Custom Clear Headlights

[92 SVX]

Having gotten very tired of the dingy hard to see stock lights I was looking at a way to replace, or at least change that.

I decided to pull the headlights apart, heating like the tail lights. Then I sanded down all the ribs inside.



In case anyone is interested I started with 80 grit emery cloth, all I had available. Once all the ribbing was gone I sanded with 400 grit wet/dry moved on to 800 grit then finished off with 2000 grit. When all the sanding was done I polished with PlasticX.

I hand sanded all of it.



A sanding block would have been handy, I would guess one could be found small enough. In addition to the sanded fingers I got lots of scratches from where the lens attaches to the housing.
I think the sanding took about 16 hours, but with a block or even a small sander that would be cut drastically.
The first one I did I tried using a dremel with a sanding wheel, that unfortunately did not turn out so well the small wheel made pits which later sanding were not able to remove, I think if I sanded lots more material out it might work but I dont want to make the lens that thin. Anyone have a drivers side headlight? or even just the lens?



This is what I started with, I sanded the outside with 2000 grit and polished with the plasticx before this pic.

Here is the first one I did next to the undone passenger side one.


Tomorrow in the daylight I will take a few pics installed on the car.

Well I can't find the pics, the links are all broken, my server crashed and those pics might have been lost.

[Sean486]

Nice job! But you must be crazy to do all that work!

[michael]

You are a madman, I love it!

[Blacky]

You do know that clear lenses can be bought for our cars?
Are you sure you weren't laying interloc brick in the rain? Those fingers look raw.

[Motorsport-SVX]

thats alot of labor...
nice job

[92 SVX]

I know you can get the small car lights though your paying a lot and still doing lots of work on them, this cost me maybe $10 total, though a new drivers lens might cost a bit more lol.

here are pics on the car, I have the grill out seeing what I can come up with for customizing it.






And thank you.

[Sean486]

Does the drivers side look better in person? I'm thinking you may want to pick up another and redo it.

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Does the drivers side look better in person? I'm thinking you may want to pick up another and redo it.

Yes it does look a little better in person, though I do want to get another and redo it. As I asked in the first post anyone have a drivers side headlight? or even just a lens?

Here is the grill, it isnt perfect I think I will be looking to pic up a 97 grill.

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by 92 SVX

Here is the grill, it isnt perfect I think I will be looking to pic up a 97 grill.

+1. Why reinvent the wheel? The '97 grill looks great, especially on a white car.

Good job on the headlights. I'm going to get a set of the smallcar ones eventually because I just can't see myself spending that much time sanding and polishing. I'll have a couple spare lenses then lol.

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

+1. Why reinvent the wheel? The '97 grill looks great, especially on a white car.

Good job on the headlights. I'm going to get a set of the smallcar ones eventually because I just can't see myself spending that much time sanding and polishing. I'll have a couple spare lenses then lol.

not likely, from the directions I was reading you cut out the front ribbed part of the stock lenses and silicon the clear in but the rest of the lens is reused.

[Lookin4SVX]

I like it, I want to do it too!
But I don't want my fingers to look like that.

Dremel = bad, ok. Thanks for finding that out for me, you saved me a lens.
I totally would have gone at it with the dremel if not for your experience.

This is something I can see myself doing while the SVX is parked for the winter.
Hell, I am temped to go outside in the dark and rip them out before this snow storm hits.
Be a cool free upgrade, I already got the 1000,1500,2000 grit paper and plastic polish for cleaning the outside of lenses.

[92 SVX]

Originally Posted by Lookin4SVX

I like it, I want to do it too!
But I don't want my fingers to look like that.

Dremel = bad, ok. Thanks for finding that out for me, you saved me a lens.
I totally would have gone at it with the dremel if not for your experience.

This is something I can see myself doing while the SVX is parked for the winter.
Hell, I am temped to go outside in the dark and rip them out before this snow storm hits.
Be a cool free upgrade, I already got the 1000,1500,2000 grit paper and plastic polish for cleaning the outside of lenses.

if you have a sander that is small enough you could do that, would save on fingers and time. I am unsure if they have one that would fit inside there but I would guess they must, if not find a small sanding block, has to be 3" or less side to side, sander or block and smaller one yet to get into the corners.
You will want to start with very coarse I did 80 grit might even want coarser to take the ribbing down faster. The inside of the lens is concave slightly.
The headlights come out of the car very quick and easy pull the grill and the side corners and 4 bolts per light. took 5 mins maybe to get both out.

[92 SVX]

Oh one other thing to pull the lenses off I took the bulbs and wiring off the housing preheated the oven to 225 degrees and put the housing in for 7 mins. I used 2 small flat bladed screwdrivers and carefully worked all the way around the lens when you get a small gap the black gooey stuff still wont let go I put them back in the oven for 4 more min at that point you can grab the lens and pull it will come right off.
Let the lens cool down before you start working on it, the gooey stuff will stay on and harden up you can wash the lens without worrying about it.
When you go to put the lens back on put the housing by itself in the preheated 225 degree oven for 4 mins pull it out put the lens in place give it a small push and then put it all in the oven for 7 mins with the lens up, gravity and heat will pull the lens down into place when you pull it out check it and if needed push it down then reclip it and it will be good and sealed.
One thing always watch so your oven isnt too hot if you see anything starting to warp remove immediately.

[GTOSVX]

I have had the clear lenses for fournyears, with hid low beams, and they are still clear with no yellowing. Much better than the polish, my problem with the original lenses included residue on the inside as well as yellowing and pitting.

[92 SVX]

Another thing I been working on



Will get daytime pics installed soon.

As you can see one of the lenses is warped, lesson dont have it in the oven for over 7 mins. lol I am getting different one soon.