I replaced the headlight assemblies on my 2001 Focus today.

[Gold Metal Flake]

"Gold, what in the hell didja haul off and do a stewped thang like that for?" someone might ask. "You are a rude motherfucker", I might think, but I would say "whadaya mean?". "You coulda got one O them polishing kits."

OK. Here's the deal. Them modern headlights have a coating on the plastic that protects if from the elements. But that coating wears away and your headlight lenses get foggy. You can use the plastic polishing kits to smooth out the roughened surface of the lens, but you are sanding and polishing uncoated plastic. It's just gonna get foggy again in a few months. I have used plastic polishes and my usual hand technique (ooh la la) and have seen the results. Then what, buy another kit?

So, I ordered a new pair off Ebay. Nice, new and protected for many years. Not too hard the change, either.

Anybody here use the kits and had more than a year of clear lenses? If so, what kit did you use?

[mockmonkey]

1. I'm replacing mine also

I thought they would be more expensive and it looks pretty easy to do. I tried that polishing kit advertised on TV knowing that in no way would it work, it didn't.

I'm waiting for warmer weather to replace them. My only worry is readjusting the headlights as there are no level surfaces here to do that.

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. I rough-adjusted mine using the patterns from the old ones as reference.

This car is in good shape and has not beed hit or repaired in the front. The old headlight assys were factory installed. So I pulled the car into the garage and shined the headlights onto the washer & dryer, used a black marker to make rectangular boxes to mark the patterns, blocked & unblocked the light to zero in on the center of the beam and marked that. Once the swap was done I then adjusted the height (only adjustment on the Focus) to center it on my marks and used Formula 409 to remove the marks from the W&D. Worked great.

[ge26252se]

6. +1

[Gold Metal Flake]

7. LOL! Dead troll.

Troll fucks,
You can't build post-count unseen by replying to old posts like you could in DU2. U mad?

[Kali]

3. drove a 78 ford van for while

(abandoned vehicle from the cross-border migrations) - it had a passenger side headlight that would fall out when you hit a good bump. One time I was kind of in a hurry to get to town for some reason just before dark and the thing fell out somewhere on our dirt road. Well of course I got pulled over for it and when the cop was telling me why he stopped me I said "Oh crap, it must have fell off back there somewhere." I must have said it in a way that came across as totally absurd - I am sure it was in the same tone as anybody would say "oh I forgot my grocery list, I'll just have to remember what to buy" no big deal. He cracked up and didn't even give me a work order or notice no seat belts.

We get away with too much sometimes, driving these crazy old things.

[Gold Metal Flake]

4. LOL! You need duct tape!

Duct tape, heavy iron wire and channel locks. Keep 'em running!

[FredStembottom]

5. You're right, Gold.

I polished out my headlights about 6 times. They were cloudy again in just a couple months each time.

Plus, on mine, that top layer never wore away completely. Even after taking the headlamps out and polishing them with plastic polish and a buffer, there were top-layer chunks that kinda looked like a map of India still visible.

Got sick of it. Bought new car.

[bluedigger]

8. I buy a new one every time I run out of gas.

You'd think they would build them to last longer.

[FredStembottom]

9. LOL!

Well.... I bought a new used car, anyway - and sold the Headlight Special to my son for a bargain. He has more time to polish.