I searched and my understanding was that David @ Performance Motorworks in CA would be able to refurbish these lights to as-new? Can somebody confirm? I called the shop (north of Sacramento is the only one with that name in CA that I could find) and they had no idea what I'm talking about. Thank you.
There was a recent DIY thread on here where the guy used a setup with magnets like the common fish tank cleaning method. Looked easy enough if you can source smooth and strong magnets.
This can be done yourself if you have the patience and willingness to do so. I've done my own and a few other members here as well. There's also another member on here that even posted pictures of his restoration. I unfortunately did not have the time to document it. The lense can be removed once the silicone is heated up and softend. It's a tedious task and demands patience so you do not cause damage to the fixture, the lense and the painted surface. Any questions let me know. Chris.
Ok, so there are a couple of things that I am learning -- let me summarize and please correct me if I'm wrong... All this has to do with the inside fogging of the lights. There are a few ways around fixing or improving this issue: [1] powerful magnet -- one of the members who posted this actually had dusting inside the light and the magnet and the jewler's pouch aided in removing that well. I have not seen the technique applied easily or with great results to the whitish-greyish fogging that is present in most of the lights (including mine); [2] cutting the light -- this is what the CA gentleman does, supposedly with a special saw. I have seen the 'open headlight surgery' post which uses sharp/thin blades. The cost for this I have been told is now $800 with an 80-90% success rate but there is no guarantee and there's a cost of a few hundred $ even if it fails. [3] heating the light -- I've read about this as well but I don't know if the temperatures and timings are well known and reliable? I have found on other car forums people do this but I suspect the sealant and materials differ from one car maker to another (or rather from their light suppliers). I'm willing to try [1] to start since it's a low cost, low-risk option, but looking at the fogging it's mostly above the lights themselves and whitish almost baked in there -- I doubt rubbing a cloth over it will do much?
Using a magnet with a polishing rag may work if you had condensation but not discoloration from heat or oxidation. There is no actual cutting of the fixture itself, nor a special saw. Cutting the lense or fixture will cause permanent irreparable damage The lens and fixture are tongue and groove. The lens has the tongue side and the light fixture has the groove. It's adhered with a special 2 part adhesive that is very hard to get and runs a few hundred bucks to obtain. I used a high quality marine grade silicone that cost me near $60.00 I think if I remember correctly. The heating process is to soften the adhesive in the groove to make it plyable. The lens and fixture are more durable then everyone thinks. The risk of cracking and damage is going to be caused by using improper tools like a screw driver or a metal pry bar. The best thing to use is nylon prying tools. These are commonly used in interior component removal. You can preheat your oven to around 230f and remove all trays and shelves so you have an open oven. Do not allow the fixture to make contact with the sides of the oven or get near the burner tray. You really do not need to leave it in long roughly 5-10 minutes checking every couple of minutes (feeling it with your hand to check for heat obsorbtion) once that's done you will need to use a durable razor knife preferable a retractable drywall knife. You will need to start scoring the silicone between the tongue and groove. With your plastic/nylon prying tools start at the leading edge of the light and start prying you will need to be doing multiple things at once like prying, cutting and heating with a quality hair dryer. (Do not use a heat gun)!!! Once you have the lense removed you will have a few hours of just cleaning off the existing adhesive. You can use Novus 1 and 2 to clean and polish the lens. In some cases you may need to have it polished. http://www.novuspolish.com/ Do not use solvents, abrasives or any harsh chemicals this can discolor and scuff the lense. On reassembley you will need to work in a clean dust free environment. Make sure to not rub the painted surface to much as this will creat static and every piece of dust will start clinging to it. Also ( be very very careful of the chrome bright light fixture as the chrome can be easily rubbed off) Adhere the lense back to the fixture and let it sit for 24 hours before reinstalling it back onto the car. This is the basics of it. Any questions let me know. Chris...
This is gold information -- thank you very much. The only follow-up question is -- can you suggest any of the nylon removal tools that you used? I am assuming things like you'd use to take your Iphone or Ipad apart? Or something else? If these nylon tools, then I actually have broken a few of them taking the vents of a F355 off so maybe you have a more durable recommendation? Thank you.
I have successfully used two of these for many years: I heat the outer perimeter of the light where the two pieces join using a heat gun with a paint stripper attachment set on low from a distance of around 12", slowly heating it up. As it gets hot i drive one of the plastic wedges in between, then the second a couple inches around from the first, then use a sharp long blade to cut the bonding between the two. It takes a fair while and some patience, but as already mentioned, they are pretty sturdy and won't crack easily. You can fashion some similar tools from some hard plastic. The key is to have smooth edges so they can be inserted without too much force.
