched and probably deflectable. he took the kit back to Repco and they refunded his money. they then gave him a merguire kit and we did the left hand light. This one didn't get damaged. the Merguires kit had a polish type of substance. no polish in Repco kit. only sandpaper, sanding blocks and small can of clear paint. paper to mask. nothing else. so the REPCO KIT destroyed the light. following the instructions CAREFULLY. the Merguires kit didn't damage the Left hand light. Maybe there was something missing from the REPCO kit? too late now the light will be replaced and never touching anything like this again.
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13-09-2017, 09:17 AM | #13 | ||
BLUE OVAL INC.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,768
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With all due respect, if your going to slander a product then you should really show us what the result was so we can decide wether it was an application issue or indeed the product.
As others have said, all AU XR headlights are glass and shouldn't need polishing the way you would with polycarbonate headlights. The plastic covers which sit over the light recess are plastic but are only protectors, not the actual lights. Did you remove the headlight from the car as it would be almost impossible to polish the AU XR lights in position. |
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13-09-2017, 09:30 AM | #14 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 995
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Quote:
I think the OP is talking about an FG series I XR6? |
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13-09-2017, 10:15 AM | #15 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,460
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I used the Turtle Wax variant as was half price at Super cheap and did a good job
Had sanding blocks or varying grades, a liquid lubricant and polishing compound and UV sealant I have since gone with Turtle Wax headlight restorer which is under $20 and does a good job as well Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD
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Before - ED Falcon Futura (sold) EL XR6 (R.I.P.) VX SS (R.I.P) VE Berlina |
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13-09-2017, 11:13 AM | #16 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: W.A.
Posts: 691
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I used a $35 light restorer kit from autoone on the girlfriends kia, they were really badly yellowed sun damaged and fine cracks but the product brought them back to i think 80% which quite happy with, still cheaper than new lights
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13-09-2017, 12:11 PM | #17 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 808
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From the responses I have heard. There is a distinct possibility that there may have been a missing part form the Repco kit?
Maybe the light on my FG has already been affected by something prior to my ownership? I am a regular at my local Repco and always had good service so no qualms there. I will try and get a pic up. The left hand one is crystal clear and the right hand one looks like frosted glass with scour marks from the supplied and used sand paper and blocks. The light may have already been treated in the past and doing it again may have caused this problem. Given my time again…….anything that affects the external appearance of the car. Paint Windows Lights Wheels I get new, or get a professional to fix.
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13-09-2017, 01:04 PM | #18 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 913
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Quote:
A few years ago, my son had his Barina knocked back on a NSW roadworthy cert because of faded headlights. They were 'professionally fixed' for about $70, and when I saw the result, I went ape-sh*t and asked how he could have been sucked into such a crap job that was not needed.. They looked like they had been brush coated with varnish, dusted with talcum powder, and felt like sandpaper. An hour on each light had them back to an acceptable condition, and now, ten minutes before each road-worthy presents no hassles. |
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13-09-2017, 04:25 PM | #19 | ||
BLUE OVAL INC.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,768
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13-09-2017, 04:34 PM | #20 | ||
BLUE OVAL INC.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,768
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I bought an EL Fairmont off a member of this Forum 11yrs ago which had terrible headlights to the point that his Wife couldn't drive it to work, from memory she was a nurse and worked nights.
I enquired about new ones and gave it a miss when quoted $400 per side. I grabbed 800, 1200, 1500 and 2000 grit paper. a bottle of Silvo and some swirl remover and had them looking new within 2hrs. Then I discovered the globes hadn't been installed correctly and were both pointing upwards and cutting the light projected by half, put them back in properly and they were perfect. Total cost was about $10, the money they ask for those kits is insulting. |
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13-09-2017, 05:30 PM | #21 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,125
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Quote:
My results were as shown on the box - I know right, I was blown away myself, accurate box advertising! |
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13-09-2017, 06:30 PM | #22 | ||
FG XR6T trayback
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: N-W NSW
Posts: 1,314
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I used the $40 Invision restoration kit on poly headlights and the results were fantastic.
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13-09-2017, 07:11 PM | #23 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 327
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A couple of years ago I had a Suzuki Grand Vitara, headlights were pretty bad, so I tried some Autosol metal polish on them and it worked really well. What I didn't know of before reading this thread was the availability of a protective coating for them. Good info.
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13-09-2017, 08:11 PM | #24 | ||
Starter Motor
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 9
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I used that same Repco kit on an AU Forte and a VE ute, both with foggy and scummy yellow headlights. I got fantastic near-new results both times.
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13-09-2017, 09:36 PM | #25 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Posts: 3,381
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I recently paid $40 for a local detailer to restore the lights on our Peugeot. It's normally $65 but he had a monthly special on it.
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14-09-2017, 07:11 AM | #26 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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Location: nz
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Quote:
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14-09-2017, 05:00 PM | #27 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 1,204
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I even used this to resotre scratched gauges lenses on my old Mustang, you don't want the gel type paste as it doesn't have any grit, best one I found is Oral B, feels quite gritty in your mouth. Last used it to polish some scratches out of the roof of a car a few months ago.
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14-09-2017, 06:03 PM | #28 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 88
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I used a cheap kit on my ef lights years ago,worked great,it was just a few different grades of wet and dry and plastic polish.
Id love to bust a tube of toothpaste open and try it but both my cars have glass lights no polishing needed. |
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14-09-2017, 06:14 PM | #29 | ||
When in doubt, GAS IT!!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Lower Eyre Peninsula, SA
Posts: 3,018
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I just use Turtle brand liquid cut and polish and a microfible cloth. within 2 minutes per side I can have milky headlights back to 90%+. A few more minutes with some swirl remover and I can get awfully close to 100%..... But some of that UV protectant would be nice to have on the shelf.
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16-09-2017, 05:07 PM | #30 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,341
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These kits are designed for polycarbonate lenses & whilst they do contain sandpaper, the surface needs to be kept wet to avoid scarring or burning the lens. The little bottle is a polishing paste of sorts that buffs out to reveal a clear lens. It is important to remember the suns UV rays is what does the damage to begin with so if they're old or really bad, the reflective coating on the inside is probably gone as well and you'd be better getting a genuine set from the wreckers. The aftermarket lights are rarely as good as genuine items.
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