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 Post subject: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:34 pm 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:14 pm
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Location: Missing my garage in Sunnyside
Pretty sure I know the answer to this...

Is there a decent product/technique for trying to get some life back in my e codes? The light they put out is getting worse by the night it seems. The chrome is getting darker logarithmically.

I think I remember matt doing something with headlights years ago. I hope I don't have to put the stock plastic back on...

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:48 am 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:40 pm
Posts: 3492
Location: Calgary, Ab
Yeah I did something years ago. It wasn't a good something either.

When I pulled the busted glass off Roberta's 850 to put on the Ecode lenses I got from FCP, I pulled out the Windex and a paper towel to clean the reflectors. Wiped the reflection right out of them, I did... I stopped pretty quickly when I started seeing the silver wipe off and the plastic underneath showing through. I didn't scrub them or anything, either!

I'm not sure what you could use. I've used a product on the RC trucks that simulates chrome in paint form, and as far as paint goes it's quite good but it relies on being sprayed from the backside of clear lexan and being viewed from the outside to pull it off. It's not that shiny when viewed from the painted side, but maybe with a clearcoat it would be alright? You could do what Dale did to his 122 reflectors, which is to line them in that aluminium tape used for HVAC, but that would be a disaster. I'd love to know what Hella or Cibie uses, but it's probably highly toxic and unavailable to the public.


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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:50 am 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:14 pm
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Location: Missing my garage in Sunnyside
That's what I though. Shit.

Well, at least it wouldn't be any worse than it is now if I try something. Guess I'll be grabbing my stock shit next time I'm in town...

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:21 am 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:29 am
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Location: Eating tofu and legumes in my hippie shack
Are they factory E-codes Athal? Seems crappy they would be doing this to you.

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:21 am 
First volvo in outer space
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Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:46 pm
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Location: East L.A.
Have you tried searching TB or BB?? I vaguely remember (might have dreamed it too) someone with the exact same issue who repaired it somehow. I thought they painted it with chrome paint??

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:23 pm 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:14 pm
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Location: Missing my garage in Sunnyside
Google turns up some old threads, none of which were very successful or helpful, other than saying re-chroming/ silvering at ~$100 each was the only way.

Original ecodes from mr borrie. Started out ok, but I suspect the wear had already started and as I said snowballs once started.

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:01 pm 
First volvo in outer space
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Location: East L.A.
swedishmeatball wrote:
Google turns up some old threads, none of which were very successful or helpful, other than saying re-chroming/ silvering at ~$100 each was the only way.

Original ecodes from mr borrie. Started out ok, but I suspect the wear had already started and as I said snowballs once started.


Yeah that sucks, although $200 for re-chroming is ~ half the price of another used set that might do the same thing in a year or two. At least with re-chroming you know it should be good for the rest of the cars life?

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:49 pm 
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Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:43 am
Posts: 248
Location: Regina, SK
I beat Matt's Windex... I put my housings in the dishwasher - but remembered to turn off the heat cycle 'cause I'm smart... :D

Opened the dishwasher to find impeccably clean tan plastic housings... Quick Google told me this wasn't some sort of chrome applied to the plastic but a fancy powder applied in some fancy vacuum process... Who knew? (I'm used to steel housings with proper optical chrome on my Peugeot euro lights)

Bought a second hand set, and installed the e-code lenses on them. My cheap upgrade turned into a very expensive mediocre upgrade. (Said Peugeot euro's obliterate the V70R's lights)

I recently hit a deer with my V70R, find out tomorrow if it gets fixed or totalled. If they fix I'll upgrade to the aftermarket projector lamps and signals, if they total I'll buy it back and upgrade when I repair the car. :)

http://www.ardtuning.com/Exterior-Styling_c_106.html

Might be the cheaper better option if you don't mind the look. (I just want better lights)

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:31 pm 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:14 pm
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Location: Missing my garage in Sunnyside
I will definitely be checking if the ecode glass fits the stock reflectors. While re- coating may be a good long term option- I'm not thinking long term for this car, plus I'd have to find someone that could do it locally, and not charge a ton.

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:07 am 
Somehow completely sideways in 4th

Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:43 am
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Location: Regina, SK
e-code lenses do fit the stock housings on x70 cars for sure, and I know they sell the same e-code lenses for the 850 so it's pretty likely they'll fit.

Chroming plastic is the hard part, and the only place I found that could do it was in Cali... (5 years ago maybe?)

My headlight ordeal sucked bad because being in Regina SK meant the used replacement lights had to be shipped. I tried chrome spray paint and it was brutally bad. I thought maybe Alsa's "killer chrome" might be good enough - but it's not from what I found online. I even had some Hella halogen projectors that I wanted to retrofit - but a few years back you couldn't get the clear lenses - so only option was stock lights.

I later tried an H7 HID kit to make them better as I heard they were pretty good for controlling light - they were terrible. Light scattered everywhere, and I found the 6000K colour reflected off the road more than it illuminated it, so returned them.

Recently looked at threads on the aftermarket projectors and they seem to be a much better light than stock - so I hope to upgrade to them when the car gets fixed.

http://www.eurosporttuning.ca/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EST02&Product_Code=VLA-180-402&Category_Code=VL-S70-ex

Rabin


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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:10 pm 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:29 am
Posts: 1790
Location: Eating tofu and legumes in my hippie shack
Some headlight restoration here:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthrea ... 403&page=2

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 Post subject: Re: headlight reflector repair/refresh
PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:51 am 
Haha, I just built a W24 Octo-Turbo, now what?!
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Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:14 pm
Posts: 1875
Location: Missing my garage in Sunnyside
Hmm chrome brite tape, I think that's the modeling stuff I've seen some guys use. I used duct tape (the smooth shiny kind) on one reflector and it's alot better (not hard to improve on matte grey) but I'm curious how long it lasts.

Maybe I'll track down this other tape for the other side. Thanks Greg.

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