Refinished Plastic Side Marker Lights

[CREGAN]

I read up about how plastic lights turn yellow and oxidize so I decided to try out the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit (on sale at Crappy Tire last week) on my side markers. Easy to do, just follow the instructions. Now it looks like I have a new set of marker lights! Like anything you do with your van, the more time you take the better the result. I did end up buffing a llittle of the black paint of the surrounding strip, but thanks to my old buddy Krylon Fusion Satin Black and some masking tape they look new again. I chose this kit because it comes with the sanding disks and pad for your hand drill. I think the sanding was important to get all the crap off. Here is a before and after- sorry didn't take photos of the process but if you want there is a you-tube video of a pretty cute lady going through the entire process !

Craig

Before:

Optimized-IMG_7861.JPG (59.24 KiB) Viewed 3946 times

After:

Optimized-IMG_8940.JPG (73.47 KiB) Viewed 3946 times

[psilosin]

nice one bruddah.

[patriceboivin]

I don't have the van here yet but was wondering after seeing pictures of older L400s, the side marker lights always seem darker than the headlights.
Kind of odd: same manufacturer and the light enclosures are right next to each other. Aren't they made the same way? (probably a naive question)

Used that same 3M kit on our 2007 Honda Fit last night, the headlight covers on that one are (cheap? ) clear plastic, they were yellowed and cloudy.
Didn't auto manufacturers use to make the light enclosures out of glass?

I assume they use plastic because it's cheaper and lighter, as well as perhaps a planned obsolescence ploy that makes new vehicles look better than 5+ year old ones.

[CREGAN]

The headlights are glass and the side markers are plastic. The plastic just gets old and weathered and needs a good buffing. The kit worked really good and they are still fairly clear.

Craig

[thelazygreenfox]

Craig
Those side markers really cleaned up well. Mine didn't clean up quite so nicely, guess more elbow grease is needed or buffing as you've done.

Is that your delica manual under the lights?
well done
TLGF

[CREGAN]

Thanks- yeah they cleaned up well, but it was my drill that did most of the work. Yes, that is my manual underneath them. I work well with good old fashioned hard copies and luckily I work in a school so I was able to print myself out a giant binder full.

Craig

[fredt]

I did mine this weekend, bought a plastic lense cleaning kit for JEEP's headlights and after reading this topic and the similar one on the UK site I did the trucks side lights, the difference is unreal! no more dull green tinted lights but shiny clear light units I may split the lense off the lamp body and spray the interior silver to make them look like lexus clear units