Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend?

Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/28/12 11:24 PM

Any good recommendations for tail lamp lens restoration? I installed my NOS lens on the right side of the wagon, and now the left side looks like crap...well, not really like crap, just not as nice as the right side.

Also, any DIY products you recommend? My lenses have some chrome trim on them that will make buffing them with a machine kind of difficult, FWIW.

Attached picture 7225725-MVC-031S.JPG

Posted By: bigtail

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/28/12 11:34 PM

Meguires Plast-X polish. You can hand buff it. I would do the NOS one as well. It had protectants in it. It is a miracle liquid.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 03:10 AM

Work pretty decent. Seriously. Do a test section and see if it's what you are looking for.

But if you trying to get scratches out: wet sanding them with 400, 600, 1000, and 1500 grit or so will get scatches out. Then hand buff with medium paint rubbing compound, then fine compound. Should get it as nice an anyone else.

Posted By: A12

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 03:39 AM

good stuff suggested but if you want the best, this is it IMO, been using it since the '60's and there is NOTHING better IMO.

You'll find it at any good motorcycle shop especially the older shops.

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 03:53 AM

Quote:

Work pretty decent. Seriously. Do a test section and see if it's what you are looking for.

But if you trying to get scratches out: wet sanding them with 400, 600, 1000, and 1500 grit or so will get scatches out. Then hand buff with medium paint rubbing compound, then fine compound. Should get it as nice an anyone else.

This or Mothers aluminum polish.

Posted By: A12

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 04:04 AM

I'll put Simichrome up against anything out there, including any of these "Johnny come lately's"

.......

Simichrome is "metal" polish not aluminum polish that's why I feel for this application it is better for chrome restoration

Posted By: A12

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 04:20 AM

http://www.simichrome-polish.com/

Seriously it's the best out there....finished with simichrome

Attached picture 7226219-DSC02571rss.jpg

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 04:45 AM

Quote:

http://www.simichrome-polish.com/

Seriously it's the best out there....finished with simichrome

Wenol is very good too on plastic. My dad uses it on dull plastic headlight covers. Interesting to hear Wenol vs. Semichrome comparisions from people that have used both.

But those are just polishes. If you have significant scatches, like most do, you need to sand them out.

Wenol is pink colored and little thiner consistancy of toothpaste. IIRC, Simichrome is similar in those respects.

Posted By: A12

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 06:17 AM

Quote:

Meguires Plast-X polish. You can hand buff it. I would do the NOS one as well. It had protectants in it. It is a miracle liquid.

On the plastic lens you can start with simichrome and then finish it with Mequires Plast-X polish. I used a loose buffing wheel on my '68 lens first with the simichrome and then Meg Plast-X came out nice. I did the same with my wife's Town and Country headlights after trying all of those headlight restoration kits and there was no comparison to simi and Plast-X

Posted By: not_a_charger

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 10:46 AM

Quote:

I'll put Simichrome up against anything out there, including any of these "Johnny come lately's" .......

Simichrome is "metal" polish not aluminum polish that's why I feel for this application it is better for chrome restoration

I'm not polishing any metal or chrome. I'm only doing the red lens. The "chrome" pieces on my lens are plastic. Is a metal polish like Simichrome or Wenol safe to use on my plastic lenses?

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/29/12 11:50 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I'll put Simichrome up against anything out there, including any of these "Johnny come lately's" .......

Simichrome is "metal" polish not aluminum polish that's why I feel for this application it is better for chrome restoration

I'm not polishing any metal or chrome. I'm only doing the red lens. The "chrome" pieces on my lens are plastic. Is a metal polish like Simichrome or Wenol safe to use on my plastic lenses?

I know Wenol is. I'm pretty sure Semichrome is too.

If you don't have one of those two on hand, I'd still do a little test spot with toothpaste and paper towel. Just to establish a baseline to measure the results of other products and/or processes. Will take a couple minutes; toothpaste and paper towels are super handy too.

Posted By: screamindriver

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 12:24 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I'll put Simichrome up against anything out there, including any of these "Johnny come lately's" .......

Simichrome is "metal" polish not aluminum polish that's why I feel for this application it is better for chrome restoration

I'm not polishing any metal or chrome. I'm only doing the red lens. The "chrome" pieces on my lens are plastic. Is a metal polish like Simichrome or Wenol safe to use on my plastic lenses?

I've used Simichrome also for years...It's a fine polish and you won't get into trouble using it on the plastic lenses around the vehicle...Never used the toothpaste trick so I can't comment on that....But no matter which polish you use be careful using any type of buffing wheel...Once you heat the lense and melt/disfigure the surface it's all over getting it to look like your nos piece...

Posted By: DaveRS23

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 02:44 AM

As long as the red is still good, the best thing to do is to clear coat it. Glass bead it first so the clear can get a good gite. I've done this to many, many taillite lenses with excellent results.

It also works with many of the new headlights that get so cloudy. Sand them down good with 500 or so till smooth and use the left-over clear from a paint job to bring them back to life.

Posted By: MOBodyman

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 05:24 AM

Quote:

As long as the red is still good, the best thing to do is to clear coat it. Glass bead it first so the clear can get a good gite. I've done this to many, many taillite lenses with excellent results.

It also works with many of the new headlights that get so cloudy. Sand them down good with 500 or so till smooth and use the left-over clear from a paint job to bring them back to life.

I've polished a few but clearcoated a bunch of them. It makes them look really nice. I just wet sand with 600 and use a red Scotchbrite in the areas the sandpaper won't get into. I usually over-reduce my clear just a bit and then spray 2-3 light coats of clear.
Dallan

Posted By: not_a_charger

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 11:27 AM

Quote:

As long as the red is still good, the best thing to do is to clear coat it. Glass bead it first so the clear can get a good gite. I've done this to many, many taillite lenses with excellent results.

It also works with many of the new headlights that get so cloudy. Sand them down good with 500 or so till smooth and use the left-over clear from a paint job to bring them back to life.

I can't glass bead it because that will remove the chrome from the trim that's glued to the lens, and there doesn't seem to be any way to remove the chrome trim from the lens without ruining it.

Posted By: steve70

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 11:53 AM

Tape over the chrome to protect it before you bead blast.

Posted By: belv2vert66

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 05:07 PM

On my 66 Dart, the chrome was held on by plastic "pins". They were part of the lens that went through small holes in the chrome and then much like a rivet, they were heated and peened over the hole. I used a solder gun and gently heated the pins till I could pull the chrome off. It was very tedious and time consuming. I was able to re install the chrome back over the pins and re peen them but it was difficult. Probably would have been easier to use an adhesive.

Posted By: bigtail

Re: Tail lamp lens restoration - anyone you recommend? - 05/30/12 10:06 PM

Always start with the least abrasive or damaging, and work your way up. If the plastic is in good condition, but hazy or dull, no deep scratches, I sure as heck would NOT start in by bead blasting it or sanding on it. Try some Plast-X with a micro fiber cloth and just work it in for a while by hand. If you have scratches or gouges, then is the time to use more abrasive techniques. Plast-X was made for plastic, it won't harm your chrome trim. I furnished my entire house with a lot of vintage 60s and 70s decor, much of it is pop-art plastic stuff. Some lucite sculptures, etc. Even the most clouded, crappy, dirty, very lightly scratched stuff came out looking brand new. Plast-X is outstanding stuff, and has preservatives and conditioners in it to protect the plastic. I did a set of vintage clear tinted pool table balls that most would have probably thrown away, and they came out looking like jeweled hard candies. Start off simple, then go rougher if you need to. Once plastic is removed, there is no putting it back. Good luck!